Recognizing Tribal Chiefs from the 19th Century

Tribes have their own holidays. As sovereign nations the events and dates significant to the tribes are dates of their establishment, dates of their treaties and date of restoration and termination,and important people. Some events are not necessarily celebratory, like a termination date, or even a date of removal from our homelands to the reservation, but more relevant to the tribe to remember the pain and suffering that tribes have endured during colonization. Beginning in the 1990s, about the time of the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus “happened upon” the Americas, tribal people began working on modifications to the national holidays that seen as huge negatives to Native peoples. Columbus Day was renamed Indigenous People’s Day at the University of Oregon by the native student organizations and celebrated that way with a day of speakers. This project of renaming these holidays is now being picked up by cities like Seattle and Portland.

There is one day that has interested me for years, Presidents’ Day. A collaboration of several president’s birthdays into one day of celebration. Tribes have renamed this day internally as Tribal Chiefs’ or Tribal Leaders’ Day. But in my experience there are few details ever noted about tribal chiefs and leaders. I know we had many of them over the last few centuries in Oregon, but who were they? For a population of Native people hungry for information about Tribal histories, I have composed a list of over 100 such leaders for the Grand Ronde Tribe.

The chiefs listed in the following table are only those who appear in treaties of the tribe or who are well known previous to the reservations with published accounts. The extent of this list is only 19th century. For those leaders of the tribe that deserve listing from the 1870s and into the 20th century we will have to expand the table. In the 1870s the Grand Ronde tribe adopted an elective government and elected representatives of the various tribes to sit on the council. All of the elected leaders from those early councils into the 20th century deserve mention. In 1935 the tribe adopted Indian Reorganization, and a constitution with an elected Business committee. The records from this time are incomplete and need to be assembled. And then there are the Council of the tribe from the 1970s to the present, the Restoration era.

My own family history has many relations to several chiefs and leaders of the Santiam tribe, Captain Santiam, and John B. Hudson. John B Hudson was a leader of the Grand Ronde in the 20th century, the last speaker of Kalapuya. In the 1970s, and probably earlier, Gertrude (Hudson) Mercier was a cultural leader and political leader at Grand Ronde in the restoration era. Several people, aunts, uncles, cousins, in my related families of the Hudson and Mercier lines were elected leaders, traditional chiefs, and cultural leaders in the 19th and 20th centuries.

I hope in the future to add further references to the table.

Chiefs of Grand Ronde Table (incomplete)

