Though a few things might be repeated from another page the period drawings here are priceless in regard to understanding local Oregon history. Diseases that White people brought like malaria, smallpox and others completely decimated 90% of the people so the tribes fell completely apart. It wasn't warfare that decimated tribes all across the U.S. it was diseases white people brought from Europe that didn't exist here in the Americas.
I studied Anthropology at UCSC so I understand a lot about natives peoples and their histories worldwide. At that time I was interested in preserving Tibetan Culture because Tibetan Culture is being destroyed by The Chinese in the same way white people destroyed Native American Culture by thinking of them as animals because they brought diseases with them from Europe 90% or more of all Native American people's died, their cultures fell apart because Chiefs, medicine people (who maintained native American peoples died) so Anyone who knew anything died and tribes just fell apart or people terrified ran away from relatives who were sick and dying so they wouldn't die too. So, this is how tribes all across the U.S. ended in actuality. This was equally true in North, South and Central America.
If it weren't for this the Native Americans likely would have killed all or most White people when they arrived and the U.S. wouldn't look like it does today.
begin quote from:
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/or/county/clackamas/clackamas.html
The Clackamas
Chinook people
THE
CLACKAMAS PEOPLE
The
Story of the Skookum's Tongue: A Willamette Valley LegendAfter Tallapus (Coyote) fashioned a wondrous device to harvest salmon at the Willamette Falls, he made a foolish mistake and the fish-trap refused to work for all time. Only by their own labor could the Indians catch fish at the Falls. "However, in the course of time, the Indians became very prosperous and a large village was built on the west side of the [Willamette] River.
"But while
they were thus prospering, a gigantic skookum that lived upon the Tualatin
River began to commit fearful depredations. His abode was on a little flat
about two miles from the Indian village but, so long was his tongue, that
he was in the habit of reaching it forth and catching people as he chose.
By this, of course, the village was almost depopulated and when, after a time,
Tallapus returned, he was very angry to see that the benefits of his fishery
had gone, not to the people, but to the wicked skookum.
"Tallapus
therefore went forth to the monster and cried out to it, 'O, wicked skookum,
long enough have you been eating these people.' And with one blow of his tomahawk
cut off the offending tongue and buried it under the rocks upon the west side
of the Falls; after which the people flourished." When, a long time later,
a canal was dug to go around the Falls and connect the Tualatin River to Waluga
[that is, Sucker or Oswego] Lake, "this was nothing more than laying bare
the channel made for the tongue of the skookum."
From the
"Reminiscences of Louis Labonte" in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, 1901
Alexander Ross, one
of the earliest white fur traders in the region, visited the Falls in 1814:
"The
banks of the river throughout are low and skirted in the distance by a chain
of moderately high lands on each side, interspersed here and there with clumps
of widespreading oaks, groves of pine, and a variety of other kinds of woods.
Between these high lands lie what is called the valley of the Wallamitte, the
frequented haunts of innumerable herds of elk and deer.... . In ascending the
river the surrounding country is most delightful, and the first barrier to be
meet with is about forty miles up from its mouth. Here the navigation is interrupted
by a ledge of rocks, running across the river from side to side in the form
of an irregular horseshoe, over which the whole body of water falls at one leap
down a precipice of about forty feet, called the Falls. To this place and no
farther, the salmon ascend, and during the summer months they are caught in
great quantities. At this place therefore, all the Indians throughout the surrounding
country assemble, gamble, and gormandize together."
Alexander
Ross was mistaken; actually great numbers of salmon ascended past the Falls
and made their way into west-flowing Willamette River tributaries. Perhaps Ross
couldn't imagine such great numbers of fish, once said to be so numerous that
a man could cross the River by walking on their backs.
At the Falls,
at the village of a band of Clackamas called the Clowwewallas, large scaffolds
of cedar planks and poles rested on piers sunk deep into the riverbed. Platforms
projected far into the waterfall and were large enough for dozens of men at
once to harvest the fish with dip-nets and spears. Once the fish were brought
to shore, teams of women prepared the huge quantities of salmon for drying on
racks in the sun or over smoky fires. Mixed with nuts or berries and made into
cakes or preserved in tightly woven baskets, the salmon would provide for the
tribe during the leaner winter months. Salmon at the Falls were plentiful enough
to enrich the Clackamas beyond simple survival; other tribes came for trade
fairs to purchase salmon or to pay tribute for the privilege of fishing in Clackamas
territory.
