Yuki (people)
The Yuki are a North American Indian tribe and inhabit the area around the Round Valley in Mendocino County , Northern California , but Yuki tribes also settled far south to Hood Mountain in what is now Sonoma County . In their language of the same name, Yuki , they call themselves Ukomno'm - 'Valley People' - 'People in the Valley'. Americans, however, first met their eastern neighbors and competitors, the Nomlaki (also Noamlakee , Central Wintun , Nomelaki ) and adopted their name Yuki ('enemy') as their name. Yuki is therefore an exonym , i.e. a name for a group from another group , which is mostly foreign.
In the past they were a people of settled hunters and gatherers who, however, often had (armed) conflicts with their neighbors. Due to the white colonization of America, the tribe was hit by a smallpox epidemic in 1838. In 1870 the valley was declared a reserve, settlers had to leave the valley, new settlers were not allowed to settle. However, other Indians were brought into the reservation, such as the Pomo or the Lassik . Before the European settlement, one can assume a population of about 6,000 to 12,000 Yuki, but the values are very imprecise. In 1860 there were only about 600 inhabitants, since 1900 about 100 yuki are assumed. The population decline in the 19th century is also due to genocide .
Although the Yuki were matrilineal , their society was nonetheless a patriarchy . Even polygamy was partly spread. The Yuki consisted of various sub-tribes. The largest were the Ukomno'm, and there were also the Ta'no'm, Huititno'm, Sukshaltatano'm, Onkolukomno'm and the Witukomno'm.