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Takelma Indian Tribe History
Takelma (from the native name I)āagelmáεn,
`those dwelling along the river'). A tribe which, together with
the Upper Takelma, or Lat'gāawáε,
forms is the Takilman linguistic family of Powell. They occupy
the middle portion of the course of Rogue river in south west
Oregon from and perhaps including Illinois river to about Table
Rock, the northern tributaries of Rogue river between these
limits, and the upper course of Cow Creek. Linguistically they
are very sharply distinguished from their neighbors, their
language showing little or no resemblance in even general
morphologic and phonetic traits to either the Athapascan or the
Klamath; it was spoken in at least two dialects. They seem to
have been greatly reduced in numbers at the time of the Rogue
River war; at the prevent day the few survivors, a half dozen or
so, reside on the
Siletz
Reservation, Oregon. J. O. Dorsey (Takelma
MS. vocab., B. A. E., 1884) gives the following list of
village name,: Haslikushtum, Hudedut, Kashtata, Kthotaime,
Nakila, Salwahka, Seetliltun, Sestikustun, Sewaathlchutun,
Shkashtun, Skanowethltunne, Talmamiche, Talotunne, Tthowache,
Tulsulsun, Yaasitun, and Yushlali. These are nearly all
Athapascan in
form. The following native Takelma village names were procured
by Dr Edward Sapir in 1906: Gelyalk (Geiyālk`),
Dilomi (Dīεlōmi,
Gwenpupk (Gwenp'uñk ),
Hayaalbalsda (Hayāalbālsda),
Daktgamik (Dak`t`gamīk`),
Didalam (Dīdalâm),
Daktsasin (Dak`ts!asiñ) or
Daldanik, Hagwal (Hagwál),
Scmouluk (S·ōmōulùk
), and Hatonk (Hat!õnk`).
Culturally the Takelma were closely allied to the
Shasta of north
California, with whom they frequently intermarried. Their main
dependence for food was the acorn, which, after shelling,
pounding, sifting, and seething, was boiled into a mush. Other
vegetable foods, such as the camas root, various seeds, and
berries (especially manzanita), were also largely used. Tobacco
was the only plant cultivated. Of animal foods the chief was
salmon and other river fish caught by line, spear, and net; deer
were hunted by running them into an inclosure provided with
traps. For winter use roasted salmon and cakes of camas and deer
fat were stored away. The main utensils were a great variety of
baskets (used for grinding acorns, sifting, cooking, carrying
burdens, storage, as food receptacles, and for many other
purposes), constructed generally by twining on a hazel warp.
Horn, bone, and wood served as material for various implements,
as spoons, needles, and root diggers. Stone was hardly used
except in the making of arrowheads and pestles. The house,
quadrangular in shape and partly underground, was constructed of
hewn timber and was provided with a central fireplace, a
smoke-hole in the roof, and a raised door from which entrance
was had by means of a notched ladder. The sweat house, holding
about six, was also a plank structure, though smaller in size;
it was reserved for the men.
In clothing and personal adornment the Takelma differed
but little from the tribes of north California,
red-headed-woodpecker scalps and the basket caps of the women
being perhaps the most characteristic articles. Facial painting
in red, black, and white was common, the last named color
denoting war. Women tattooed the skin in three stripes; men
tattooed the left arm with marks serving to measure various
lengths of strings of dentalia.
In their social organization the Takelma were
exceedingly simple, the village, small in size, being the only
important sociological unit; no sign of totemism or clan
groupings has been found. The chieftaincy was only slightly
developed, wealth forming the chief claim to social recognition.
Feuds were settled through the intervention of a "go-between"
hired by the aggrieved party. Marriage was entirely a matter of
purchase of the bride and was often contracted for children or
even infants by their parents. The bride was escorted with
return presents by her relatives to the bridegroom's house; on
the birth of a child an additional price was paid to her father.
Though no law of exogamy prevailed beyond the prohibition of
marriage of near kin, marriage was probably nearly always
outside the village. Polygamy, as a matter of wealth, was of
course found; the levirate prevailed. Corpses were disposed of
by burial in the ground, objects of value being strewn over the
grave.
No great ceremonial or ritual development was attained by the
Takelma. The first appearance of salmon and acorns, the coming
to maturity of a girl, shamanistic performances, and the war
dance were probably the chief occasions for ceremonial activity.
Great influence was exercised by the shamans, to whose malign
power death was generally ascribed. Differing from the shamans
were the dreamers, who gained their power from an entirely
different group of supernatural beings' and who were never
thought to do harm. Characteristic of the Takelma was the use of
a considerable number of charms or medicine formulas addressed
to various animal and other spirits and designed to gain their
favor toward the fulfillment of some desired event or the
warding off of a threatened evil. The most characteristic myths
are the deeds of the culture-hero (Daldâl)
and the pranks of Coyote.
Index of Tribes or Nations
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