The excellent article in the Aug. 16 Bellingham Herald about the Mount Baker climb to commemorate the first ascent in August 1868 I believe mistakenly states that the guides for the 1868 climb were Lummi. Coleman's original published report states: "General M'Kenny, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Washington Territory, kindly placed four trustworthy Indians at my command.... We cannot forget the expertness displayed in many difficulties by Squock and Talum. Squock is son-in-law of Umptlalum, the principal chief of the Nooksak Indians" (Coleman 1869, p.794). Later Coleman states that Squock has a hunting station on the slopes of Mount Baker and that his family lives at Umptlalum's village. Squock and Talum have excellent knowledge of the routes into the mountains surrounding Mount Baker, and they act together as guides. A fifth Indian, one of Uptlalum's hunters, and the two unnamed Indians are mentioned in a passage concerning "poaching on their hunting-ground" in the upper Middle Fork Nooksack River valley. This is in the heart of Nooksack territory, and the passage would only make sense if the men were Nooksack. The approach to Mount Baker is far outside of traditional Lummi territory, although Lummi individuals and families may have visited the area if they had Nooksack relatives. Based on this evidence, one must conclude that the first ascent of Mount Baker had Nooksack Indian guides.

Allan Richardson

Bellingham