The southern boundary of the Athabascans begins at Usal Creek on the
coast and goes eastward for a few miles before swinging south to include
the drainages of Hollow Tree Creek and the South Fork of the Eel in
Kato territory. It turns north to enclose the headwaters of South Fork
and proceeds along the ridge dividing Ten Mile Creek from the main Eel
until it reaches the drainage of Blue Rock Creek; it then passes around
north of the creek and crosses the Eel near the mouth of the creek. From
this point it runs in an easterly direction around the drainage of Hulls
Creek.
Kroeber's map in the Handbook shows the southern boundary beginning a
few miles south of Usal Creek, but Merriam and Nomland both maintain
that the creek itself is the boundary and Gifford (1939, p. 304) says
that both Sinkyone and Yuki were spoken in the village situated at the
mouth of the creek. The information of all four authors came from either
Sally or Tom Bell, wife and husband, who are respectively Shelter Cove
Sinkyone and Coast Yuki. I have accepted Merriam's boundary, since it
agrees with Nomland's.
Merriam maintains that the western boundary of the Kato runs along the
South Fork of the Eel and he is partly supported in this by Barrett
(1908, map), whose boundary includes the drainage of South Fork but
not the drainage of Hollow Tree Creek. Barrett, however, disavows
any certainty on this particular boundary. Kroeber's line, which
does include the drainage of Hollow Tree Creek in Kato territory, is
supported by a specific statement from Gifford (1939, p. 296) that
"Hollow Tree Creek did not belong to the Coast Yuki although they fished
there." I have therefore accepted Kroeber's version.
All authorities agree on the southern and eastern boundaries of the
Kato as far north as the drainage of Blue Rock Creek. Merriam claims
this drainage for the Wailaki, whereas both Kroeber and Foster claim it
for the ta'no'm tribelet of the Yuki. It is evident that this territory
was disputed, for it was the scene of several of the wars involving the
Wailaki, the Kato, and the Yuki (Kroeber, 1925_a_, p. 165; 1925_b_).
Kroeber obtained a detailed list of place names in this area from a
ta'no'm Yuki, whereas Merriam's Wailaki information is only of a most
general nature. For this reason I have given the territory to the Yuki.
All the authorities, except Foster, agree on the rest of the southern
boundary of the Athabascans. Foster has the Yuki-Wailaki line cross
Hulls Creek about five miles from its mouth instead of passing south of
its drainage. Both Kroeber and Merriam favor the more southern line, and
Goddard (1924, p. 224) says that the Wailaki claimed a fishing spot in
the disputed area, so I have accepted this version.
The eastern boundary of the Athabascans runs north along the ridge
separating the drainages of the North Fork and Middle Fork of the Eel
until it reaches the headwaters of the Mad River. Thence it runs in a
northern direction along the ridge that separates the drainage of the
Mad River from that of the South Fork of the Trinity until it reaches
Grouse Creek, where it turns eastward to cross the South Fork of the
Trinity at the mouth of the creek. It continues north on the east side
of South Fork, following the crest until it crosses the main Trinity
about five miles above its confluence with South Fork, and then follows
around the headwaters of Horse Linto Creek and Mill Creek.
Merriam's eastern Athabascan boundary conflicts with the one drawn by
Kroeber, Foster, and Goddard in assigning the northern part of the
drainage of the Middle Fork of the Eel to the Pitch Wailaki instead of
to the Yuki. Merriam is almost certainly wrong here, for Goddard (1924)
definitely does not include this area within Wailaki territory and his
information in this region appears to have been especially reliable.
Moreover, Merriam got his information from natives of the main Eel
River, who were evidently not on good terms with their relatives to the
east and knew little about them. I have therefore accepted the Kroeber
boundary.
The next conflict is to the north of this, where Kroeber's boundary
runs up the ridge separating the Mad River from the South Fork of the
Trinity, whereas Merriam's runs along South Fork itself in the twenty
miles from Yolla Bolly Mountain northwest to Ruth. Essene (1942) agrees
with Merriam on this point, but his data add nothing to the argument,
since he worked with the same Lassik informant as Merriam. I have
accepted Kroeber's version because it is corroborated by both Goddard
(1907) and Du Bois (1935, map 1), who agree in assigning the valley of
the South Fork of the Trinity to the Wintun.
Kroeber and Merriam agree on the line running north of Ruth as far as
a point about fifteen miles south of Grouse Creek, where Merriam's
line drifts westward to follow the north-south channel of Grouse Creek
for a short distance, whereas Kroeber's line follows due north along
the drainage pattern. Essene supports Kroeber, but his informant did
not come from this region so her testimony perhaps cannot be relied on
heavily. I have accepted Kroeber's line because it follows the drainage
pattern.
Kroeber's boundary also conflicts with Merriam's on the east side of
South Fork. Kroeber's line runs along the ridge separating South Fork
from the main Trinity whereas Merriam's runs along the Trinity itself.
The testimony of Dixon on the Chimariko (1910, pp. 295-296) supports
Kroeber, so I have accepted the latter's line.
The northern boundary of the Athabascans runs west, parallel to Mill
Creek, crossing the Trinity a few miles south of its confluence with
the Klamath, and then continues west until it reaches Bald Hills Ridge,
which separates Redwood Creek drainage from Klamath River drainage. It
continues north along this ridge and then turns east to cross Redwood
Creek about ten miles southeast of Orick.
Goddard (1914_a_, pl. 38) indicates three Athabascan summer camps on the
Yurok side of the dividing ridge. This may mean that some Athabascan
territory was included in the Klamath drainage, but if so, it would
contradict the testimony of the Yurok (Kroeber, 1925_a_, fig. 1;
Waterman, 1920, map 2). However, the land away from the Klamath was
little used by the Yurok (Kroeber, 1925_a_, p. 8), so it may be that
this territory was claimed by both groups. I have accepted Kroeber's
boundary here. Otherwise there are no conflicts on the northern boundary.
The western boundary of the Athabascans runs due south from Redwood
Creek, following the 124th Meridian, crossing the North Fork of the Mad
River at Blue Lake and crossing the main Mad River a few miles above
the mouth of North Fork. From here the line follows south around the
drainage of Humboldt Bay until it crosses the Eel River at the mouth
of the Van Duzen, whence it runs south to Bear River Ridge, which it
follows west to the ocean.
A major conflict in the western boundary of the Athabascans involves
the drainage of the North Fork of the Mad River. Kroeber and Loud
both assign this area to the Wiyot, whereas Merriam assigns it to the
Athabascans. Neither Kroeber nor Loud gives specific data in support of
his contention; thus Merriam's specific local information quoted below,
renders his line preferable.
Sunday, August 11, 1918.... I found two old men of the
same tribe, who were born and reared at the Blue Lake rancheria
'Ko-tin-net--the westernmost village of the Ha-whil-kut-ka tribe.