Oak Point Washington

Cathlamet Indians

The Cathlamet Indians, part of the Chinookan stock, lived along the south bank of the Columbia River, with their territory extending from Tongue Point to Puget Island. They spoke a dialect that influenced regions as far up the river as Ranier. Notable villages included Ikanaiak and Ilohumin. Their population was estimated at 450 in 1780, declining to 58 by 1849, and they are now considered extinct as a distinct group. The name Cathlamet survives in Wahkiakum County, Washington.

Skilloot Tribe

The Skilloot Indians, a Chinookan tribe encountered by Lewis and Clark in 1806, inhabited areas along the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon, with a population of around 2,500. They faced severe decline due to a fever epidemic in 1823 and had their principal village at Cooniac, near Oak Point, Washington. By 1850, their population had dwindled to about 200, and they eventually faded from prominence, with the Seamysty possibly representing a division of this tribe.