Local Tribes

Local Tribes. . Tribal peoples lived in this area for thousands of years before the coming of Lewis and Clark in 1805-06, This site was part of the Walla Walla and Cayuse peoples' traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering grounds. The Walla Walla Valley is part of the ceded area of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, which is comprised of Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla peoples. These tribes reserve inherent rights is the valley under the provisions of the Walla Walla Treaty of 1855. , Historically, the Cayuse and Walla Walla annually migrated from winter villages to other seasonal villages, beginning with fishing and root gathering in the spring, berry gathering in the summer, and fishing and big game hunts in the fall, along with occasional treks across the Rockies for buffalo. , A Cayuse village was located about three miles east of here along the Walla Walla River, just above the Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu. Walla Walla village sites were on the lower Walla Wall River, nearer the Columbia and along the Touchet River. , For thousands of years, local tribes traveled, traded, and intermarried with neighboring tribes. Starting in the 1700's, the acquisition of fine horses enabled a wider range of travel. With the arrival of the trappers and traders at Fort Nez Perce, intermarriage with non-Indians began. , More information on the Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Umatilla can be found at www.tamastkikt.org or by visiting Tamastslikt Cultural Institute.