Although the information on Hupa villages comes from extremely diverse sources, there appears to be fair agreement among them. The basic material comes from Goddard (1903), and this is for the most part confirmed by Merriam and Curtis (1924, Vol. 13). In fact, Curtis' data coincide so closely with Goddard's that they may have been derived from Goddard's report. However, a few of Curtis' facts do not appear in Goddard's work so we are probably justified in considering them primary.
Besides these sources, there is a list of village names by Powers (1877) and also a manuscript map prepared by Gibbs in 1852, reproduced here as pl. 9; the original is in the Bureau of American Ethnology. Although this map is not particularly accurate and although the village names are given in Yurok rather than in Hupa, it still has special value since the number of houses is given for each village and we therefore have a check on the data presented by Goddard.
In the following lists the sources are thus indicated: Merriam (M), Goddard (G), and Curtis, 1924, Vol. 13, (C).
Natinuwhe Villages (map 17)
1. hon-sah-tung (M). Former village on the E bank of the Trinity R. at the N end of Hoopa V.
xonsadiñ (G), "deep water place." Near the beginning of the canyon on the right bank at the N end of the valley.
honsading, "deep pool place" (C). On the E bank of the Trinity R. at the N end of Hoopa V.
Powers (1877) gives hun-sa-tung and Gibbs gives okenope, corresponding to oknutl, the Yurok name. Gibbs says there were 9 houses in the village while Goddard shows 11 houses.
Map 17. Villages of the Hupa and South Fork Hupa (see also map 16).
2. dakisxankût (G). On the opposite side of the Trinity R. from xonsadiñ at the base of Bald Hill was a village, the site of which is now entirely grown up to trees and brush. Goddard shows 7 houses here.
takyishankut (C). On the W bank, opposite honsading.
3. kin-choo-whu-kut (M). On the E side of the Trinity near the N end of Hoopa V. and just below the mouth of Mill Cr.
kintcūwhwikût, "on a nose" (G). This village occupies a point of land on the E bank just below the mouth of Mill Cr. Eight houses are shown at this village.
kinchuwhikut, "its nose upon" (C). On the E bank just below the mouth of Mill Cr.
The Yurok name for this village is merpernertl (Kroeber, 1925).
4. cha-en-ta-ko-ting, "flopped out" (M). Former village on the W bank of the Trinity R. a little above Socktish Cr.
tceindeqotdiñ, "place where he was dug up" (G). This village was a short distance below meskût. Its name refers to a well-known myth (see Goddard, 1904). Goddard shows 12 houses at this village.
cheindekhoting (C), "dug out place." On the W bank between miskut and the mouth of Socktish Cr.
Powers (1877) gives the name chan-ta-ko-da for this village and its Yurok name is said to be kererwer (Kroeber, 1925).
5. mis-kut (M). On the E side below Hostler Cr.
meskût (G). This village was on the E side of the river and about a mile below takimiLdiñ. It "shows signs of once having been occupied by many houses." Nine of them are shown.
miskut, "bluff upon" (C). On the E bank on a bluff midway between Mill Cr. and Hostler Cr.
Powers (1877) gives mis-kut as the name of this village and Gibbs gives eh-grertsh, corresponding to the Yurok ergerits, and says that there were 6 houses here.
6. tah-kah-mil-ting (M). The head village of the tribe, situated on the E bank of the Trinity a little above Hostler Cr. Contained a large ceremonial house.
takimiLdiñ, "place of the acorn feast" (G). A short distance below Tsewenaldin on the E bank. It is known as the Hostler Ranch. This is the religious center for the whole valley. Here there still stand the xonta nikyao, "house big," and the taikuw nakyao, "sweathouse big." These are said to have been built by the people of long ago and to have sheltered the first dwellers in the valley; but inasmuch as they were burned by a party of Yurok in the early part of the last century, the statement is to be interpreted as applying to the foundations only. At this village were held the acorn feast and two of the important dances, and it was the starting-point for the third (cf. Goldschmidt and Driver, 1940). Goddard shows 14 houses in this village.
takimilding, "cook-acorns place" (C). On the E bank a short distance above Hostler Cr. At the beginning of the acorn season the people of this village would gather a small quantity of nuts and prepare a feast of mush and salmon, which all the Hupa attended. The remnants of the feast were cast into the fire and the cooking stones were added to the accumulated heap of previous years. This is the present residence of the northern division of the Hupa, known as Hostler Ranch, and the ceremonial feast is still observed. A fishing weir was built in a long riffle near here.
Powers (1877) gives hos-ler as the name of this village and Gibbs gives ople-goh, corresponding to Yurok oplego (Kroeber, 1925), and says that there are 20 houses here.
7. tsa-wun-al-mit-tung (M). Former village on the E side of the Trinity in the middle of the valley.
tseweñaldiñ (G). This was a large settlement on the E bank about a mile below toLtsasdin. It is translated by English tongues into Senalton. There are many traces of houses here, but the people were all killed or scattered in the troubled times of the 'sixties. Six houses are shown here.
tsewenalding, "rock inverted place" (C). This was on the E bank about 1/4 mi. above takimilding. The locality is now known as the Senalton Ranch.
Gibbs gives the name olle-potl for this village, corresponding to the Yurok olepotl (Kroeber, 1925) and says there were 10 houses.