Chinookan

Chinookan refers to a group of Indigenous peoples and their languages who historically inhabited the lower and middle Columbia River region of the Pacific Northwest, in what is now Oregon and Washington. The term encompasses several communities connected by shared linguistic roots in the Chinookan language family and long-standing trade networks along the river.

Traditionally, Chinookan peoples lived along the Columbia River from the river’s mouth near the Pacific Ocean upstream into the central river, including areas around The Dalles. Major groups included those associated with Wasco and Wishram (often called Upper Chinook) along the middle Columbia and Lower Chinook-speaking communities near the mouth. Other Chinookan-speaking communities once lived along the coast and lower river.

Chinookan languages form a closely related family spoken by these communities. The languages include Wasco and Wishram (Upper Chinook) and Lower Chinook varieties, among other Chinookan tongues. Today many Chinookan languages have few native speakers, but revitalization efforts are underway in some communities.

Economically, Chinookan peoples relied on salmon fishing, riverine trade, and gathering, with cedar plank houses and dugout canoes common along the river. They participated in extensive trading networks with neighboring peoples, exchanging fish, furs, shell products, and coastal goods. Social organization varied, often with recognized leaders and kin-based lineages and a rich oral tradition.

Contact with Europeans and Americans began in the 18th and 19th centuries, bringing disease, displacement, and treaty-era changes to traditional life. The Chinook Jargon, a pidgin blending elements from Chinookan languages with English and other tongues, emerged as a common lingua franca in trading and contact zones.

Today, descendants continue to preserve and revive Chinookan cultural and linguistic heritage. Language programs, cultural events, and collaborations with museums and scholars support efforts to maintain ancestral knowledge along the Columbia River.