Chief Scanewa had at least two wives, and the names of six of his children entered into the historical records.
Chief Scanewa’s daughter, Thasemuth, married Simon Plamondon, an employee of the Hudson Bay Company. She was baptized Veronica after the arrival of the priest. Scanewa’s youngest daughter, Mary (Lel Kwadot) married John McLeod of the Hudson Bay Company. His daughter Marguerite, about two years older than Mary, married Louis LeDoux in 1843 at the Cowlitz Mission. A number of the members of the current tribal council draw their matrilineal descent from these three women.
The Cowlitz River was a natural corridor from the Columbia River to the Puget Sound. Ever since the Hudson Bay Company had acquired charter to the area, and absorbed the holdings of the Northwest Company, it desired to trade along the Cowlitz River. In the mid 1820s, the Hudson Bay Company achieved its desires by convincing Chief Scanewa that the Hudson Bay Company should not be held responsible for the actions of the Northwest Company. Dr. John M McLoughlin was the Hudson Bay Company official responsible for opening negotiations with Chief Scanewa. Simon Plamondon was the person chosen to carry McLoughlin’s message to Scanewa.
A report by David Douglas in 1823 reveals something regarding the relationship of Scanewa with those at Fort Vancouver. Douglas reported, “Fortunately we found at the Cow-a-lidsk (near present day Toledo, Washington) a small boat which Schachanaway (Scanewa) the chief, had borrowed from the establishment a few days before.”
In the beginning, Chief Scanewa’s influence and power was primarily in the area of Toledo and south, but it continued to grow and expand until the year 1828 when he was murdered by a Klallam Indian, at which time he ruled all tribes from the Columbia to the Fraser River. He was murdered while returning from Fort Langley on the Fraser River. He was traveling with a young wife, Haidawah, and a newborn child, Cla-qua-dale. His wife and child survived but were taken prisoner. The offenders were brought to trial at Fort Langley, B.C., and the records of the trial may be found there. Other spellings for Scanewa were Schachanaway, Schannaway and Schaneewah.
Oral tradition through the Plamondon/Scanewa descendants says that when Scanewa was murdered in 1828, his oldest son Richard (Tyee Dick) was too young to take over the leadership of the tribe, and the Cowlitz people loved Simon Plamondon so much that he actually became the Cowlitz leader until Richard was old enough to take over. Scanewa’s son Antoine Stokum eventually became chief at a later date. Another son, Aiyel Wahuwa, became an “apostle” in the Shaker church and was instrumental in establishing the religion among the Yakamas.
Mrs. Anna Catlin, a great-granddaughter of Simon Plamondon said that, “Schaneewah was ruler of 17 sub-chiefs and their tribes which are said to include the White River, Lummi, Skagit, Skigwamish, Snohomish, Nisqually, Tulalip, Chehalis, Cowlitz, Skilloots, and Cathlapooties, later called the Lewis River people.”
In 1830, George Simpson said, “Nearly all the furs got now at this place (mouth of the Columbia) pass through the hands of three chiefs or principal Indians viz. Concomely king or chief of the Chinooks at Point George, Casseno Chief of a tribe or band settled nearly opposite Belle Vue Point (near Vancouver) and Schannaway (Scanewa) the Cowlitch Chief.”
Scanewa helped David Douglas by giving him some roots, dried salmon and a goose.
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Next time: Tyee, Karke & Callipicus, Umtux, Kishkok.
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Roy I. Rochon Wilson was an elected leader of the Cowlitz Tribe for three decades and is the author of more than 30 books, including several histories of the Cowlitz Tribe. He is a retired ordained Methodist minister and current spiritual leader of the tribe. Wilson lives near Winlock.
