Chinookan refers to several groups of Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. In the early 19th century, the Chinookan peoples lived along the lower and middle Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Washington. The Chinookan tribes were those encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805 on the lower Columbia.
Chinookan groups include:
- Cathlamet
- Cathlahmahs
- Chilluckittequaw
- Clatsop
- Chahcowah
- Clackama
- Clowwewalla
- Cushook
- Echelut (Wishram-Wasco),
- Killaniuck
- Klickitat
- Multnomah
- Skilloot
- Wahkiakum (Wac-ki-a-cum)
- Wappato
- Wascopan
- Watlata (Cascade or Wishram).
Most surviving Chinookan natives live in the towns of Bay Center, Chinook, and Ilwaco in southwest Washington.
The term Chinookan also refers to a several languages of two Northwest Coast Native American languages in the Oregon Penutian family: Upper Chinookan (Wishram-Wasco) and Lower Chinookan . Both Chinookan languages are nearly extinct. These languages were the base from which the Chinook Jargon, a pidgin used between different peoples for trading, was created.
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