Places called “Tenas Illihee / Tenas Illahe(e)”
The Chinook Jargon term for ‘island’, tənəs-íliʔi, has a literal meaning of ‘little land’.
Tenas Illihee can also mean ‘child land’, and it’s the name of a Siletz tribal childcare center
(image credit: Winnie)
Here are some documented finds of it, in print, all referring to Washington Territory (and later, State).
The accident occurred at 11:40 A.
M., while the boat was westward bound,
off Tenas Illihee, near Cathlamet.
She had run one of the required two
hours at full speed, and was making
about 23½ knots per hour, under a
steam pressure of 250 pounds.
— from “Seven Men Killed”, in the Aberdeen (WA) Herald of October 27, 1898, page 3, column 3
The Seafoam
has to remain at the foot of Cottonwood
drift, as there appears to be some bad
men around the lower part of Tenas
Illahee island, and if the steamer was
away, some fishermen would probably
be shot.
— from “Threw the Fish Overboard”, in the Chehalis (WA) People’s Advocate of June 19, 1896, page 2, column 3
F. M. Warren has had a new seining
ground made at Tenas iliahe island. He
bas had the snags blown out with giant
powder and it is anticipated to be one of
the best points on tha river for seining
purposes.
— from the Seattle (WA) Post-Intelligencer of December 28, 1889, page 2, column 1
You can also easily find this Chinuk Wawa phrase in Oregon newspapers of the same time period.