Record #	Common Name	Name variants	Title	Tribe/band	Documents signed
1	Kiakuts	Ki-A-kuts, Ki-ac-Kuts, Ki-a-cut (1851)	Head Chief, first Chief Principal Chief (1851)	Tualatin (Qualichah), Wapato Lake, Chehalem Band Tualatin band of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855 Twalaty Treaty April 19,1851
2		Le Medecin, Doctor, La Medicine (1851)	Second Chief	Tualatin band of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855, Twalaty Treaty April 19,1851
3	Wapato Dave	Wapito Dave, Yat-Skaw, or Dave,Yats-kow	Third Chief	Tualatin band of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
4		Kno-tah	Subordinate Chief		Twalaty Treaty April 19,1851
5		Shap-h, or William	First Chief	Yamhill Band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
6		Yah-whos alias Thomas	Principal Chief	Yamhill	Treaty with Yamhill May 2 1851
7		Es to le alias Henry	Subordinate Chief	Yamhill	Treaty with Yamhill May 2 1851
8		Ai-tip alias Antoine	Subordinate Chief	Yamhill	Treaty with Yamhill May 2 1851
9	Peter Sulkey	Peter Sulkey (Shelkeah, David)	Second Chief	Yamhill Band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
10		Cha-ah, or Jesse	Third Chief	Yamhill Band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
11		Dabo, or Jim, Daboe (1851)	First Chief, Principal Chief	Cheluk-i-ma-uke band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855, Luckamiute Treaty May 2 1851
12		Sco-la-quit, or John, Scho-la-que (1851)	Second Chief subordinate	Cheluk-i-ma-uke band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855, Luckamiute Treaty May 2 1851
13		Yah-kow or Kompetine, Yoh-kow (1851)	Third Chief subordinate	Cheluk-i-ma-uke band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855, Luckamiute Treaty May 2 1851
14		Ah-mo, or George	First Chief	Chep-en-a-pho or Marysville band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
15		Himpher, or Hubbard	Second Chief	Chep-en-a-pho or Marysville band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
16		Oh-no, or Tim	Third Chief	Chep-en-a-pho or Marysville band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
17		Ma-mah-mo, or Charley Peter	First Chief	Chem-a-pho or Maddy band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
18		Quineflat, or Ben	Third Chief	Chem-a-pho or Maddy band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
19		Cha-che-clue, or Tom	Second Chief	Chem-a-pho or Maddy band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
20		Luck-a-ma-foo, or Antoine,	First Chief	Che-lam-e-la or Long Tom band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
21		Hoo-til, or Charley	Second Chief	Che-lam-e-la or Long Tom band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
22		Qui-a-qua-ty, Quia-quaty, Quai-eck-e-te (1851)	First Chief Principal Chief	Mo-lal-la band of Mo-lal-las	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855, Treaty with Mollalle May 6, 1851
23	Chief Yelkas	Yalkus	Second Chief	Mo-lal-la band of Mo-lal-las	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855, Treaty with Mollalle May 6, 1851
24		Kow-ka-ma, or Long Hair, Kaw-ka-ma	Third Chief	Mo-lal-la band of Mo-lal-las	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
25		Crooked Finger	Subordinate Chief	Mollalle Tribe	Treaty with Mollalle May 6, 1851
26		Kiles, or Jim	First Chief	Calapooia band of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
27		Kow-ah-tough, or John	Second Chief	Calapooia band of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
28		Anta-, An-ta	First Chief	Winnefelly and Mohawk bands	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
29		Quil-al-la, or John	Second Chief	Winnefelly and Mohawk bands	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
30		Mequah or Dick		Winnefelly and Mohawk bands	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
31		Yack-a-tee, or Sam, ,	First Chief	Tekopa band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
32		To-phor, or Jim Brown	Second Chief	Tekopa band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
33		Hal-la-be, or Doctor, Hal-la-le		Tekopa band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
34		Pulk-tah	Second Chief	Chafan band	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
35	Chief Tumulth	Tum-walth	First Chief	Wah-lal-la band of Tum-waters Cascades tribe	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
36	Obanahah	O-ban-a-hah	Second Chief	Wah-lal-la band of Tum-waters Cascades Tribe	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
37	Chief John Wachino	Watch-a-no, Chief John Wachino	First Chief	Clack-a-mas tribe	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
38		Te-ap-i-nick	Second Chief	Clack-a-mas tribe	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
39		Wal-lah-pi-coto, Wal-lah-pi-cate	Third Chief	Clack-a-mas tribe	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
40	Oregon City John	Lallak, Lal-bick or John, Oregon City John		Clow-we-wal-la or Willamette Tum-water band;	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
41		Cuck-a-man-na or David		Clow-we-wal-la or Willamette Tum-water band;	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
42	Tiacan	Tow-ye-col-la, or Louis	First Chief	Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855, Santiam Treaty of April 16, 1851
43	Joseph Hutchins	Yelk-ma, or Jo, Alquema, Joseph Hutchins, Joseph Hudson		Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855, Santiam Treaty of April 16, 1851
44		La-ham, or Tom,	Third Chief	Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
45	Joseph Sangretta	Joseph Sanegertta, Joseph Sangretta, Senegertta		Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
46		Pullican, Pul-i-can		Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
47		Te-na, or Kiles,		Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
48		Pul-kup-li-ma, or John, Pul-kup-ti-ma		Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
49		Sallaf, or Silas		Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
50		Hoip-ke-nek, or Jack		Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
51		Yepta, Yeptah		Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
52		Sat-invose or James,		Santiam bands of Calapooias	Treaty with the Kalapuya Etc. 1855
53		So-pham		Santiam	Santiam Treaty of April 16, 1851
54	Chief Coastno	Coast-nah (1851)	Principal Chief	Santiam Band of Moolalle	Santiam Moolalle Treaty of May 7 1851
55		Chasta Tom		Shasta or Chasta Costa
56		Wakaiisisse		Columbia River
57		James Selquia (Selqia)	Sub-chief	Wapato Band
58		Shmohult		Klamath
59		LeSekes		Klamath
60	Chief Kiesno	Chief Keosnose Kiesno, Cassino, Ciasno,	Principal Chief	Columbia River Multnomah, Sauvie Island	Numerous accounts 1805-1848
61	Polk Scott	Polk Scott		Yoncalla	Shaman, Organizer of Numerous Camp meetings in the Willamette Valley, including Pleasant Hill, and Cottage Grove
62	Chief Jo	Chief Jo, Aps-er-ka-har, Jo-aps-er-ka-har, Aps-so-ka-hah, Horse-rider, or Jo	Head Chief principal chief	Takelma	Agreement with Rogue River 1853, Rogue River 1853, Amendment 1853, Rogue river treaty 1854
63	Sam	To-qua-he-ar, Sam To-qua-he-ar, Ko-ko-ha-wah, Wealthy, or Sam,	Subordinate Chief Second chief	Takelma	Agreement with Rogue River 1853, Rogue River 1853, Rogue river treaty 1854, Itchkadowa, Applegate Band of Rogue River Indians (applegate Rpt)
64	Chief John	Te-cum-tom, Elk Killer, or John, Ana-chah-a-rah, John Tyee John	Fourth Chief	Takelma Shasta Athapaskan	Rogue River 1853 Rogue River 1854 Principal Chief of the battle of Big Bend
65		Chol-cul-tah, Joquah Trader, or George		Takelma	Rogue river 1853, Rogue river treaty 1854
66		Jim Ana-cha-a-rah	Subordinate Chief	Takelma	Agreement with Rogue River 1853, Rogue River 1853, Rogue river treaty 1854
67		Lympe		Takelma	Rogue River 1853
68		Sambo	Third Chief	Takelma	Rogue river treaty 1854
69		Te-wah-hait, or Elijah		Takelma	Rogue river treaty 1854
70		Telum-whah, or Bill		Takelma	Rogue river treaty 1854
71		Hart-tish, or Applegate John		Takelma	Rogue river treaty 1854
72		Qua-chis, or Jake		Takelma	Rogue river treaty 1854
73		Tom		Takelma	Rogue river treaty 1854
74		Henry		Takelma	Rogue river treaty 1854
75	Louis Nepisank	Napesa, or Louis, Na-pe-se, Louis Nepissank, Louis la Pe Cinque	Head Chief	Umpqua Tribe	Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854, Treaty with the Molala 1855
76		Peter, or Injice , Peter McCoy (McKay?)	Second Chief	Umpqua tribe	Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854, Treaty with the Molala 1855
77		Chief George, Cheen-len-ten or George	Head Chief	Umpqua Tribes	Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854, Treaty with the Molala 1855
78		Tas-yah, or General Jackson			Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854
79		Nessick			Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854, Treaty with the Molala 1855
80		Et-na-ma or William, Billy (Molala?)			Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854, Treaty with the Molala 1855
81		Nas-yah or John			Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854
82		Absaquil or Chenook			Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854
83		Jo		Yoncalla	Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854
84		Tom	Chief	Yoncalla	Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854
85	Chief Halo	Halo, Halito Cama-phee-ma, Fearn	Head Chief	Yoncalla
86	Chief Bogus	Chief Bogus		Umpqua	Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya 1854, Treaty with the Molala 1855
87		Quin-ti-oo-san, or Bighead	principal chief	Cow Creek band of Umpqua Indians	Treaty with the Umpqua- Cow Creek Band, 1853
88		My-n-e-letta, or Jackson	Subordinate Chief	Cow Creek band of Umpqua Indians	Treaty with the Umpqua- Cow Creek Band, 1853
89		Tom, son of Quin-ti-oo-san,	Subordinate Chief	Cow Creek band of Umpqua Indians	Treaty with the Umpqua- Cow Creek Band, 1853
90		Tom, Tal-sa-pe-er		Cow Creek band of Umpqua Indians	Treaty with the Umpqua- Cow Creek Band, 1853
91		Steencoggy		Molala	Treaty with the Molala 1855
92		Lattchie		Molala	Treaty with the Molala 1855
93		Dugings		Molala	Treaty with the Molala 1855
94		Counisnase		Molala	Treaty with the Molala 1855
95		Cars		Calapooia or Umpqua?	Treaty with the Molala 1855
96		Jes-tul-tut, or Little Chief		Quil-si-eton band, of the Chasta tribe of Indians,	Treaty with the Chasta etc. 1854
97		Ko-ne-che-quot, or Bill		Na-hel-ta band of the Chasta tribe of Indians,	Treaty with the Chasta etc. 1854
98		Se-sel-che-tel, or Salmon Fisher, Se-sel-chetl		Cow-nan-ti-co, bands of Scotons,	Treaty with the Chasta etc. 1854
99		Kul-ki-am-i-na, or Bush-head, Kul-ke-am-ina, Bushland		Sa-cher-i-ton, band of Scotons	Treaty with the Chasta etc. 1854
100		Te-po-kon-ta, or Sam		Na-al-ye band of Scotons	Treaty with the Chasta etc. 1854
101		Jo	Chief	Grave Creek band of Umpquas	Treaty with the Chasta etc. 1854
102		Bas-ta-shin		Sa-cher-i-ton, band of Scotons	Treaty with the Chasta etc. 1854
103	Chief Tomaquin	Tomaquin	Principal Chief	Cascades	Came from the Clatsop
104	Capt. Santiam	Santiam, Capt. Santiam,	Principal Chief	Santiam Kalapuya	Albany area, allotments at Grand Ronde.

