Near Dallesport in Klickitat County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)

Columbia River Indians

A Culture Lives On

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 14, 2020

1. Columbia River Indians Marker

Caption: (bottom center) Through harsh winters in earth-sheltered homes stocked with provisions, villagers made tools and baskets and kept their history alive through storytelling.

Inscription. Centuries before North America was colonized. Indian societies flourished on Columbia River shores. Annual return of the salmon provided nutrient-rich food, a valued commodity for bater, and spiritual renewal.
Men fish and hunt while women gather roots, bulbs, berries and herbs, and preserve the harvest. Shrewd traders, they developed a battering network across the West that draws crowds of native peoples to their summer gaming and trade fairs.
Contact with Euro=Americans drastically change life for Native Americans. Explorers carried deadly diseases. In the years that followed , settlers appropriated Indian lands. Under pressure, tribes reluctantly signed treaties in 1855, relinquishing their vast domain for reservations. Their culture altered, Northwest Indians retain fishing and gathering rights on their ancestral lands and remain independent sovereign nations.

Erected by Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Native Americans.

Location. 45° 39.032′ N, 121° 5.917′ W. Marker is near Dallesport, Washington, in Klickitat County. Marker is on Lewis and Clark Highway (Washington Route 14) near Columbia Hills State Park Road, on the

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right when traveling east. The marker is at the Horsethief Butte trailhead. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dallesport WA 98617, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Horsethief Butte (approx. 0.7 miles away); Long Narrows Challenge (approx. ¾ mile away); "the Great Mart" (approx. ¾ mile away); Sheltered Homelands (approx. ¾ mile away); Through the Short Narrows (approx. ¾ mile away); Preparing to leave the River (approx. 2.8 miles away); The Columbia Then & Now (approx. 3.1 miles away); To Market, to Market (approx. 3.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dallesport.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 14, 2020

2. Columbia River Indians Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 25, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 111 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 25, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.