Re: Who is Tenas?

Chinook Indian Talk

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Re: Who is Tenas?

From: tenas kumtux
Date: 1/27/2003
Time: 8:54:44 PM
Remote Name: 64.12.96.233

Comments

LG-

No, I am not a tribal member. Many years ago my eighth grade class took a field trip to Fort Clatsop. Being part American Indian I was very curious to learn about the people Lewis and Clark met with. I know that things have changed at Fort Clatsop over the years, and a more equitable historical view is presented today. But back in the 1960’s things were a bit biased by omissions in the record. This troubled me and I set out to learn everything I could about the Clatsop, then the Chinook, then the Wahkiakum, Cathlamet, etc.

I read everything I could get my hands on.

I post here for two reasons. First, I want school children to appreciate the land they walk on, its history, and its people.

Second, I like it when people correct me. It helps me learn more.

For instance: I wrote in one of my posts that the Chinook ate dog meat. Steady Eddie responded saying that I was mistaken, he believed that the Chinook would only eat dog meat if they were starving. He was right. I had been relying on archeological data [Rick Minor’s field work] which showed that dog remains were mixed in with the bones of elk, deer, sea mammals, etc. [table scraps]. Eddie’s comment caused me to reevaluate the evidence. When I did I saw at once that the bones of dogs only showed up in winter camps and only in small quantities. So, just as it was reported in the Lewis and Clark journals, and Cathlamet on the Columbia, unlike other native people, the Chinook ate dogs only in the most dire of situations.

In other words, I’m still learning.

I love to share what I have learned to this point. Otherwise, what’s the use of learning? My opinions are based upon my research and may be flawed. A lot of the early documents I have read are misleading, and, as in the case stated above, I occasionally jump to a conclusion that is poorly founded.

Hopefully, what we will achieve in this site is an open dialog.

tenas

Last changed: January 27, 2003