Our Tututunne Villages
On our Siletz side, our lineage flows from four primary villages. These are far more than just locations on a map—they represent a complex, surviving history that connects us to our ancestors' world. By documenting these places, we are reclaiming the names and geographies of our heritage to ensure they are not lost to time. This project is a way to honor that legacy, build a record for our extended family, and piece together the story we are still actively learning together.
Spelling Variations for Tututni
Because names were often recorded phonetically by outsiders, you will encounter many different spellings in historical records and ethnographic accounts. Common variations and related terms include:
Tututni: The most widely accepted modern spelling used in academic and tribal contexts.
Tututunne: A common variation that more closely reflects the pronunciation of the original Indigenous term.
Tootootoney: An older, phonetically derived spelling often found in early historical records.
Tutatamys: A name used in some 19th-century ethnographic documents.
Tototin: Another historical variation seen in early manuscripts.
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| List of Athapascans North of Rogue River including our Tututunne Villages. |
1. Our Villages: More Than Just History
These places aren’t just dots on an old map—they’re the foundation of who we are as a family. By gathering what we know about our Tututni and Euchre Creek ancestors and where they lived, we’re making sure these stories don't just fade away.
2. Understanding the Real Story of the Siletz Move
Moving to the Siletz Reservation wasn't just a change of address; it was a forced relocation that completely upended how our ancestors lived on their land. It's important for us to keep two things in mind:
Official records don't tell the whole story: Government census reports and allotments often hid who people really were or erased their traditional identities.
Family is about people, not paperwork: The "official" documents are just one side of the coin. The true heart of our family legacy is found in the real lives and relationships of the people who lived them.
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| 1884 Drawn map |
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| Kwatami/Sixes Village homelands at the Sixes River near Cape Blanco. |
Traditional Territory: Centered primarily along the Sixes River and the coastal area near Cape Blanco and Port Orford.The river is an important stream flowing into the Pacific Ocean just north of Cape Blanco, draining a considerable part of northern Curry County. Cape Blanco itself is the most westward point in Oregon, named by Spanish explorer Martin de Aguilar in 1603.
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| Sixes River shared with permission by Dan Billings 2023 |
Etymology: The native name for the Sixes River was Sa-qua-mi. One of the primary forms of the tribal name is Sik-ses-tene, which is said to mean "people by the far north country"—this is widely considered the true origin of the name "Sixes."
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| Early 1900's photo of the Hughes Ranch on the Sixes River posted by Historic Curry County in Pictures and Stories. |
Village Site: Ethnographic records suggest primary village clusters were situated along the coastline between the Sisters Rock area and the Ophir/Nesika beaches. Identifying the specific village of our ancestor, Sixes Mary, remains a puzzle. Sixes George, in his historical accounts, referred to three distinct groups within the Kwatami, making it difficult to pinpoint h
er exact origi n. Note: Historical records note that the Indian village on the Sixes River was specifically known as Te-cheh-kutt.
A Note on Naming: You may notice that many traditional Tututni village names end in specific suffixes—most commonly -dvn (denoting a specific "place of" or "village at") or -tunne (referring to the "people of" that place). While some anglicized names like Te-cheh-kutt have lost these endings in historical records, recognizing this pattern helps us identify which sites were true village centers in our ancestors' geography.
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| Oregon Geographic Names |
Cultural Context: A band of the Tututni people. Their history is deeply linked to the Sixes River, where they maintained their homes until the forced removals of the 1850s.
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| Sixes River Ranch on Cape Blanco on southern Oregon coast, 1941 |
Historical Significance: As with other Tututni bands, the Kwatami experienced the trauma of the 1855 treaty era and the subsequent forced relocation to the Siletz Reservation. Sixes Mary’s life reflects the resilience of the Kwatami people as they navigated the transition from their coastal homelands to the reservation system.
Call for Information: If anyone in our extended family or among our readers has records, oral histories, or specific knowledge regarding the Kwatami sub-groups that might help identify Sixes Mary's home village, please reach out. This is a story we are building together.
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| Euchre Village homelands at Euchre Creek. |
Yukichetunne (Euchre Creek)
Traditional Territory: Historically based along the Euchre Creek watershed on the southern Oregon coast. Their ancestral lands extended from the area near Sisters Rock southward toward the Rogue River, with the community centered at the mouth of the creek in present-day Ophir.
