Clackamas people

The tribe subsisted on fish and root vegetables, and constructed large cedar platforms to dip their nets in over Willamette Falls to harvest salmon. The Clackamas women dried and smoked the salmon, which they then combined with mixtures of berries and nuts, preserving it in woven baskets for winter. The Clackamas traded salmon with other tribes, and also harvested and traded wapato, broad-leafed arrowhead or "Indian potato" (Sagittaria latifolia and Sagittaria cuneata). Adult Clackamas historically wore leather leggings and tunics, and made skirts and bedding from cedar bark. An indication of high status in the tribe was intricate beadwork, quillwork, feather, and shell decorations. Certain shells served as currency. Like others of the Chinookan peoples, Clackamas practiced head flattening. From infancy, one's head was compressed between boards thus sloping the forehead backward. This was a way to indicate that a person was free rather than a slave. The Clackamas were expert woodworkers, and crafted canoes and plank lodges. A typical canoe was 20 to 30 feet long, which they used to travel along the rivers, transporting trade goods and people. With deep knowledge of the Clackamas river systems, the Clackamas were often hired by pioneers as guides to navigate the river systems. == Tomanowos ==

The Willamette Meteorite is culturally significant to Clackamas people. The meteorite is called Tomanowos, which translates to "the visitor of heaven". The meteorite was believed to be given by the Sky People and is the unity between sky, earth, and water. Other tribes around the area thought that the meteorite possessed magical powers. == History ==

19th century By 1855, the 88 surviving members of the tribe were relocated to Grand Ronde, Oregon, first to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation. They eventually blended into the general population of the Grand Ronde. Soosap, likely born in 1841, is considered to be the last full-blooded tribal member. His mother was full-blooded Clackamas, his father was Klickitat. Soosap lived off the Grand Ronde reservation in Oregon City, where he was a day laborer. His English name was Joseph Andrews as non-Native people couldn't pronounce his Native name. He was also a known baseball player in the Pacific Northwest. == Notable Clackamas ==

• Victoria Wishikin Howard (c. 1865–1930), storyteller ==See also==