Learning about People of the Mid-Columbia Villages

This 1761 map notes“This Part Little Known” above the inlet of the unnamed Columbia River. Washington State Historical Society CLICK TO ENLARGE

Lewis & Clark’s map of 1806 shows how much was learned from their exploration. Boston Athenaeum CLICK TO ENLARGE

The spring trip back up the Columbia was in many ways a vastly different experience than their fall trip down the river. The Lewis and Clark party knew the lay of the land, they had learned some Chinook Wawa, and they had gathered information about the various peoples along the river. To fulfill their directive from President Jefferson to learn as much as possible about the various tribes, they took time to document details that had been missed previously.

Clark took care to fill in his map, transforming what had been a blank on previous European and American maps with the details of people and rivers and physiography. Of course from the Indians’ perspective every stream and every hill were intimately known.

Wapato Island and Inlet, and its People

On March 29th, 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis wrote:

Wapato — Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, USFWS

...after breakfast we proceeded on and at the distance of 14 miles from our encampment of the last evening we passed a large inlet 300 yds in width. this inlet or arm of the river extends itself to the South 10 or 12 M. to the hills on that side of the river and receives the waters of a small creek which heads with killamucks river, and that of a bayau which passes out of the Columbia about 20 miles above, the large Island thus formed we call wappetoe island. on this inlet and Island the following nations reside, Clan-nah-min-namun, Clacks-star, Cath-lah-cum-up, Clah-in-na-ta, Cath-lah-nah-qui-ah, and Cath-lah-cam-mah-tup. the two first reside on the inlet and the others on the bayau and island.— observed a speceies of small wild onion growing among the moss on the rocks… (Lewis, from Moulton V.7, 26)

The Mult-no-mâh and its People

On April 2nd, 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis wrote:

Wapato — Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, USFWS

…about this time several canoes of the natives arrived at our camp and among others one from below which had on board eight men of the Shah-ha-la nation these men informed us that 2 young men whom they pointed out were Cash-hooks and resided at the falls of a large river which discharges itself into the Columbia on it’s South side some miles below us. we readily prevailed on them to give us a sketch of this river which they drew on a mat with a coal. it appeared that this river which they called Mult-no-mâh discharged itself behind the Island which we called the image canoe island and as we had left this island to the S. both in ascending and decending the river we had never seen it. they informed us that it was a large river and run a considerable distance to the South between the mountains. Capt. Clark determined to return and examine this river accordingly he took a party of seven men and one of the perogues and set out 1/2 after 11 A. M., he hired one of the Cashhooks, for a birning glass, to pilot him to the entrance of the Multnomah river and took him on board with him. (Lewis, from Moulton V.7, 54)

On April 6th, 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis wrote:

Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Capt C. now prevailed on this old man to give him a sketch of the Multnomah river it’s branches and the position and names of the Indian nations residing thereon this the old man son executed with his finger in the dust. he informed that the Cush-hooks and Char-cow-ah nations who reside at the falls of that river were not numerous; but that the Cal-lâh-po-e-wah nation who inhabited both sides of this river above the falls as far as it was known to himself or his nation were very numerous. that the country they inhabited was level and wholy destitute of timber. that a high range of mountains passed the Multnomah river at the falls, on the upperside of which the country was one vast plain, the nations who inhabit this country reside on the rivers and subsist like those of the Columbia on fish and roots principally. (Lewis, from Moulton V.7, 86)

Here is Clark’s telling of this story in his journal on April 3rd:

I provailed on an old man to draw me a Sketch of the Multnomar River ang give me the names of the nations resideing on it which he readily done, and gave me the names of 4 nations who reside on this river two of them very noumerous. The first is Clark a-mus nation reside on a Small river which takes its rise in Mount Jefferson and falls into the Moltnomar about 40 miles up. this nation is noumerous and inhabit 11 Towns. the 2d is the Gush-hooks who reside on the N E. Side below the falls, the 3rd is the Ghar-cowah who reside above the Falls on the S W. Side neether of those two are noumerous. The fourth Nation is the Gal-lar-po-e-wah which is very noumerous & inhabit the Country on each Side of the Multnomar from its falls as far up as the knowledge of those people extend. they inform me also that a high mountain passes the Multnomar at the falls, and above the Country is an open plain of great extent. (Clark, from Moulton V.7, 66)

Related pages:

Anticipating the Columbia from Nez Perce Country  |  Where We Live, How We Live
Learning about People of the Mid-Columbia Villages