The Wenatchi people ( Šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷi / Np̓əšqʷáw̓səxʷ) originally inhabited an area near the confluence of the Columbia and Wenatchee rivers in Central Washington.
The tribal name, Wanatchi, is of Yakama-Sahaptin origin. The neighboring Yakama named the Wenatchapam Fishery Winátsha and the Wenatchi band at this place Winátshapam (people at Winátsha), although the Wenatchi called this band Sinpusqôisoh.
Historic Wenatch bands included the Stsilámuh (people at the deep water), who were at the outlet of Lake Chelan; the Sintiátqkumuh (people from the place of grassy water), along the Entiat River; the Siniálkumuh, who were on the Columbia, between the Entiat River and the Wenatchee River; the Sinkumchímulh (people at the mouth of the river), who were at the mouth of the Wenatchee River; the Sinhahamchímuh, higher up on the Wenatchee; and the Sinpusqôisoh, at the forks of the Wenatchee River, where Leavenworth, Washington now stands.
The Wenatchi people are closely related by language to the Entiat and Chelan peoples and through marriage and culture with the Upper Yakima bands. Sometimes, the Chelan and the Entiat people were considered to be Wenatchi bands.
As part of the Interior Salish language group, they also had relationships with other tribes, such as the Okanagan, Kalispell, San Poil, Colville, and Spokane people, and t they became more closely related to the Spokane and Colville people over time.
Traditionally, the Wenatchi relied on salmon. The Wenatchi River had one of the greatest runs of salmon in the world before hydroelectric dams were built on the downstream Columbia River. They also hunted deer, sheep, and other game, and gathered starchy roots, berries, and other edible plants.
After the acquisition of horses, the Wenatchi adopted some of the traditions and dress styles of the Plains Indians. Horses also allowed them to hunt further inland and trade with more remote tribes.
European diseases reached the Wenatchi people through other Indigenous people before European contact. It is estimated that around 90% of its population died from infectious diseases before the Europeans came into their area.
European colonization led to a loss of their land and cultural disruption. Competition for resources and land made it difficult for them to access food.
Although the Wenatchi signed a treaty, it was never recognized, and they were not given reservation land by the federal government. Nevertheless, the Wenatchi people did not engage in war with European and American settlers and were on friendly terms until the government began rounding up the Indigenous people and placing them on existing reservations. Subsequently, most of the descendants of the Wenatchi people reside on the Colville Indian Reservation, while a smaller number are on the Yakama Reservation.
The Colville Reservation is in northeastern Washington State and is governed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which includes descendants of the Arrow Lakes (Sinixt), Chelan, Colville, Entiat, Nespelem, Okanagan, Methow, Sinkiuse-Columbia, Nez Perce, Palus, San Poil, and Wenatchi.
The Yakama Indian Reservation comprises descendants of the Klickitat, Palus, Wallawalla, Wenatchi, Wishram, and Yakama peoples. It is on the east side of the Cascade Mountains in southern Washington State.
The Wenatchapam Fishery is important to the Wenatchi people. Situated at the confluence of the Wenatchee River and Icicle Creek near Leavenworth, this site served as a place for fishing, living, and meeting their needs for generations. However, when they were moved to reservation lands, they lost access to their ancestral territories, including the Wenatchapam Fishery. Although the fishery was named as a reservation site under the terms of the 1855 Yakama Treaty, white settlers moved onto the area, and the federal government gave the Great Northern Railway permission to build a route through the reserved land.
The focal point of this portion of our guide is on the Wenatchi people, including the tribes that they are currently a part of, tribal businesses, schools, medical facilities, programs, and events. Businesses owned by individual Wenatchi people are appropriate for this category, as well.
Recommended Resources
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation
Situated on a 1,130,000-acre reservation in southwestern Washington State, the Confederated Tribes and Bands is made up of Klikitat, Palus, Wallawalla, Wenatchi, Wishram, and Yakama peoples. The tribal council, general council, tribal elders, and tribal royalty are introduced, along with member services and programs, tribal enterprises, employment opportunities, open positions, entrepreneurship at the Yakma Nation, and other resources. Tribal news, a calendar of upcoming events.
https://www.yakama.com/
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
The Confederated Tribes, situated on the Colville Reservation in northeastern Washington, consist of the Chelan, the Chief Joseph Band of Nez Perce, the Colville, Entiat, Lakes, Methow, Moss-Columbia, Nespelem, Okanogan, Palus, San Poil, and Wenatchi. The tribal website includes an organizational chart, phone directory, news and notices, press releases, council archives, job openings, requests for proposals or bids, and a list of council members and departments.
https://www.colvilletribes.com/
The Greater Leavenworth Museum in Leavenworth, Washington, was created to preserve and promote the heritage of the Upper Wenatchee Valley. The museum includes exhibits and programs related to the Wenatchi (p’squosa) people, whose rights to the establishment of the Wenatchapam Fisheries Reservation, established in the Yakima Treaty of 1855, were never followed through on. They were forced off their land and onto the Colville Reservation, 150 miles northeast of Leavenworth.
https://www.leavenworthmuseum.org/
Icicle Creek: The Winter's Tale
Icicle Creek Center for the Arts was founded in 1995 by Harriet Bullitt, with the help of Wilfred Woods, long-time publisher of Wenatchee World. This article discusses and provides trailers for "The Winter's Tale," a project featuring Randy Lewis, a Wenatchee storyteller, who documents the stories of the Wenatchi Tribe through the legends, history, and genealogy of north-central Washington, as captured by North Central Washington film students. Sponsors and partners are acknowledged.
https://icicle.org/winters-tale/
Owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Tribal Tribune primarily serves the tribal membership, although subscriptions are available to non-members. Offering tribal news, sports reports, and information about local events, its subscription services, advertising, and event promotion services, submission forms, and contacts are posted on the site, which includes content from the publication, opinion columns, social media links, and a gallery of photographs.
https://www.tribaltribune.com/