I noticed for #80, you had “(Mollala?)” I think that’s probably right, because I actually found this because I was trying to find “Tyee William” who was chief of a band of Umpqua that my 3rd great grandfather, Nicholas Day, had defended from an attack in the Fall of 1855 by himself and the “Clayton Boys,” who were two brothers who lived near him, against a large group of hot and bothered settlers, who came down wanting to attack them during the Rogue River Wars, but my grandfather said the Umpqua were very peaceful people, and not involved with the recent skirmishes, so when he heard the settlers were coming, he and his two neighbors decided to stop them. His story which was published decades later in a news article said the band was located on the Umpqua river near its junction with the Calapooia creek, about three-quarters of a mile below his house. I also found a disbursement ledger from the US Bureau of Indian Affairs, signed off by Superintendent, Joel Palmer, for a payment disbursement to my grandfather in the quarter ending December 31, 1855 for, “subsistence issued to Mollala Indians.” And as far as I am aware, my 3G grandfather only had really been involved with this one particular band of Indians since their settlement was just a little ways from his house, so it must be the same one. I am just excited that I found this though, as I think this is the only place I have been able to find any record of “Tyee William” that was the chief of the Umpqua that was probably the one my 3G grandfather was friends with, so was very pleased to find this mention of him here. I have always been so curious about them, since my grandfather was apparently very fond of them and valued the friendship he had during the time he was neighbors with them until the government said they had to leave, so thank you so much for providing this information for me to be able to find. It’s greatly appreciated.

