They were active participants in the fur-trade economy of the region, trading horses, food, and information with the various European and American enterprises that operated in the Columbia Plateau area.

By 1814, the Walla Walla had been in sustained contact with fur-trade personnel for several years.

They knew the trade, they knew many of the traders, and they had their own complex set of interests in the relationships that the trade created.

When Marie arrived at or near the Columbia River, the Walla Walla provided her with shelter and care.

Some accounts describe her as snow-blind toward the end of the journey, a condition caused by prolonged exposure to reflected sunlight on snow without adequate eye protection.