Tsin-is-tum, also known as Jennie Michel (c. 1814–1905,

Clatsop The Clatsop is a small tribe of Chinookan-speaking Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. In the early 19th century they inhabited an area of the northwestern coast of present-day Oregon from the mouth of the Columbia ...

), was a Native American

folklorist Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currenc ...

based on the Pacific Coast of Oregon. Called "Last of the

s" at the time of her death in 1905, Tsin-is-tum was much photographed. She provided

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people w ...

for scholars of the indigenous peoples of the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

region of the United States. Among her accounts was of family members who interacted with members of the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...

in the winter of 1805-1806; she helped historians to locate salt works they had used.

Biography

Tsin-is-tum (known to some during her lifetime as "Jennie Michel") was a

woman born about 1814 to a family on the coast of what is today part of the American state of

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

. She was the daughter of a woman named Wah-ne-ask, who was an eyewitness of the

that visited the

in 1805 and 1806.Tsin-is-tum
"Testimony of Tsin-is-tum to the Oregon Historical Society,"
in ''Proceedings of the Oregon Historical Society, Including the Quarterly Meetings of the Board of Directors, and the Second Annual Meeting of the Members of the Society, Held December 15, 1900.'' Salem, OR: W.H. Leeds, State Printer, 1901; appendix A, pp. 22-23. The name of her father has been lost to history. He was killed in a bombardment of her village by a warship, probably in the spring 1829.Cain Allen
"Tsin-is-tum (Jennie Michel),"
The Oregon History Project,

Oregon Historical Society The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preserv ...

, 2004. Tsin-is-tum was recognized by historians associated with the

as a source of folklore of the Clatsop people, as well as oral history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. She had family members who had engaged with the

Anglo-America Anglo-America most often refers to a region in the Americas in which English is the main language and British culture and the British Empire have had significant historical, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural impact."Anglo-America", vol. 1, Micr ...

explorers during their 1805-1806 sojourn on the northwest coast of today's state of

. In addition to her mother's recollections, Tsin-is-tum learned from her uncle Ka-ta-ta about his experiences of hunting

elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The com ...

with the explorers. At the time of contact with

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, wi ...

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...

, and their associates, the total population of the Clatsop people had plummeted to as few as 200 people, in the estimation of the Anglo-America visitors. They had suffered high mortality in the late 18th century due to new infectious diseases introduced into the population through contact with outsiders. Greetings from Astoria, Oregon (15397870696)

Greetings from Astoria, Oregon (15397870696)

Tsin-is-tum married the last chief of the Nehalem people, Wah-tat-kum. The couple lived along the Oregon coast between the outlets of the

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

and Nehalem rivers until his death. She later married again, this time to Michel Martineaux (also written as "Michelle Martineau"), a man of French Canadian descent and a retired steam-boat captain and sailing master. Her alternative name, Jennie Michel was derived from this relationship. The couple lived in the area of

Seaside, Oregon Seaside is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The name Seaside is derived from ''Seaside House'', a historic summer resort built in the 1870s by railroad magnate Ben Holladay. The city's population ...

. In June 1900, Tsin-is-tum provided a statement to a committee of the Oregon Historical Society. She described the story of her life and helped identify the location of salt works used by the Lewis and Clark party during their stay in Oregon in the winter of 1805-1806. At the time, she was believed to be one of the last three surviving full-blooded Clatsops.L.B. Cox, "Appendix A," ''Proceedings of the Oregon Historical Society, Including the Quarterly Meetings of the Board of Directors, and the Second Annual Meeting of the Members of the Society, Held December 15, 1900.'' Salem, OR: W.H. Leeds, State Printer, 1901; pg. 16. Tsin-is-tum died in March 1905 at the age of approximately 89. At the time of her death, she was referred to as "the last of the Clatsops" — perhaps the last surviving full-blooded member of that Native American tribe.

References

Works

"Testimony of Tsin-is-tum to the Oregon Historical Society,"
in ''Proceedings of the Oregon Historical Society, Including the Quarterly Meetings of the Board of Directors, and the Second Annual Meeting of the Members of the Society, Held December 15, 1900.'' Salem, OR: W.H. Leeds, State Printer, 1901; appendix A, pp. 22–23.

Biography

References

Works

Further reading