Yakama Indian Reservation

A reservation in south-central Washington established by the Treaty of 1855 and governed by the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.

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Treaty of Yakama: A treaty signed in 1855 between the United States and leaders of several Indigenous nations in the Pacific Northwest. It established the reservation and defined the land cession that created it.
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation: A federally recognized tribal government representing the peoples associated with the Yakama Nation. This government administers the reservation and represents its member peoples.
Tribal sovereignty: The inherent authority of Indigenous nations to govern themselves and their territories. It is the basis for Yakama Nation governance within the reservation.
Columbia River: A major river flowing from the Canadian Rockies through Washington and Oregon to the Pacific Ocean. The river system supports fisheries and treaty-protected practices tied to Yakama lands.
Mount Adams: A stratovolcano in Washington’s Cascade Range, known in the Yakama language as Pahto. The mountain is a prominent sacred and cultural landmark associated with Yakama homelands.
Isaac Stevens: An American politician and military officer who served as Washington Territory’s first governor and negotiated treaties with Indigenous nations. As territorial governor, he led the United States’ treaty negotiations in 1855.
Yakama people: An Indigenous people of the Columbia Plateau whose ancestral homelands include parts of present-day Washington. Their homeland and political history are central to the reservation’s identity.
Indian reservation: An area of land set aside by the United States for the use and governance of an Indigenous nation. The Yakama reservation is one instance of this federal land arrangement.
Yakima River: A tributary of the Columbia River that flows through central Washington. Its watershed connects reservation communities with irrigation, fisheries, and regional water management.
Yakama Nation: A federally recognized Indigenous nation in Washington, composed of several related peoples and bands. The reservation is the nation’s principal land base and political center.