# data[].attributes.body
Article on Red Plank houses

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Yurok Redwood Plank House. Yurok Culture. Museum quality scale model miniatures of historical North Coast Native American structures and scenes - plank houses and sweat houses.

# data[].attributes.body
Wood is Red Plank wood

# data[].attributes.headline
the houses would be splited from logs with wedges

# data[].attributes.subject
the houses would be splited from logs with wedges

# data[].attributes.headline
there are 3 24 houses in a group. biult of red wood planks.poles and grapvines hold it together two foot wide hole to get in and out.

# data[].attributes.subject
there are 3 24 houses in a group. biult of red wood planks.poles and grapvines hold it together two foot wide hole to get in and out.

# data[].attributes.headline
On the top of the roof there is a hole for the smoke to get out and the sunlight to get in.

# data[].attributes.subject
On the top of the roof there is a hole for the smoke to get out and the sunlight to get in.

# data[].attributes.headline
Houses were held together by squared poles tied together with grape vines

# data[].attributes.subject
Houses were held together by squared poles tied together with grape vines

# data[].attributes.body
The door has a round hole about two feet in diameter

# data[].attributes.headline
The door of the Yurok is a hole that is two feet in diameter

# data[].attributes.subject
The door of the Yurok is a hole that is two feet in diameter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A list of interesting facts about the Yurok Indian tribe of Northern California. Information about their history and culture.

# data[].attributes.headline
They build there roofs rectangular for any snow or water that falls on it.

# data[].attributes.subject
They build there roofs rectangular for any snow or water that falls on it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
American Indian languages American Indian cultures American Indian arts and crafts
Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people learning about the Yurok tribe for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students and teachers to visit our mainYurok website for in-depth information about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with Yurok pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages.

Sponsored Links What kinds of stories do the Yuroks tell?
There are lots of traditional Yurok legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the Yurok Indian culture. Here is a story about

What about Yurok religion?
Spirituality and religion were important parts of Yurok life, and some people continue to practice traditional beliefs today. It is respectful to avoid imitating religious rituals for school projects since some Yurok people care about them deeply. You can read and learn about them, however. You can visit this site to learn more about
Yurok Tribe

Photo of a traditional Yurok house by JoAn Yost
Yurok is pronounced "YOOR-ock." That means "downriver" in the Karok language. ("Karok" means "upriver.") The Yuroks themselves usually used village or clan names rather than a general tribal name (like early colonists who referred to themselves as Virginians or Carolinians rather than Americans.) But sometimes the Yurok called themselvesOlekwo'l, "the people," or Pulikla, "downriver."

The Yuroks are original people of thestate of California. Most Yurok people still live in Northern California today.

Most Yurok people live on areservation in California, which belongs to the Yurok tribe and is under their control. The Yurok tribe has its own government, laws, police, and other services, just like a small country. Other Yuroks live onrancherias together with Wiyot,Hupa, andMaidu Indians. Rancherias are small parcels of land that California Indians have partial control over.

In the past, each Yurok village was ruled by the wealthiest man in town. Today, since the rancherias are home to Indians from many different tribes, they are ruled by tribal councils which are elected by all the residents.

The Yurok speak English today. Some older people also speak their nativeYurok language. If you'd like to know an easy Yurok word, "Oyuukwi'" (pronounced o-yoo-kwee) is a friendly greeting. Here is aYurok picture glossary you can look at.

Today Yurok is anendangered language because most children aren't learning it anymore. However, some Yurok people are working to keep their language alive.

Here's a link to theYurok Tribe's homepage. On their site you can find information about the Yurok people in the past and today.

Sponsored Links

They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many Yurok children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But they did have toys and games. One Yurok game was thestick game. Players held marked sticks behind their backs and gambled as they guessed the location of each stick. Another Yurok game istossle, which is an athletic sport similar to lacrosse and rugby. Traditionally, only men and boys played tossle or the stick game. Yurok girls often played withdolls. Like many California Indians, Yurok mothers traditionally carried their babies inbaby baskets on their backs.