The Clackamas
people--the source of the name for both the County and the river that cuts diagonally
across it--lived on the east bank of the Willamette as far as the Falls, above
and below the Falls themselves on either bank, and in the valleys of the Clackamas
and Sandy rivers. They belonged to the Upper Chinook language division. People
of the Chinook culture dominated the region from near the mouth of the Columbia
River eastward to the Dalles and included such groups as the Multnomahs (Willamette
west bank from Sauvies Island) and the Wasco/Wishram (at Columbia River's Celilo
Falls). Early American and European explorers noted large villages of Clackamas
at the Clackamas Rapids and at Willamette Falls, both prime trading and fishing
sites.
The rivers
were at the heart of the Upper Chinook's way of life. Fishing equipment--the
harpoons, gigs, gaffs, nets, and scaffolding--required the labor of the entire
village and much technical expertise. Even after Americans settled at Oregon
City, the local Indians continued to supply the fish. In 1856, after General
Palmer ordered all Indians to be exiled from Oregon City, the Oregon Argus newspaper
reported, "Since the Indians have been removed, not a salmon is to be had, though
our river is literally swarming with them."
As expert
boatmen, the Clackamas and other river Indians were also often employed by the
early pioneers for river transport. A typical canoe was 25 to 30 feet long and
fashioned from a single cedar log. Woodworkers would roughly hollow out a portion
of the log with fire and then complete the canoe with stone adzes and fine carving.
The flawlessly smooth, shovel-nosed canoes could haul hundreds of pounds of
produce or a dozen men. Early pioneers reported that beached canoes in some
seasons lined the east bank at Canemah (just above the Falls) for nearly a half
mile.
Such canoes
were also made specifically for use as coffins. The deceased would be dressed
in finery for the funeral ceremony and lashed into the canoe with tools, weapons,
and beaded decorations. 
One
early Oregon City historian wrote that "Overlooking the falls on both sides,
canoes containing bodies of the dead were lodged on scaffolds in the trees,
or hung like cocoons to every jutting shelf or rock at Canemah and at West Linn.
Perched like swallows' nests against the wall..." When time had reduced the
corpse to a skeleton, the bones would be boxed or buried in a fenced in cemetery
with other ancestors of the tribe. These cemeteries, often decorated with elaborate
carvings and so large that they appeared to be miniature villages, were located
on river banks or river islands.
One
early Oregon City historian wrote that "Overlooking the falls on both sides,
canoes containing bodies of the dead were lodged on scaffolds in the trees,
or hung like cocoons to every jutting shelf or rock at Canemah and at West Linn.
Perched like swallows' nests against the wall..." When time had reduced the
corpse to a skeleton, the bones would be boxed or buried in a fenced in cemetery
with other ancestors of the tribe. These cemeteries, often decorated with elaborate
carvings and so large that they appeared to be miniature villages, were located
on river banks or river islands.
Typical of
Upper Chinook settlements, the Clackamas villages were substantial and permanent.
Each cedar plank lodge could house 20 to 30 people and a village population
could be in the hundreds. Alexander Ross noted six such long-houses at the Clackamas
Rapids in 1814. In 1843, Elisha Applegate described just one of the dwellings
(then abandoned and moss-covered) at the mouth of the Clackamas River as 300
feet long, large enough to be partitioned into individual homes; a porch ran
the whole length of the south side and there was a separate entrance for each
family.
Missionary
Samuel Parker was invited in 1835 to spend the night in a smaller lodge on the
Willamette's west bank just below the Falls: "Believing it would please the
chief, I went with him to his dwelling....Their houses are built of logs split
into thick planks. The walls of the chief's house were seven feet high, the
roofs are more steeply elevated than is common in the United States. They have
no chimney to carry off smoke, but a hole is left open above the fireplace...The
fireplace of the chief's apartment was sunk a foot below the surface of the
earth, eight feet square, secured by a frame around, and mats spread on the
floor for the family to sit upon. Their dormitories are upon the side of the
apartment, raised four feet above the floor, with movable ladders for ascent;
and under them they stow their dried fish, roots, berries, and other effects."
