Weighing in at a massive 15.5 tons, the Willamette Meteorite is the largest meteorite ever discovered in the United States. Long before it crossed paths with modern history, it was revered as a sacred cultural symbol called Tomanowos, or 'spirit power’, by the Indigenous Clackamas Chinook people. After changing hands through various commercial disputes in the early 20th century, this celestial giant eventually found a permanent home at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Today, a historic agreement ensures that the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde maintain their deep spiritual connection to the stone even thousands of miles away.
References
American Museum of Natural History. (n.d.). The Willamette Meteorite - t’əmanəwas. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/the-universe/planets/planetary-impacts/willamette-meteorite-t%C9%99man%C9%99was
WillametteMeteorite.com. (n.d.). The Willamette meteorite. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from http://willamettemeteorite.com/