Chehalis (tribe) is a group of Native American peoples from western
Washington state in the United States. The Chehalis tribe actually consists of two distinct subtribes: The Upper Chehalis and the Lower Chehalis. Within these two groups were several subgroups: the Copalis, Wynoochee and Humptulips people were part of the Upper Chehalis subtribe, while the Satsop people were part of the Lower Chehalis subtribe.
The Chehalis language belongs to the Salishan family of languages among Northwest Coast indigenous peoples. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the Chehalis relied on fishing from local rivers for food and built plank houses (longhouses) to protect themselves from the harsh, wet winters west of the Cascade Mountains. The Chehalis people settled on their current Chehalis Reservation land along the Chehalis River in 1860.
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