All Things Chinook

October 12, 2008

Hello there! If you're new here, you might want to subscribe to the email updates.

Chances are good that you’ve seen Chinooks on the road, in the air, or on the water. You may have spoken to a Chinook, spoken Chinook, or been to Chinook. Perhaps you’ve even had occasion to pet, catch, or taste a Chinook. Most dictionaries have at least four entries for the word and a Google search delivers nearly 8 million hits.

The word “Chinook” entered the American lexicon in the 1790s when Euro-American traders first sailed into the Columbia River and met the people living on its northern shore. When the mariners inquired as to whom these people were, they responded by saying Tsinuk. No one is quite sure of the origins of the name Tsinuk, though it was a Chehalis word—a group, by the way, that spoke an entirely different language—describing the people who lived in the southern part of what is now Pacific County, Washington.

Later visitors penned a variety of similar phonetic renderings that evolved into the standard spelling that we use today. From that original encounter at the mouth of the Columbia River, the word Chinook has been used to describe aboriginal peoples that spoke one of the Chinookan languages from Columbia Gorge to the Pacific Ocean, and are best categorized by language subgroups rather than by tribes. More recently, the Chinook name has been applied to an array of people, places, and products.

Boeing Chinook CH-47—A twin-engine, tandem rotor helicopter, the CH-47 dates back to the 1960s, and is a vital piece of military hardware used for troop movement and battlefield resupply. Over a dozen nations worldwide have the Chinook in their arsenal. A commercial model of the CH-47 is also used in industrial applications.

Chinookan—Ethnographers use this term to denote the various groups of indigenous peoples who shared a similar culture and language and occupied the Columbia River Basin from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Chinookan subgroups include the Cathlamet, Clatsop, Clackamas, Multnomah, Shoalwater Chinook, Wahkiakum, and Wasco, to name a few.

Chinook (Dog)—A rare breed of sled dog developed in New England in the early 1900s by Arthur Walden, exhibiting a blend of power, endurance, and friendly disposition. The breed is named for the dog that led Walden’s team while he was prospecting for gold in Alaska in the 1890s.

Chinook Hops—A bittering hop developed in Washington State and released in 1985, the Chinook Hop is used widely to add aroma strength and hints of citrus flavor to craft beers, especially in American-style pale ales and India Pale Ales.

Chinook Indian Nation—A distinct group of Native Americans who for several thousands years have called the area between the Columbia River and Willapa Bay home. Historically known for their prowess as traders, the Chinooks today number around 2,000, and despite being one of the most well-documented tribes in the American West, remain unrecognized by the federal government.

Chinook Jargon—A hybrid trade language composed of Chinookan, Nootka, French, and English components. Chinook Jargon provided an efficient means of communication between traders of different linguistic backgrounds. A number of words from the jargon remain in common use in the Pacific Northwest and can be found in regional place names like alki, cultus, lolo, siwash, and skookum.

Chinook, Montana—Located in north central Montana, Chinook was founded in the 1890s and became a center for the production of livestock, wool, coal, and sugar beats. Named for the warm wind that delivers the snow-melting warmth of spring, the town is the seat of Blaine County, and according to the 2000 census had a population of about 1,500.

Chinook Park—Established in 1959, Chinook Park is a suburb of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Named for the Chinook Winds that warm the region, the neighborhood is home to Chinook Centre, the largest enclosed shopping mall in the city.

Chinook Pontoon Boats—Made and marketed by Metalite Industries of Spokane, Chinook Pontoon Boats are durable aluminum vessels designed for both commercial and recreational use.

Chinook RV—Founded in the 1960s by Yakima businessman Gary Lukehart, Chinook RV offers a range of popular recreational vehicles.

Chinook Salmon—The largest of the Pacific salmon, this anadromous species is also known as king, tyee, and blackmouth. They range the breadth of the north Pacific Rim from northern California to parts of eastern Asia. The Chinook is Alaska’s state fish and one of the most important sport and commercial fish found in the region. Interestingly, the dog salmon, another major Pacific salmon species, is often called “chum,” a word from the Chinook Jargon meaning “marked” or “painted.”

Chinook Scenic Byway—An 85-mile route through Washington State’s Cascade Range, the byway carries motorists from Enumclaw to Naches on Highway 410. At the summit of the byway is Chinook Pass, 5430-feet above sea level.

Chinook, Washington— Situated along the Columbia River, Chinook was settled in the 1850s and during its heyday was held locally to be the richest town, per capita, in the United States thanks to its fishing resources. The home to Washington State’s first salmon hatchery (1894), Chinook’s population in 2000 was 457.

Chinook Winds—This name is most commonly used to describe a dry, warm wind prevalent on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Known in meteorological circles as foehn winds, they are created when Pacific storms cool and condense as they reach the summit of the Rockies, and are released down the lee side of the range picking up heat and velocity. The winds are so named because they originate in the skies above the Chinook Indian Nation’s ancestral home.

Kalama Chinooks—The long-time mascot of Kalama High School athletics is the Chinooks. Despite its Native American appearance, the town’s name comes from John Kalama, a native Hawaiian who settled in the area after working on a fur trading ship in the 1830s.

MV Chinook—During the 20th century, the word Chinook has been used as the name of several ferryboats working the waters in and around Puget Sound. The most famous perhaps was the mothballed passenger ferry MV Chinook, which was placed for sale on eBay in early 2008.

USS Chinook—Launched in 1994, the USS Chinook (PC-9) is a United States Navy coastal patrol ship 170-feet in length, with a 25-foot beam. Her homeport is Little Creek, Virginia.