This portion of our directory of American Indian and First Nations people looks at the Umatilla people, who are currently represented largely in the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Historically, the Umatilla people inhabited the Columbia Plateau region of the northwestern United States, particularly along the Umatilla and Columbia rivers.

Their name, Imatalamłáma, is probably derived from their winter village, which means "many rocks" in their language, although there is another opinion that suggests that it was a reference to an island in the Columbia River.

Tradition suggests that the ancestors of the Umatilla may have inhabited the region for 10,000 years or more, and there is archaeological evidence to support this.

They subsisted through fishing, hunting, gathering, and trading with neighboring tribes across the Pacific Coast and Great Plains. The Umatilla people thrived in a challenging environment distinguished by barren, dry landscapes of sand and gravel, although another part of their homeland included the clear waters of the Columbia River. Thus, their lifestyle involved a seasonal movement between the rivers, plains, and mountains.

Extended families often lived together in one home or band, cultivating strong community bonds. Particularly in the winter months, traditional dances, songs, and crafts were an integral part of their lives, and these skills were passed down from one generation to another.

Traditional Umatilla religious practices are best understood by those who practice them, but their traditional religion, "Washat," sometimes known as "Seven Drums," emphasizes a belief in one creator and the resurrection of the spirit after death. The Umatilla people recognized an organic unity between people and the Earth, viewing the natural world as interconnected with their own well-being. Washat is still practiced among the Umatilla, although Christianity has also found a place.

During the first half of the 19th century, the Umatilla people were severely impacted by smallpox and other infectious diseases brought by European-American colonists. In 1855, the survivors, along with members of the Walla Walla and Cayuse tribes, were forced to cede their traditional homelands under the terms of the Treaty of Walla Walla. In return for 6.4 million acres, they received a 250,000-acre reservation.

Located near Pendleton, Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation manages the reservation, which is mostly in Umatilla County, with a small portion extending into Union County. As a part of their confederation, descendants of the Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Cayuse tribes share land and a governmental structure. In addition, about 300 American Indians from other regional tribes, such as the Yakama, Tenino, and Nez Percé, along with 1,500 non-natives, live on the reservation.

The largest community on the reservation is Mission, which serves as the site of the tribal headquarters, as well as the Umatilla Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which exclusively serves the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Besides Mission, other communities within the reservation include Cayuse, Gibbon, Gopher Flats, Kirkpatrick, Riverside, and Tutuilla.

The tribes operate the Wildhorse Casino Resort on reservation land near Interstate 84. Another tribal enterprise is Cayuse Technologies, which offers software development and related services.

In the 1990s, the Confederated Tribes established the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, a museum and research institute on the reservation. It is the only American Indian museum along the Oregon Trail.

Online resources for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, including its tribal government, enterprises, schools, medical facilities, or other entities, as well as programs, events, or informational websites, are appropriate for this category, along with those owned or operated by individual Umatilla people.

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