Yurok Territory: Ancestral Lands of California's Largest Tribe

The Yurok Tribe (currently California's largest federally recognized tribe, ~6,000+ enrolled) has lived since time immemorial in the Klamath River basin of northwestern California.

Traditional Territory

• Core: Lower 44 miles of Klamath River (from Weitchpec to Pacific)
• Coastal: ~30 miles of coastline (Trinidad to Damnation Creek)
• Inland: Up major tributaries (Trinity, Salmon, Scott Rivers)
• Counties: Del Norte and Humboldt (modern boundaries)
• Eastern extent: Siskiyou Mountains / Klamath Mountains crest

Villages & Organization

• ~50+ historic villages (oohl)
• Each with pey-cheek (headman) and keger (council)
• Connected by river trails and coastal paths

Subsistence & Culture

• Fishing: Salmon (chinook, coho), steelhead, sturgeon, eulachon — core of diet, economy, ceremony
• Acorns: Tan oak, black oak — gathered, processed, stored
• Hunting: Elk, deer, sea lions, waterfowl
• Gathering: Seaweed, berries, roots, medicinal plants
• Redwood: Canoes (yoch), plank houses, regalia

Modern Reservation

• Established: 1855 (Klamath River Reservation), expanded 1891, terminated 1950s, restored 1988
• Current: ~63,000 acres along lower Klamath (1-mile each side)
• Headquarters: Klamath, CA
• Key issues: Dam removal (Klamath dams coming down 2023–2024), water rights, language revitalization