Umatilla people
The Umatilla are a Sahaptin-speaking Native American tribe who traditionally inhabited the Columbia Plateau region of the northwestern United States, along the Umatilla and Columbia rivers.[1]
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[edit]
Early development[edit]
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]