That continuity is at the heart of what the commemoration means to the Chinook Indian Nation. The Chinook Indian Nation descends from five tribes: the Clatsop and Kathlamet in Oregon and the Lower Chinook, Wahkiakum and Willapa in Washington. The Chinook Indian Nation has continued to organize, govern and maintain its connection to its ancestral lands. The U.S. can debate the nature of its relationship with the Chinook Indian Nation, Johnson said. A restored Chinook Indian Nation, he believes, could help bring resources and Indigenous leadership back into decisions affecting the Columbia River region.