An investigation at Grand Ronde and the agent precipitated this meeting of the chiefs. The Indian Agent was asking for them to produce their own food and was demanding half of what they raised to feed the elderly. They produce a long list of problems and other information. The tribes they oversee were much reduced from 1856, and it’s clear the tribes have not been given the allotments they were promised in the treaties. The land is nearly unworkable for agriculture and is low-producing soil. The lack of food and resources is a problem since the beginnings of the reservation. They still do not have guns for hunting, and many of the employees are not very motivated to do their jobs. It is very rare to have a transcript of what people said on the reservation.
RG 75 M2, Rec. of the Oregon Superintendency, 1862
Grand Ronde April 17th 1862; At the meeting of the chiefs on the following
John, Tumwater Chief (Likely John Apperson)
10 in the tribe, Each family has land
Can’t raise enough food could raise enough if had team
has no seed has asked many times for seed
The agent promised seed when it comes
Has nothing to eat and can’t raise anything has nothing to do with
My people are well, am well satisfied with the medical treatment of my family
Thinks the employees have done as well as they could have had nothing to do with
Watcheno, Clackamas Chief (likely Old Wacheno)
My people all here about 30 adults men & all
Some have no land
One ox to the tribe
No seed
Get their food outside
one wagon
Tribe healthy thinks the employee have done the best they could except the Blacksmith, he has some times postponed their work.
Jake- Cowcreeks (Cow Creek Jake)
33 persons in my tribe
Has been two agents here and neither have told him if he could have land for a home nor his tribe
Has asked for land and has not got and don’t want to stay
has no team and never has had
would try to raise grain if has anything to do with
not no team no seed, no farming utensils
Have all been well since this doctor (Dr Miller) has been here but there are two that the Dr. thinks will not live long
Provisions out two months
Have been working round for a subsistence
One cow to the tribe, seven horses
Would like to adopt the habit of the whites but have nothing to start with
Am satisfied with the manner in which the employees have performed their duties
I do not expect them to do when they have nothing to do with
I have as for thing to be done and could not get it there was nothing to do with
Tom and John Chamberlain, Rogue River Chiefs
35 men about
Know how many women about 40 children
Have land for the tribe given by Palmer
Don’t want to stay here but if have to stay we want our divided among us
Have no team
Have one wagon, Borrow oxen of the government
Farm no grain sowed no seed
No ground plowed has not asked for team, knew he could not get one
Wants to go to Rogue River but if had team and seed would put in all the grain he could
Considerable sickness
As far as he knows the employees have done their duty as well as they could in the circumstances
Quakata, Chief of Molallas
14 men 16 women 17 children
Some have land and some have not, most have no land
Would be glad if all his people had land and would work
Have three yoke of oxen
The 1st & 2 Chief have some grain sowed
Have no seed
Have not plowed any, the oxen are not able to plow
Would plow and sow if had learn [learned how] and seed
The tribes is healthy
Have not seen anything wrong in the employees
Peter, Yamhill Chief (Peter Selkiah)
8 men 3 women 15 children
We live on borrowed ground, no ground we call our own
Would like a place of my own but don’t know how I would get one without the government will give it to me
My people would work better if they had homes of their own
Have 3 yoke of oxen but they can’t work, no seed, no ground plowed
Could raise all we want to eat if we had team and seed and land
Are about out of provisions
The tribe are healthy
3 old men too old to labor
The employees have done as well as they could and all they could
Kiakuts, Twalatis Chief
30 men more women than men but don’t know how many, good many children
Some have lands and some have none, would be glad if all had land
They all want to work
some have no land and some no team, have 5 yoke of oxen, no able to work, no seed
have had nothing to eat for some time but the cattle that have dried
now live on camas
Fed all their grain to their stock
The tribe are well
A good many all men but would work if they had anything to work with
Knew the employees did what they could in their respective places
Condon told him he wanted half of what he raised
told Condon he did not want to do that way
He had a large family and would want it all himself and did not think it was right anyhow
Has ground plowed and has asked for seed and can’t get any
Condon told all the Chiefs they must give him one half of all the grain
Says Condon want this share to feed the old and poor but he don’t want Condon to feed his father and mother because feed his own father and mother
Jo Hutch, Santiam (Alquema, Halquema, Joseph Hutchins)
About 20 men & 14 children and more children than women
Have lands & no teams and no tools
It don’t do them any good they have nothing to work with
A spoon full of wheat and a spoonful of oats
Has two yoke of oxen
Tried to plow yesterday, the oxen fell down and he told them to turn them out
Did not ask the agent for seed or team
The agent ought to know he wanted them
He say the agent tell him to plow and he has about 2 or three acres and it has been plow so often it will yield nothing and is now under water and he can’t work it
Is very much bothered by Babcock who drive his cattle off out of range
Thinks the employees are all good men and have done all they can, they could not do much
There was one man right (Wright?) who worked all the time
There is one man Magoun who is away all the time, he don’t think he ought to be here, says their guns are out of order
They can’t hunt they have nothing to hunt with
Summer is coming and they will have to hunt for a living
Wants a man who will do as he says for agent
Says Condon says one thing and does another
He never knows whether he will do as he says or not
