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Origin Pre-War Post-War What Outsiders Know The Reality Population Territory and Locations Organization Government, National and Local Justice, Social Control, Punishment Political Factions, Dissent Famous/Infamous Persons Relationships with Other Groups Culture Ethnic Groups, Emigration and Emigration Social Divisions and Castes Religion, Beliefs and Superstition Morality and Values Progress and Failure Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender Education and Language Environment and Agriculture Food Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation Fashion and Appearance Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture Equipment and Resources Economy Science, Medicine and Technology Weapons and Military Equipment Communications Vehicles Aircraft Watercraft

 

(this information is gained second-hand by team R54, from the River Folk and the People's Army. It may be incorrect and is certainly incomplete).

 

     A tribal people, they consider themselves the descendants of the Chinook tribe (although their ancestry is largely caucasian). Their symbol is a fish (technically it's a salmon, but few outsiders can recognize the stylized depiction).

Origin

 

Pre-War

 

     Native Americans and residents of local communities on the Olympic Peninsula.

 

Post-War

     More to come ...

 

What Outsiders Know

     A very isolationist, conservation-minded community on the west coast of Washington.

 

The Reality

     More to come ...

 

Population

     More to come ...

 

Territory and Locations

     They are strongest in the Olympic Peninsula, but have gradually spread south to the Columbia River.

 

• Chinook:  the capital. Built on the ruins of Aberdeen, Washington. Population, 600.

• Eagle Point:  a small village about 30 kilometers northeast of Chinook. It is the center of Chinook religious belief.

   

Organization

 

 

Government, National and Local

     More to come ...

 

Justice, Social Control, Punishment

     The Blood Hunters serve as scouts and enforcers, when such is called for.

     More to come ...

 

Political Factions, Dissent

     More to come ...

 

Famous/Infamous Persons

 

     The current chief of all the villages is named Na-Chook. He's a skilled hunter and craftsman.

 

Relationships with Other Groups

 

     The Chinook are closely allied with the Mountain Walkers -- many Walkers were born to a Chinook parent, or apprenticed from a Chinook village.

     The Tillamook Trading Company carries on a regular, but very careful and limited, trade with the Chinook. In theory, the River Folk should get along with the Chinook; but some personality conflicts have prevented any but the most formal and guarded contacts.

     There are several small tribes in western Washington who don't consider themselves to be Chinook, but are essentially branches of this society (with minor variations as noted).

 

• Lelooska:  a xenophobic group living in the forests of the Cascade range, north of the Columbia River (in what used to be the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. They wear masks and frightening armor. Even the Chinook have trouble meeting with these people peacefully.
  

• Makah:   fishermen and whalers; they use modern technology, including motorboats and rifles. Their villages are entirely along the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula, along the Straits. The Makah get along reasonably well with the Chinook.
  

• Nootka:  based on Vancouver Island, the Nootka are skilled fisherman, but also launch raids across the Straits, taking slaves and booty. They use primitive weapons, and use large 40-man canoes to cross the Straits. Neither the Makah nor the Chinook like the Nootka; they do trade slaves to various obscure groups along the Canadian coast.    
  

 

Culture

 

Ethnic Groups, Emigration and Emigration

 

     More to come ...

 

Social Divisions and Castes

     More to come ...

 

Religion, Beliefs and Superstition

     Mutation, or illnesses that might look like mutation, generally result in the death of the mutant.

 

Morality and Values

     More to come ...

 

Progress and Failure

 

     More to come ...

 

Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender

     More to come ...

 

Education and Language

     Each community speaks an accented version of Chinook. In addition, there exists a trade language, Chinook Jargon, also known as Chinook Wawa, or just the Wawa.

  

Environment and Agriculture

     More to come ...

 

Food

     More to come ...

 

Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation

     More to come ...

 

Fashion and Appearance

     More to come ...

 

Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture

 

     More to come ...

 

Equipment and Resources

 

Economy

     The Chinook use a gift economy; people with lots of 'stuff' prove their greatness by giving away lots of stuff. In theory, destroying or wasting stuff is also proof of greatness, but a strong conservationist spirit prevents all but the crankiest Chinook from being very destructive.

 

Science, Medicine and Technology

     They don't use much that they can't make in their villages.

 

Weapons and Military Equipment

     Bows, spears, knives, and so forth. They are skilled at making traps and deadfalls.

 

Communications

     More to come ...

 

Vehicles

     None of that; they don't even use horses.

 

Aircraft

     None.

 

Watercraft

     Canoes:  each canoe has a gender -- only men may row a male canoe, and only women may row a female canoe.

• large ocean canoe:  up to 11 meters long, 2 meters beam, 350 kg empty weight, displacement at full safe load about 3 tons, with a dozen paddles.

• medium ocean canoe:  7.5 meters long, 1,3 meters beam, 105 kg empty weight, displacement at full safe load about 2 tons, has eight paddles.
  

• small ocean canoe:  6.5 meters long, 1.2 meters beam, 80 kg empty weight, displacement at full safe load about 1 ton, has six paddles.

• freshwater canoes tend to be smaller; fishing canoes are smaller still. Some of these are dugouts. Ocean canoes can certainly navigate freshwater, but the freshwater canoes aren't taken out to sea.