Caves near Lenore Lake

Pre-contact workspaces

na'taqamtug - "at the riverbank"

The peoples living along the Columbia used the many natural features of the land to shelter them and give them places to work. We hiked up to the first cave, which was not the largest by any means. They look small from the outside but are surprisingly big from the inside. Standing deep in the cave looking out across the landscape, I could imagine being cast back in time.

Multnomah Falls

Beautiful Falls near Portland

Ge'gwapsgug - "at the top of the falls"

We visited Multnomah Falls along the Columbia River Gorge near Portland, which is apparently the second tallest year-round waterfall in the US. Lots of info about the falls at the lodge, but very little about the people who gave their name to this water feature. I asked at the gift shop and one of the vendors thought it "might be an Indian name." I googled it and learned that the Multnomah were a tribe of Chinookan people who lived around Portland up to the 19th century, but were decimated by disease and essentialy vanished. It seems only the name of the Falls is left to remember them. (And while we did climb, we never did get to "the top of the falls!")

There is a Wasco legend about the creation of the Falls.

Kayak Point

Native Art in Public Spaces

August 4th, we did some camping in Washington State and I was delighted to see an art installation by Tulalip artist James Madison. Called "Fish Ladder", the impressive metal structure was certainly eye-catching and reminds visitors of the Coast Salish people who lived and fished in this area.