People Group Profiles

“All nations will come and worship before you."

- Revelations 15:4

Sahaptin, Northeast of United States


People Group Info

Total Population: 1,750

ROP3 Code: 107423
IMB Affinity Group: American Peoples
Affinity Bloc: North American Peoples
People Cluster: North American Indigenous
Language: Walla Walla - (waa)
Religion: Christianity - Protestant
Country of Origin: United States

Photo courtesy of PeopleGroups.info

Majority Located Where

  , OR - 1,750

Click here to recommend other locations where this People Group resides.

Learn More

Brief Profile

The Northeast Sahaptin people, also known as the Walla Walla, are a Native American peoples located along the Columbia River in northeast Oregon state. They reside on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

They offer Walla Walla dialect classes. Today, speakers of all levels speak Walla Walla and Columbia River Sahaptin (Umatilla). The Umatilla language is the southern Sahaptin dialect and the Walla Walla is the northeast dialect of Sahaptin on the Umatilla Reservation.

Weyíiletpuu is a dialect of the Nez Perce language as used by the Cayuse people. A distinctive dialect of the Cayuse people has not been used since the 1940’s and is designated as extinct.

The Nez Perce, Umatilla (Columbia River Sahaptin), and Walla Walla (Northeast Sahaptin) were confederated under the Treaty of 1855, yet each one maintains a distinct heritage and unique identity.

They have a lot in common with the Nez Perce, Tenino, Columbia River Sahaptin, and the Yakima in that they all shared cultural traditions centered around salmon.

Today, the river and its salmon continue as a crucial focal point for cultural traditions and the entire region. Salmon feasts and ceremonies have taken place next to the Columbia River for thousands of years. To call salmon a staple of the tribal diet would be an understatement. Historically, the typical tribal member ate almost a pound of salmon every day, but salmon represented much more than a source of nutrition. It also shaped their society and religion.

Prayer Points

  • Pray that Northeast Sahaptin will place their faith in Christ no matter the circumstances they face in life.
  • Pray that God will move Northeast Sahaptin Christians to share the message of Christ with their own people, other Native Americans, and beyond.


People Group Resources

Native Americans - Worldview and Trends
Learn about Native Americans, their Worldview and Trends.


Learning Resources

Learn more about "Learning Paths"
Online Courses for embracing, encountering and engaging diaspora people. Work at your own pace. Begin anytime and complete the course according to your schedule. Interactive, Hands-On Application.

Learn more about "Reaching the Nations"
This book delineates five disciplines Christians should develop in order to effectively reach the nations. More specifically, it will guide Christians to develop an engagement strategy in their locale.


Other Resources

Prayer Guide for Unreached Peoples
A 30 day guide to pray for unreached people groups.

Prayer Guide using the GOSPELS acronym
A prayer guide that utilizes the acronym GOSPELS to pray for workers among diaspora.

Country City Metro Area Name State / Prov. Baseline Population
No results found.