Chehalis Indian Tribe
Location
Chehalis. Meaning "sand,"
the name derived originally, according to Gibbs (1877), from a village at
the entrance of Grays Harbor.
Also called:
Atchiχe'lish, Calapooya
name.
Ilga't, Nestucca name.
Lower Chehalis, name used by Spier (1927).
Staq-tűbc, Puyallup name.
Connections
The Chehalis belonged to the coastal
division of the Salishan linguistic family, being most
intimately related to the Humptulips, Wynoochee, and Quinault.
Location
On the lower course of Chehalis
River, especially on the south side, and on the south
side of Grays Bay. In later times the Chehalis occupied
territory to and about Willapa Bay that had formerly been held by the Chinook.
Villages
Chehalis (Gibbs, 1877), on the south side of Grays
Harbor near Westport, in
country earlier occupied by the Chinook.
Chiklisilkh (Gibbs), at Point Leadbetter, Willapa Bay, in territory
earlier occupied by Chinook.
Hlakwun (Curtis, 1907-9), near Willapa on Willapa River in territory
earlier
occupied by the Chinook.
Kaulhlak (Curtis), at the head of Palux River, earlier in Chinook
country.
Klumaitumsh (Gibbs and Boas personal information), given
doubtfully as the
name of a former band or village on the south side of Grays Harbor
at its
entrance.
Nai'yasap (Curtis), on Willapa River in territory earlier occupied
by Chinook.
Nickomin (Swan 1857 and Boas, personal information), on
North River which
flows into Willapa Bay, in territory earlier occupied by the
Chinook.
Noohooultch (Gibbs), on the south side of Grays Harbor.
Noosiatsks (Gibbs), on the south side of Grays Harbor.
Nooskoh (Gibbs), on a creek opposite Whishkah River.
Qyan (Gairdner, 1841), on the north point of Grays Harbor.
Talal (Gibbs), at Ford's Prairie on the Chehalis River near
Centralia, and therefore far outside of the Chehalis territory
proper.
Willapa, on Willapa River and in earlier Chinook country.
The following villages were originally occupied by Chinook
but seem to have shifted in population or language or both so as to become
Chehalis: Hwa'hots, Nutskwethlso'k,
Quela'ptonlilt, Quer'quelin, Tske'lsos.
Population
Mooney (1928) estimated a population of 1,000 in the year
1780 for the Lower and Upper Chehalis, the Cowlitz, the Humptulips, and related tribes, but the number
had sunk to 170 by 1907. However, the census of 1910 gives 282 for the
same group exclusive of the Cowlitz. In 1923 the United States Indian
Office returned 89, and in 1937, 131.
Connection in which they have become noted
A river, county, and city in Washington preserve the name of
the Chehalis. There is a Chehalis in Minnesota but its name probably has no
connection with that of the Washington tribe.
Additional Resources
Notes About the Book:
Source: The Indian Tribes of North America, by John R. Swanton, 1953, Bureau of
American Ethnology, Bulletin 145, US Government Printing Office, Washington DC.
Online Publication: The manuscript was scanned and then ocr'd. Minimal editing
has been done, and readers can and should expect some errors in the textual
output.
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