Chinook people excelled as traders among native peoples regionally, before they began trading with Europeans, Chinese, and others. As they travelled both the river and the coastline, they carried fish and furs between Native people in the interior, and coastal people through British Columbia into Alaska.

Their expertise in handling canoes in challenging waters allowed the Chinook to develop this farflung trading network. Even seasoned explorers and traders were amazed to see Chinook people paddling through mammoth waves of the river estuary and ocean. Chinook men built river canoes to handle in the currents, with a broad nose and long bow and stern. Ocean canoes were built with additional boards (cutwaters) for maneuvering in the waves, by breaking through rough water.

Chinook trade with Europeans and Americans was obvious to the Corps of Discovery, as they noted some European clothing and items owned by Chinook people. However, Corps members did not recognize that some Chinook possessions were obtained through trading with distant Native peoples. William Clark made note of some ‘Chinook canoes’ and distinctive ‘Chinook basketry hats’ with a knob on top that he had not seen elsewhere. Indeed, Chinook people produced several types of canoes and basketry hats. What Clark didn’t know was that the distinctive whalers’ basketry hats, and one of the types of ocean canoes, had been made by Nuu-chah-nulth peoples on the west coast of Vancouver Island.