- Tlinkit or Koloschan, in southern Alaska.
- Haidah or Skittagetan, on Queen Charlotte Islands.
- Dialects—Masset, Skidegate, etc.
- Tshimsian or Chimmessyanian, on Nass and Skeena rivers.
- Dialects—Chimmessyan, Nasqua.
- Kwakiuootl or Haeltzukian, on Gardiner’s Channel.
- Dialects—Heiltsuk, Kwakiutl, Quaisla.
- Nutka or Wakashan, on western coast of Vancouver Island.
- Dialects—Aht, Nootka, Wakash.
- Chinook or Chinookan, Columbia river to Dalles; Pacific coast to Shoalwater Bay; south to Tillamuk Head.
- Salish, Admiralty Inlet to Spokane river.
- Dialects—Bilcoola, Kawitschin, Lummi, Samie.
- Chimakuan, Puget Sound, Port Townsend to Port Ludlow.
- Kutenay or Kitunahan, head-waters of Columbia.
- Sahaptin or Sahaptanian, middle affluents of Columbia.
- Dialects—Klikatat, Nez Percé, Sahaptani, Wallawalla, Yakama.
- Wayilaptu or Waiilaptuan, near mouth of Wallawalla river.
- Yakonan, coast of Oregon from Yaquina river to Umpqua river.
- Kalapooian, on the Wilamette river.
- Kusan, about Coos Bay.
- Palaihnihan or Achomawi, on Pit river.
- Takilman, on upper Rogue river.
- Sastean or Shasta, on upper Klamath river.
- Lutuamian or Modoc, on Klamath Lake and Sprague river.
- Quoratean or Ehnek, on lower Klamath river to junction of Trinity river.
- Yukian, in Round Valley, California.
- Yanan or Nozi, Lassen Butte and Round Mountain.
- Pujunan or Maidu, east bank of Sacramento river.
- Kulanapan or Pomo, Russian river and adjacent coast.
- Copehan or Wintun, on Trinity river.
- Weitspekan or Rurok, lower Klamath river from Trinity river down.
- Chimarikan, on New river and Trinity river.
- Wishoskan, on Humboldt Bay.
- Mariposan or Yokuts, on Kings river and Tulare Lake.
- Moquelumnian or Mutsun, on Tuolumne river.
- Costanoan, north of San Francisco Bay to Monterey Bay.
- Esselenian, Monterey Bay to San Lucia Mts.
- Salinan, about San Antonio and San Miguel missions. Includes the Tatche or Telame.
- Chumashan, at missions of San Buenaventura, Santa Barbara, Santa Inez, Purissima and San Luis Obispo.
2. THE YUMAS.
The valley of the Colorado River in Arizona, the peninsula of California and portions of the eastern shore of the Gulf of California, formed the home of the Yuma stock. They were found in these regions by Coronado as early as 1540, and own no traditions of having lived anywhere else. The considerable differences in their dialects within this comparatively small area indicates that a long period has elapsed since the stock settled in this locality and split up into hostile fractions.
It has also been called the Katchan or Cuchan stock, and the Apache, that being the Yuma word for “fighting men”; but we should confine the term Apaches to the Tinneh (Athapascan) tribe so called, and to avoid confusion I shall dismiss the terms Apache-Yumas, Apache-Tontos and Apache-Mohaves, employed by some writers. The Yumas, from whom the stock derives its name, lived near the mouth of the Colorado River. Above them, on both banks of the river, were the Mohaves, and further up, principally on Virgin River, were the Yavapai.
Most of the Yumas are of good stature, the adult males averaging five feet nine inches high, well built and vigorous. The color varies from a dark to a light mahogany; the hair is straight and coarse, the eyes horizontal, the mouth large, and the lips heavy. The skull is generally brachycephalic, but there are a number of cases of extreme dolichocephaly (68).[124]
Animal totems with descent in the male line prevailed among the Yumas, though they seem for a long time not to have regarded these matters closely. In culture they vary considerably. The Seris or Ceris, who formerly lived in the hills near Horcasitas, but in 1779 were removed to the island of Tiburon, are described as thieves and vagrants, lazy and wretched. They were exceedingly troublesome to the Mexican government, having revolted over forty times. The boats they use are of a peculiar construction, consisting of rushes tied together. As weapons up to recent years they preferred the bow and arrow, and upon the arrow laid some kind of poison which prevented the wounds from healing. Their dialect, which is harsh, is related especially to the western branch of the Yuma stem. They are described as light in color and some of them good-looking, but filthy in habits.[125]
The Yumas and Maricopas were agricultural, cultivating large fields of corn and beans, and irrigating their plantations by trenches. It is highly probable that formerly some of them dwelt in adobe houses of the pueblo character, and were the authors of some of the numerous ruined structures seen in southern Arizona. The pottery and basket work turned out by their women are superior in style and finish. A few years ago the Mohaves of the west bank lived in holes in the earth covered with brush, or in small wattled conical huts. For clothing they wore strips of cottonwood bark, or knotted grass. Tattooing and painting the person in divers colors were common. The favorite ornament was shells, arranged on strings, or engraved and suspended to the neck. The chiefs wore elaborate feather head-dresses.[126]
The Tontos, so-called from their reputation for stupidity, are largely mixed with Tinné blood, their women having been captured from the Apaches. Though savage, they are by no means dull, and are considered uncommonly adept thieves.
Quite to the south, in the mountains of Oaxaca and Guerrero, the Tequistlatecas, usually known by the meaningless term Chontales, belong to this stem, judging from the imperfect vocabularies which have been published.
The peninsula of California was inhabited by several Yuma tribes differing in dialect but much alike in culture, all being on its lowest stage. Wholly unacquainted with metals, without agriculture of any kind, naked, and constructing no sort of permanent shelters, they depended on fishing, hunting and natural products for subsistence. Their weapons were the bow and the lance, which they pointed with sharpened stones. Canoes were unknown, and what little they did in navigation was upon rafts of reeds and brush.