I full agree that this is Indian George for a couple of reasons. If you look at his eye it appears to be somewhat filmy and we know that in his last years that he was blind. Plus there is the cane that he had to have to get around with.

I don't know whether he is fishing or washing his feet. Also trying to determine what that stick is for that is sitting upright.

Grand historic photo to say the least.....

charlott on 14th August 2013 @ 7:07am

Charlott, the stick is probably his fishing pole.
I wonder what became of his cane after he passed away.

Does HR delta refer to the mouth of the HR? Were there rocks there? Or would this be more in the HR itself?

Speaking of can of worms. That is what you could be opening with this photo Arthur .

But, it is a treasure and I bet those who knew George would look at it with fondness.
From the look of his lower leg, it looks like he might have suffered from diabetes as so many Native Americans do.

l.e. on 14th August 2013 @ 7:47am

It sure looks like he's holding onto a fishing line, and I'd bet that the rest of the line is wrapped around that vertical stick.

Rawhyde on 14th August 2013 @ 7:51am

Scary lookin' fellow

Judy on 14th August 2013 @ 8:05am

Grew up in Siletz, OR. When 5 years old and sister and friends were off to school, I befriended an old Indian named Teuton-no idea on spelling-and spent countless hours and days following him around. Never heard of discrimination. The man had the patience of a saint. He talked to me and answered questions for hours. I never saw him angry with me or anybody. His wife Pearl was a Modoc and would tell stories about being very hungry when a little girl and living in the lava beds during the Modoc Indian Wars. Maybe the culture class was inevitable but whenever I think about it I end up the same place. Very sad.

Buzz on 14th August 2013 @ 8:38am

Any idea who took this picture and the date?

Thanks for that sharing Buzz.

jnel on 14th August 2013 @ 10:21am

We don't know the photographer or exact year, but it was in the collection donated by Samuel Blythe's family. Blythe was a Civil War veteran and long time editor of the Hood River Glacier newspaper. His collection includes a small cache of pictures of Native Americans at Hood River-- some of the few such images which I can readily confirm as being taken locally. I'm saving them for a special week this fall.

Arthur on 14th August 2013 @ 10:34am

According to Oregon Geographic Names, as per pioneer resident historian Langille, our Chinidere Mountain near Wahtum Lake is named for him, last reigning chief of the Wascos.

spinsur on 14th August 2013 @ 11:45am

Compiled by Mrs. D.M. Coon

GEORGE TOMILECK CHINIDERE

A pathetic but familiar figure, old Indian George, has traveled our streets for many years. Almost blind, he manages, with the aid of his cane, to reach the homes of the white people who have befriended him.
His appreciation of their friendship is very marked and he is happy to have them talk with him. At the pioneer Reunion, in 1915, he was the guest of Hon. E.L. Smith and was literally swamped with good things to eat, but he came off more than conqueror, saying, "Heap good dinner, but no pie". Mt. Chinidere of Hood River county was named for the father of Indian George, our weather prophet.

From the Portland Journal:

Hood River, Oregon, June 25, 1917

Indian George Tomileck Chinidere, reputed to be the oldest Indian of the Columbia River tribe and said to be near 100 years old, was found dead near this city Sunday morning beside the railroad track of the O.W.R.N. where the body had been cut in twain by a train.
George had a bank account and signed cheeks by thumb print. The funeral services were attended by several hundred whites and Indians front the reservation who are here picking strawberries. Rev. E.H. Strongbrake, pastor of the U.E. church preached the funeral sermon."

l.e. on 14th August 2013 @ 2:15pm

Like you Buzz, I had the opportunity to spend some of my youth with a very elderly Indian lady. She had the soft spoken patience of a saint.
She had a fishing stick just like George's. Her long, brown, nimble fingers could catch a fish, pick berries, skin a beaver, sew moccasins and make jam from the tiny little wild strawberries that she picked.
She knew what I was thinking or where I was going before I knew.
Unlike many Indians during that time, she liked to have her photo taken without fear of it robbing her of her spirit. But she had many strange stories about a spirit.
And, like you, I feel sadness, because I don't know an answer for the two cultures.

l.e. on 14th August 2013 @ 2:22pm

Last night Scott Cook gave an enjoyable and interesting talk about some of the history of the Col. Gorge. He spent some time talking about 15 Mile Creek, east of The Dalles.
An Indian lady told me that when she was a little girl the family would camp at the mouth of Fifteen mile creek and catch Lampreys.

l.e. on 14th August 2013 @ 2:27pm

What a wonderful picture and I so enjoyed all the comments and memories shared!

Jill Stanford on 14th August 2013 @ 4:10pm

When my grandmother was a child and lived at Biggs she said she used to sit and watch the Indians heading down river to Celilo Falls. The path they had used for probably hundreds of years ran right near their house. They used to camp on the creek in Spanish Hollow also. My great-grandfather traded with them as he was self taught in the Chinook jargon. He owned the ferry, so took them back and forth across. The charge for an Indian on foot was 25 cents....Have it documented.

Charlott on 15th August 2013 @ 7:08am

I never knew about this website until recently, it is wonderful. My (Wasco) tribe lived for centuries at Hood River. Chinedere is our historic Wasco Chief and my family, his descendants, live at Warm Springs where they were placed after the 1855 Treaty. I will definitely visit this website often to share what I am able to.

Ginger on 21st January 2015 @ 8:25pm