Description
The Sahaptin tribes inhabited territory along the Columbia River and its tributaries in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. They call themselves Ni Mii Puu, meaning simply "the people", or "we the people". The name Sahaptin or Saptin was a term given by the Salishan tribes and adopted by European Americans. When Lewis and Clark came through the area in 1805, these people were called Chopunnish, possibly another form of Saptin. In 1805 the Sahaptin numbered, according to the most reliable estimates, probably over 6,000. Through the 19th century, their numbers declined sharply, due largely to mortality from new infectious diseases.
Language
Plateau Penutian
Culture
The Plateau culture area lies between the Rocky Mountains and the coastal cordillera and is characterized by semiarid region of sagebrush, grass, and scattered pine groves that are interwoven with rivers and streams containing plentiful salmon and other fish. Thus, the Plateau peoples had an unusually reliable food supply for desert dwellers. They also hunted such game as deer and gathered a variety of wild plant foods. The western Sahaptin tribes, including the Molala, Tenino, and Yakama, avoided formal political structures. The primary political unit was the autonomous village composed of a band of related families.