CogKnoSys

Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea below, then step up to the general, across to peers or down to the specific.

Physical

Cowlitz Indian Tribe

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe is a tribe of Cowlitz people, Indigenous to western Washington, whose federal recognition was confirmed in 2000.

Learn, discuss, create, buy or invest

The idea

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe is a tribe of Cowlitz people in Washington state. Its federal recognition was confirmed in 2000 and reaffirmed in 2002. Federal recognition means the United States government formally deals with the tribe as a self-governing nation. The traditional homelands of the Cowlitz people are in western Washington.

The name Cowlitz covers two distinct peoples with different cultures and languages. The Lower Cowlitz are a southwestern Coast Salish people. The Upper Cowlitz, also called the Taitnapam, speak a Sahaptin language and are part of the Yakama Nation. Some Cowlitz people are enrolled in other tribes, including the Quinault Indian Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.

The Cowlitz language, also called Cowlitz Salish, belongs to the Coast Salish family of languages. It was spoken by the Lower Cowlitz people of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. Cowlitz County in Washington takes its name from a Cowlitz term, Cow-e-liske, which may mean river of shifting sands.

Check yourself

Question 1 of 2

What did the Cowlitz Indian Tribe begin doing with the Language Conservancy?

Pick one. The first pick counts.

Composition

what it's made of

  • Lower Cowlitz — A southwestern Coast Salish people, many enrolled in the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.
  • Upper Cowlitz — The Taitnapam, a Sahaptin-speaking people who are part of the Yakama Nation.
  • Cowlitz language — A Coast Salish language that the tribe is working to bring back into daily use.
  • Homelands — Traditional lands in western Washington.

Connection

how it relates

Under Tribes and Indigenous Nations of the Lower Columbia

Related

  1. Cowlitz Riverstrength 60 of 100

    The Cowlitz name comes from a Cowlitz term that may mean river of shifting sands.

  2. Language and Communicationstrength 50 of 100

    The tribe is working to revive the Cowlitz language, which had gone dormant.

In place

  1. Kelso, Washingtonstrength 40 of 100

    Kelso is the seat of Cowlitz County, which is named from a Cowlitz term.

Change

how and why it evolves

Past
In 1906, led by Chief Atwin Stockum, the tribe began formal political relations with the United States. The Cowlitz language went dormant in the 1960s, meaning it was no longer spoken in daily life.
Now
As of 2022, the tribe was working with the Language Conservancy to revitalize the Cowlitz language.
Next
Language revival usually takes many years, so the number of new speakers will likely grow slowly as teaching materials and classes expand.

Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea, then step up, across or down.

Cowlitz Indian Tribe

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe is a tribe of Cowlitz people, Indigenous to western Washington, whose federal recognition was confirmed in 2000.

Learn, discuss, create, buy or invest

The idea

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe is a tribe of Cowlitz people in Washington state. Its federal recognition was confirmed in 2000 and reaffirmed in 2002. Federal recognition means the United States government formally deals with the tribe as a self-governing nation. The traditional homelands of the Cowlitz people are in western Washington.

The name Cowlitz covers two distinct peoples with different cultures and languages. The Lower Cowlitz are a southwestern Coast Salish people. The Upper Cowlitz, also called the Taitnapam, speak a Sahaptin language and are part of the Yakama Nation. Some Cowlitz people are enrolled in other tribes, including the Quinault Indian Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.

The Cowlitz language, also called Cowlitz Salish, belongs to the Coast Salish family of languages. It was spoken by the Lower Cowlitz people of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. Cowlitz County in Washington takes its name from a Cowlitz term, Cow-e-liske, which may mean river of shifting sands.

Check yourself

2 quick questions, instant feedback.