File:"T’alapas” is the Chinuk Wawa word for “coyote.” It is pronounced “t’ALL-uh-pus.” The apostrophe in t’alapas represents a (196582aa-828c-4aab-8de5-776865b63335).jpg

Photo of a coyote, accompanied by the word "t'alapas" and its translation.

"T’alapas” is the Chinuk Wawa word for “coyote.” It is pronounced “t’ALL-uh-pus.” The apostrophe in t’alapas represents a glottal stop – a sound like the break in the English word “uh-oh.” Coyote is an important figure in the stories and spirituality of the Indigenous people of the Lower Columbia River. He could be cunning and wise, but also foolish and sneaky. In Clackamas Chinook stories, Coyote explains the seasons and the resources that come with each season, and teaches humans how to fish for salmon in the winter. Coyote also created both the Clatsop Plains to provide a prairie for gathering roots, and the Willamette Falls as a place for catching salmon.