Chastacosta Indians (Shista kwŭsta, their name for themselves, meaning unknown). A group of Athapascan villages formerly situated along Rogue River, Oregon, mostly on its north bank from its junction with Illinois River nearly to the mouth of Applegate Creek. The Tututunne, who did not differ from them in customs or language, were to the west of them; the Coquille, differing slightly in language, were north of them; and the Gallice (Tattushtuntude), with the same customs but a quite different dialect, to the east. The Takilma, an independent stock, were their south neighbors, living on the south bank of Rogue River and on its south tributaries. In the summer of 1856, after a few months of severe fighting with the whites, 153 of them, consisting of 53 men, 61 women, 23 boys, 16 girls 1 were taken to Siletz reservation, Oregon, where now there are but a few individuals left.
It is practically certain that nearly all the inhabitants of these villages were removed at this time. Considering the number of the villages according to Dorsey 2 , 19 according to an aged Gallice informant – this number is surprisingly small. The names of the villages, as given by Dorsey, usually referring to the people (-tun, –tunne) thereof, are:
- Chetuttunne
- Chunarghuttunne
- Chunsetunneta
- Chunsetunnetun
- Chushtarghasuttun
- Chusterghutmunnetun
- Chuttushshunche
- Khloshlekhwuche
- Khotltacheche
- Khtalutlituuue
- Kthelutlitunne
- Kushletata
- Mekichuntun
- Musme
- Natkhwunche
- Nishtuwekulsushtun
- Sechukhtun
- Seethltunne
- Senestun
- Setaaye
- Setsurgheake
- Silkhkemechetatun
- Sinarghutlitun
- Skurgnut
- Sukechunetunne
- Surghustesthitun
- Tachikhwutme
- Takasichekhwut
- Talsunme
- Tatsunye
- Thethlkhuttunne
- Tisattunne
- Tsetaame
- Tsetutkhlalenitun
- Tukulitlatun
- Tukwilisitunne
- Tuslatunne
The following villages may be synonymous with ones in the list:
- Klothchetunne
- Sekhatsatunne
- Tasunmatunne
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