A bit of info on the Chinook tribe. Either there never were very many of them to begin with, or they had already been greatly diminished by the time Lewis & Clark met them. We’re talking less than 2,000 of them total, and that was in 1805. Today there are very few, and not one of them is fully Chinook.

CHINOOKIAN A small family of Indians inhabiting the lower Columbia River in Washington and Oregon as far up that river as The Dalles. The Chinooks were primarily a bay and river people, dependent on fishing (salmon) as well as game. They lacked the developed woodcarving art of the west coast tribes of British Columbia and northern Washington, although often classified in the same cultural area. They have been classified as the Upper and Lower Chinook, referring to their location on the Columbia River. They were first noticed generally by Lewis and Clark in 1805, and afterwards were greatly diminished in numbers by diseases brought by white trades. The majority of the individual tribes forming this family became extinct as separate identities before 1900; but a few hundred have fused with other tribes on the Warm Springs, Yakima, Chehalis, Quinault and Grande Ronde Reservations in Washington and Oregon; the largest single element by 1950 were the Wasco at Warm Springs, Oregon. A few have maintained themselves off reservations.

“Before their decline in population the Chinookian tribes became the greatest traders on the Columbia River, a great water highway stretching from the area of the coastal tribes into the immense interior. Their geographical position at the mouth of that river up to The Dalles gave them the opportunity to become middlemen in the development of trade relationships between the coast and the interior. The development of the Chinook Jargon, an Indian trade language based originally on Chinook words but later incorporating an increasing vocabulary of European origin, bears witness to the importance of the Chinook tribes in pre-1840 trade relations. Contacts and trade took place largely on the Columbia River at Celilo or The Dalles, when material culture from the northern edge of the Plains mingled with and was exchanged for material from as far as Alaska. From there the Nez Perce were the main outlet to the northern Plains via their associations with the Crow and to a lesser extent the Flathead.

“THE ‘LOWER CHINOOK’: CHINOOK PROPER or LOWER CHINOOK A Chinookan tribe inhabiting the mouth of the Columbia River, giving their name to include tribes to the interior of similar language under the name Chinookian stock. Their territory extended to Shoalwater Bay in the north, and the tribe numbered 800 in 1800. They gained considerable fame through their trading with British and American companies, and the Chinook Jargon, a trade language of the northwest originally based on the Chinook language, existed until 1900. From Lewis and Clark, Nov. 1805: ‘This Chinook nation is about 400 souls, inhabit the country on the small river which runs into bay below us and on the Ponds to the North West of us, live principally on fish and roots, they are well armed with fusees and sometimes kill Elk, Deer, and fowl.’

“Their few remnants mixed with the Chehalis or remained in public domain, and had almost disappeared as a separate people by 1945 when 120 ‘Upper Chinook’ remained on the Quinault Reservation, Washington; although of mixed origin they included descendants of the Chinook proper. A few more have been associated with Shoalwater Bay and Chehalis reserves, and some have never been on reservations. In 1970 609 ‘Chinook’ were reported, excluding Wasco, apparently accounting for the whole family. Two smaller groups, the Wahkiakum and Willapa Indians, probably belong to this group.

“CLATSOP An important coastal Chinookian tribe of the Cape Adams area, Clatsop County, Oregon. From Lewis and Clark, who estimated their population at 300, in 1806: ‘The Clatsaps, Chinnooks, Killamucks etc. are very loquacious and inquisitive; they possess good memories and have repeated to us the name and capacities of the vessels etc. of the many trades and others who have visited the mouth of the river (Columbia); they are generally low in stature, proportionably small, reather lighter complected and much more illy formed then the Indians on the Missouri and those of our frontier; they were generally cheerfull but never gay. With us their conversation generally turns upon subjects of trade, smoking, eating and women. In common with other savage nations they make their women perform every species of domestic drudgery; their women are also compelled to gather roots and assist them in taking fish which articles form much the greater part of their subsistence; notwithstanding the servile manner in which they treat their women they pay much more respect to their judgement and opinions in many respects than most Indian nations.’

The Chinook Indians - tribe of Chinookan linguistic stock, lived in villages on the embankments of the Columbia River, from British Columbia, Canada to Eastern Washington State, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

They were peaceful people whose livelihood revolved around fishing, mostly salmon, and trading in good ranging from fur, to fish, to slaves.

