164 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BuU. 179 



1928). Osborne's plan was to place ethnic boundaries, wherever pos- 

 sible, on the nearest topographic feature, stream, or ridge, to the 

 land indicated by native informants. 



Three linguistic stocks are represented in the Plateau. The 

 Sahaptins are in the central portion along the Columbia River and 

 lower Snake River. The Interior Salish are in the northern half of 

 the area, all the way to the Canadian border. The Northern Sho- 

 shoneans occupy the Snake River south of Lewiston, Idaho, as well 

 as the mountains that fringe the northern Great Basin. 



In order to gain an understanding of aboriginal life in the Plateau, 

 it would be worthwhile to review one or two typical Plateau cultures. 

 Ethnographic material is available on several Sahaptin and Salish 

 tribes, but almost nothing is written on the Plateau Shoshoneans. 

 The Umatilla are more or less typical of the Sahaptins, and the San- 

 poil are representative of the Interior Salish. Since the Umatilla 

 occupied the lower portion of the McNary Reservoir in 1800 a descrip- 

 tion of their culture is particularly pertinent. 



THE UMATILLA* 



The Umatilla occupied both sides of the Columbia River from just 

 east of Arlington, Oreg., to just west of the mouth of the Walla Walla 

 River. From what has been learned in limited contacts, it is believed 

 that their nearest kin, linguistically and culturally, were the Tenino 

 who lived on their western boundary. Their political ties were few, 

 but very friendly relations and a war alliance existed between them 

 and the Nez Perce to the east. Tlieir "natural" enemies were the 

 Paiute in the desert to the south. 



Tribal organization and centralization of political power were 

 undeveloped before the influx of Plains influence, which apparently 

 began between 1750 and 1800. Local autonomy was more or less 

 typical of the whole Plateau before the era of the horse and gun. 

 Local chiefs formerly inherited their position but later achieved it 

 by their deeds. Concepts of ceremony probably changed at about 

 this time. 



The Umatilla shaman received his power from a guardian spirit, 

 and both sexes could practice the art. Laymen also sought guardian 

 spirits, usually just prior to puberty. Puberty rites were restricted 

 to the first menarche isolation of girls. They believed that illness 

 could be caused by intrusions, both spirit and material, or by loss of 

 the soul. The corpse was prepared for burial by being washed and 

 dressed, but it was never buried in the village. 



• Most of this material Is taken from H. D. Osborne's "Excavations near Umatilla, Oregon ; 

 The archeology of the Columbia Intermontane Province." Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, 

 1951. (Published In slightly revised form as Bulletin 166 of the Burean of American 

 Ethnology. See Osborne, 1957.) 



