The Oregonian, Portland, OR., February 7, 1926, section 3, page 9

TRIBAL LORE OF WISHAM INDIANS RICH IN TRADITIONS OF COLUMBIA
"Ever Watchful Eye" Painted On Big Rock To Guard Over Home Of Tribe -
Venerable Grandmother Recalls Arrival Of "Great White Eagle," John McLoughlin -
Bridge Of Gods Has New Version.
By Glen Ranck

Should you ask me whence these stories,
Whence these legends and traditions -
From the forests and the prairies.
-- "Hiawatha."

     ACCORDING to recent items in The Oregonian, the town of Fallbridge is henceforth to be known by the historic name of "Wishram." This will perpetuate name and fame of the ancient Indian trading town described in Washington Irving's western classic, "Astoria." As this little railroad station on the North Bank road is in close proximity to the aboriginal trading mart the adoption of the ancient classical name is most appropriate, and this may also be a fit occasion for us to remind The Oregonian's readers that the correct name appears to be "Wisham," not "Wishram."
     Some years ago, while the writer was register of the United States land office at Vancouver, Wash., he had occasion to consult old Indian treaties made with the Wisham tribe and other government records concerning these Indians. In these treaties and records the name is always given as Wisham, and the members of that tribe visiting the land office always pronounced it that way. Indeed, it is doubtful if the Columbia river siwash could distinctly enunciate the "r" as it appears in Wishram. However, some of the old tillicums, in pronouncing their tribal name, given a sort of gutteral grunt, making it sound a little like "Wishgam" It may be that this gutteral noise confused some of the early fur traders, causing them to "spell it with an 'r.'" In consideration of these facts it might be well to adopt the name as it appears in the records of the United States government.

Primitive Village Standing

     A few miles east of Grand Dalles, Wash., a primeval Wisham village may still be seen, overlooking the waters of the storied Columbia. A few years ago the writer visited this little collection of huts, upon the special invitation of Chief Speedus, hereditary tyee of the Wisham tribe. Facing this Indian village stands a natural monument rock, and upon its smooth sloping face, some inspired Wisham artist, who long ago departed for "Sweet Memories Isle of Memaloose," has painted a large eye. This pictured orb is known as the "Ever-Watchful Eye," and no matter from what part of the hamlet a person views the eye, it appears to watch his every movement.
     The "Ever-Watchful Eye," was painted ages ago at night, by the, Ta-man-a-was Tillicum, or "medicine man," under the direct guidance and inspiration of the "Sa-ha-lee Ta-man-a-was," or "great spirit." An unseen hand mixed the root pigment with unfading dyes and an invisible power held the artist's wrist in an iron grasp and guided his primitive brush across the surface of the stone during their weird hours of the night. It was a cloudy pitch-dark night, moonless and gloomy, and without a single star. The artist was unable to see his own hand and was unconscious of the picture his unsteady fingers were tracing in eternal tints on that cold stone face. He could hear the swirling whirlpool of the big eddy, the stormy waves of the Wauna dashing unseen among the crags, the sad, dismal cry of the spee-lee-yi and the songs and shouts of the elves and goblins in the fairy grove nearby. But he labored on, in breathless, nervous haste to complete his task ere break of day. At dawn he was found by the amazed Wishamites in a trans-like sleep at the foot of the rock, and that ghostly eye, finished and faultless, was gazing down upon them!

Eye Keeps Watch

     And so, in all the generations since then, at times of trial, in days of danger, that ever-watchful eye has watched over them, their guard and their guide, a sleepless sentinel, and inspired spiritual monitor. Its wonderful care protects them against both physical and spiritual dangers. No treacherous foe, with feet clad in softess moccasin, could glide by unseen, or hope to elude that sleepless vigilance, and at the first blazing flash from that tireless orb, the faithful goblin imps would raise the shrill elfin scream of alarm. No night could be so dark, no deed of shame and sin could be so carefully concealed, but that burning glance would pierce the darkness and uncover the same in all its nakedness. The "Ever-Watchful Eye" could see every act of vice or virtue; it brought punishment to the vicious and praise to the virtuous.
     There is a golden moral lesson in this poetic Wisham tradition and it recalls to mind the "cloud by day and pillar of fire by night," which guided the children of Israel across Arabia's desert sand. Though now invisible to the physical eye, the blazing symbols of Jehovah's love could never be quenched within the heart.

