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a section of the outer bark
and draw long strands of
the soft cambium layer for
the weaving of baskets or
capes or shirts or mats. The
cedar was the precious wood
used in the carving of the
totems, these magical poles
that graced the beaches and
villages, dotting the land-
scape from Sitka to Chinook
for millennia.
This was and is a cedar
civilization.
Traders
Tony Johnson is a de-
scendant of the Chinook. He
is a fine carver and natural
leader. On a Friday late in
June, the Chinook came to-
gether to celebrate the return
of the Chinook salmon, their
namesake. They gathered
at Fort Columbia and, in a
ceremonial walk, descend-
ed to the sandy cove that
housed the Tsinuk and their
watercraft for eons. From
this deep cove, the natives
would launch their canoes.
Stories are shared as to how
they might sneak behind
warring canoes from the
Haida or Kwakiutl (Kwak-
wala’wakw), canoes moving
upriver to raid on the many
villages that bound this
ancient civilization together.
Once the enemy had passed
the hiding place of the Chi-
nook, these warriors would
race up behind the enemy,
creating a pincer movement
from west to east, as their
brothers confronted the
invaders from up-river.
But the Chinook were
mostly traders, and preferred
amicable relationships with
the tribes of the West Coast.
Their civilization spread
from Willapa Bay upriver to
Bonneville, and south down
the Oregon Coast for twenty
or thirty miles. At the zenith,
they may have numbered
nearly 40,000, a civilization
rivaling any of the indig-
enous peoples all the way
south to Mexico City.
The carving of the canoe
began with splitting the log
horizontally and nearly in
elders are served first, guests
second. No one begins to eat
the bounty until everyone
has been served. The feast
was magical and heartfelt.
two, but preserving high
points at both ends. The belly
was carefully burned, then
rudimentary hand adzes and
chisels began to strip away
the bark and soft wooden
fiber. Months went into the
preparation of the watercraft.
A Haida canoe 63 feet long
was purchased by the famous
anthropologist Francis Boas
before the turn of the century
and sent around the Horn to
New York and the museum
of Natural History. One can
only marvel at this specimen.
A proud people
The ‘best canoe
navigators I ever saw’
Cecil Paul, a chief of the
Haisla nation described how
each canoe had a calling
card. Some were designed
for war, some for peace.
Some were fishing vessels,
and many were used for
transporting trade goods
or for weddings and other
ceremonies. By design, the
natives could tell which tribe
carved the vessel. Often,
they could decipher the
mission of the visitor.
Johnson welcomed in a
hand-carved canoe, and, in
fluent Tsinuk, praised the
occasion and issued a wel-
coming salutation. He had
a large part in the carving
of the canoe, and like all
his artwork, this piece is
elegant. It is also extremely
seaworthy.
In 1806, clinging to the
shoreline, William Clark
praised the seamanship of
the Tsinuk, writing in his
diary: “Certain it is they are
the best canoe navigators
I ever saw.” High praise
from a rugged soldier who
crossed a good part of North
America in a dugout canoe.
Above, by the theater
at Fort Columbia, salmon
were being prepared. They
were splayed and pinioned
between split cedar withes
and then crisscrossed with
strong slats. A bed of coals
sent a sheen of heat, slowly
braising the fish. Younger
members of the tribe fed
salmonberries into the
mouths of the salmon, a ritu-
al offering prayers to the fish
SUBMITTED PHOTO
for its annual return. There
is nothing casual, nothing
taken for granted, when it
comes to the removal of the
salmon from the Columbia
waters. For eons, the Tsinuk
depended upon the delicious
fish. The salmon is served
with the same respect and
ritual as the breaking of
bread in an Anglican church.
As tradition mandates, the
The Chinook nation has
not been recognized as an
“official” tribe by our gov-
ernment, a fact that never
gets past these proud people.
It remains impossible to
reconcile: the Tsinuk were
the largest historic traders
of the Pacific coast. They
were ravaged by disease,
racism and indifference. The
land where they dwelt and
its bounty were coveted by
the first pioneers. All across
North America, native lands
were stolen, acre by acre,
piece by piece. This tribe
offered friendship to the first
whites and pioneers. Custom
dictated that all visitors be
served with dignity and re-
spect. All food was shared.
In 1792, Robert Gray
entered the big river aboard
the Columbia Rediviva.
Gray was apparently the first
foreigner (from a Caucasian
perspective) to cross the Co-
lumbia River Bar and enter
the big river. He anchored
off Chinook Point below
Fort Columbia and began
to trade European goods
for otter pelts. According to
Chinook legend, Gray issued
a declaration: The Chinook
were not to trade after dark.
They were not to approach
the good ship flying the stars
and stripes of the United
States. The natives did not
understand the language or
the implied threat.
When canoes came
alongside the ship at dusk,
Gray turned two cannons
loose on the unfortunate
natives, blowing them out
of the water. The tribe and
its intentions were clearly
misunderstood. Obviously,
the tribe was angry. The
younger warriors wished
revenge. The chiefs said
“no.” There would be no
reprisal. We are a trading
people, they proclaimed.
Murder these sailors and we
are out of business. The next
day, the Chinook returned
and traded. Gray set forth to
Canton, and made a small
fortune off those pelts.
The tribe waits, the
sun moving their dreams
wraith-like from the four
compass points and into
sunrise. Proud and patient,
they count the days. We are
Tsinuk, they say. We are
proud. CW
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