ee ' s ▁newspaper , ▁the ▁W en atch ee ▁World , ▁but ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁in ▁common ▁use ▁elsewhere . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre histor ic ▁era ▁Ar che ological ▁dig s ▁in ▁nearby ▁East ▁W en atch ee ▁have ▁un cover ed ▁Clo vis ▁stone ▁and ▁b one ▁tools ▁d ating ▁back ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 1 , 0 0 0 ▁years , ▁indicating ▁that ▁people ▁migr ating ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁Ice ▁Age ▁spent ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁W en atch ee ▁area . ▁The ▁Columbia ▁River ▁and ▁nearby ▁mountains ▁and ▁s age br ush ▁ste pp es ▁provided ▁an ▁am ple ▁supply ▁of ▁food . ▁Clo vis ▁points ▁are ▁on ▁display ▁at ▁the ▁W en atch ee ▁Valley ▁Museum ▁& ▁Cultural ▁Center ▁and ▁research ▁find ings ▁are ▁available ▁through ▁the ▁W en atch ee ▁World . ▁ ▁Ind igen ous ▁villages ▁and ▁early ▁sett lers ▁Several ▁ind igen ous ▁villages ▁existed ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁prior ▁to ▁and ▁during ▁Ang lo ▁American ▁expl oration . ▁The ▁village ▁Nik wik wi ' est ku ▁was ▁a ▁fish ing ▁and ▁gather ing ▁camp ▁located ▁in ▁present - day ▁dow nt own ▁W en atch ee . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 1 , ▁North ▁West ▁Company ▁survey or ▁David ▁Thompson ▁encountered ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Native ▁American ▁hors emen ▁at ▁W en atch ee ▁and ▁was ▁invited ▁into ▁a ▁village ▁with ▁h uts , ▁the ▁largest ▁meas uring ▁ 2 0 9 ▁feet ▁long . ▁Fur ▁trad ers ▁document ▁friendly ▁relations ▁through ▁the ▁mid ▁