yurok

The Yurok are an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. Traditional Yurok territory runs along the lower Klamath River, in present-day Humboldt and Del Norte counties in northwestern California. Historically they were among the region’s largest Indigenous groups, living in riverine villages and relying on the river and surrounding woodlands for resources.

Language and culture: The Yurok language, generally considered a language isolate, is a central part of their cultural heritage and is the focus of ongoing revitalization efforts. Their traditional economy centered on salmon fishing, acorn gathering, and other river- and forest-based activities. They produced distinctive basketry and other crafts, and their social organization was organized around village communities along the Klamath. Ceremonial life and seasonal calendars were linked to salmon, rivers, and the cycles of nature.

History: Long before European contact, the Yurok inhabited the Klamath River region. Contact with European and American settlers brought disease and displacement, and later policies led to loss of lands and resources. In recent decades the Yurok Tribe has achieved federal recognition and established a government-to-government relationship with the United States, pursuing economic development, language and cultural preservation, and natural resource stewardship.

Today the Yurok Reservation and surrounding communities along the Klamath River are governed by the federally recognized Yurok Tribe, which operates programs in education, health, language revitalization, and cultural preservation, while managing natural resources and participating in regional economic activity.