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History of Native American Tribes Where We Live

Native American Heritage Month is honored every November. This is a time to celebrate the culture, heritage, and contributions of the Indigenous people and communities of the United States.


Areté Living manages 26 senior living communities across six states, many of which sit on native land. Discover more about the tribes who owned the land where you now live.


Kalapuya Tribe

Portland, Oregon area

Areté Living home office, Avamere at Albany, Avamere at Bethany, Avamere at Hillsboro, Avamere at Park Place, Avamere at Sherwood, Avamere at Newberg, and The Stafford


The Kalapuya Tribe is comprised of eight independent groups speaking three mutually intelligible dialects.


Their territory was bounded by the Oregon Coast to the west, Cascade Range to the east, Columbia River to the north, and the Calapooya Mountains to the south.

In the early 1800s, there were an estimated 9,000 members of the tribe. The arrival of Euro-American settlers brought diseases like malaria and smallpox that created catastrophic epidemics for the Kalapuya Tribe, and by 1849 the population was as low as 600 members.


They entered the Treaty of Calapooia Creek in 1854, which included the Kalapuyan and Umpqua tribes ceding their land to the United States government and agreeing to be moved to a reservation. The tribe moved to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation.


Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Sandy, Oregon

Avamere at Cascadia Village and Avamere at Sandy


The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde includes over 30 tribes from western Oregon, northern California, and southwest Washington.


Many of these tribes lived near each other and spoke multiple languages for trading. After joining in the 19th century on the reservation, they eventually refined a Creole language called Chinook Wawa. The tribe still hosts immersion programs to keep the language alive.


The original Grand Ronde Reservation was 61,000 acres, established by Executive Order in 1857. However, Congress passed the Western Oregon Termination Act in August 1954 which stripped the tribe of its federal status. The tribe continued to work to regain that status, which was finally achieved in 1983 with the signing of the Grand Ronde Restoration Act and in 1988 when the tribe regained 9,811 acres of the original reservation lands.


The tribe opened Spirit Mountain Casino in 1995 and operates it to this day.

Learn more about the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde at GrandRonde.org.


Wenatchi Tribe

Wenatchee, Washington

Avamere at Wenatchee


Originally known as P’Squosa, they were given the name Wenatchi by the Yakama Tribe


In 1893 the US government proposed a treaty to the tribe that would give the Wenatchi a 36-mile reservation in exchange for their mountain reservation and guarantee their hunting and fishing rights at the Wenatchapam Fishery.


The Wenatchi’s Chief John Harmelt said he would need to consult his people before making a decision. During his absence, the government falsely told the Yakama Tribe that the Wenatchi agreed to sign, which prompted the Yakama to sign, effectively taking the land from the Wenatchi tribe without their consent.

Most modern day Wenatchi Tribe members reside on the Colville Indian Reservation, which totals roughly 8,700 people descending from twelve aboriginal tribes.


Nuwuvi / Southern Paiute

St. George, Utah

Ovation Sienna Hills


The Nuwuvi People, also called Southern Paiute, lived in what is now Southeastern California, Southern Nevada, Northern Arizona, and Southern Utah.

To survive the desert environment, they drank from springs, hunted wild game, and harvested plants. Their lives changed in the 1800s with settlers and the Transcontinental railroad.


In 1911, Helen J. Stewart, known as the First Lady of Las Vegas, deeded land to the government to become part of a Native American reservation. Today the Southern Paiutes operate the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort.


Goshute Tribe

South Ogden, Utah

Avamere at Mountain Ridge


The word Goshute derives from the native word Kutsipiuti, which means “desert people.” The tribe was efficient hunters and gatherers and used at least 81 species of vegetables. The harsh environment kept settlers away until the 1850s.

The Goshutes successfully remained in Utah despite the government’s efforts to move them to the Uintah Basin, Idaho, Nevada, and Oklahoma. The tribe obtained the Skull Valley Reservation in 1912 and Deep Creek Reservation in 1914.


Omaha Tribe

Omaha, Nebraska

Ovation Heartwood Preserve


The name “Omaha” means “those going against the wind or current.” The tribe was given this name because they went upriver and migrated to the Nebraska Territory.


Originating near the Ohio River Valley, they migrated south into areas of Nebraska and northern Missouri in the late 17th century.


They were the first tribe on the Northern Plains to adopt equestrian culture after being introduced to them from trade networks. Horses became an important part of the culture, being seen as the highest gift one could offer another. The Omaha Tribe painted their horses or decorated them with ribbons, braided tails, and more. The strong spiritual and social connection between the tribe and their horses remains today.


The Omaha Tribe developed an extensive trading network with European and French Canadian explorers. The tribe controlled the fur trade and access to other tribes on the upper Missouri River.


As part of the Treaty of 1854, the tribe agreed to cede their land to the U.S. government and move to a reservation near what is now Macy, Nebraska.

After this treaty was signed, Jesse Lowe used his ferry company to establish a city on the west side of the Missouri River, naming it Omaha after the tribe. While this name honors the tribe, it does not erase the immense challenges they faced in being removed from their native home.


Several members of the tribe went on to serve for the Union in the American Civil War. Today, members of the Omaha Tribe reside in many areas across Nebraska, including the reservation near Macy and the city of Omaha.


Learn more about Native American history by researching these tribes and following Areté Living on social media.

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