Clatskanie
Clatskanie, also known as Tlatskanai, was an Indigenous group located along the Chehalis River and the mouth of the Skookumchuck River in Washington, primarily associated with the Northwest Coast cultural area. They were a riverine and maritime people who constructed permanent dwellings made of rectangular posts and lintels. The Clatskanie relied on fishing as their main food source, while also engaging in hunting deer and elk, as well as gathering a variety of plants and berries, particularly utilizing the rich root fields in their territory.
Historically, their population was approximately 2,000 in 1780, but this number drastically declined due to diseases introduced by European Americans and conflicts with other ethnic groups. By the early 1900s, the Clatskanie faced near extinction. While the nation is largely regarded as extinct today, it is suggested that some individuals may have merged with neighboring tribes, such as the Multnomah and other Chinookan tribes, or might have settled on the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation. Despite the limited ethnographic data available, the legacy of the Clatskanie reflects the broader patterns of Indigenous experiences and adjustments in the face of European colonization.
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Clatskanie
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Athabaskan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Chehalis River and mouth of Skookumchuck River, Washington
The Clatskanie (or Tlatskanai) were a riverine and maritime people living in permanent frame structures erected using rectangular posts and lintels. They depended mainly on fish for subsistence but also hunted deer and elk. They also gathered plants and berries. The Indigenous American women in the nation exploited the large root fields of their territory. Unfortunately, little ethnographic data was collected before their culture’s demise. It is estimated that their population of approximately 2,000 in 1780 declined rapidly until facing near extinction in the early 1900s. This was primarily the result of disease introduced by European Americans and of conflict with other ethnic groups of the region. It is theorized that the Clatskanie may have enforced a toll on people using the Columbia River to trade goods. Although the Clatskanie nation is largely recognized as extinct, some may have integrated with the Multnomah and other Chinookan tribes on the Columbia River, and some may have settled on the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation.
Bibliography
"A Brief History about Clatskanie." City of Clatskanie, www.cityofclatskanie.com/aboutclatskanie.html. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.
"Clatskanie." Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce, www.clatskaniechamber.com/clatskanie.html. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.
Lewis, David G. "Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie-Upper Umpqua." The Quartux Journal, 13 Aug. 2020, ndnhistoryresearch.com/2020/08/13/kwalhioqua-clatskanie-upper-umpqua. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.