Tag: anthropology

General History, Oregon indians, Rogue Valley, treaties12 Comments

Two Treaties of General Joseph Lane and Chief Jo, Rogue River

David G. Lewis, PhD

This is an article meant to clear up some mistaken histories. In the past historians have mixed up the two treaties and the meetings between Joseph Lane and Chief Jo. At times historians have attributed the 1850 events as taking place in 1853. The history of Oregon Indians is not a neat and clean history with clean divisions. There are multiple overlapping events with the same individuals. There is also a diversity of tribes, some 60 in western Oregon alone. In S.W. Oregon there were several Chief Johns and Chief Jos. Even the notion of the Rogue River tribes is … Continue reading Two Treaties of General Joseph Lane and Chief Jo, Rogue River

General History, Grand Ronde Reservation, Oregon indians, Rogue Valley, Siletz Reservation, Umpqua Valley, Uncategorized, Willamette Valley12 Comments

Umpqua Journal of Removal To the Grand Ronde Encampment, 1856

David G. Lewis, PhD

The following is the raw transcription of the journal of the removal of Four tribes  (Cow Creek Umpqua, Upper Umpqua, Yoncalla Kalapuya, Southern Molalla) from the Umpqua Reservation west of Roseburg to the Grand Ronde Encampment (later Grand Ronde Reservation) at the western edge of the Willamette Valley. I have made some notes of clarification or questions regarding the legibility of the original handwritten journal of Robert Metcalf, Sub Indian Agent. The copy of the original journal was collected by me in the Winter of 2016 at Western Oregon University. The journal is in the correspondence series of RG 75 … Continue reading Umpqua Journal of Removal To the Grand Ronde Encampment, 1856

columbia river, General History, Grand Ronde Reservation, Oregon indians, Uncategorized11 Comments

Temporary Reservation for the Clatskanie and Ne-Pe-Chuck

David G. Lewis, PhD

In 1855-56 Oregon Indian Superintendent Joel Palmer established a number of temporary reservations to hold Indians in Oregon. Many tribes had negotiated treaties and were awaiting the ratification of the treaties in Congress. The majority of treaties  were ratified by April of 1855.  With unrest on the Columbia in the final battles of the Yakima Indian War and with new unrest in southern Oregon in the Rogue River region, Palmer acted to remove the peaceful tribes, many of whom did not have treaties. He moved them to preserve them from settler wrath, and to prepare for their movement to the … Continue reading Temporary Reservation for the Clatskanie and Ne-Pe-Chuck

Oregon indians, Uncategorized, Willamette Valley1 Comment

Location of the Campement Du Sable

David G. Lewis, PhD

The much-storied Campement du Sable (Sandy Camp) was established originally by Pacific Fur Traders in 1812,  but soon after became the property of the North West Company Fur Traders. Its purpose was primarily for hunting for the Astorians and fur trade with the natives. PFT sold out to NWFC before their property could be taken by the British in the War of 1812.  Later Hudson’s Bay Company utilized the encampment as a port on the Willamette River. The location of this camp is much debated. Various historians have located the camp at Champoeg while others locate this camp at least … Continue reading Location of the Campement Du Sable

General History, Oregon indians, treaties, Uncategorized, Willamette Valley25 Comments

Molalla Chief Crooked Finger, the Battle of Abiqua and the 1851 Molalla Treaty

David G. Lewis, PhD

Crooked Finger (Loshuk), the Molalla  Chief, lived in an upland valley in the foothills of the Cascades, above present day Scott’s Mills. This area is called Crooked Finger’s Prairie even today. Loshuk received his American name Crooked Finger when as a boy he was playing with a rifle and it went off, disfiguring his hand. In his time he was renowned for speaking against the American settlement of his land and set about to harass Americans whenever he could as partial retribution for the losses his tribe was sustaining. Some reports suggest that he drank heavily of a rum from … Continue reading Molalla Chief Crooked Finger, the Battle of Abiqua and the 1851 Molalla Treaty