Tag: Oregon territory

columbia river, eastern oregon, General History, Rogue Valley, Umpqua Valley, Washington Territory, Willamette Valley4 Comments

Joe Lane 1849 : Report of the Tribes and Bands of the Oregon Territory

David G. Lewis, PhD

General Joe Lane was an early politician and war hero for Oregon. He served as the Indian Superintendent for Oregon as well as Governor of the territory in 1848 and 1849, and in 1850 participated in battles and conflicts in southern Oregon, famously making peace with the Rogue River Confederacy in the first agreement of Southern Oregon, a treaty of peace.  In 1853, he leads another battle with the Rogue River tribes, at Evans Creek and forms another peace agreement with the confederacy at Table Rock. Previously, Lane had been engaged as an officer in the U.S. Army during the … Continue reading Joe Lane 1849 : Report of the Tribes and Bands of the Oregon Territory

Anthropology, General History, Kalapuya, Oregon Coast, Oregon indians, treaties, Willamette Valley5 Comments

Lt. William A. Slacum, United States Spy in the Oregon Territory, and ; Chief Slacum of the Clowewalla

David G. Lewis, PhD

Lt. William A. Slacum, a Navy purser, was sent by the President, through the Department of State, as a special investigator to the Oregon Territory to investigate the Britain operations and to take stock of the tribes and the resources in the territory. Slacum was alone, except for one servant, and was not sent with supplies or any obvious purpose for going to Oregon. In sending Slacum to Oregon, the President, Andrew Jackson, was reacting to the obvious dominance of the British in the Oregon Territory despite the Treaty of 1818 which provides for a joint occupation of the territory … Continue reading Lt. William A. Slacum, United States Spy in the Oregon Territory, and ; Chief Slacum of the Clowewalla

columbia river, coos bay, eastern oregon, General History, Kalapuya, Native Issues, Oregon indians, Rogue Valley, Siletz Reservation, treaties, Umpqua Valley, Willamette Valley1 Comment

The Original 1855 Belden Map, Compared to the Redrafted Version

David G. Lewis, PhD

In 1855, the United States was on a campaign to purchase all of the land from the Oregon Tribes and remove them to reservations. Joel Palmer, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Oregon, was working hard to make all arrangements for the removal of the tribes. In January of 1855, he met with the Kalapuya, Molalla and Cascades chiefs and they signed onto the Willamette Valley Treaty. By January 22nd, all of the tribes were signed for the Willamette Valley,  the Cascades foothills, and the central section of the lower Columbia River. The treaty was sent to Congress and was ratified … Continue reading The Original 1855 Belden Map, Compared to the Redrafted Version

Uncategorized1 Comment

Salmon-Skinned Aristocracy: Beginnings of Oregon Statehood

David G. Lewis, PhD

Robert Shortess was an 1839 emigrant to Oregon. In 1843 he was was elected to the Oregon Territorial Legislature in the 2nd wolf meeting (teh founders of Rome were suckled by a wolf). This early Oregon government worked to take control of the territory, from the British. In 1844, Shortess and some 65 other American settlers signed a petition to Congress, largely written and coordinated by Shortess, filing charges in Congress against the Hudson’s Bay Company, for unfair trade practices. Shortess, and co-author George Abernethy, claimed that John McLoughlin, and the Hudson’s Bay Company, took complete control of all trade … Continue reading Salmon-Skinned Aristocracy: Beginnings of Oregon Statehood

education, Oregon indians, Rogue Valley, Uncategorized4 Comments

American Complicity in Genocide In Oregon

David G. Lewis, PhD

Over the years, I have made innumerable presentations about the history of the Oregon Tribes. My history is developed from my own research into the tribal histories and I have addressed many topics which have been important to understanding the history of the tribes, and why tribes live the way they live today.  I have delved into topics which have not been well covered by past or current scholarship. Much of the information is not taught or known about by many Oregonians. I have used this statement many times to catch the attention of people who admittedly never learned the … Continue reading American Complicity in Genocide In Oregon