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

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

Battle Creek, The First Battle in The Willamette Valley

Battle Creek, in Salem, is the location for perhaps the earliest conflict between the tribes in the Willamette Valley and the settlers, in early August 1846 (Oregon Spectator article August 6, 1846). The original inhabitants of the Salem Hills and Jefferson areas were the Santiam Kalapuyans. In this instance the fight was between the settlers and a visiting band of Klamaths. The Klamaths were regular visitors to the valley having much trade with the Kalapuyans and a close friendship with the nearby Northern and Santiam Molallas. A good system of trails, some called Klamath trails, connected the regional tribes from … Continue reading Battle Creek, The First Battle in The Willamette Valley

Desicratin’ the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

  There is a noted light-handed treatment of the militants on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, by local and federal law enforcement. As mentioned in innumerable articles on the Internet and in national media, they are breaking innumerable federal laws. Ironically, if ANY OTHER ETHNIC OR CULTURAL GROUP were to undertake a similar action, we all know that the minority groups would be dealt with rather harshly. Picture SWAT style forced-entry, or a line a tanks and Oregon Air National Guard deployed to “take them out” and you are in the right ball park, for ANY OTHER GROUP! Minority kids … Continue reading Desicratin’ the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

10,000+ Years of Paiute Homelands

The New York Times is weighing in with an editorial and they suggest that the militia is misreading history. Yet in the article there is not one mention of the fact that this is Paiute Land for over 10,000 years!  What does it take to get the media to tell the full and accurate history of this place? The history they address is only in the past 100+ years since agriculture took over the region. The abuse suggested by the militants  amounts to a few farmers being forced off their land. That suggests that the federal government bought the land … Continue reading 10,000+ Years of Paiute Homelands