The Yuroks lived in rectangular redwood-plank houses with pitched roofs and chimneys. Usually these buildings were large and an extended family lived in each one. Here are some pictures of aNative American house like the ones Yurok Indians used. Today, most Yuroks live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.

Yurok men didn't usually wear clothes, though they sometimes did wear short kilts. Yurok women wore long grass skirts decorated with shells and beads. Shirts were not necessary in the Yurok culture, but both men and women wore ponchos or deerskin robes in cool or rainy weather. The Yuroks wore sandals ormoccasins on their feet and strands of shell necklaces around their necks. Here are some photos and links aboutNative American clothing in general.

The Yuroks didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Yurok women wore wovenbasket caps, and men sometimes wore a deerskin headband. For special occasions, like a dance, Yurok warriors might wear a special headdress decorated with woodpecker scalps. The Yuroks didn't paint their faces, they did wearNative American tattoo designs. Women tattooed lines on their chins, and men tattooed their arms.

Today, some Yurok people still wear moccasins or shell jewelry, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of kilts or grass skirts.

Yes--the Yurok tribe madedugout canoes by hollowing out redwood logs. A Yurok canoe could be more than thirty feet long. The Yurok tribe used canoes to travel up and down the Klamath River and the coast of California for trading, fishing and hunting. Here is a website with pictures of differentNative boats. Canoeing is still popular among California Indians, though few people carve a dugout canoe by hand anymore. Today, of course, Yurok people also use cars... and non-native people also use canoes.

What was Yurok food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Yuroks were fishing people. Yurok men caught fish and mollusks from their canoes. They also hunted sea lions, deer, and small game. Yurok women gathered acorns and ground them into meal, as well as collecting seaweed, berries and roots. Here is a website with more information aboutIndian food.

Yurok hunters used bows and arrows. Yurok fishermen used spears, nets, and wooden fish traps. The Yurok didn't go to war very often. They had a complicated legal system and sued each other when they felt wronged, like Americans do today. But occasionally Yurok men would fight duels with clubs (usually not to the death.) Here is a website of pictures and information about thewooden club and other traditional Native American weapons.

Yurok artists are known for theirbasket weaving andwood carving. Here is a picture of a beautifulYurok basket hat.

What other Native Americans did the Yurok tribe interact with?

TheKarok tribe was the closest traditional ally of the Yuroks. Karok and Yurok people were frequent trading partners and sometimes intermarried, so many people were bilingual in their two languages. The Yuroks also liked to trade with the neighboring Hupa and Wiyot tribes.

Can you recommend a good book for me to read?
If you want to know more about Yurok culture and history, two interesting sources for kids are how the foxes caught the sun. Here's a website where you can read more aboutYurok myths.

Yurok religious ceremonies such as the Brush Dance and Jump Dance, or this site aboutNative American spirituality in general.

How do I cite your website in my bibliography?
You will need to ask your teacher for the format he or she wants you to use. The authors' names are Laura Redish and Orrin Lewis and the title of our site is Native Languages of the Americas. We are a nonprofit educational organization working to preserve and protect Native American languages and culture. You can learn more about our organization Yurok Tribe andYurok. Older readers may enjoyTo The American Indian, an oral history by a Yurok author. Two good books for kids on California Indians in general areCalifornia Native Peoples andNative Ways; a more in-depth book for older readers is Tribes of California. You can also browse through our recommendations ofNative American books in general. Disclaimer: we are an Amazon affiliate and our website earns a commission if you buy a book through one of these links. Most of them can also be found in a public library, though!

here. Our website was first created in 1998 and last updated in 2020.

Thanks for your interest in the Yurok Indian people and their language!

Sponsored Links

Yurok Indian Tribe
An overview of the Yurok tribe, their language and history.

Yurok Language Resources
Yurok Indian language samples, articles, and indexed links.

Yurok Culture and History Directory
Related links about the Yurok Native Americans past and present.

Yurok Words
Yurok Indian vocabulary lists.

