Wishram-Wasco
The Wishram and Wasco were closely related Chinookan-speaking peoples who lived on opposite banks of the Columbia River at and near The Dalles and Celilo Falls—the Wishram on the north (Washington) bank and the Wasco on the south (Oregon) bank—controlling one of the most important fishing and trading sites in all of North America. Lewis and Clark passed through this area in October 1805 and April 1806, witnessing the great autumn salmon fishery and the intertribal trade fair that drew peoples from across the Plateau, the coast, and the interior. The Dalles was the economic crossroads of the Pacific Northwest, where dried salmon, roots, bear grass, and coastal goods like shells and whale products were exchanged for horses, bison products, and other Plains commodities.
