What are some Chinook facts?

Answer 1

Chinook religion: The Chinook Indians have a god of creation. His name was Neahkanie. People say that Neahkanie gave a helpless man arms and legs. There were others just like him. He carried those men to a grassy area near a cliff that was covered with volcano rocks. The indians believe in spirits. They say that the good and bad things that happened were because of a spirit's power. The spirits gave the men power to protect them from trouble. The Indians think that Raven and Coyote were powerful spirits. Raven and Coyote played tricks so they didn't always do good things. They didn't want to make the spirits mad , because they might hurt them, or their families. If someone was hurt they knew they made a spirit mad and the spirits hurt them. From when the children were babies until they died they were taught to be brave. When boys were about 8 to 9 they explored alone. Sometimes grandfathers tell their grandsons to go to a certain place after dark. The Indians told stories about a witch woman that grabbed children in the woods, so their children wouldn't go alone.

Chinook ceremonies: The Chinook potlatch ceremony was a way in which a family redistributed its wealth. In a potlatch, the host would demonstrate his wealth and social status by giving away his important possessions. This was not detrimental to his family because the host of the potlatch could normally get many of the family's possessions back in future potlatches held by other families. Potlatches were performed for many occasions including births, weddings, funerals, rites of passage, the building of a new clan house, and the honoring of the deceased. Potlatches usually involved big celebrations that featured extravagant feasts, music and dancing, and the honoring of the Spirits. Slaves, blankets, tools, carvings, weapons, and furs were among the common things given away at a potlatch. Families who gave away their possessions would gain greater social status in the tribe. Most potlatches lasted between one and three days.

Chinook living places: The Chinook Indians lived in longhouses made out of cedar wood. The houses were usually up to 70ft. long. The Chinook lived in long What_type_of_houses_did_the_Chinook_live_inwith more than fifty people sharing one house.

What were Chinook weapons and tools like in the past?

Chinook fishermen used harpoons and nets. Hunters used bows and arrows, and trappers set snares. In war, Chinook men fired their bows or fought with spears and war clubs. Chinook warriors would wear armor made of hardened elk hide to protect themselves from enemy archers.

What language do the Chinook Indians speak?

Chinook people all speak English today. In the past, they spoke their native Chinook language, which was a complicated language with many sounds that don't exist in English. Nobody speaks this language anymore. But some elders still speak a second language, called the Chinook Jargon, which was a trade language of the Northwest Coast that combined words and sounds from Chinook, Nootka, English, and other languages. If you'd like to know an easy Chinook Jargon word, "klahowya" (pronounced klah-how-yuh) is a friendly greeting.

The Chinooks were the best known traders of the Northwest Coast region. They lived at the mouth of the Columbia River.