The Umatilla people are called Imatalamłáma, a Umatilla person is called Imatalamłá (with orthographic ł representing IPA /ɬ/). Some sources say that Umatilla is derived from imatilám-hlama: hlama means 'those living at' or 'people of' and there is an ongoing debate about the meaning of imatilám, but it is said to be an island in the Columbia River. B. Rigsby and N. Rude mention the village of ímatalam that was situated at the mouth of the Umatilla River and where the language was spoken. The Nez Perce refer to the Umatilla people as hiyówatalampoo (Aoki (1994:171)).
History
Early development
The Umatilla nation was bordered by the Teninos (Tinaynuɫáma - "People of Tináynu") to the West and the Klickitats (X̣ʷáłx̣ʷayłáma - "Prairie People") to north, across the Columbia River.[2] Also by their northern border were the Palouse, Wasco-Wishrams (Wasq̓ułáma - "People of Wasq̓ú"; Wɨ́šx̣amma - "People of Wɨ́šx̣aa/Wɨ́šx̣am (Spearfish)").[2] They had friendly Cayuse, and Walla Walla tribes to the east. Because their homeland lacked natural defenses, the Umatillas were attacked from the south by groups of Bannocks and Paiutes.[2]
Sahaptin tribal representatives in Washington D.C. c.1890. Back row: John McBain (far left), Cayuse chief Showaway, Palouse chief Wolf Necklace, and far right, Lee Moorhouse, Umatilla Indian Agent. Front row: Umatilla chief Peo, Walla Walla chief Hamli, and Cayuse Young Chief Tauitau.
Linguistically, the Umatilla language or Imatalamłaamí Sɨ́nwit is part of the Sahaptin division of the Penutian language family — closely related to other peoples of today's Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, and the Idaho panhandle.[1] These included the Nez Percé (Šíwaniš - "Stranger"), Cayuse (Wáylatpu / Wáylatpuuma - "Ryegrass People, i.e. Cayuse People"), Walla Walla (Walawalałáma - "People of Walula region along Walla Walla River"), Palouse (Paluuspamá - "People of Palus") and the Yakima (Mamačatłáma - "Yakama People").[1] These peoples were ravaged by smallpox and other infectious diseases contracted from European colonists during the first half of the 19th century.[1]
A number of places and geographic features have been named after the tribe, such as the Umatilla River, Umatilla County, the town of Umatilla, Florida, and Umatilla National Forest. The impoundment of the Columbia River behind the John Day Dam is called Lake Umatilla.
^ abcde"Umatilla," in Barbara A. Leitch, A Concise Dictionary of Indian Tribes of North America. Algonac, MI: Reference Publications, Inc., 1979; pp. 490-491.
^ abcHines, Donald M. The Forgotten Tribes, Oral Tales of the Teninos and Adjacent Mid-Columbia River Indian Nations. Great Eagle Publishing. Issaquah, WA. 1991, p. 55.
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illa High School (Florida) Umatilla Central Railroad Umatilla Masonic Lodge Hall Umatilla High School (Oregon) Oregon Route 331 Umatilla Municipal Airport Umatilla High School Pendleton Center for the Arts Petticoat Revolution Sunnyside, Umatilla County, Oregon Riverview, Umatilla County, Oregon Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge Riverside, Umatilla County, Oregon Columbia Heights (Oregon) U.S. Route 730 U.S. Route 395 Scouting in Washington (state) Same-sex marriage in tribal nations in the United States
