WHAT ABOUT US

 The city of Morton lies in 
 a valley in Washington State.  
 The Cowlitz Indians lived there first 
 along the Cowlitz River.  
 No one is saying if anyone 
 lived there before them, but 
 the Cowlitz could look back later and 
 wonder what happened to them.  
 They hunted the area where 
 the pioneers came to live.  
 They were there when
 the Northern Pacific Railroad 
 obtained part of their land.  
 The Iron Horse – what is this all about?  
 The swamps are drained.  
 Now what do we do for our willow and 
 Service-berry shrubs.  
 How will we make our baskets?
 How will we hunt?  
 Baskets were also made with bear grass, 
 cedar root, horsetail root and cedar bark.  
 They saw the settlers farm their land and 
 later must have wondered what was happening 
 when the trappers came and trapped for 
 the beaver, mink and muskrats to sell to 
 the Hudson Bay Company, which bought furs.  
 They must have known that it was all over for them 
 when the government through the Homestead Act 
 brought many people to the area for “government land”.  
 The Indians moved around the area and 
 eventually were given recognition and a reservation.  
 The missionaries were there, too, 
 assuring them that things would be alright.  
 They may have been gentle people, but 
 still in all how could they not wonder 
 when will this all end.
  
 Stanski
 February 10, 2015 ^