The great
salmon runs both required and allowed a large settled population; the limited
time for harvest required a great many hands for labor and the prized fishing
sites needed warriors for protection from invaders. Except for the most prime
fishing villages, however, the Clackamas would temporarily abandon their cedar
lodges to gather seasonal food supplies such as roots, berries, and waterfowl.
The fishing
villages also became regional trading centers. The Upper Chinook--without migrating
themselves--acquired shells, beads, blankets, and seafood from the coast; obsidian,
game and plant foods from the southern interior; plus horses, furs, and pipestone
from beyond the Cascade Mountains. A huge Indian trading network stretched from
Northern California to Alaska, from the Pacific Coast to beyond the Bitterroot
Mountains. European goods--especially the extremely useful metal tools and utensils--passed
quickly into this network; these items found their way to Indians who had never
before seen whites.
Status in
Clackamas society was based mostly on wealth with a small hereditary ruling
class, a majority of less wealthy commoners, and, far below in status, a great
number of slaves. Slaves were the most important indicator of wealth among the
Chinooks and the prime object of trade. Slaves were often sacrificed and buried
with important chiefs. Debt or crime could put a person into slavery for a fixed
term; such slavery was not hereditary and freedom could be purchased. But the
most common, and valued, slaves were captives from other tribes. Rather than
make war themselves to capture slaves, the Chinook river chiefs could rely on
other tribes such as the Molalla and Klamath to raid distant populations (chiefly
in northern California) and supply the slave trade.
Gambling--a
passion among the Clackamas--was a common cause of debt; a man could literally
gamble away his freedom. The Clackamas were also fond of athletic contests such
as diving off the riverside cliffs and horseracing. A well-used Indian racetrack
[on the Rinearson land claim at Gladstone] was a local landmark and the site
of the parade grounds for Oregon's first State Fair. A nearby maple tree was
a gathering place for ceremonies such as weddings. Days of ritual and celebration
preceded the weddings which often marked an alliance with another tribe after
months of negotiations over bride price.
Like the neighboring
Kalapuya and Upper Chinooks, both men and women wore leather leggings and tunics,
with the tunics of the women cut wider in the sleeves and longer in the skirt.
Pounded cedar bark made a type of cloth for short skirts or sleeping mats. Elaborate
beadwork, quill, feather, and shell decorations adorned the clothing of the
wealthy. Because dentalia sea shells served as money, a person could literally
wear their wealth in the form of a necklace. The beautifully decorated, but
practical, beaded leggings continued to be worn long after Indian women adopted
European-style dresses. 
The most outstanding
feature of appearance however--remarked upon by nearly every American and European
visitor--was the flattened head. With some horror, John Townsend described the
procedure in 1835:
"It is
even considered among them a degradation to possess a round head, and one whose
caput has happened to be neglected in his infancy, can never become even a subordinate
chief in his tribe, and is treated with indifference and disdain, as one who
is unworthy a place amongst them.
The flattening
of the head is practiced by at least ten or twelve distinct tribes of the lower
country, the Klikatats, Kalapooyahs, and Multnomahs, of the Willamette, and
its vicinity; the Chinooks, Klatsaps, Klatstonis, Kowalitsks, Katlammets, Killemooks,
and Chekalis of the lower Columbia and its tributaries, and probably by others
both north and south. The tribe called Flatheads, or Salish, who reside near
the sources of the Oregon, have long since abolished this custom.
The mode by
which the flattening is effected, varies considerably with the different tribes.