Alternative Names: In addition to "Euchres," "Eu-quah-chee," and "Yu-kwa-chi" as noted by early writers, Euches, Uka, and You-que-chee are also historical variations or shorthand references found in 19th-century accounts and treaty documents.
Village Site: A primary village was located at the mouth of Euchre Creek.
Cultural Context: Culturally and linguistically classified as part of the Lower Rogue River Athabascan (Tututni) people, sharing close ties with other coastal bands.
Language: The Yukichetunne spoke a specific dialect known as the Euchre Creek dialect of the Lower Rogue River language. This language is now extinct; like other Pacific Coast Athabaskan languages of the region, it was part of the Oregon Athabascan subgroup.
Historical Significance: Our ancestor, the unknown mother of Ella Depoe, was of Euchre descent. Like their neighbors, the Yukichetunne were signatories to the Coast Treaty of 1855.
Removal to Reservations: Following the Rogue River Wars (1855–1856), the Yukichetunne—along with other Tututni bands and coastal tribes—were forcibly removed from their traditional homelands. They were relocated to the Siletz Indian Reservation (originally established as
the Coast Indian Reservation) or, in some cases, the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation. Modern Identi
ty: Today, the descendants of the Yukichetunne and other Tututni bands are largely represented as enrolled members o f the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians or the Coquille Indian Tribe. The Tututni tribe itself is not federa lly recognized as a separate entity, but its history and cultural lineage are preserved within these broader confederated tribal nations. Cultural Reco
rds: Oral Histories: There are surviving oral traditions associated with the region, including stories that reflect the
geography and culture of the Euchre Creek area, such as legends regarding the landscape and significant natural featu res. Documentation: Because they were part of the broader group collectively known as "Rogue River Indians" by
19th-century settlers and government officials, their history is often found in records related to the Rogue River Wars, t he Siletz Reservation, and ethnographic studies of Oregon Athabascan peoples.
A nick name as seen in this newspaper clip in The Oregonian 18 Nov 1953,pg. 14 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1085723824/
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| Modern Day Ophir as seen on Forgotten Oregon posted by Duane E Huddleston Sources: newspaper clip: The Oregonian 18 Nov 1953,pg. 14 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1085723824 |
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| Joshua Village homelands on the North side of the Mouth of the Rogue River in modern day Wedderburn. |
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Map of Wedderburn as seen in Forgotten Oregonn posted by Dex A. Fick |
Traditional Territory: Prior to the 1850s, the Joshua Indians lived on the South Coast of Oregon, centered primarily around present-day Gold Beach (across the river on the north side) and the mouth of the Rogue River (modern-day Wedderburn).
Village Site: Peter Hatch identified that the ancestor Charles Depoe identified with the village of Che'-me’-dvn on the north side of the mouth of the Rogue River, the area now called Wedderburn.
Wedderburn (Modern-Day Settlement): This is a 19th-century unincorporated community founded by R.D.
Hume as a company town for his salmon fishing monopoly. He named it after his ancestral home in Scotland (Wedderburn Castle).
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| Posted in Forgotten Oregonn by Dex A. Fick |
Cultural Context: They were a band of the Tututni peoples, sharing close ties with other coastal bands, and relied heavily on the marine ecosystem, including salmon, seals, sea lions, shellfish, and seasonal whale strandings. Much of our knowledge of their worldview comes from the
Chemetunne Creation Myth , recorded in 1900 by elder Charlie Depoe.Historical Significance: Our ancestor Ella Depoe was of Joshua descent; her father, known as "Old Joshua," was a prominent village leader. The name "Joshua" did not originate from the traditional biblical name, but evolved through a combination of linguistic corruption and a prominent tribal leader:
Corruption of the Alsea Word Ya’-shu: According to the
Smithsonian Institution's Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico "Old Joshua" and the U.S. Military: By the time of the Rogue River Wars in the 1850s, the name had solidified. U.S. military diaries and treaty documents from 1856 frequently reference negotiating with a prominent village chief whom white settlers referred to as "Old Joshua". His specific group of followers became officially cataloged by the government as "Joshua’s Band." When the military forcibly moved the survivors north to the Coast Reservation, the name stuck. Government agents officially logged them on reservation censuses as the "Joshua Indians" rather than their true name, the Chemetunne.
The Rogue River Wars and Displacement: The arrival of white gold-miners and homesteaders in the 1850s caused severe conflict, leading to the Rogue River Wars. Following the war in 1856, the U.S. government forcibly marched the Joshua Indians, alongside dozens of other distinct southwestern Oregon tribes, hundreds of miles north.
