The Wiyot (Ku'wil) people are indigenous to California, particularly Humboldt Bay and a small surrounding area.
They were known in various languages as the Wee-'at xee-she, Wii-yat-dv-ne, and Weyet.
Today, descendants of the Wiyot are enrolled in the Wiyot Tribe at the Table Bluff Reservation, the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, the Blue Lake Rancheria, and the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria.
The Wiyot's traditional homeland extended from the Mad River through Humboldt Bay, including present-day Eureka and Arcata, to the Lower Eel River basin. Its area included heavily forested redwood areas and sandy shorelands, dunes, and tidal marsh.
The Wiyot and Yurok are the westernmost people to speak an Algic language. Their languages, Wiyot and Yurok, are distantly related to the Algonquian languages. The Wiyot and York share cultural similarities with one another, as well.
There are three divisions of the Wiyot, based on geography and dialect. From north to south, these are the Patawat Wiyot (Batawat Wiyot, Mad River Wiyot), situated along the Mad River; the Wiki Wiyot (Humboldt Bay Wiyot, Wikigadakwi), about Humboldt Bay; and the Wiyat Wiyot (Eel River Wiyot), about the Eel River delta.
The Wiyot people were among the last of the indigenous tribes in California to encounter European settlers, as Spanish missions didn't extend as far north as Humboldt Bay, and Russian fur traders were not interested in the Wiyot area.
The first white settlers arrived in Humboldt Bay in 1850, and it wasn't long before the lives of the Wiyot people were disrupted. Fort Humboldt was established in January of 1853 as a buffer between Native Americans, gold seekers, and white settlers. White miners, farmers, ranchers, and loggers came into California, many settling in what is now Eureka. Relationships between the Wiyot and the white colonizers were marked with raids and vigilante justice.
On February 26, 1860, groups of white people massacred Wiyot people in three different Wiyot settlements. Three days before the massacre, a logging engineer from Germany bought property on Indian (Tulawat) Island. On the day before the massacre, the Weekly Humboldt Times published an editorial calling for the extermination of the Wiyot people.
For several days before the massacre, World Renewal ceremonies were being held at the Wiyot village of Tuluwat on Indian Island, less than a mile offshore in Humboldt Bay. Up to 250 Wiyot participated in the ceremonies.
A group of white men came onto the island in the early morning after the last ceremony was completed, and most of the Wiyot men had left the island, leaving only women, children, and elderly people. Armed with hatchets, knives, and clubs, in order to avoid attracting attention on the mainland, the group massacred all of the women and children on the island, except for two.
That same night, two other Wiyot village sites were raided, on the Eel River and on the South Spit. Within two days, two other attacks on Wiyot settlements took place.
The vigilantes were known as the Humboldt Volunteers, Second Brigate. An investigation into the massacre failed to identify a single perpetrator. A grand jury summoned witnesses and held hearings, but no one was indicted.
Between 1850 and 1860, the Wiyot population declined from about 2,000 to about 200. The surviving Wiyot people were detained at Fort Humboldt, where several died. Others were forcibly moved to Round Valley, where a reservation was established, although they kept escaping and returning to their homelands.
In 2000, the Wyot established the Table Bluff Reservation on 88 acres of their homeland, while other contemporary Wiyot people were enrolled in other tribes or rancherias. In 2019, the Wiyot acquired most of the land on Indian Island, previously claimed by the City of Eureka.
Today, there are about 450 Wiyot people. While some of them reside off of reservation lands, others are enrolled in the Wiyot Tribe (Table Bluff Reservation - Wiyot Tribe), Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, Blue Lake Rancheria, and Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria.
The last documented native speaker of Wiyot died in 1962, although the Wiyot Tribal government is engaged in efforts to revive the language.
This portion of our guide to American Indian and First Nations peoples looks at the Wiyot people. Online resources representing any of the tribes in which Wiyot people are enrolled are appropriate for this category, along with tribal enterprises, programs, events, schools, medical facilities, and issues. Businesses owned by individual Wiyot people could also be listed here.
Recommended Resources
Baduwa't, also known as the Mad River, is one of the most remote watersheds in Northern California, but to the Wiyot people, it has always been Baduwa't. The tribe had managed this watershed sustainably for thousands of years until 1849, when white settlers renamed the river and settled the area. In this film, the filmmakers hope to reveal how poor land management practices have impacted the Baduwa't ecosystem and how applying traditional tribal practices can shift the balance to recovery.
https://www.baduwat.org/
Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria
The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria is headquartered in Loleta, California. The federally recognized rancheria is located in two sections, one at the eastern edge of Fortuna, and the other southeast of Loleta, both in Humboldt County. Tribal enrollment is based on residency on the Rohnerville Rancheria from 1910 to 1960, being a lineal descent of those residents. The Bear River Band are descendants of the people of the Eel River Basin. Contacts, events, and enterprises are featured.
https://www.bearriverrancheria.org/
The federally recognized tribe is made up of Wiyot, Yurok, and Hupa Indians and is situated northwest of Blue Lake in Humboldt County, California. The site features its governmental structure, departments, a staff directory, agencies, and services, along with tribal initiatives and projects, housing programs, and its tribal education agency. A "Pathmakers" section highlights individual and community accomplishments, facilities, and programs. Upcoming events are announced.
https://www.bluelakerancheria-nsn.gov/
The Honor Tax Project is a means by which the non-Indigenous people can recognize and respect the sovereignty of the Wiyot Nation by paying a tax for the privilege of living or doing business on traditional Wiyot land. According to the site, the Honor Tax is not initiated by the Wiyot Nation, although they have agreed to accept the proceeds collected from individuals, organizations, and businesses willing to pay the voluntary annual tax. Information about this program is set forth.
http://honortax.org/
Rick Bartow (1946-2016) was best known for his large, expressive pastel and graphite drawings, although he was also a prolific painter, mixed media sculptor, printmaker, musician, and songwriter. An enrolled member of the Mad River Band of Wiyot Indians. His art is held in more than a hundred museum and public collections and has been shown in galleries around the world. Contacts for members of the Bartow Trust, and to inquire about purchasing his work are presented.
https://www.rickbartow.org/
Headquartered in Trinidad, California, the federally recognized rancheria occupies three parcels of land in Humboldt County and is home to the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria. The tribe primarily comprises descendants of the Yurok people, although it also includes Wiyot and Tolowa people. A brief history of the rancheria is presented, along with an overview of its tribal government, council, administration, and tribal court. Member programs and services are outlined.
https://trinidad-rancheria.org/
Currently in pre-production budgeting and team building, "We Are Wiyot" is an independent film intended to raise awareness and help the Wiyot people in the preservation of their heritage, which includes a series of massacres that nearly brought them to extinction in a period of less than four days. The history of the Wiyot people is told, and an introduction to the film is presented, including the production team and an online contact form to be used for inquiries on helping with the project.
https://www.wearewiyot.com/
The Wiyot Tribe, headquartered in Loleta, California, has a land base that includes two reservations, the Table Bluff Reservation and the Old Table Bluff Reservation, southwest of Eureka. Its council is introduced, and a staff directory, constitution, codes, meeting agendas and minutes, a strategic plan, announcements, a calendar of events, tribal history, and a newsletter are included. Departmental contacts, member services and programs, job opportunities, and an online store are available.
http://www.wiyot.us/
