The Pitch Wailaki are close relatives of the Eel River Wailaki. They
live in the drainage of the North Fork of the Eel above Asbill Creek.
Virtually nothing is known of this group except their villages and
tribelets, which were recorded by Goddard (1924). Presumably they are
similar in culture to the Eel River Wailaki and the Round Valley Yuki.
Merriam's notes contain very little information concerning the Pitch
Wailaki. He apparently was never in contact with any informants from
that group and what information he gives is derived from the Eel River
Wailaki. The following summary is presented verbatim from his notes.
_The Che-teg-ge-kay._--The most southeasterly of the southern
Athabaskan tribes of California and consequently the southernmost of
the Nung-gah^{hl} division. They call themselves Che-teg-ge-kah (Pitch
Indians) and are nicknamed Si-yahng (sand-eaters). Neighboring tribes
call them Che-teg-gah-ahng and Wylakke.
Beginning on the northwest just below the junction of Salt Creek with
North Fork Eel River (a short distance southeast of Hoaglin Valley)
their northern boundary extends from Salt Creek northeasterly along the
south side of Rock Creek and of Van Horn Creek to its junction with Mad
River, where it turns easterly, crossing the long ridge known as South
Fork Trinity Mountain immediately south of Kelsey Peak, and continuing
easterly to the upper waters of South Fork Trinity River, the west bank
of which it follows upstream to the southwest of North Yolla Bolla
Mountain, where it ends. From North Yolla Bolla the eastern boundary
follows the crest of the high divide southerly past Hammerhorn Peak to
Buck Rock (4 or 5 mi. north of Anthony Pk.) where it turns westerly.
From this point the southern boundary runs west-northwest to North Fork
Eel River, passing just south of Blue Nose Mountain and Hulls Valley
to the northern part of Summit Valley just south of Bald Mountain, and
crossing North Fork Eel River a few miles south of Mina. Salt Creek
forms the principal part of the western boundary.
They had many summer camps but only two principal winter villages:
To-nis-cho-be (named for an unidentified blue flower), a large village
with a roundhouse situated on the site of Mina on what is now known
as the Charley Moore place; and Uk-ki, situated on Hulls Creek at the
southeast base of Bald Mountain. They always wintered on Bald Mountain
Ridge.
They had also a permanent summer fishing camp called Ko-sen-ten, known
to the whites as Fishtown, located on Fishtown Creek, a small tributary
rising on Buck Rock and emptying into North Fork of Middle Fork Eel
River directly east of Leach Lake Mountain.
Their houses were of bark and conical in form.
Among the enemies of the Che-teg-ge-kah was a related Athapaskan
tribe which they called Theng-tah-hahn (called Then-chah-tung by the
Settenbiden) vaguely described as on the main Eel River between Island
Mountain and Bell Springs.