Shasta
The Shasta are an Indian tribe in the United States , which in Siskiyou County in California and southern Oregon ( Jackson County and Klamath County lived). There are several versions of the origin of the name. The most common is that the name is derived from Sǔsti'ka , a well-known Indian tribe that lived near Yreka , California around 1840 .
The main sources of food for the Shasta were salmon , clams, deer and small game. Skilled hunters were also able to hunt geese, which they shot with a bow and arrow, their main weapon. Other foods included acorns and berries. The fish was also dried so it could be kept longer.
Trade was carried out in obsidian , dentalium clams , salt, acorns, baskets and occasionally canoes.
They were not organized into clans and lived in individual villages like the other tribes in California.
In the 18th century, the total number of Shasta Indians was around 3,000. Today, about 100 tribesmen still live on the Quartz Valley Reservation in Siskiyou County and some in Yreka, California.
See also
Web links
- Information on the Shasta (English)
- The Shasta on accessgenealogy.com (English)