Native American relationships with the river
Human kind have been found to have inhabited the Columbia River Basin for more than 15,000 years. The inhabitants way of life became primary based on fishing, changing to a secondary lifestyle, about 3,500. Evidence was found by archaeologist in 1962 of human activity dating back to 11,230 near the snake river. An abundance of tribes who continue to live near the Columbia have a history with the River. The Sinixt or Lakes people lived on the lower part of the Columbia river near Canada, while the Secwepemc lived on the upper stretch. The Spokane, Umatilla, Yakama, Colville, Nez Perce, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs live on the U.S. portion. The Columbia has been a very important natural resource for the many of these Indian tribes that lived around it, due to their lifestyle primarily being supported by salmon fishing. The tribes that have treaty fishing rights along the Columbia and its tributaries include; the Yakama, Nez Perce, Warm Spring Tribes and the Umatilla.
Far before the Europeans came to explore the Columbia River, a slide of debris created a Land bridge in the Columbia Gorge, called the Bonneville Slide. This slide held significant spiritual and economic value to the Native Americans. The Bonneville slide was called the Bridge of the Gods by the Natives. It got this name because they believed it was created by a battle among two gods. One god, which was symbolized by Mount Hood, was competing with another for the affection of a goddess which was represented by Mount St. Helens. The slide allowed tribes from the north and southern side of the Columbia River to trade with one another. However the Bridge of Gods was short lived when the rapids from the River eventually washed it away. (New World Encyclopedia Contributors) |
The image above portrays the area of the the river in which the Bonneville Slide filled in.
http://wanderpaw.com/BofG/Geo.html
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Early Explorers
Many explorers came to the Columbia for economic purposes however very few were able to explore it. Bruno De Heceta was the first European to find the mouth of the Columbia river, however did not explore it due to his lack in resources and men. Next came Captain John Meares in 1788 who was a British fur trader. Captain Meares who went looking for the river in order to get his hands on some fresh pelts. However, he miss read the currents and concluded that the river did not actually exist, going home empty handed. Finally, American Captain Robert Gray became the first explorer to enter the Columbia by sailing right into it. Like Captain John Meares, Gray came to the Columbia River (which he named after his ship, Columbia Rediviva) to obtain furs for trade. As the bounties of the Columbia River attracted more and more settlers, the Natives began to be driven out of their homes, and therefore away from their food source. "The United States government sought to push Indians off their lands and onto reservations that were created by treaty" (NW Council). The first European immigrants came in the early 1800s, and were of Scandinavian descent. The immigrants saw economic opportunities around the River and its surrounding land because lumber and fishing industries were developing. The growing industries allowed for ethnic diversity, but in a discriminatory way. For example: Chinese immigrants were only allowed to work in the fish canneries, and weren't allowed to actually fish. Later on in the 19th century, the Columbia River saw more immigrants coming from the Midwest who were responsible for development of the mining and railroad industries, in addition to individuals coming east with a "Manifest Destiny" mindset (NW Council).
The Columbia River Gorge (a canyon of the Columbia River).
http://www.columbiarivergorge.info/history.html