The Willamette Indians place the infant, soon after birth, upon a board, to
the edges of which are attached little loops of hempen cord or leather, and
other similar cords are passed across and back, in a zigzag manner, through
these loops, enclosing the child, and binding it firmly down. To the upper edge
of this board, in which is a depression to receive the back part of the head,
another smaller one is attached by hinges of leather, and made to lie obliquely
upon the forehead, the force of the pressure being regulated by several strings
attached to its edge, which are passed through holes in the board upon which
the infant is lying, and secured there. "
The Kalapuya
and other Pacific Northwest tribes--as well as various cultures throughout the
world--also practiced head-shaping in infancy. In the Northwest, the flat head
indicated status as free rather than slave. Chinook women marrying outside their
culture into other tribes or to white fur traders--although reluctant to drop
the practice and so mark their children as "slaves"--eventually ended the custom
as the numbers of Chinooks decreased.
Upper Chinooks
and Oregon's coastal tribes had the earliest contact with European and American
explorers and traders and were the most devastated by years of plagues that
followed 1780's. Diseases previously unheard of in the Northwest--especially
smallpox--may have been introduced through inland trade even before the first
contact with European voyagers. Lewis and Clark noted a partially deserted village
on Sauvies Island and a woman with smallpox scars in 1806. At this time, Clackamas
had not encountered Europeans in their homelands and the Lewis and Clark expedition
estimated their number at 1,500. Traditionally, the population was probably
considerably more, perhaps 2,500. By 1855, only 88 members of the Clackamas
were left in Oregon.
Disaster arrived
in 1829 aboard the ship Owyhee, the first oceangoing vessel to sail up the Willamette.
The Owyhee's captain, New Englander John Dominis, anchored at the Clackamas
Rapids with plans to found a fishery. Some accounts say that Dominis became
irate during negotiations over the price of salmon and threatened the Clackamas.
Other accounts say that the Clackamas people simply jealously guarded their
rich fishery at the Rapids from any intruder. In any case, Clackamas swimmers
cut the Owyhee's anchor rope and Dominis gave up his hopes for a fishery.
But he sailed
away too late for the sake of the Clackamas people. Aboard his ship were many
sick sailors, ailing from a fever (influenza or malaria) which the people of
the Willamette Valley called the "cold sick." The illness had spread from the
crew to shore and rapidly raged through the Clackamas villages.
The Clackamas
associated the beginning of the disease with a channel marker placed by an Indian
employee of Dominis. The Indian quickly sickened and died and a rumor began
that the infection was a deliberate attack by the American captain. 
Later,
this story became confounded with the (true) story about Astorian Duncan McDougall
who threatened to release small pox against the Indians from a small, blue vial
in his pocket. Dominis, who had become angry during the negotiations with the
Clackamas--and whose ship brought a deadly disease--became confused in local
accounts with "Chief Small Pox" McDougall.
Later,
this story became confounded with the (true) story about Astorian Duncan McDougall
who threatened to release small pox against the Indians from a small, blue vial
in his pocket. Dominis, who had become angry during the negotiations with the
Clackamas--and whose ship brought a deadly disease--became confused in local
accounts with "Chief Small Pox" McDougall.
In a single
winter, 1829-1830, at least nine tenths of the Clackamas people perished and
the Clackamas ceased to exist as a cohesive tribe. The Clackamas people were
so reduced in number that their traditional rivals, the upriver Kalapuyas, maintained
a village below the Falls on former Clackamas territory. Within a few years,
most of the Kalapuyas would also be lost to disease and dispersal.
In the fall
of 1851, some of the surviving Clackamas signed a general treaty ceding Willamette
Valley land with Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs Anson Dart. Dart's
plans--which included small local reservations--were never ratified by Congress.
On January 10, 1855, the remaining 88 people who identified themselves as Clackamas,
signed a treaty that ceded all lands (including Oregon and Milwaukie cities
as well as the lower Willamette, Sandy, and Clackamas valleys) in exchange for
a ten-year annuity of $2,500.
After the
treaty was ratified March 3, 1855 the Clackamas were to relocate to Grand
Ronde Reservation while retaining some rights in their former homeland.
In the midst of violence and starvation during the Yakima
War in the summer of 1855, Clackamas County area Indians were suddenly rounded
up and forced to the Reservation. The annuity--$500 in cash and the rest in
goods-- was never paid. The Clackamas, who numbered only 55 on the Reservation
in 1871, blended into the general population of Grand Ronde by the second decade
of the twentieth century.
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