Wishram-Wasco
Nation / Tribe

Wishram-Wasco

The Wishram and Wasco were closely related Chinookan-speaking peoples who lived on opposite banks of the Columbia River at and near The Dalles and Celilo Falls—the Wishram on the north (Washington) bank and the Wasco on the south (Oregon) bank—controlling one of the most important fishing and trading sites in all of North America. Lewis and Clark passed through this area in October 1805 and April 1806, witnessing the great autumn salmon fishery and the intertribal trade fair that drew peoples from across the Plateau, the coast, and the interior. The Dalles was the economic crossroads of the Pacific Northwest, where dried salmon, roots, bear grass, and coastal goods like shells and whale products were exchanged for horses, bison products, and other Plains commodities.

Portrait: Edward S. Curtis, A Wishham Bride, 1910 (public domain) / Wikimedia Commons

0 treaties 7 total items 6 mapped locations

Most Mentioned in Wishram-Wasco-tagged Entries

Wildlife

  1. Deer (3)
  2. Sheep (1)
  3. Elk (1)
  4. turkey buzzard (1)
  5. Salmon (1)
  6. Sammon Trout (1)
  7. goose (1)
  8. gray Squerrell (1)
  9. Squerrells (1)
  10. grey Squerrell (1)
Celilo Park
Columbia River
Celilo Park
Explore Celilo Park along the historic Columbia River in The Dalles, OR - a scenic 0.89km trail offering spectacular river views and Lewis & Clark Trail connections with cultural significance.
0.6 mi · 522 images · The Dalles, OR

Cross-Narrator Analyses

Analyses that cite or discuss Wishram-Wasco — showing 1 of the most recent matches.

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