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| Posted in Forgotten Oregonn by Dex A. Fick |
The Coast Reservation: They were confined to the Alsea Sub-agency and Siletz areas. Military census records from that era specifically list "Joshua's Band" as consisting of 179 survivors who made the forced migration.
Modern Identity: Today, the descendants of the Chemetunne and other Tututni bands are largely represented as enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians or the Coquille Indian Tribe.
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| Tal-dash-dvn is the geographic name of the village at the confluence |
Mikonotunne
Traditional Territory: Inhabited the interior stretches of the lower Rogue River, particularly near the confluence of Lobster Creek, approximately seven miles upstream from the coast.
Alternative Names: Frequently recorded in historical and ethnographic documents as Mikono-tunne, Mikwunutunne, or Mackanotin.
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| Mikonotunne Village homelands at the Confluence at Lobster Creek |
Village Site: Historically associated with the area near the mouth of the Rogue River, including a prominent band site at the village of Mii-k'wvn-nuu-dvn where Lobster Creek enters the Rogue River.
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| Lobster Creek Bridge off the Rogue River. |
Cultural Context: Situated along the lower Rogue River area; like the Joshua and other bands, they were in
volved in the 1856 siege at the mouth of the Rogue River. Historical Significance:
The village of Mii-k'wvn-nuu-dvn was a key settlement within the Mikonotunne’s broader territory. It was from this home base that the ancestor En-sal-sun and his people managed the river’s resources and engaged with the wider regional netwo rk. Removal to Reservations: Following the Rogue River Wars (1855–1856), the Mikonotunne—along with other Tututni bands—were forcibly removed from their traditional homelands and relocated to the Coast Reservation (Alsea Sub-agency and Siletz).
Modern Identity: Today, the descendants of the Mikonotunne and other Tututni bands are largely represented as enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians or the Coquille Indian Tribe. The Tututni tribe itself is not federally recognized as a separate entity, but its history and cultural lineage are preserved within these broader confederated tribal nations.
"Wednesday, March 26. Started at 8 A.M. 112 men Jones & my comps Lt. Drysdale & Dr. C. A. Hillman with us. He is good fellow. Had an awfully hard march 11 miles to Mikonotunne village on pretty river bottom backed by timbered hills in front the rapid river on one flank willows on other spur of the mountain with timber on it. We burned the houses 13 in no. & then the Indians attacked us from timber in rear & on rt. flank but I had the men ready and whipped them from one ridge of timber to another & finally across the river. We then slowly left in good order, but the rascals dogged us & wounded Sgt. Nash of rear guard, badly we . . . tired men made litter but it wouldn't work I then took him before me & carried him till trail was visible then made another after trying to pack him on a mule but he fell off & carried him to camp on ridge near Cantwell's prairie. This march through the dark woods, without visible trail, with men so exhausted as to be hardly able to get along, for they had not eaten or drank for 6 or 8 hours, was one of the hardest I ever endured * * * however at the battle of the day before we killed 8 Indians, besides squaws and wounded at least as many more, and I am told it is the first time these Indians have ever been driven from their position, on this river. Sergt. Nash, Sergt. Hamilton, Privt. Muldowney, Smith, Cashman, McCue & Driver behaved well. Privt. Mulcahy, Frederking (who was sick), Welsh, and one or two others were very loath to carry the wounded." |
| The face of the cruelty done on our ancestors village. |
Significance: This operation was part of the final stages of the Rogue River War. By destroying the villages and cutting off access to traditional food sources, the military successfully "trapped" many Indigenous leaders and their people, eventually leading to their surrender and forced removal to the Siletz Reservation.
The destruction of villages during the Rogue River War, including the action at the Mikonotunne village on March 26, 1856, was part of a broader, systemic military campaign conducted by the U.S. Army to end Indigenous resistance in southwestern Oregon.
While specific individual orders to "burn" a village are often part of broader strategic directives, the actions taken by officers like Captain Edward Otho Cresap Ord were executed under the authority of the U.S. Army’s command structure during that campaign.
Key context regarding these orders includes:
Strategic Objective: The primary goal of the U.S. military at this stage of the war (early 1856) was to force the surrender of Indigenous bands that were actively resisting removal to the reservation. Destroying winter food supplies, villages, and infrastructure was a deliberate tactical choice intended to strip these groups of their ability to survive or continue fighting.
