hen Lewis and Clark arrived on the scene in the early 19th century, they encountered a culture whose economy thrived on the gifts of the Creator and whose social activities often revolved around the trading of goods. The members of the Expedition were strangers to this kind of gathering and were privileged to witness its role in the lives of Indian people.

The following words from Pat Courtney Gold and Lewis Malatare share the meaning of such "markets" from tribal perspectives, while the subsequent pages describe two of these special places.

Pat Courtney Gold

...there were two of these big trading markets, one on the Washington side, continuously occupied for more than 700 years, and another on the Oregon side. Trade wasn't just getting together for commerce, it was a social thing, and this was one of the biggest trading markets of this region.

My brother said they weren't markets they were malls because people came and they not only traded but they danced, young people met, we'd sing songs and gamble. This would go on for weeks and weeks. People would come from Montana and up and down the Oregon and Washington coast. (Pat Gold interview, 2003)

Lewis Malatare

I think that Lewis and Clark missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime to actually witness one of the largest civilizations on the Columbia Plateau. I say this because we already had commerce, we already had tradings with the Plains tribes as well as the Coastal tribes. We were the ones that bartered for everything that we have today.

In fact, if Lewis and Clark had decided to leave the river, there at the mouth of the Snake River, and came over to our side of the mountain, they would have seen hundreds upon hundreds of campsites. (Lewis Malatare interview, 2003)

Pack Your Bags for Celilo!

Packing for a weekend vacation can be tough enough. Can you imagine trying to pack for a journey to an unknown destination, through uncharted territory - for an unknown length of time?

Read about how Lewis and Clark prepared for their trip with the people they would meet in mind.