Yakama Nation

Yakima man Inashah.jpg

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Various Spellings: Yakama, Yakima

The Yakama (Yakima) Tribe is located in central Washington along the Columbia River. In 1994, the Yakama Nation adopted the spelling of its name as "Yakama," which they feel is the more correct historical spelling of their name.

Tribal Headquarters

Yakima Indian Nation
2808 Main St
Union Gap, WA 98903

1-509-452-2502‎

The Yakama Nation
Maine Agency Offices
401 Fort Road
PO Box 151
Toppenish, WA 98948

1-509-865-5121

Yakama Nation

History

Brief Timeline

• 1805: First contact with Europeans -- the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
• 1835: Oregon Trail
• 1840's Lieutenant Chalres Wilkes, sent by U.S. government to explore the Pacific Coast.
• 1946: the 49th Parallel divided the Oregon Territory between the United States and Canada
• 1855:Treaty with the U.S. government
• 1855-56: Yakama War
• 1855: Reservation established

Additional References to the History of the Tribe

Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Yakima tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods. Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.

For additional history of the tribe, read more....

Reservations

A trac of land set aside for occupation and use by American Indians.

Superintendencies

The Washington and Oregon Superintendencies had jurisdiction over the tribe.

Records

Census

Before the 1870 census Yakima tribe members may be found in Walla Walla County, WA dispersed among the general population.

In 1870 census search Yakima County.

1880 Search (M1791, 5 rolls.) Schedules of a Special Census of Indians, 1880. The Yakima Agency is divided into five districts, which appear on roll 3. FHL Film:

1885-1940 Search (M595) Indian Census Rolls. (692 rolls) Yakima Indians are located on rolls 672-679. FHLFilm:

(Source of above: NARA# 1004)

Treaties

• 1855 June 9, at Camp Stevens

Yakima Agency

The agency representing the Yakama Indians for the Bureau of Indian Affairs is the Yakima Agency. It is located at Toppenish, Washington. For additional history of this agency and an indication of the location of its records, click here.

Yakama Indian Nation -- BIA Agency
401 Fort Rd
Toppenish, WA 98948 1-509-865-2255‎

Important Web Sites

• Yakama Tribe Wikipedia

References

Bibliography

• Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives; Record Group 75, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
• Hodge, Frederick Webb. Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1906 Available online.
• Klein, Barry T., ed. Reference Encyclopedia of the American Indian. Nyack, New York: Todd Publications, 2009. 10th ed. WorldCat 317923332; FHL book 970.1 R259e.
• Malinowski, Sharon and Sheets, Anna, eds. The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1998. 4 volumes. Includes: Lists of Federally Recognized Tribes for U.S., Alaska, and Canada – pp. 513-529 Alphabetical Listing of Tribes, with reference to volume and page in this series Map of “Historic Locations of U.S. Native Groups” Map of “Historic Locations of Canadian Native Groups” Map of “Historic Locations of Mexican, Hawaiian and Caribbean Native Groups” Maps of “State and Federally Recognized U.S. Indian Reservations. WorldCat 37475188; FHL book 970.1 G131g.

Vol. 1 -- Northeast, Southeast, Caribbean

Vol. 2 -- Great Basin, Southwest, Middle America

Vol. 3 -- Arctic, Subarctic, Great Plains, Plateau

Vol. 4 -- California, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Islands

• Sturtevant, William C. Handbook of North American Indians. 20 vols., some not yet published. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1978– .
  

Volume 1 -- Not yet published

Volume 2 -- Indians in Contemporary Society (pub. 2008) -- WorldCat 234303751

Volume 3 -- Environment, Origins, and Population (pub. 2006) -- WorldCat 255572371

Volume 4 -- History of Indian-White Relations (pub. 1988) -- WorldCat 19331914; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.4.

Volume 5 -- Arctic (pub. 1984) -- WorldCat 299653808; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.5.

Volume 6 -- Subarctic (pub. 1981) -- WorldCat 247493742; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.6.

Volume 7 -- Northwest Coast (pub. 1990) -- WorldCat 247493311

Volume 8 -- California (pub. 1978) -- WorldCat 13240086; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.8.

Volume 9 -- Southwest (pub. 1979) -- WorldCat 26140053; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.9.

Volume 10 -- Southwest (pub. 1983) -- WorldCat 301504096; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.10.

Volume 11 -- Great Basin (pub. 1986) -- WorldCat 256516416; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.11.

Volume 12 -- Plateau (pub. 1998) -- WorldCat 39401371; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.12.

Volume 13 -- Plains, 2 vols. (pub. 2001) -- WorldCat 48209643

Volume 14 -- Southeast (pub. 2004) -- WorldCat 254277176

Volume 15 -- Northwest (pub. 1978) -- WorldCat 356517503; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.15.

Volume 16 -- Not yet published

Volume 17 -- Languages (pub. 1996) -- WorldCat 43957746

Volume 18 -- Not yet published

Volume 19 -- Not yet published

Volume 20 -- Not yet published

• Swanton John R. The Indian Tribes of North America. Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin #145 Available online.
• Waldman, Carl. Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. New York, New York: Facts on File, 2006. 3rd ed. WorldCat 14718193; FHL book 970.1 W146e 2006.

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)

National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.