Tag: dart

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Dart Introduces the Clackamas Treaty to the US Senate

David G. Lewis, PhD

Anson Dart departed from Oregon in late 1851 after completing the negotiation of 19 treaties in Oregon with tribes. Dart had replaced the Willamette Treaty Commission in June 1851 after they negotiated the Kalapuya and Molalla Treaties at Champoeg. Dart had sent letters to Washington DC stating that the commission were not properly representative of the US government and he was, so that he should assume the responsibility of negotiating treaties. Evidentally this reasoning was successful because Dart became the chief treaty negotiator and duty with consumed the remainder of his time in Oregon.  He also got the budgets for … Continue reading Dart Introduces the Clackamas Treaty to the US Senate

colonization, columbia river, dart, General History, Kalapuya, Native Issues, Oregon indians, trade, Willamette Valley1 Comment

Stingy American Settlers of the Willamette Valley

David G. Lewis, PhD

  The Kalapuyan tribes of the Willamette Valley have lived here for more than 10,000 years, some 500 generations of people. The whole of the valley was owned by these tribes who had distinct yet overlapping territories. A few sections of the valley were owned by relative newcomers, the Molallans, who lived in the foothills and parts of the northeast valley. The northern part of the valley, where the Willamette River flowed over 35 foot falls, was occupied by The Clackamas tribes, who settled thickly along the upper  Willamette, Clackamas, and parts if the Columbia rivers. These tribes lived in … Continue reading Stingy American Settlers of the Willamette Valley

columbia river, dart, General History, Oregon indians, treaties, Willamette Valley2 Comments

Anson Dart and the Willamette Treaty Commission

David G. Lewis, PhD

Many scholars of Oregon tribal history have assumed, as have I, that Anson Dart, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Oregon from 1850 to 1852 was responsible for negotiating treaties with the western Oregon tribes. In fact, numerous histories of this time intimately describe these responsibilities, but this may not have been originally Dart’s responsibility at all. I recently wrote an essay about Dart’s orders. His orders were to manage whiskey trade, aid in the assimilation of the tribes, set up tribal jurisdictions, maintain the peace, and undermine Hudson’s Bay Company among the tribes. In fact, there is no mention … Continue reading Anson Dart and the Willamette Treaty Commission

columbia river, General History, Oregon Coast, Oregon indians, treaties2 Comments

The 1851 Tansy Point Treaty Journal: The Clatsop Treaty

David G. Lewis, PhD

For the Tansy Point Treaties, Dart worked to get all the land from the tribes. By this time the tribes had already heard rumors of the treaties, and the plan to remove all tribes to eastern Oregon. Likely, news about the Willamette Valley treaties at Champoeg had already reached the Clatsop. There, the Kalapuyans, beginning with the Santiam tribe, had powerfully held out for a reservation in their traditional lands during days of negotiations. From this news the Clatsop tribe was reassured that they may be able to remain on their lands. Robert Shortess is an interesting figure here. He … Continue reading The 1851 Tansy Point Treaty Journal: The Clatsop Treaty

columbia river, General History, Oregon indians, treaties, Uncategorized, Willamette Valley1 Comment

The 1851 Treaty Commission Journal: The Clackamas Treaty

David G. Lewis, PhD

In November 1851 Dart finally is ready to return to Washington DC with the treaties to present them to Congress. Earlier in the year, when Dart arrived in Oregon, he first visited the Umatilla basin to try to work a deal with the Umatilla regional tribes for the removal of some 4,000 western Oregon Indians to the Umatilla. In the council, the Umatilla regional tribes refuse. Dart seemed undaunted and establishes an Indian Agency Office in Umatilla. He then returns to western Oregon and first visits the Clackamas Indians to settle their land claims. Dart makes no progress with the … Continue reading The 1851 Treaty Commission Journal: The Clackamas Treaty