This month, Columbia River Maritime Museum is opening a new permanent exhibit, entitled ntsayka ilíi ukuk, or “This is Our Place,” that celebrates the maritime traditions, heritage, and culture of the Chinook Indian Nation (CIN).

The exhibit includes about 20 photographs taken by Amiran White, a documentary photographer who is originally from the United Kingdom but now based out of the Pacific Northwest. Collectively, they give viewers a glimpse into the life of the Chinook people, who have inhabited the Pacific Northwest since time immemorial. “This is Our Place” also includes a special video welcome from CIN Chairman Tony Johnson and other members of the tribe.

White began building her relationship with the Chinook Nation about eight years ago. Over the time that she’s worked with them, she’s accumulated a deep archive of images that document the lives of Chinookans in the Columbia River region. Some of the images feature group activities and ceremonies, such as the inter-tribal Canoe Journey and the First Salmon Ceremony. Some are more personal and intimate of individuals and families. White feels grateful she’s had the opportunity to get to know tribal members and given access to document their traditions and present-day lifestyles in this way.

“It’s such an amazing honor to be able to be doing what I’m doing right now,” she says. “It’s a wonderful community, and it’s been great fun working with them.”

Although she occasionally works in other styles, White has a strong affinity for documentary photography, which she sees as “the most honest of styles in a way.”

“It’s really about telling a story,” she says.

White put on a similar exhibit at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco, Washington, last year. That sparked conversations between Johnson and our executive director, Bruce Jones, about collaborating on a show at the maritime museum to feature White’s work.

This will be the first time the museum has been able to share about Chinook maritime traditions and culture—past and present—from an Indigenous perspective, as the tribe continues to pursue federal recognition. We look forward to permanently maintaining a Chinook presence at the museum moving forward.

When she first learned about the Chinook Nation’s efforts to reacquire recognition, White “felt compelled to try to tell that story in a manner that maybe a few more people might pay attention to.”

“So many people look at Indigenous nations and think of past history, and sort of run with a very romanticized versions in their head of what they think a Native American is,” she says. “My whole goal is to show the Chinook Nation is here now and thriving in the present, in this moment. They’re your neighbors.”

She hopes the exhibit will give museum visitors an opportunity to invest time in learning about the history of the area—which isn’t complete without the Chinook tribe and the fact that the Columbia River region is their homeland. Their way of life is deeply tied to this place, where the river meets the Pacific Ocean. For example, canoes are a significant part of the culture, used for traveling through the area’s rivers, estuaries, streams, and the open ocean. The Chinook functionally served as the earliest “bar pilots,” going out in canoes to safely help larger boats pass over the bar.

“It’s important for people learn something about the first peoples of the area and take a moment to see where they’ve come from and where they are now,” White says. “The Chinook have been here the whole time.”

She adds that while the exhibit itself is not specific to the tribe’s ongoing fight for recognition, “you can’t talk about the Chinook Nation without mentioning that, because it’s a huge part of their world.”

“This is Our Place” is opening to the public mid-September. The Columbia River Maritime Museum is located at 1792 Marine Dr. in Astoria. To learn more about the exhibit and its opening, visit our website or call us at (503) 325-2323.