Wiyot

The Wiyot are an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest, traditionally living around Humboldt Bay in what is now Humboldt County, California. Their traditional territory extends along the shores of Humboldt Bay and into surrounding river valleys. They lived in coastal villages and islands and relied on salmon and shellfish, acorns, seeds, and other resources gathered seasonally.

Their language, Wiyot, is a member of the Palaihnihan branch of the proposed Yok-Utian language family and is currently severely endangered, with revitalization programs in place.

In the era of European-American contact and settlement, the Wiyot suffered violence and dispossession. The most infamous event was the Bloody Island Massacre in May 1860, when a mob of white settlers attacked a Wiyot gathering on Tuluwat Island (now Indian Island) near Eureka, killing dozens to hundreds of people. The attack led to long-term displacement and disruption of Wiyot life.

Today, the Wiyot are federally recognized as the Wiyot Tribe, Table Bluff Reservation, located in Humboldt County. The tribe governs itself through an elected council and maintains cultural preservation and language revitalization programs, education, and community services. Descendant communities are centered in the Table Bluff area, Loleta, and nearby communities, with ongoing efforts to revitalize language, ceremonies, and traditional crafts.