The Yuki live on the Round Valley Reservation, and speak a language unrelated to others in California. They also lived in Round Valley before Europeans came, and along the South Fork of the Eel River, and at the coast along the Ten Mile River. . There were 3 groups, the Yuki, the Coast Yuki and the Huchnom. The J.J.Jackson Memorial Museum in Weaverville and the Mendocino County Museum in Willits have artifacts made by the Yuki.(Eargle: 1986)
The Yuki built conical houses of bark slabs with poles for support, and dug out about 1 foot inside. The excavated dirt was piled around the outside of the house to insulate it and keep it dry when it rained. They also built dance houses with a diameter of 30 to 40 feet.
They caught fish and hunted deer and other animals for food. They took the skins of bear, panther, fox, wolf, coyote, weasel, and beaver, but did not eat the flesh. The gathered acorns, tubers, berries and nuts. They also collected grasshoppers to eat by driving them together with fire, and army worms which could be collected from the leaves of ash trees in spring by shaking them into baskets filler with water. The worms were roasted.
They traded to the south with the Pomo, giving them furs, beads baskets and skins, and getting dentalia, clam disc beads, moccasins, sea shells, shell beads, dried abalone, mussels, seaweed, salt and magnesite beads. They gave the Central Wintun black bear skins and got salt and obsidian. They got kelp, sea foods, salt, whole clam shells and clam disc beads from the Huchnom. They got whole clam shells and bows from the Wailaki, and dogs from "the North." (Davis: 1966)
According to Kroeber, the Yuki had shared many cultural traits with the Wailaki, including belief in a creator named Taikomol, the Walker. Taikomol was invoked during the initiation of boys, and curers would ask Taikomol's help to cure the sick. The twice-yearly Acorn Sing held in January and May would please Taikomol and cause him to send food.
Return to Yukian Language Group Map
California Native American Language Map