It is not possible to draw precise, absolute and rigid boundaries around these tribes and bands of Indians. Traditionally, they occupied and used different river valleys. At other times they occupied the same areas and joined together at various times for various reasons. They certainly traveled to some extent into each other's territories.
Map 6 gives a rough indication of the territories occupied by the major tribes that lived in southwestern Oregon, including the Cow Creek Umpquas.
Map 7 shows that the Cow Creek Umpqua Indians were Takelma-speaking Indians located in the drainage of the Umpqua River, both its north and south forks, from the western slope of the Cascades in the east, to and including the entire Cow Creek drainage in the west, in the Coast Range.
The Cow Creek Umpquas were generally peaceful and tried as best they could to get along with the non-Indians moving through and into their area.
Closely related to the Cow Creek Umpqua, and immediately to the south were the Rogue or Tutuni Indians who are shown on Map 7 to be Takelma-speakers. The Rogues occupied the rugged, remote wilderness along the tributaries of the Rogue River, now a wild and scenic river.
The Rogues had a reputation for toughness, and it is the Rogues that participated in the most violent and long lasting confrontations with the encroaching non-Indian miners, trappers and settlers. The fighting in Rogue territory spilled over at times into Cow Creek Umpqua territory, involving them in the Indian Wars.
