Wheel of the Year Project
Yurok
They are also known historically as the Pohlik-la, Ner-er-er, Petch-ik-lah
and Klamath River Indians . Their ancestral land once extended upriver 44
miles from the mouth of the Klamath river in northern California. During the
heights of the runs, other tribes came from all over the Pacific Northwest to
trade for their salmon.
Both the Spring and Fall Salmon runs were main times of ceremony. These
people revered the salmon and created elaborate rites to ensure their return.
The largest was in the autumn. This was the building of the Kepel dam, or
weir, which included both men and women and lasted for fifty to sixty days as
their New Year celebration. The location was on the Klamath River by a redwood
grove, called guardians, cut down in the 1960s. Multiple rituals were held at
this time all centered around world-renewal, focusing on the perpetuation of
salmon, health and prosperity of the tribes. These were based upon their
creation myths which included beings that were half deity and half human.
Actual construction of the dam took ten days under the direction of a
medicine man who had specialized training. Every aspect of construction was
stepped in ritual. Throughout construction, workers would fast and spend nights
in their sweatlodge to ensure they were spiritually pure.
The night the dam was completed and during the next day, the White Deer
Skin Dance was danced. Then the dam was used for its customary ten days and
dismantled. The skin of a white or pale deer was passed down as an heirloom and
regarded as a protector of its owner and their friends.
After dismantling the dam, the people would dance the White Deer Skin Dance
AGAIN for 10-16 days and people came from as far away as the Oregon/California
Coast to attend.
Several days after the end of the second White Deer Skin Dance, they held
the Jump Dance through the night and one day. This concluded the ritual cycle.
The Jumping Dance was their annual ritual to to drive away evil things,and bring
back balance again.
Many other Southwest Oregon and Northern Californian tribes performed the
White Deer Skin and Jump dances, including Karuk Pikyavish, the Tolowa Nee-dash
and the Hupa.
For more information on these people, please go to
here,
here and/or
here.
Hupa
They formerly occupied the valley of Trinity river, California from south
fork to its junction with the Klamath, including Hupa valley.
In addition to an elaborate Fall Salmon ceremony, similar to the Jump and
White Deer Skin dances held by the Yurok, they had the following lesser
ceremonies.
- First Salmon cermony in the Spring near the equinox and early run
offs.
- First Eel rite also in the Spring.
- First acorn cermony in the Fall, again, near the equinox.
Until various prayers were spoken and sacred actions carried out, none of
the above foods could be consumed.
For additional information on the Hupa, please see
here,
here and
here.
Takelma
The Takelma lived in southern Oregon by the Rogue River. Their four great festivals included the beginning of the Spring and Fall salmon runs and acorn harvests. These all were roughly around the times of the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes. In the dark time around the Winter Solstice, they told stories of their ancestors around the warm fires.
For more general information about the Takelma, please see Wikipedia
Warm Springs
They once lived from the Cascade mountains to the Deschutes River in Central Oregon. Each year, they held the following three religious feasts all based upon their most important native foods.
- The Root Feast in the Spring recognizing the first appearance of many important roots.
- The First Catch, or Salmon Feast, also in the Spring recognizing the salmon run.
- The Huckleberry Feast in early Fall recognizing the ripening of the first berries.
To learn more about the culture of the Warm Springs, please see The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
At one time, there were dozens of different tribes living throughout Northern California, Oregon and Washington. If you have information regarding the festivals of other Native American people of the Pacific Northwest, please contact Aigeann so she may add that information to this section or correct what is presented here.
The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of
the grass,
speaks to me.
The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of
the sky,
speaks to me.
The faintness of the stars,
the trail of the
sun,
the strength of fire,
and the life that never goes away,
they
speak to me.
And my heart soars.
- Chief Dan George
