What is the Yakima Nation?

The Yakima Nation, also spelled Yakama, is a Native American group that was generally located in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington states. In modern times, members of the Yakima Nation reside on a 1.37-million-acre reservation located on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in south-central Washington State. They moved there as a result of a treaty signed by the Yakima Nation and 13 other tribes with the Washington territorial governor Isaac Stevens in 1855. The individual tribes would organize together to form the Confederate Tribes of the Yakama Nation in 1933. There are about 8,800 active members of the confederation and approximately 13,700 people live on the reservation.

Historically, the Yakima people were a tribe of hunters and gatherers. Most of the tribal economy was generally based on trading goods, such as horses, dogs, fishing goods, and handicrafts, such as baskets. They would typically migrate around the Columbia basin as the seasons changed in order to find food. Many of the Yakima would perform rituals that honored the environment. In the early 19th century, Christian missionary Charles Pandosy began to introduce the concepts of Christianity to the Yakima.

The Yakima Treaty of 1855 forced the tribes to collectively turn over about 11.5 million acres of land to the federal government and in return, a reservation was established for the Native Americans. The treaty allowed two years for the tribes to leave the ceded territory, but within two weeks, settlers had moved in, prompting a confrontation that led to an uprising. For three years, the Yakima Nation fought with federal troops in what became known as the Yakima War.

Afterward, most of the Yakima tribes settled on the reservation and generally experienced indoctrination, forced labor, and social breakdown. Eventually, conditions improved as individual lots were distributed among the people and ownership rights were established. Since then, the Yakima Nation has worked hard to maintain self-sufficiency and economic freedom.

A general council is the governing body of the Yakima Nation. Once a member of the Yakima Nation reaches the age of 18, he or she is enrolled into the council as a voting member. The council typically presides over a standing committee, which presents important issue for voting, including education, housing, farming, and wildlife management.

The Yakima Nation jointly manages eight rivers, including the Columbia River, with the state of Washington. Together, they ensure the various fisheries are adequately stocked each year to facilitate a thriving fishing economy. Additionally, the Yakima generally manages irrigation projects and grazing areas within the Columbia Basin.