“They are still here. By the time Lewis and Clark arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River, the tribes in his area were experiencing the traumatic effects of contact with non-Indian people. Their populations were decimated by smallpox, typhoid, influenza, measles, and other diseases brought to the area by Euro-American maritime traders and explorers. Thousands of Native Americans along the Columbia River and Pacific Coast died as a result.

“As early settlers arrived in the region, the tribes were pushed out of their homelands. They were forced to learn new languages and much of their traditional ways of life were lost. Tribes that could no longer sustain a government scattered, and many enrolled in confederated tribes in the area after treaties were signed with the United States government. But they have survived.

“Today, these proud people work to recover their traditions and languages. The Columbia Pacific area is home to three tribes in Oregon and Washington States: the Chinook Nation, Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, and the Clatsop Nehalem Confederated Tribes. There are also ten tribes associated with this area through historic trade routes and alliances, and many Chinook and Clatsop found new homes within these tribes.

“The associated tribes include: Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde, Quinault, Chehalis, Yakama Indian Nation, Wanapum Band, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla, and Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs.”

—Deborah S. Wood, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park,
“Columbia Pacific Native American Guide”
National Park Service, n.d.