Tillamook

expand_more Description

The Tillamook were a Salish-speaking group living along the Oregon coast south of the Columbia River. Settlements of 25-200 individuals were located in sheltered bays and at the mouths of rivers. They depended primarily on fishing, hunting and gathering, including marine and land animals, birds and shellfish. The Tillamook were part of the extensive Chinook trade network. Although there were four social ranks, from chief to slaves, based largely on wealth, leadership typically was situational. Shamans were held in the highest regard. The population experienced a steep decline during the early nineteenth century as interactions with Euro-Americans increased; the last full-blooded Tillamook died in 1959. Their descendants comprise part of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, with a reservation in Lincoln County, Oregon.

Identifier

Region

• North America

Subregion

• Northwest Coast and California

Subsistence Type

• hunter-gatherers

Samples

• EA

Countries

• United States