Hupa

The Hupa Native American people are the largest of the Athabascan-speaking tribes living in northwestern California. Historically they lived along the shores of the Trinity River, a tributary of the Klamath River. They traded and intermarried with the other three Athabascan-speaking Native American tribes in the area: the Chilula, Whilkut, and South Fork Hupa. They also shared many customs with the Yurok and Karok indigenous peoples. Their name, Hupa, was derived from the Yurok name for the valley, Hupo or Hoopa. Some anthropologists historically referred to them as the Kelta. The Hupa call themselves the Natinookwa, meaning “the people of the place by the river to which the trails lead back.” In the 1850s they numbered around 1,000 and at the 1990 US Census numbered 2,451.

Name: Hupa.

Location: Northwestern California; Hoopa Valley Reservation.

Population: Approximately 1,000 in 1850; 2,451 in 1990.

Language Family: Athapaskan.

First Contact by Euroamericans: 1850.

Current Tribal Status: The Hoopa Valley Reservation is the one of the largest in size, population, and monetary funds in California.

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