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Siuslaw (Lower Umpqua)
Siuslaw is a Yakonan language once spoken in southern Oregon. It was related to Alsea
and Coos, and some linguists consider all these languages part of a broader
Penutian language family.
Siuslaw is often referred to as "Lower Umpqua" by anthropologists, because the traditional homeland of the Siuslaw includes the lower part of the
Umpqua River. The term "lower" does not have anything to do with the language, which is completely unrelated to the
Athabascan language of the
Upper Umpqua.
Unfortunately the last fluent Siuslaw speakers died in
the 1970's and 80's, but the language has been recorded and some young people are working to revive their ancestral language.
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Siuslaw
Profile of the tribe with a map and language chart.
Siuslaw
Demographic information about Siuslaw from the Ethnologue of Languages.
Pacific Northwest Language Domains:
Language map of Siuslaw and other Northwest Coast languages of Washington, Oregon and California.
Siuslaw Language Tree:
Theories about Siuslaw's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Siuslaw Language Structures:
Siuslaw linguistic profile and academic bibliography.
Siuslaw:
Information about the Siuslaw language including a linguistic map of the Northwest Coast. Page in Spanish.
Confederated Tribes of The Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians
Official homepage of the Oregon tribe comprising the Siuslaw and their neighbors.
Confederated Tribes of Siletz:
Home to descendants of the Siuslaw and many other tribes of Washington, Oregon and California.
West Coast Athabaskans
Brief history of the Kwalhioqua, Siuslaw, and other Oregon Athabascan tribes from the University of Oregon.
Oregon Indian Tribes
Fact sheet about the Siuslaw and other Oregon Indian tribes.
Siuslaw Indian Legends:
Collection of Siuslaw myths and legends.
Four Directions: Suislaw
Four Directions: Coosan tribes:
Timelines and links about Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw history.
Books for sale on the Siuslaws
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
Our Siuslaw Natives, the Indians
Book about the Siuslaw tribe for sale online.
Life in the Siuslaw Valley Prior to European Settlement
Book on the history and culture of the Kalapuya, Yoncalla, Siuslaw and Lower Umpqua tribes.
A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest:
Book on the history of the Northwest Coast tribes, including a section on the Siuslaw.

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