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Portion of 1821 Map of
the Columbia,
by Alexander Ross.
Courtesy of the Ellensburg Public Library.
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 Looking across the mouth of the
Columbia, from Point Stevens on the south shore.
K. Lugthart photo |
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 Driftwood at Skemokawa
S. Thompson photo |
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 Salt
marsh on north end of Long Beach, hills in view are on east shore of Willapa
Bay.
K. Lugthart photo |
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 Middle Nemah River
Kim Lugthart photo |
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 Inlet near Cape Disappointment
S. Thompson photo |
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 Willapa
Bay from Bay Center; Stony point |
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 Old growth fir giants
K. Lugthart |
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Fort Clatsop > Culture > Homelands
“The position of the Tsinuk was...
most important. Occupying both sides of
the great artery of Oregon for a distance
of two hundred miles, they possessed
the principal thoroughfare between the interior and the ocean, boundless
resources of provision of various kinds,
and facilities for trade almost unequaled
on
the Pacific" (Gibbs 1877:165).
 Portion
of 1877 Gibbs map illustrating “Tsinuk" homelands along
the Columbia River.
(Gibbs: 1877) |
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| Saddle Mountain |
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"Well, probably the most significant thing you'd see if you come here is
Saddle Mountain. If you look
across from the other side of the river, or from Astoria, Young's Bay, if
you look south, you see Saddle Mountain, and that is a very, very very important
place. but it's in Old Chinook, and it's Walawahoof" (Tony Johnson interview:
2002).
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Aerial
view of Saddle Mountain with Youngs River
to the left,
Lewis and Clark River on right.
Jim Niehues photo |
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| Pillar Rock, Taluaptea |
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| Homelands are known by landmarks. People of the
Lower Columbia, before road maps became the guide to the landscape, knew
where they were by distinctive land- and water-scape features such as
large rocks, mountains, cliffs, waterfalls, rivers, and bays. Saddle Mountain
is the most visible feature of the landscape from most parts of the Lower
Chinook homeland. Pillar Rock is one of the most distinctive features
within the mouth of the Columbia.
The Wilkes party, in August
of 1841, headed their
ship upstream to survey the area,
"… and anchored
just below the Pillar Rock, and opposite
to Waikaikum. Waikaikum belongs to a chief
named Shamakewea, and is a large lodge, picketed
around with planks.
"Pillar Rock is called by the Indians
Taluaptea, after the name of a chief, who
in bygone days lived at the falls of the
Columbia, and who, having incurred the displeasure
of their spirit, called Talapos, was turned
into a rock, and placed where he would be
washed by the waters of the great river.
The rock is twenty-five feet high, and only
ten feet square at its top: it is composed
of conglomerate or puddingstone, and is fast
crumbling to pieces. I found great difficulty
in ascending it" (Wilkes 1845:120).
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Pillar
Rock today
(what's left of it).
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| Village Bands |
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Chinook speakers spread over a wide area, but they
identified themselves by the location of their village.
"Most of the towns and places here, that are clearly native like
Kalama or Cathlamet, are named for the people of that place. The beginning
of Cathlamet – Cathla - is the same for Cathlaphoots, that's Cathlapotle,
and that beginning part refers to the people of that place. So, "the
ones who were already doing something there" is kind of what it
is saying. Cathlama, I think, is 'the people that are always at that
rock'. Cathlamet is something similar to the rocky cliff, the rocky
shore" (Tony Johnson interview: 2002).
Clatsop Homeland
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