SAM ROBINSON, VICE-CHAIR of the Chinook Nation, will give a presentation about the history and future of his people during Ridgefield Heritage Day on Sat. Sept. 14. The native Chinook Tribes populated the Ridgefield area for thousands of years, and the Cathlapotle Plankhouse was built in 2005 to educate newer generations.
As part of Ridgefield’s 2013 Heritage Day on Sat., Sept. 14, at 1 p.m., Sam Robinson, Vice-Chair of the Chinook Nation, will present historical accounts of the various Native American tribes that populated the area for thousands of years.
Robinson’s great-great-grandfather, Thomas Huckswelt, was the chief of the Willapa Chinook and signed the 1851 Tansy Point Treaties negotiated by Superintendent for Indian Affairs, Anson Dart.
Dart’s orders from the Federal Government were to remove the western tribes, including the sixteen tribes of the Chinook, from the Oregon Territory. Thirteen treaties were negotiated between Aug. 5-9, 1851, but several tribes refused to sign and a settlement was reached for reservations to be established west of the Cascades.
For Robinson, who’s spent 12 years on the Council of Chinook Nation, the opportunity to educate children and adults to the native history of the Ridgefield area is an important opportunity.
“We recognize the land as a vital part of the history of the Chinook people,” said Robinson. “The wildlife refuge and the Cathlapotle Plankhouse are an important connection for us and I always enjoy the chance to come talk to people about its importance and relevance.”
Robinson will be representing five Chinook tribes, the Cathlamet, Clatsop, Lower Chinook, Wahkiakum and Willapa, and his 45-minute program will address both their history and the current status of local Native Americans today. He also serves on the Cathlapotle Plankhouse Committee and is on the board for the Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
More information about the Chinook Nation is available at their website, www.chinooknation.org.