Return to the Native American Children homepage
Return to our menu of Indian tribes of North America

American Indian genealogy Arapaho Choctaw nation Navajo Indian rug

Would you like to help support our organization's work with endangered American Indian languages?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
American Indian languages American Indian cultures American Indian arts and crafts Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people learning about the Yurok tribe for school or home-schooling reports.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Yurok Nation, on the Pacific Coast of Northern California, is the largest tribe in California, a fishing tribe, known for their dresses adorned by shells, basket weaving, Redwood dugout canoe's, and Redwood planked houses.

# data[].attributes.headline
In the middle of the floor they make a fire for cooking seeds, fish, and other foods.

# data[].attributes.subject
In the middle of the floor they make a fire for cooking seeds, fish, and other foods.

# data[].attributes.body
Chumash houses- round with grass covering up the house. Used grass because there wasn't very much tall trees.

# data[].attributes.body
This kind of looks like the Chumash house above but from a different angle and with a different filter.

# data[].attributes.body
Inside of a Yurok House

# data[].attributes.body
Chumash houses are very different than Yurok houses. Chumash houses are like a dome but Yurok houses are square with slanted roofs .

# data[].attributes.headline
The Chumash's houses had a hole in it for smoke to get out and heat in.

# data[].attributes.subject
The Chumash's houses had a hole in it for smoke to get out and heat in.

# data[].attributes.headline
Inside the house, a pit several feet deep was dug leaving a wide shelf around the room.

# data[].attributes.subject
Inside the house, a pit several feet deep was dug leaving a wide shelf around the room.

# data[].attributes.body
Chumash house

# data[].attributes.body
Chumash houses are large, they can fit up to 70 people. This home is in construction.

# data[].attributes.body
The Chumash house, or 'ap, was round and shaped like half an orange. It was made by setting willow poles in the ground in a circle. The poles were bent in at the top, to form a dome. Then smaller saplings or branches were tied on crosswise.

# data[].attributes.headline
People used a notched log ladder to to climb down inside.

# data[].attributes.subject
People used a notched log ladder to to climb down inside.

# data[].attributes.headline
This is Chumash's house. There was a hole and the people use sticks as a door. 

# data[].attributes.subject
This is Chumash's house. There was a hole and the people use sticks as a door. 

# data[].attributes.body
Did you know that a Chumash house is actually called a 'ap?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Native American Indian Tribes

Site Index

Facts about the Chumash Native Indian Tribe
This article contains fast, fun facts and interesting information about the Chumash Native American Indian tribe. Find answers to questions like where did the Chumash tribe live, what clothes did they wear and what food did they eat? Discover what happened to the Chumash tribe with facts about their wars and history.

What was the lifestyle and culture of the Chumash tribe?
The ancient Chumash tribe occupied the southern coastline of California from 700AD and are noted for the many rock paintings, mostly found in caves in the interior of the Chumash land, that are considered to be some of the most spectacular in the United States. The Chumash lived in well organized villages consisting of well constructed tule mat grass houses or huts and their territory encompassed 7,000 square miles. Santa Barbara was the central point in their lands which extended from the Channel Islands to Malibu up to Paso Robles and inland to the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley. The Chumash were the elite Californian tribes and their astronomers charted the night sky and had their own solar and star charts. The Chumash people were great fishers and constructed a distinctive type of planked, seagoing canoe, called a tomol. The length of the tomols measured up to 30 feet in length and were occasionally used for whaling. Smaller tomols were used for transportation and catching smaller fish. The Spanish invaded their lands in the late 1700's and forced the Chumash to convert to Christianity become slave-like 'Mission Indians'. The harsh treatment by the Spanish and then the Mexicans led to the short-lived Chumash Revolt of 1824.

What language did the Chumash tribe speak?
The Chumash tribe spoke in a Salinan-Seri dialect of the Hokan language family. The word 'Chumash' means "bead maker" or "seashell people". They were described by the Spanish as "of good disposition, affable, liberal, and friendly". The six languages within the Chumashan language family were named after the missions which the languages were associated: San Luis Obispo, Mission La Purisima, Mission Santa Ynez, Mission Santa Barbara and Mission San Buenaventura.