Tribal History Recorded

     Chief Speedus next showed me the pictured rocks on the banks of the majestic and historic Columbia. On these stony cliffs the artists of Wisham have recorded in vivid pictures the salient history and epical thoughts of the tribe. There are a few battle-scenes, but most of the views depict dancing, racing and hunting scenes. The Indian artist was inspired, and painted, as that great poet, Kipling, has said: "For the God of Things as they are". He was a "dreamer of dreams," and in his sleep at night, by the power of Ta-man-a-was, he was shown in visions those things which he was destined to portray. These dreams and visions were faithfully recorded by the artist on tablets of stone along the Columbia cliffs; and there they may be seen today, giving an additional glory and charm to the sublime beauty of that stately storied stream.
     It is claimed by Wisham tyees that, in 1856, during the Yakima Indian war, the United States soldiers destroyed the Wisham villages, burning their huts, blankets, peltries, fishing supplies, and other provisions; and that they also appropriated or destroyed their cayuse ponies, to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile Klickitat and Yakimas. The Wishamites claim that the United States officials agreed to reimburse them for their loss, and that this has never been done, although they remained friendly to the whites throughout the war. These assertions are corroborated by records in the United States land office, giving treaties made with the Wisham tribe at that time. In these treaties the Wisham tyees consented to the destruction of their property, and the government officials promised to repay them. One of the objects of my visit was to make an unofficial estimate of the damage sustained and the sum to the tribe for this loss, but it was almost impossible to make any satisfactory damage statement after the lapsation of 65 years. However, the claim is now being urged before congress, and it is confidently hoped that the surviving members of this friendly tribe will be granted some reparation at this late date.

Coming Of White Man Recalled

     Chief Speedus also conducted me into his lodge hut and made me acquainted with his relatives. These consisted of his ancestors and his descendants, ranging from his feeble old grandmother to his prattling young grandson. This numerous family, squatting on mats along the sides of the room were engaged in making Indian baskets, beaded bags and moccasins. The most interesting personage in this group was Ska-mo-na Shaw-naw-wah, the venerated queen of the Wisham Indians. She is the daughter of Chief Shaw-naw-wah, Sahlee-Tyee or High-Chief of the Wisham tribe at the time Fort Vancouver was founded by the Hudson's Bay company in 1825. While she does not know her exact age, she believes that she is more than one hundred years old, and relates that she was a little child when the "Great White Eagle," John McLoughlin, came up the river and concluded a trading treaty with her father and the other tribal tyees. This does not seem entirely improbable when we consider that, besides herself, in the hut, there were present her daughter, grandson, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Back of the hut stands a large stone bowl or mortar, over three feet in height, in which the feeble old "klootch" still pounds the roots and grains in preparing her primitive meals. This is impressive evidence of the fact that these stone implements are yet in use around some aboriginal illahees in the Oregon country and that there are places in the United States where the stone age overlaps into the twentieth century and is coeval with the modern era of the submarine, airship and radio.
     As Princess Shaw-naw-wah speaks only in her native Wisham tongue, her grandson acted as interpreter during her interview. In her ancient tribal language and in her picturesque manner this venerable klootch rehearsed some old legends of the Columbia river Indians. The most interesting of these was that famous saga of the 'Bridge of the Gods" -- the noblest and most beautiful of all legends of the American aboriginals. A brief synopsis of her version of this well-known folk-lore might be of interest to Oregon readers:

