The Illahee
Apartments
Photos by Amiran White
Chinook tribe members celebrate their ancestors at Tansy Point.
Continued from Page 24
images of daily life and other events that show
who the modern Chinook are,” White said.
Today, Tansy Point is a both a place of cel-
ebration and a reminder of past and present
challenges.
In 2019, the Chinook Indian Nation
acquired a heavily forested 10 acres alongside
Tansy Creek near Hammond, the first property
in Clatsop County to be owned by the nation.
The site offers a chance to achieve significant
cultural preservation. Soon, the nation hopes
to restore the undeveloped land, revitalize the
creek bed and eliminate invasive plant species.
The restored property could then be used for
cultural and environmental education programs
for tribe members and the wider community.
The site is one of historic resistance. In
1851, Anson Dart, superintendent of Indian
Affairs for Oregon Territory, camped at Tansy
Point for four days. Assigned to secure the title
to Chinook coastal lands, he set off to prepare
the tribe for relocation to a reservation east of
the Cascade mountains. Instead, each of the
Chinook Indian Nation tribes negotiated trea-
ties at Tansy Point, vowing to remain in the
lands of their ancestors.
In the century and a half since, the Chinook
people have continued to face trials, including
subsequent negotiations, land claims and vary-
ing degrees of acknowledgment from local,
state and federal officials. Through it all, the
tribes have remained faithful to their identities,
traditions and lands, as seen in Astoria Visual
Arts’ latest exhibit.
Born and raised in the United Kingdom,
White began her photojournalism career at the
Associated Press in Portland. She then spent
10 years working as a staff photographer on
various daily newspapers in Oregon, Pennsyl-
vania and New Mexico before freelancing as
an independent photographer. White has been
the recipient of a variety of awards, including
a Pulitzer Prize nomination and Golden Light
Award. Most recently, she has been chosen
by the Oregon Arts Commission as one of 10
awardees for the organization’s 2022 Individ-
ual Art Fellowship.
But White is reticent to take credit for this
project. “It’s really about the Chinook,” White
said. “I’m just the vessel. It’s about getting
their voice heard. I hope that people are able to
come, learn and ask questions,” she added.
Tribal Canoe Journey
traveling through the
Puget Sound in July 2016.
Amiran White
Sean Fitzpatrick
and Anne Carpenter
sincerely thank
the community for
supporting The Illahee
as Best Apartments!
1046 Grand Avenue, Astoria
503-325-2280
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 // 25