6 thoughts on “Recognizing Tribal Chiefs from the 19th Century”

Gainny Mapes

October 17, 2015 at 5:51 PMs Log in to Reply

Thank you for this information. I really enjoy your writing.
Pingback:Short Biographies of a Few of the Most Important Chiefs of Western Oregon | ndnhistoryresearch
Mariah Tumulth

December 12, 2016 at 1:15 AMs Log in to Reply

It would be nice to see some pictures to go with names. Tumulth is my Grandfather. I know there was at least one picture tooken of him.
1. David G. Lewis' Ethnohistory Research, LLC
  
  December 12, 2016 at 1:35 AMs Log in to Reply
  
  I dont have all the pictures yet all i have for Tumulth is a painting. thanks
Lisa Huffman

November 4, 2018 at 4:19 AMs Log in to Reply

I noticed for #80, you had “(Mollala?)” I think that’s probably right, because I actually found this because I was trying to find “Tyee William” who was chief of a band of Umpqua that my 3rd great grandfather, Nicholas Day, had defended from an attack in the Fall of 1855 by himself and the “Clayton Boys,” who were two brothers who lived near him, against a large group of hot and bothered settlers, who came down wanting to attack them during the Rogue River Wars, but my grandfather said the Umpqua were very peaceful people, and not involved with the recent skirmishes, so when he heard the settlers were coming, he and his two neighbors decided to stop them. His story which was published decades later in a news article said the band was located on the Umpqua river near its junction with the Calapooia creek, about three-quarters of a mile below his house. I also found a disbursement ledger from the US Bureau of Indian Affairs, signed off by Superintendent, Joel Palmer, for a payment disbursement to my grandfather in the quarter ending December 31, 1855 for, “subsistence issued to Mollala Indians.” And as far as I am aware, my 3G grandfather only had really been involved with this one particular band of Indians since their settlement was just a little ways from his house, so it must be the same one. I am just excited that I found this though, as I think this is the only place I have been able to find any record of “Tyee William” that was the chief of the Umpqua that was probably the one my 3G grandfather was friends with, so was very pleased to find this mention of him here. I have always been so curious about them, since my grandfather was apparently very fond of them and valued the friendship he had during the time he was neighbors with them until the government said they had to leave, so thank you so much for providing this information for me to be able to find. It’s greatly appreciated.
1. Ethnohistory Research, LLC | David G. Lewis, PhD
  
  November 4, 2018 at 4:54 AMs Log in to Reply
  
  For the Table, the majority of the chiefs mentioned are direct from the treaties, there may be more information about him. Usually when they were removed to the reservation they would change their names to something more American.