What Food Did the Yakima Tribe Eat?

Let's take a look at what foods the early Yakima tribes ate as well as some broader questions about the tribe including who the Yakima were, how they lived and how their culture has changed over time.

The food preferences of the Yakima tribe depends largely on the time period in which they live. Early in their history, the Yakima lived off of the land, as did other Native American tribes. They depended largely on fishing and hunting for their sustenance. They went fishing with canoes they dug out of birch wood, and hunted using tools and arrowheads they made from wood and stone. They ate salmon and other marine life, and hunted for elk, deer, geese, and other game.  The Yakima also ate seeds, nuts, and roots.

Contemporary Yakima tribes have many of the modern amenities of American culture, including grocery stores and access to restaurants and so their diet does not rely on what they can obtain through fishing and hunting.

Yakima Tribes in Washington

The Yakima, or Yakama as it is more commonly spelled, refers to a Native American tribe residing in the Pacific Northwest, or more specifically, Washington State, which has a city named after the tribe. The origin of the term “Yakima,” is unknown, and may be related to Yakima words for “family,” “runaway,” or “pregnant women.” The Yakima do not refer to themselves by this name. Instead they call themselves, “Waptailmim,” which is translated, “people of the narrow river.”

Cultural Responsibilities in the Yakima Tribes

In Yakima culture, men were responsible for hunting, fishing, and making canoes out of birch wood. Women raised children, tended to homes, made clothing, and helped gather seeds and the like to supplement their family’s diet. Mothers and fathers all participated in music, storytelling, medicine, and the preparation of tools. In years past, children also had to help with various chores.  

Today, mothers and fathers hold more traditional jobs, and children live more like other American children, going to school and having more time for play.

Yakima Tribe Clothing

Men and women both wore clothing made out of buckskin, which was more available in the Northwest region. In summer, one layer of buckskin (dresses for women and shirts for men) was sufficient, whereas in winter several layers were worn. Both men and women wore a variety of headdresses after developing some of the traditions of other local Native American tribes. Much of Yakima clothing was adorned with beadwork and other decorative embellishments.

Homes of the Yakima Tribes

Traditionally, Yakima villages consisted of homes made out of the earth. They were dug partially underground and had dome type wooden-frames for living space above ground. These small homes suited families most winters, where they could build fires for warmth, and where they might dry various fishes and meats even within their homes. Families at times had to move around in the summer to find food. In these warmer months families lived in tents made largely from animal skins.

Today the Yakima live in homes much like our own, including apartments and single-family homes. The use of tepees is done only for entertainment purposes

Yakima Tribes Today

Like other Native American tribes, the Yakima live on reservations, which is land that belongs to them and is governed by its own federations, statues, and law enforcement services. While the Yakima have this autonomy, they also must adhere to the laws of United States, and are considered American citizens. They continue to have tribal chiefs and councils, whose members are elected by the Yakima people.

Today, many Yakima speak English, but some Yakimas also speak their native language, which is complex and includes many sounds that are not common in English.