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Mid Klamath History

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Ancestral Territory

The Karuk Tribe’s ancestral territory makes up roughly half the land base in the Mid Klamath subbasin. The subbasin also includes a small section of the Yurok and Hupa. The Shasta Tribal territory makes up the remainder of the subbasin upriver of Seiad Valley. The earliest dates of human habitation in the Mid Klamath region are not known, though some estimates suggest indigenous people inhabited the area as long as 10,000 years ago. Settlement patterns were focused along the river corridor. Principle nutritional staples were anadromous fish, upland game, plants and plant products. In general, the tribes of the Mid-Klamath managed natural resources through the use of prescribed fire and by limiting take of plant and animal species. Spiritual practices and ceremonies, such as the annual world renewal ceremonies and first salmon ceremonies, were at the root of tribal land management.

European settlement in the mid nineteenth century had devastating impacts on the tribes of the Mid Klamath. Efforts of Western settlers to gain control of tribal lands resulted in the rapid extirpation of the majority of indigenous people in the area. Tribal people quickly went from being primary land managers to having little management power in the subbasin. In spite of this change, the Karuk Tribe continues to have increased involvement in land management efforts, continues to practice spiritual ceremonies, and still relies on anadromous fish for subsistence.

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Non-Native Settlement

The earliest known interior Klamath exploration by non-natives was led by Jedediah Smith between 1827-1829. Smith explored the Trinity River and lower Klamath in this expedition. Ogden and Fremont explored the eastern Klamath region in 1829-1830 and 1845-1846, respectively. However, the true entrance, occupation, and settlement of the Klamath region did not begin until the declaration of California statehood in the early 1850s. Major changes over the next 100 years came to the Mid Klamath including: Alteration of tribal presence and land management Initiation of modern resource extraction, such as gold mining and logging Extirpation of beaver, wolf, grizzly, and elk Draining of bottomlands Watershed diversions Building of the two Copco dams on the Klamath River (1918 & 1925) old-orleans-bridge.jpgThe Gold Rush of the mid-to-late nineteenth century, although productive, turned bust, and the highest population densities the Mid Klamath has ever known came and went. By the close of the period, the transition from early settler occupation to resource extraction had been completed, leaving lasting environmental and cultural effects.

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Today

Following the events of World War II, attention was redirected back to the hard work of nation building. The emphasis was on resource extraction, including timber resources in the Mid Klamath. Due to the productivity of Mid Klamath forests, the region contributed significantly to the production of timber products for consumption. Fire suppression was put into effect to protect these resources from combustion. A large agency structure was developed and funded to oversee resource management in the region. This period also saw the completion of major water projects, dams and aqueducts. The Iron Gate Dam was built on the Klamath River in 1962. The upper Klamath basin was promoted for its irrigated agriculture: incentives were given to veterans and complex diversions, ditches, and irrigation schemes were developed. This hydrological alteration cut off a large portion of salmon habitat in the upper basin, and is now believed to be a critical factor in the deterioration of anadromous fisheries in the watershed. With the depletion of the timber resource and increasing regulatory protection, timber extraction and associated jobs have drastically declined since the 1980s. Dwindling fish runs also curtailed industries tied to the Klamath River instream sport fishery, including fishing guides, lodge owners, bait and tackle shops, etc. In the Upper Mid Klamath, agriculture, recreation and logging on private lands are the source of many jobs. In the lower Mid Klamath, recreation, along with employment through the federal government and the Karuk Tribe provide the most jobs.