Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

In ancient times along the Pacific coast of the Americas the natives took long journeys by sea in boats that they built. Some voyages went from southern California to British Columbia with the purpose of collecting dentalia shells. Dentalia were used as money among the native tribes from the Rocky mountains west. The Coquille Indians and Coos Indians occupied the foothills and sea shores of Coos County Oregon. One summer a group of 20 Coquille men voyaged south to trade with an Athabascan tribe around Crescent City California. They spent several weeks there trading gambling and feasting. One day a Coquille man got into an argument with one of the Athabaskans and k**led him in a rage. This was very bad and a tribal court resulted. The Athabaskans told the Coquilles that according to tribal custom the Coquilles must give them a lot of money (dentalia) or sacrifice one of their men to avenge the death of the Athabaskan. The Coquille naturally did not want to give up one of their own to be put to death so they gave what dentalia they had with them and asked for a years time to gather the rest that the Athabaskans had demanded. The Coquilles returned home and tried to make it to British Columbia by sea and as the seasons had changed They could not make the journey to collect the Dentalia shells. When the Athabaskans came up the next summer and asked for their money the Coquille explained why they did not have it yet and the Athabaskans that came said ok one more year and they left. This group of Coquilles was small a little more than 40 people and the Athabaskans were much more numerous and powerful. The Coquilles went into the forest and cut down the largest of the giant cedar trees they could find and started making a boat large enough that the whole village and supplies for a long voyage would fit inside. They worked on it for a year but still were not finished when the Athabaskans came again the next year. The Coquilles asked for one more year and the Athabaskan chiefs that came said only one more year or they would war on and k**l every Coquille in the village and they left. The Coquilles kept working on the boat and they finished it about a month before the Athabaskans would return with a war party. They d**gged the boat to the sea and loaded with food and water and tools that they would need then every person in the village got in and they left across the sea. A month later when the Athabaskans returned the Coquille were gone so they l**ted what was left and went home. The Coquilles disappeared and were never heard of again. They became known as the lost tribe and their story was told through the centuries. After world war 2 The Americans occupied Japan. Several Coquille men were with the occupation forces on the Northern island of Japan. To the amazement of all the Coquille speakers were able to talk to and have conversations with the indigenous people (the Ainu) who were the original inhabitants of the northern island of Japan. They also told the story of escaping death and building a boat and coming by sea to their lands. This is a true story.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Good bit of history... I can't recall the tribe's name, but it seems to me that there was a native tribe in America (west coast) who spoke a language and had religion similar to the Japanese as well... Japanese coins have also been found along the coast of NC that predate europeans occupying the area... Our world is fascinating...

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

This story was told to me by George Wasson a Coquille tribal elder about a year before his death.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Some of the older natives have amazing memories... Entire books worth of history and lore... It's a sk**l that many of us have lost in this age of electronics...

Common_Sense_Matters

Welcome back CD.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Thanks CSM...

I like Tom's threads... They are always fun and often informative... Hope you have been having fun this past week

Common_Sense_Matters

I have, some people were missing your posts, one person offered an apology to you for some possible perceived sleight he thought you may have felt.

badbob85037

and I though it was going to be one of those F*garwe Indian jokes.

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

George told me that he wondered who would be the storyteller after he was gone. He had a PHD and was a professor at the University of Oregon

TommyRadd Loc: Midwest USA

I vaguely remember a story of the early days of Alaska. Forgive me if the details aren’t accurate, but it is supposed to be a true story.

There was an Indian who k**led a white man and the new settlers weren’t equipped to handle a legal case, so they sent the k**ler to Washington, where, allegedly, he even got to meet the President in addition to many travel destinations. He was never tried because he was uncivilized, as I recall. Finally, they sent him home.

After hearing his story, the man’s brother told their father, what do I have to do to get to see the things my brother has seen and experienced? The wise old chief said, “k**l a white man, I guess.” So he did and he was hung for his crime. By this time the settlers had civilized the area.

Go figure. Clash of cultures, or what?

Mike Easterday

Wow! Great history lesson!

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

good story