Oregon Native American Tribes
Klamath
Climate and Environment
The Klamath Tribe lived in an area near the Klamath Lake, and Klamath Marsh. They were also near the Williamson River and Sprague River. The region was full of marshes, open water, grassy meadows, pine and coniferous forests, sagebrush, and rocky cliffs.
The weather in this region of Oregon had cold winters and hot summers. The winters didn't rain much; the area mostly snowed leaving an average of 35 inches per year.
Shelter
The Klamath built their shelter over a shallow pit that they covered with Tule (a marsh plant), mats and dirt. The lodges were 15-40 feet in diameter with a whole in the roof. There was a ladder outside of the lodge leading to the whole and a ladder that lead down into the lodge. In the center of the lodge they had their fire pit.
Next to the lodges they had smaller lodges that stored their food. To keep animals out they would surround the lodge with stinky plants.
Food
The Klamath men and women had different roles supplying food. The men would do the hunting and fishing while women were in charge of gathering fruits, berries, roots, and seeds. The men hunted elk, deer, squirrels, rabbits, birds, trout, salmon, and sucker fish. The men would also hunt for duck by taking duck skin and stuffing the duck with Tule (a plant from the marsh) and making a decoy.
The women collected wild potato, arrowroot, sego lily, wokas, cattail, and a variety of berries. The women used most of these items to make teas, medicines, dyes, and insect repellent.
Arrowroot
Clothing
During the warmer months the men and women wore fringed skirts, or tule fibers were hung from a belt. The belts were tule plants, or animal skins. The skirts for men and women were different lengths. The men's skirt was above the knee, and women had their skirt length below the knee.
When winter came and snow began to fall they would wear legging made of tule fibers, fur mittens, and tule sanders stuffed with grass.
Men and women of the tribe wore a similar wardrobe, along with jewelry. They would take dentalium shells and pierce their nose. They also had shells and stone beads to make necklaces. They also wore their hair in braids, and usually had tattoos all over their bodies.
