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Lewis & Clark
Wallawalla Indians
October 18, 1805 Saturday Lewis and Clark Journals
After passing the Wallawalla River, we proceeded pass (sand bar)islands, on starboard (right side) is 9 large tulemat lodges of Indians drying fish on scaffords. At this place we were called to to land, as it was near night and no appearance of firewood we proceeded on about 2 miles lower to some willows, at which place we observed a driftwood log and formed a camp on Lar(left side) of the Columbia under a high hill, opposite 5 lodges of Indians, and used dried willows for fuel for cooking. Our old Chiefs informed us that the large camp above was the camp of (Wallawalla Chief Yellept) chief of all tribes in this quarter and that he had called to us to land and stay all night with him, that he had plenty of wood.
We requested the old Chiefs to walk up on the side we had landed and call to the Chief to come down and stay with us all night, which they did. Late at night the Chief came down accompanied by 20 men and formed a camp a short distance above.
The Chief brought a large basket of mashed berries he left at our lodge as a present.
Wallawalla Chief Yellept had separated from the main camp on the Wallawalla River for purpose of fishing. (A branch of the Wallawalla Tribe speaking Wallawalla language. Every camp did not have a great chief only a camp or village chief, great chief was over them all.)
April 19, 1805
Wallawalla Chief Yellept and 2 other Chiefs presented themselves to us very early this morning. We gave a medal, a handerchief and a string of wampum to Yellept, a string of wampum to other Chief Ahloquat(Al loh kut) and a string of wampum to Chief Towwall of the band below on the River.
Yellept is a bold handsome Indian with a dignified countenance, about 35 years of age, and well proportioned.
((David Thompson - 1811, "Yellept was the Head Chief of the Wallawalla Tribe, was around 40 years old, about 6 ft. tall with open manly face, good even nice features, in every way a truly handsome man. He was clean, well dressed, intelligent, friendly. He made no speeches, but talked directly man to man. He was very impressible and had great influence and control and was held in high regard by all the surrounding Tribes."))
The following year
April 26, 1806 Westside of Columbia River
After dinner we continued our march through the level plain near the river 16 miles and encamped about a mile below 3 lodges of Wallawalla.
Lewis and Clark were looking for Wallawalla Head Chief Yellept of the Wallawalla Tribe.
April 27th Sunday
We were joined by Yellept and 6 men. We continued our march accompanied by Yellept to his village we found 6 miles on the northside of the Columbia at the lower side of the low country, 12 miles from mouth of Snake River (across from the Wallawalla River).
Yellept is a man of much influence, not only of his own nation, but also among the neighboring tribes. His village consists of 15 large tulemat lodges. His village brought us fuel and provisions and he set a good example of himself that others soon followed his example and brought us firewood(stems of shrubs) and 3 roasted mullets. We soon found ourselves in possession of ample stock and some horses for journey and we purchased 4 dogs.
The Wallawalla Indians informed us this evening that there is a good road which passed from their village on the Wallawalla River along the (Touchet)River to Kooskooske River. (The road was used by many different Indians all going many different ways, including buffalo land) Yellept corroborated this route.
April 28th Monday
This morning early Yellept brought a very elegant white horse to our camp and presented it to Capt. Clark signifying his wish to get a kettle, but we had disposed of every kettle we could spare, he said he was content with the sword given him instead.
The Indians brought several diseased persons to us for whom they requested some medical aid. One had his knee contracted by the rheumatism, another with a broken arm and etcs, to all of which we administered, much to the gratification of those poor wretches. We gave them some eye water, as sore eyes from blowing sand and glaring river water seemed to be an universal complaint amongst them.
We urged that there was no wind blowing and river was in good order to pass over our horses if Yellept would furnish us with canoes for that purpose. He assented and we passed our horses over the river safely and hobbled them. Clark saw the man who we had doctored for a rheumatism knee, that if he would furnish another canoe, which he did, Clark would give him some medicine.(This man later became Walla Walla Chief Tomatapam, father of the Great Walla Walla Chief Peupeumoxmox)
Sah-cah-gah-weah (g like George) conversed with a Shoshone prisoner.
Yellept sent north for his Chimnapam neighbors (part of WW Tribe) to come down and join his Wallawalla people this evening and dance for us.
(also a pony runner was sent to Wayeletpu). A little before sunset the Chimnapams arrived. They were 100 men and a few women, they joined the Wallawalla to watch us dance. We then requested the Indians to dance which they cheerfully complied. The whole assemblage of Indians about 550 men, women, children sang and danced at the same time. At l0 PM the dance concluded and Indians retired, much gratified that some of our party had joined them in their dance. Their Medicine Man was going to consult their God the Moon if what we said was the truth.
April 29th Tuesday
This morning Yellept furnished us with 2 canoes and we began to transport our baggage over the river. We also sent a party of the men over to collect the horses that had been sent over on the 28th.
Our guide now informed us that it was too late in the evening to reach an eligible place to camp that we would not reach water before night, therefore we thought it best to remain on the Wallawalla River for the night and encamped a mile from the Columbia near a fish weir.
We spent the night on the Wallawalla, below us there are 12 other large tulemat lodges of the main Wallawalla Village on this river, a little distance below our camp. They wanted us to dance, but it rained alittle, the wind blew hard and the weather cold, we therefore did not indulge them.
Great numbers of Wallawalla about us all night.
April 30th Wednesday
At 11 AM, we took our leave of these friendly honest people the Wallawallas, accompanied by our guide and the Chopunnish family.
We continued our route through open level sandy plains to a bold creek, a branch of the Wallawalla River.
May 1st 1806 Thursday
Sometime after we had encamped 3 young men arrived from the Wallawalla Village bringing with them a steel trap belonging to one of our party which had been left behind. This is an act of integrity rarely witnessed among Indians. During our stay several times they found knives lost by the men and returned them. I think we can justly affirm to the honor of these people that the Wallawallapams are the most hospitable, honest and sincere people that we have met with in our voyage.
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It doesn't matter what year it is now, they are still the Wallawalla Indians, and should remain so.
After the town of Walla Walla took their name, the town of Wallula sprang up in l860, which had nothing to do with the Wallawalla Indians living on the Wallawalla River. They were still the Wallawalla Indians and the Wallawalla Chiefs and continued to be so.
The Wallawallapams on the Wallawalla River were not the Wallulapams across the
Columbia River from Wallula.
Note === Yellept's grandson "we-ti-my-hay-she" showed Stevens, long after Yellept was gone, Yellept's Lewis & Clark medal. This medal found later may have been buried with grandson and not Yellept.
Author Comment = The Wallawallas treated Lewis and Clark as they treated any passerby, in a friendly manner. Little did they know that Lewis and Clark were there to case the scene and that the Indians had already lost their land, to a Country that bought illegally gotten goods.
A story was told by a whiteman visiting an Indian village, that a frenchman appeared in their midst and told them he was claiming their land for France, then departed.
Which caught everyone in camp by surprise, "What does he mean, claiming this land for France? What does that mean?"
I can think of alot of land I'd like to own if it was as easy as putting up a white piece of paper or better yet, just saying it.
I don't know if Young Joseph said, "I will fight no more forever" - but from what I have found, the Indians have been fighting "forever" since Lewis and Clark came.