Yuki Tribe

The Yuki were one of the most northerly of the coiling groups in California surrounded almost completely by tribes whose basketry was twined in construction. Their language was unique and was related only to that spoken by the Wappo Indians and with no identifiable relationship to any other North American Indian language. Although they were a war-like people, their small numbers were no match for the Spanish and later, the Americans. They were quite adversely impacted during the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming almost culturally extinct. Very few of their baskets were ever collected and fewer have survived the rigors of time.