The Chinook Indians have a god of creation. His name was Neahkanie. People
say that Neahkanie gave a helpless man arms and legs. There were others
just like him. He carried those men to a grassy area near a cliff that was
covered with volcano rocks. The indians believe in spirits. They say that
the good and bad things that happened were because of a spirit's power.
The spirits gave the men power to protect them from trouble. The Indians
think that Raven and Coyote were powerful spirits. Raven and Coyote played
tricks so they didn't always do good things. They didn't want to make the
spirits mad , because they might hurt them, or their families. If someone
was hurt they knew they made a spirit mad and the spirits hurt them. From
when the children were babies until they died they were taught to be brave.
When boys were about 8 to 9 they explored alone. Sometimes grandfathers
tell their grandsons to go to a certain place after dark. The Indians told
stories about a witch woman that grabbed children in the woods, so their
childeren wouldn't go alone.
Source: Clark County History
edited by Amanda, grade 6