Where did the Chumash tribe live?
The Chumash are people of the California Native American cultural group. The location of their tribal homelands are shown on the map. The geography of the region in which they lived dictated the lifestyle and culture of the Chumash tribe.

Land: Sea, coastal regions, rivers and lakes

Climate: Mild temperate climate

Natural Resources: Oak trees, acorns, buckeye nuts, mushrooms, hazel nuts, bulbs, roots, grasses, tule and seaweed

Types of housing or shelters: Domed-shape tule mat grass houses or huts

Land animals: The animals included deer, elk, rabbits, squirrels, quail, mountain sheep and bear

Sea Mammals: Whales, sharks, sea lions and sea otters

What clothes did the Chumash men wear?

The clothes worn by the Chumash men were limited to aprons woven from grass or bark fibers. In the winter months warm clothing was needed made from the hides of animals such as deer (buckskin), elk, squirrel, rabbit, black bear and wildcats. The Chumash garments included fur robes, kilts or aprons, and leggings. They wore one-piece moccasins with long tops that were wrapped about the calf, but went barefoot in the warmer weather. The ceremonial crown-style headdresses of the Chumash consisted of a circular head roll that was made of bound tule and covered with fur. The central section of the headdress was made with a band of flicker feathers topped by feather plumes. Many Chumash people wore ear and nose ornaments as well as face and body paint, that was similar to the Mojave tribe. The paint was made use of black and white coloring often applied in horizontal lines, as can be seen in the picture. The white color was obtained from chalk deposits and charcoal was easy to make resulting in distinctive white and black face and body painting.

What did the Chumash tribe live in?
Grass Houses: The Chumash tribe of California lived in shelters of dome-shaped shelters called Grass Mat Houses as depicted in the picture at the top of this page. To build the grass houses, the Chumash men first created a circular willow framework. The size was about 7 - 10 feet in diameter and about 7 feet high - the chief's house was up to 35 feet across. The Chumash women harvested the long green stems of (Southern Bulrush), Cattail or Giant Wild Rye which were dried over several weeks. After the grass had dried, the women weaved and sewed the rushes into rectangular mats about 2 feet wide. The grass mats were sewn together with dogbane (Indian hemp) and tied to the willow frame. An opening in the roof created a smoke hole. The doors of the Chumash grass houses always faced towards the east and were built near water.

Chumash History Timeline

AD 700: The ancient Chumash people settled in Santa Barbara Bay

1542: Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo explores California, makes the first European contact with the Chumash and claims the land for Spain

In 1769, a Spanish land expedition, led by Gaspar de Portola, left Baja California and reached the Santa Barbara Channel

1770: Spanish settle on the territory of the Chumash.

1776: Santa Barbara Mission is built and the Spanish mission system is established in Southern California

1790's: The Spanish began raiding Chumash villages for converts forcing them to work as slaves in Spanish missions.

1796 - 1823: The Chumash are forcibly moved to the following missions: San Luis Obispo, Mission La Purisima, Mission Santa Ynez, Mission Santa Barbara and Mission San Buenaventura

1800's: The Spanish devastate the Chumash culture

1812: Earthquake and tidal wave and many Chumash move further inland

1821: Mexico wins its independence from Spain and takes control of Alta and Baja California

1824: The Chumash Revolt of 1824 involved conflicts and Chumash uprisings at Missions Santa Ines, La Purisima, and Santa Barbara. The revolt was sparked by the routine whipping of an Indian at the Santa Ynez mission and escalated as Chumash rebelled against the ill treatment and forced labor imposed by the priests and soldiers

1824: The uprising fails following four moths of conflict and the Chumash leaders, Mariano, Pacomio, Benito, and Bernarde, were sentenced to 10 years of chain-gang labor

1824: Surviving rebels are indentured to Mexicans

1833: Cholera and Malaria epidemics kill many Chumash people

1833: American fur trappers found a village of Chumash living near Walker Pass who had fled from the Spanish missions during the 1824 revolt

