Clackamas Indians
Encyclopedia
The Clackamas Indians are a tribe of Native Americans
of the U.S. state
of Oregon
who traditionally lived along the Clackamas River
in the Willamette Valley
. Lewis and Clark estimated their population at 1800 in 1806. At the time the tribe lived in 11 villages and subsisted on fish and roots.
By 1855, the 88 surviving members of the tribe were relocated to Grand Ronde, Oregon
, first to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation; later they blended in the general population.
Descendants of the Clackamas belong to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon
.
Like others of the Chinookan
tribes, they practiced head flattening. From infancy the head was compressed between boards, thus sloping the forehead backward.
They are the technical owners of the Willamette Meteorite
.
, specifically a variety of Upper Chinook. It is closely related to the still-living (but highly endangered) Wasco-Wishram language
, which is another variety of Upper Chinook.
A number of toponyms around the Columbia River
derive from Clackamas, notably:
:
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
who traditionally lived along the Clackamas River
Clackamas River
The Clackamas River is an approximately tributary of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon, in the United States. As it drains an area of about , the Clackamas passes through mostly forested and rugged mountainous terrain in its upper reaches, and passes through agricultural and urban areas...
in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
. Lewis and Clark estimated their population at 1800 in 1806. At the time the tribe lived in 11 villages and subsisted on fish and roots.
By 1855, the 88 surviving members of the tribe were relocated to Grand Ronde, Oregon
Grand Ronde, Oregon
Grand Ronde is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States. Originally named "Grand Ronde Agency", the name of this city is a variation of the French Grande Ronde or "fine large valley", a description given to the area by the employees of the...
, first to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation; later they blended in the general population.
Descendants of the Clackamas belong to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon consists of twenty-seven Native American tribes with long historical ties to present-day Western Oregon between the western boundary of the Oregon Coast and the eastern boundary of the Cascade Range, and the northern boundary of...
.
Like others of the Chinookan
Chinookan
Chinook refers to several native amercain groups of in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, speaking the Chinookan languages. In the early 19th century, the Chinookan-speaking peoples lived along the lower and middle Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Washington...
tribes, they practiced head flattening. From infancy the head was compressed between boards, thus sloping the forehead backward.
They are the technical owners of the Willamette Meteorite
Willamette Meteorite
The Willamette Meteorite, officially named Willamette, is an iron-nickel meteorite discovered in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the largest meteorite found in North America and the sixth largest in the world...
.
Language
The now-extinct language spoken by the Clackamas is also known as Clackamas, and is one of the Chinookan languagesChinookan languages
Chinookan is a small family of languages spoken in Oregon and Washington along the Columbia River by Chinook peoples.-Family division:Chinookan languages consists of three languages with multiple varieties. There is some dispute over classification, and there are two ISO 639-3 codes assigned: and...
, specifically a variety of Upper Chinook. It is closely related to the still-living (but highly endangered) Wasco-Wishram language
Wasco-Wishram language
Upper Chinook, also known as Kiksht, Columbia Chinook, and Wasco-Wishram after its only living dialect, is a highly endangered language of the US Pacific Northwest. It had 69 speakers as of 1990, of which 7 were monolingual: five Wasco and two Wishram...
, which is another variety of Upper Chinook.
A number of toponyms around the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
derive from Clackamas, notably:
- Various places called Clackamas themselves;
- Various places called Willamette.
See also
Other Chinookans of the lower Columbia RiverColumbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
:
- CathlametCathlamet (people)The Cathlamet, or Kathlamet, are tribe of the Chinookan people.They are in the very northern Willamette Valley, in southern Washington state....
- MultnomahMultnomah (tribe)The Multnomah were a tribe of Chinookan people who lived in the area of Portland, Oregon, more specifically Sauvie Island, in the United States through the early 19th century. Multnomah villages were located throughout the Portland basin and on both sides of the Columbia River...