The Chetco people are among an endangered people and language. Some Chetco people are enrolled in federally recognized tribes, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in Oregon, and Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, located in Humboldt County, California.

Their name, Chetco, comes from the word Cheti in their own language, meaning "close to the mouth of the stream". The Chetco Indians of southern Oregon once lived spread out over a vast area reaching from the Winchuck River, near the California border, to Cape Ferrelo 13 miles to the north. They lived mainly along the lower reaches of the Chetco and Winchuck Rivers, but also in camps along the coast. They were hunter gatherers, and fished, harvested shellfish, picked berries and acorns, and hunted sea lions in their lush coastal territory. They lived in wooden plank houses, wore clothing woven from bark and grass, with the occasional deer hide poncho for warmth, and were peaceful, warring only sporadically with surrounding tribes.