1838: Smallpox epidemic (1838-1839) spreads amongst the Chumash

1838: The Alta California missions are closed as religious and farming communes

1841: The California Trail opens

1846: South Emigrant Road aka the Applegate Trail opens

1848: California is passed to the US with the Treaty of Guadalupe

1848: January 24, 1848: Gold is discovered at Sutter's timber Mill starting the California Gold rush

1848: The white settlers and gold prospectors bring more diseases to the Native Indians who lived in the surrounding areas of the westward trails

Chumash History Timeline

Interesting Facts and information about the way the Chumash people lived

The clothes worn by men and women

Description of the homes and the type of food the Chumash would eat

Fast Facts and info about the Chumash

Interesting Homework resource for kids on the history of the Chumash Native American Indians

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Native American Indian Tribes Site Index Facts about the Chumash Native Indian Tribe This article contains fast, fun facts and interesting information about the Chumash Native American Indian tribe. Find answers to questions like where did the Chumash tribe live, what clothes did they wear and what food did they eat?

# data[].attributes.body
gdm

# data[].attributes.body
The Yuroks traded baskets, dried fish, salt, seaweed , shells, and salmons.

# data[].attributes.body
The Yurok brought shells to trade.

# data[].attributes.headline
They would bring shells, baskets, fur blankets, and other things they owned.

# data[].attributes.subject
They would bring shells, baskets, fur blankets, and other things they owned.

# data[].attributes.body
They have a lot of Acorns so they can trade them

# data[].attributes.body
This is a yurok bag they trade for money

# data[].attributes.body
The Yuroks traded salmons.

# data[].attributes.body
The trade

# data[].attributes.body
woodpecker scalp

# data[].attributes.body
The Chumash traded baskets, potteries, animal skins, etc.

# data[].attributes.headline
These baskets are woven with straw and other things

# data[].attributes.subject
These baskets are woven with straw and other things

# data[].attributes.body
They traded jewelry such as shell necklaces, and wristbands.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chumash Trade & Economy - California Indians

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here you'll find historical information about some of the California Indian tribes and details about the way they lived prior to contact with the European explorers.

# data[].attributes.headline
They brought baskets, shells, tools, ETC. to trade.

# data[].attributes.subject
They brought baskets, shells, tools, ETC. to trade.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Tongva people settled in the Los Angeles Basin, Catalina Island, and the San Clemente Island. The area where the Tongva Indians settled is considered to be the most fertile in Southern California. The climate of Sunland - Tujunga in the night is nice and cool, and in the daytime it is warm.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here you'll find historical information about some of the California Indian tribes and details about the way they lived prior to contact with the European explorers.

# data[].attributes.headline
Image result for What did the Chumash bring to trade

# data[].attributes.subject
Image result for What did the Chumash bring to trade

# data[].attributes.body
the chumash  trade

# data[].attributes.body
Look at this website

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here you'll find historical information about some of the California Indian tribes and details about the way they lived prior to contact with the European explorers.

# data[].attributes.headline
this are the weapons the chumash traded 

# data[].attributes.subject
this are the weapons the chumash traded 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chumash Trade & Economy - California Indians

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here you'll find historical information about some of the California Indian tribes and details about the way they lived prior to contact with the European explorers.

# data[].attributes.body
Some of the things they traded were acorns, animal skins and knives.

# data[].attributes.headline
They would bring shells which they got from the beach.

# data[].attributes.subject
They would bring shells which they got from the beach.

# data[].attributes.headline
Did you know that the word Chumash means "bead maker" or "seashell people?"

# data[].attributes.subject
Did you know that the word Chumash means "bead maker" or "seashell people?"

# data[].attributes.body
This is one of the shells that they traded.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chumash Trade & Economy - California Indians

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here you'll find historical information about some of the California Indian tribes and details about the way they lived prior to contact with the European explorers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Facts for Kids: Chumash Indians (Chumashes)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information about the Chumash Indians for students and teachers. Covers food, homes, arts and crafts, weapons, culture, and daily life of the Chumashes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Yurok trading and gathering - California Indians Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The first Californians were the American Indians. People began to settle in villages throughout California about 4,000 years ago. There were hundreds of tribes scattered throughout the state. The cultures were as varied as the land.