Agent McClane struggles with Native Culture, Grand Ronde 1886

  Into the last decades of the 19th century, the Indian agents at Grand Ronde struggled with many aspects of assimilating the tribes to American culture. In fact, there was a meeting in 1871 in Salem, at the First Methodist Church with all the tribal leaders in Oregon to convince them to give up their Indian doctors and begin accepting white doctors. The tribal culture, however, was persistent, and when the federal government failed to help the tribes for more than 20 years, without funding and effective services, the tribes had really no reason to convert to white American culture. … Continue reading Agent McClane struggles with Native Culture, Grand Ronde 1886

Selquia’s Charges Against Indian Agent McClane At Grand Ronde

  Some letters from the Natives at Grand Ronde are remarkable in the details they reveal of how the people are being treated by the Indian Agents. Shilequa’s (Selquia) letter of 1888 is one such letter, describing in great detail, and with awareness of the likelihood that the Agent is breaking the rules, of many of the acts the agent is taking to enrich himself and take advantage of Indian labor on the reservation. The letter’s frank character also suggests that Selquia is not afraid of consequences of his letter, should the agent get wind of it. Selquia was a … Continue reading Selquia’s Charges Against Indian Agent McClane At Grand Ronde