Mountains and River Gods Fight

     "Anacotta" (in days long ago) bitter quarrels and strife sometimes arose between the river god and the mountain demons. During one of these wars the mountain demons upreared a rocky barrier in an effort to chain up and subdue the spirit of the Wauna, or Columbia river. But, summoning all his powers, the river god, in berserker rage, broke asunder those stony chains, and under guidance of Tamanawas pierced a passage through the mountains and tore a wide subterranean canal between the rocks of that mighty bulwark. (And, as our modern geologists state, the Columbia carved its own channel through the Cascade range.) Thus the mighty force of the raging waters cut a long, rock-walled tunnel at the site of the present Cascades. This left a broad stone arch spanning that majestic stream - a Tamanawasa structure "not built by hands," across which people could pass at will. Then, by the tongues of prophetic tyees, the Great spirit announced to the tribes of the Wauna that the Bridge of the Gods was a sacred causeway of right and justice, dedicated to the peaceful, happy intercourse of Indians on both sides of the great river. So long as they were friendly, virtuous, kind and "kloshe" that God-made arch which spanned the silvery waves; but if they never gave way to sin and crime, to cruel warfare and bloodshed, then those stony pillars would fall apart and tumble into the angry waters below.
     For some generations the red men on both sides of the Wauna dwelt in peaceful intercourse. But there came a generation which "knew no Joseph," and which departed from the teachings of their forefathers; bitter feelings grew up between the tribes and cruel warfare ensued. At length a bloody battle was waged for the possession of the sacred causeway. Then suddenly at dead of night the solid earth began to shake and tremble as if in the throes of internecine strife; the mountain demons belched forth flaming thunderbolts and hurled molten lava and burning rocks upon this smooth crystal tide of the Wauna; the enraged river god dashed his foaming waves in fury against the sides of the bridge abutments, the pillars began to give way give way and slide downward to the stream. Then with a thunderous crash the glorious archway fell - and rocks, earth and trees came tumbling into the swirling waters of that storied stream!

Predictions Come True

     Princess Shaw-naw-wah was also told by her forefathers that whenever a party of Indians reached this long, dark tunnel it was the custom to fasten their canoes together, one behind the other, so as to avoid confusion and collision and the darkness. They then prayed to the Great Spirit for safety and guidance before embarking on the perilous passage through that gloomy, mysterious subterranean channel.
     On the morning following the fall of that stony span an ancestor of the princess was fishing on the river bank at some point between The Dalles and the Cascades. He had felt the earthquake and had observed the eruption of the mountain demons, but did not realize the full significance of these dramatic occurrences. While he stood on the bank fishing the water began to come up around him, compelling him to step back. The river continued to rise, and again he was forced to seek a higher level. This occurred again and again, the stream becoming deeper and broader, as if a dam had been built across it at some point. By and by and Indian runner appeared and informed him that the direful events foretold by their prophets had come to pass; as the great union of tribes had been torn apart, so those rocky pillars had crumbled, and the Bridge of the Gods had fallen into the river.
     The Indians had forsaken the commands and teachings of Tamanawas, and punishment, suffering and destruction had come upon them. The power of the red man was broken and the valley of the Wauna would now be open to the coming of the strange white men from afar. But "Alki," in the "happy time to time," when all tribes were again at peace, when all skookum tillicums loved one another, when the red man and white men smoked the pipe of friendship, then, and not until then, another Bridge of the Gods would span that storied stream at the place of that sacred causeway;

No portents now our foes amaze,
Forsaken Israel wonders lone;
Our fathers would not know thy ways,
And thou hast left them to their own.

But thou has said "The blood of goat,
The flesh of rams, I will not prize;
A contrite heart, an humble thought,
Ore mine accepted sacrifice."

Footnotes - "Memaloose" signifies death, or place of the dead, Memaloose island being a famous Indian burial ground. "Ta-man-a-was" means the "Great Spirit"; "Anacotta" means "long ago"; "Tyee" means "chief"; "Skookum Tillicums" means "strong friends"; "Alki" means "in the sweet bye-and bye," and was the motto on the great seal of Washington territory.

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©  Jeffrey L. Elmer