Palmer’s Ledger of Vouchers for the Willamette Valley Treaty

In Record Group 75 (Bureau of Indian Affairs) microfilm are many millions of records of the tribes as they were being managed by federal Indian agents. The M234 and M2 microfilm relate to the Oregon superintendency. They are generally in good order, but some miscellaneous records have been gathered into the final films. These miscellaneous records are not well researched and used in research. Occasions dips into these microfilm can reveal information vital to understanding key sections of history. This is the status of Joel Palmer’s ledger of vouchers. Palmer appears to have ordered created a ledger for much of … Continue reading Palmer’s Ledger of Vouchers for the Willamette Valley Treaty

Missing Pages: Additional Signatory Tribes to the Willamette Valley Treaty

For more than 166 years the following pages were missing from the history and legal record of the Grand Ronde Tribe. It appears that sometime in early March 1855 Joel Palmer secured additional signatories to the Willamette Valley Treaty from two Molalla tribes and two other tribes on the Columbia River, The Klatskania tribe (Clatskanie) and the Ne-pe-chuck band. These additions were hinted at in a letter from Palmer on January 9th of 1856. “One village of Indians in the vicinity of St. Helens have not yet signed the treaty of the 10th January 1855 but are ready to do … Continue reading Missing Pages: Additional Signatory Tribes to the Willamette Valley Treaty

Chelamela and Chemapho Kalapuyans

The Long Tom River and its tributaries was the original homelands to two major tribes of Kalapuyan Indians, the Chelamela and Chemapho tribes. The Chelamela occupied the upper or southern part of the watershed from the Coast Range to the Willamette at Eugene, and from the Calapooia range to the Reservoir. The Chemapho occupied from the Coast Range to the Willamette and from the Reservoir to just before Philomath at the north. The tribes lived in permanent villages in the middle to upper reaches of the watershed along tributaries to the Long Tom River. The foothills of the Coast range … Continue reading Chelamela and Chemapho Kalapuyans

The Willamette Valley Treaty Podcast for the Grand Ronde Tribe

The ratified treaties series, just completed today (1/17/2018), was inspired by a request from Dean Rhodes, Media Director at Grand Ronde, for me to tape a podcast about the Willamette Valley Treaty, as its anniversary is coming up soon. I figured, I should write a post about each treaty, and include the treaties so people can easily find them. Dean is a great newspaper manager and has allowed me to place stories and editorials into the paper over the years. He has been patient, as I am not a journalist and my writing style can be a bit dry. So … Continue reading The Willamette Valley Treaty Podcast for the Grand Ronde Tribe