The Chinook were a hedonistic society with a penchant for entertainment and leisure; their villages were comprised mostly of their own relatives.  They would not easily give in to violent behavior, opting instead for challenging ritual events to resolve conflicts.

The Chinook language gave way to the Chinook Jargon, which would end up being used by traders from the Yukon to California.

Today, the last descendants of Chinook origin live on reservations in Washington and Oregon.  There are currently over two thousand registered members of the Chinook Nation and hundreds more applying for membership. Their legacy is that of a placid, thriving society; never to fully reveal its complex culture and mythology, save for a few scattered texts, artifacts and images.

Yet on the other hand, the wondrous Chinook weren’t above a bit of theft and some serious price gouging ...

In late 1805, as the Corps of Discovery began to make its way down the Columbia River after crossing the Rocky Mountains, they were told by the Nez Perce Indians that the Chinooks living down the river had a different culture and language than anything the Corps had encountered. The Nez Perce chiefs also warned the captains of a rumor that the Chinooks intended to kill the Americans when the expedition arrived. Clark, however, commented, “as we are at all times & places on our guard, [we] are under no greater apprehention than is common.”

The Chinooks were accustomed to European goods and white traders, so their first encounters with the expedition were peaceful. On October 26, 1805, two Chinook chiefs and several men came to the expedition’s camp to offer gifts of deer meat and root bread cakes. The captains responded by presenting the chiefs with medals and the men with trinkets. Other Chinook villages along the banks of the river offered similar receptions to the Americans as they approached the Pacific Ocean and the mouth of the Columbia River.

During these encounters, however, the Corps [the Corps of Discovery was the name of L&C’s party of explorers] struggled with what Clark termed “the protection of our Stores from thieft.” This became such a problem with the Chinooks in the area that the captains had to restrain some of the men from instigating fights with the Indians. As Clark noted, “it [is] necessary at this time to treat those people verry friendly & ingratiate our Selves with them, to insure us a kind & friendly reception on our return.”

The Chinooks on the Upper Columbia were a factor in the Corps’ decision of where to spend the winter of 1806. Wary of their neighbors and mindful of the more plentiful game to the south, the Corps decided to spend the winter on the south side of the river, where the Clatsops lived, rather than on the north bank among the lower Chinookan bands.

During their stay at Fort Clatsop, the Corps depended on the local Indians for food. But the Chinooks and the Clatsops charged what Lewis and Clark considered unreasonable prices, and the captains were unhappy with this practice, along with the thefts. Visits by the Chinooks to Fort Clatsop were limited, and the Indians were not allowed to stay in the fort overnight. Both captains’ journals noted low opinions of the Chinookan customs and appearance.

Five Most Recent Trackbacks:

Once Again, The One And Only Post
(4 total trackbacks)
Tracked at iHaan.org
Thｅ advantage to having a guide with you is thɑt an expert will haѵe very first hand experience dealing and navigating the river with гegional wildlife. Tһomas, there are great…
On: 07/28/23 10:37

The Brownshirts: Partie Deux; These aare the Muscle We've Been Waiting For
(3 total trackbacks)
Tracked at head to the Momarms site
The Brownshirts: Partie Deux; These aare the Muscle We’ve Been Waiting For
On: 03/14/23 11:20

Vietnam Homecoming
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at 广告专题配音 专业从事中文配音跟外文配音制造，北京名传天下配音公司
　　专业从事中文配音和外文配音制作，北京名传天下配音公司 　　北京名传天下专业配音公司成破于2006年12月，是专业从事中 中文配音 文配音跟外文配音的音频制造公司，幻想飞腾配音网领 配音制作 有海内外优良专业配音职员已达500多位，可供给一流的外语配音，长年服务于国内中心级各大媒体、各省市电台电视台，能满意不同客户的各种需要。电话：010-83265555 　　北京名传天下专业配音公司…
On: 03/20/21 07:00

meaningless marching orders for a thousand travellers ... strife ahead ..
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at Casual Blog
[...] RTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPL [...]
On: 07/17/17 04:28

a small explanation
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at yerba mate gourd
Find here top quality how to prepare yerba mate without a gourd that's available in addition at the best price. Get it now!
On: 07/09/17 03:07