Robert Gray supported the eventual developments of Chinook Jargon by being one of the first European explorers to make contact with indigenous peoples along the Pacific Northwest coast, including the Chinook people. His interactions with these native populations helped to facilitate the exchange of linguistic and cultural knowledge, which ultimately contributed to the development of Chinook Jargon as a common trade language in the region. Gray's voyages also helped to establish important trade networks that further solidified the use of Chinook Jargon as a means of communication among different indigenous groups and European settlers.
