
Location: The Cayuse started out in upper
Oregon and lower Washington bordering the Columbia River. The Oregon trail ran
directly through their home land.
Daily Life: They were known as "People of
the Stones or Rocks." The Cayuse decorated
themselves and their horses with paint, feathers and other trappings.
The Cayuses were thought of as middle men because they would travel to
Grande Ronde and exchange goods, from dried salmon
to shells or even slaves. The Cayuse met other tribes in Walla Walla to trade but also to engage
in friendly athletic competitions and festivities.
History: During the 1840s the measles
took over the tribe leaving them with only 400 left. This
was the start of what is known as the Whitman massacre. The tribe blamed this
doctor and his medicine for the deaths so, as a result, on November 29, 1847
the Whitmans and 12 other people were slain.
In the 1850s the people of the tribe signed a treaty ceding their
land to the whites and agreeing to move to the Umatilla Reservation. Today the
Cayuse tribe is no more. Most of the members joined other tribes, and the
Cayuse faded away slowly until they were gone. The descendants of the tribe are
now part of the Umatilla Confederated Tribes.

A Spanish horse, what the Cayuse used for everyday
life.

Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not
claim expertise on Cayuse history and culture.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
If you are Cayuse, your feedback is much appreciated.
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation: http://www.umatilla.nsn.us/
References
1)Rudy and Brown (1972) The Cayuse Indians. Oklahoma: Norman
2)Parker (1978) Cayuse pride. New York: Columbia
Written by: Amanda Rossing
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