Oregon's nine Tribes

Indigenous people continue to live and thrive in what is now the state of Oregon. The land holds many stories, growing traditions and vibrant cultural practices. The attempted erasure of Indigenous people over the last 400 years has had long lasting effects on the status of Tribal lands and the communities who care for the land. Oregon has nine federally recognized Tribes, each which have worked to embrace their cultural practices throughout their communities.

To learn more visit the Native Land map project. 

Burns Paiute of Harney County

  • Location: Once spanned 5,250 square miles across Oregon, Nevada, California, and Idaho. Now in rural eastern Oregon.

  • Governance: 402 members, with 142 residing on the reservation. Overseen by an eight-person Tribal Council.

  • Language: Northern Paiute language, includes the Wadatika Neme Yaduan dialect.

  • Traditions and lifestyle: Members enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Half of the Tribe’s population is under 18 years old. 

Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians

  • Location: Approximately 1.6 million acres, the historical territory reached from the Coastal Range eastward to the Pacific Ocean.

  • Governance: Tribal Chief and six additional members. 

  • Language: The Coos tribe included the Hanis-speaking group and the Miluk-speaking group. The Lower Umpqua people spoke the Kuitsch dialect of the Siuslawan language. The Siuslaw people spoke Siuslaw.

  • Traditions and lifestyle: Surrounded by abundant natural resources, including fish, wildlife and edible plants. 

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

  • Location: Ties to Western Oregon, Northern California and Southwest Washington. Now in Western Oregon, on an 11,500-acre reservation in Yamhill County.

  • Governance: Around 5,400 enrolled Tribal members. Voting membership elects a nine-member council.

  • Language: Chinuk

  • Traditions and lifestyle: Benefited from plentiful fish and game. What the lands didn’t provide, they acquired by trade.

Confederated Tribes of Siletz

  • Location: Ancestral territory of over 20 million acres in Western Oregon, Southwestern Washington and Northern California. 

  • Governance: Nine-member board elected by members.

  • Language: Ancestors spoke ten different base languages with multiple dialects. 

  • Traditions and lifestyle: Some of the Tribes lived by the water, relying on coastal resources. Those inland had different resources and systems of economy. 

Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Reservation

  • Location: Encompasses 172,000 acres (158,000 east of Pendleton, Oregon and 14,000 southeast of Pilot Rock, Oregon).

  • Governance: Nine-member Board of Trustees, elected every two years by the General Council. 

  • Language: Washat

  • Traditions and lifestyle: Though joined together by the 1855 treaty, the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes each have their own unique culture and dialect.

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs

  • Location: Historically included southeastern Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, and western Utah. It’s been consolidated into what is now Lake, Harney, and Malheur counties in Oregon.

  • Governance: 11 member council, eight elected positions and three lifetime chieftain positions representing the Wasco, Warm Springs and Paiute tribes.

  • Language: Ichishkiin and Kiksht

  • Traditions and lifestyle: The Wasco and Warm Springs tribes primarily lived fisherman lifestyles. The Pauites were located in the high desert and had little contact with the other bands.

Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians

  • Location: South Umpqua River and Cow Creek in southwestern Oregon. 

  • Governance: Tribal Board of Directors and an elected eleven-member council.

  • Language: Takelma 

  • Traditions and lifestyle: Has a rich history that reflects hard work, perseverance and the desire to be self-reliant.

Coquille Indian Tribe

  • Location: More than 750,000 acres in southwestern Oregon.

  • Governance: Council has seven elected positions: chairperson, vice chair, secretary-treasurer, chief and three representatives. 

  • Language: Various dialects of the Penutian family, including Miluk and Hanis, and Athabaskan.

  • Traditions and lifestyle: Potlatch tradition, canoeing and artisanship are all cornerstones of Coquille culture.

Klamath Tribes

  • Location: The Tribes include the Klamath, the Modoc and the Yahooskin-Paiute people, who have always lived in the Klamath Basin.

  • Governance: Council with four executives and six elected members-at-large.

  • Language: Klamath

  • Traditions and lifestyle: Living off the land was a guiding principle and fishing was prominent. A tradition that still remains important today is the Return of c’waam Ceremony. It continues to take place on the Sprague River.

Multnomah County Library has a dedicated Indigenous team. Team members represent diverse tribes and provide culturally relevant library services and programs.

Related pages

Cultural groups