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Umatilla-Tenino Language (Warm Springs, Celilo)

Umatilla-Tenino, also known as Columbia River Sahaptin, is a Penutian language of the Western Plateau. It is spoken natively by only a few dozen elders there, but some younger people are working to keep their ancestral language alive. Some linguists consider Umatilla-Tenino to be one dialect of a single Sahaptin language, and others consider it to be one of three or four distinct Sahaptin languages. Umatilla and Tenino speakers have some difficulty understanding Walla Walla or Yakama speakers, but they are similar enough that speakers can usually all communicate relatively well.

˜Umatilla Language

Umatilla language samples and resources.

˜Umatilla Culture and History

Information and links about the Umatilla tribe past and present.

˜Tenino Culture and History

Information and links about the Tenino/Warm Springs Indians past and present.

˜Umatilla Legends

Introduction to Umatilla mythology.

˜Umatilla Language Resources –

Umatilla Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Languages of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation
Audio files of the spoken Wasco and Tenino languages.

Umatilla Language
Quicktime movie of an Umatilla woman talking about Sahaptin language loss.

Umatilla Campers Learn About Their Tribal Language
Article on language revival efforts in the Umatilla tribe.

Walking In Her Grandmother's Moccasins
Story about the preservation of Umatilla language and traditions in the youngest generation.

Umatilla

Tenino
Demographic information about Umatilla-Tenino from the Ethnologue of Languages.

Links, References, and Additional Information

Lenguas Sahaptin:
Information on Umatilla and other Sahaptian languages in Spanish.
Umatillas:
Umatilla links.

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