Does "ahikia" = hyqua?

[Dave Robertson]

I've been looking over Charles Wilkes' "Life in Oregon Country before the 
Emigration", a popular narration from his point of view based on the 
famous Wilkes Expedition.  (Which Horatio Hale took part in, resulting in 
one of our best documents of Jargon.)

Wilkes mentions in connection with the Oregon City area Chinookans that 
they highly valued dentalia shells, called "ahikia".

Is this a version of hyqua / haykwa?

Looks like it's got the Chinookan gender prefix a- on it.  

Googling was no help, for once!

Thanks for any ideas.

--Dave R

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