Quinault Indians

Quinault Indians – A corruption of kwi’nail, the name of the largest settlement situated at the present site of the village (Taholah) at the mouth of the Quinault River.

Quinault Connections. The Quinault belonged to the coastal division of the Salishan linguistic family.

Quinault Location. The valley of Quinault River and the Pacific coast between Raft River and Joe Creek.

Quinault Subdivisions. Lewis and Clark mention a division or associated band called Calasthocle.

Quinault Villages

(Olson’s (1936) list modified phonetically)

• A’alatsis, 3 miles below Lake Quinault.
• Djagaka’lmik, ½ mile above Nosklako’s.
• Djekwe’ls, on the north bank of Quinault River about 400 yards above Thlathle’lap.
• Gutse’lps, 6 miles below Lake Quinault.
• Hagwi’shtap, about 1½ miles above Cook Creek.
• He’shnithl or Kuku’mnithl, on the south bank of Quinault River about 500 yards above Pini’lks.
• Kwakwa’h, not far from Hagwi’shtap.
• Kwakwa’nikatctan, 4 miles below Lake Quinault.
• Kwatai’tamik, 3 miles above Kwakwa’h.
• Kwatai’tumik, on the south bank about 500 yards above Kwi’naithl.
• Kwikwa’la, perhaps ½ mile above Sunuksunu’ham.
• Kwi’naithl, at present site of Taholah.
• Lae’lsnithl, on north bank a mile or less above Heshnithl.
• La’lshithl, perhaps a mile above Djagaka’lmik on Quinault River.
• Ma’atnithl, 1 mile below the fork of upper Quinault River.
• Magwa’ksnithl, 300 yards above Kwikwa’la.
• Me’tsugutsathlan, on south bank of Quinault River at its mouth.
• Nago’olatcan, not far from Nossho’k.
• Negwe’thlan, at the mouth of Cook Creek.
• Nokedja’kt or Thla’a’lgwap, on south bank a few hundred yards above Tonans. Nomi’lthlostan, just above Kwakwa’h.
• No’omo’thlapsh, at mouth of Moclips River, which bears its name in a corrupted form.
• No’omo’thlapshtcu, not far above Magwa’ksnithl.
• No’skathlan, a few miles above Kwi’naithl, on the north bank of Quinault River. Noskthlako’s, on south bank of Quinault River perhaps 1 mile above No’skathlan. Nossho’k, not far above Nokedja’kt.
• No’sthluk, not far from Djekwe’ls.
• Pina’alathl, located where the upper Quinault River enters Lake Quinault. Pini’lks, close to La’lshithl.
• Pino’otcan tci’ta, on the upper Quinault below Ma’anithl. Po’iks, on the upper Quinault above Finley Creek.
• Pote’lks, 1 mile above Tsimi’sh.
• Sunuksunu’ham, not far from Nomi’lthlostan.
• Tamo’ulgutan, just below No’omo’thlapshtcu.
• Tci’tano’sklakalathl, at the outlet of Lake Quinault.
• Thlathle’lap, at the mouth of Quinault River and on the north bank.
• To’nans, less than 4 mile above He’shnithl.
• Tsi’i’sh, 2 miles above Magwaksnithl.

Quinault Population. Lewis and Clark in 1805 estimated 800 Quinault proper and 200 Calasthocle. Mooney (1928) estimated 1,500 in 1780 including the Quaitso, but Olson (1936) suggests 800 and regards that as too high if anything. This would reduce Mooney’s figure considerably since the Quaitso were a much smaller tribe. A tabulation recovered by Olson but believed to be from some Indian agent gave 95 Quinault in 1888. The Indian Office figure for the two tribes in 1907 was 196. The census of 1910, however, returned 288, presumably including the Quaitso. In 1923 the Indian Office returned 719 on the Quinault Reservation, perhaps representing several tribes, but that for 1937 gave 1,228 of the Quinault alone.

Connection in which the Quinault have become noted. Quinault Lake and River and a small town, all in Grays Harbor County, preserve the name of the Quinault.