Military Command: The military campaign in the region was overseen by high-ranking officers, most notably Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Robert Buchanan, who commanded the regular troops in the area. Captain Ord, who reported on the action at the Mikonotunne village in his diary, was operating under the authority and orders of these commanding officers.
Systemic Tactics: The destruction of Native villages was not an isolated event. It was a common military practice during this period to burn homes and food caches to accelerate the "removal" process, as described in official reports and diaries from the era. The goal was to leave the local populations with no choice but to surrender or face starvation.
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| Dance Feathers Mikonotunne (Mackanotin) 1890-1910 from the Smithsonian |
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| Dance Feathers Mikonotunne (Mackanotin) 1890-1910 from the Smithsonian |
These marriages helped create a network of kinship that spanned geographic boundaries, ensuring that neighboring groups remained connected through shared families and mutual alliances. Over time, these interconnections were a fundamental part of how these communities maintained stability and navigated trade and resources.
Did they intermarry with other tribes like the Tolowa?
There was a long history of intermarriage and social connection between the Athapaskan-speaking peoples of southwestern Oregon (such as the
While the Tututni and Tolowa were distinct peoples with their own specific histories, they were part of a wider, interconnected network of Athapaskan-speaking communities that maintained ties through kinship, trade, and ultimately, a shared resilience in the face of forced removal.
Understanding Our Ancestral Bands:
Our ancestors didn't identify as a single, centralized tribe in the way modern governments often categorized them. Instead, they were organized into independent, village-based bands like the Joshua (Chemetunne), Euchre Creek (Yukichetunne), Mikonotunne, and Sixes (Kwatami).
While these bands shared a language (Athabaskan) and deep cultural ties, each held its own specific history. They were known for:
A Matrilineal Society: Matrilineal Society: Unlike many other neighboring tribes, the Tututni are specifically noted for their matrilineal social structure, where lineage and status were traced through the mother.
Deep Regional Networks: These weren't isolated groups. They were connected by robust trade, kinship, and intermarriage, allowing them to thrive and maintain connections despite the geographic distance between their villages.
The Transformation of the 1850s: The history of these distinct bands changed forever following the Rogue River Wars and the forced removals of the 1850s. It was on the Coast Reservation that these diverse bands were brought together, forming the backbone of what would eventually become the
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians .Lifestyle & Resources: These bands primarily occupied the Pacific coast and river terraces in southwestern Oregon. They were deeply oriented toward both sea and land resources, utilizing cedar plank houses for winter dwellings and dugout cedar canoes for travel and trade. Their diet included salmon, sea mammals, camas root, berries, and game.
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| Map 1 Western Oregon Tribes and Bands |
The Feather Dance, or Nee-dash, was generally a gatherer event that brought together people from various villages and bands rather than being performed in isolation within a single village.
The dance was a significant communal and ceremonial occasion, historically serving as a "World Renewal" or thanksgiving ceremony.
Communal Gatherings: Historically, it was common for Athapaskan-speaking tribes in the region—including the Tututni, Tolowa, Chetco, and others—to travel to major ceremonial centers for these events.
Interconnectedness: Because these groups were linked by trade, kinship, and shared language, the Nee-dash was a way to reinforce those regional ties.
Documenting this history is a difficult task, filled with moments that are deeply painful to confront. Yet, it is a necessary act of remembrance. By acknowledging the devastation wrought on our ancestors and their villages, we honor their endurance and ensure that their story is not lost to time, but rather held in the light of our collective memory.
Knowing where our ancestors came from—the specific, tangible places where they lived, gathered, and raised their families—is a profound way to remember and honor them. We do not forget their lives; by anchoring these ancestral histories to the landscape we walk today, we keep their presence alive.
Below is a map of these four ancestral village sites. Whether you are looking to visualize the geography of their homelands or planning a visit to explore their history, these locations stand as a testament to their enduring connection to this land.
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| Modern Day Google Map with the four villages pinned. |
Ancestral Tututni Village Sites:
Yukichetunne: Ophir, OR
Kwatami: Port Orford, OR
Chemetunne: Wedderburn, OR
Mikonotunne: Crab Creek (near the Rogue River confluence)
Feedback & Corrections: I strive to ensure the historical information shared here is as accurate as possible. If you spot an error, have additional documentation, or would like to share related family history, please let me know. I welcome any corrections or insights that help deepen our understanding of this shared past.
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