Klamath

The Klamath are a Native American group located in what is now southwestern Oregon. Extensive contact with Europeans and Americans of European descent began through trade in 1826. In 1864 the Klamath entered into a treaty with the American government, and the Klamath reservation was formed. The Federal government soon gained control over their administration. This entry focuses on ethnographic evidence that reconstructs Klamath life and beliefs prior to the reservation era. During this time, the Klamath lived in autonomous settlements. Shamans in a village had considerable power and influence, even surpassing that of the chief. The Klamath's traditional religious beliefs included vision quests, mythology, and a variety of supernatural beings. This entry considers the Klamath religious group to be coterminous with the society at large.Non UBCUnreviewedResearche