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    Untold: Native Southern Oregon The Takelma Nation and United States Relations 1845-1857
    Untold: Native Southern Oregon The Takelma Nation and United States Relations 1845-1857
    Untold: Native Southern Oregon The Takelma Nation and United States Relations 1845-1857
    Ebook120 pages1 hour

    Untold: Native Southern Oregon The Takelma Nation and United States Relations 1845-1857

    By JP Hyde

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    About this ebook

    A glimpse into the decline of one of Oregon's now forgotten tribes.

    This book takes a look specifically at the period between 1845-1857 in the lives of the Takelma Tribe of the Rogue River Valley, Oregon.

    We take a look at not only race relations, the attitude and misuse of power by the United States government of the time, and the eventual removal of those remaining of the Takelma Tribe from the Valley.

    That period was a significant time in both US history and that of Indigenous Peoples in Oregon.  New settlements by citizens moving to the 'wild west' from all over.  Discovery of gold and what mining operations brought to the area.  The governments agenda to encourage growth for a nation barely out of infancy.  The effects to the Takelma Peoples as part of numerous tribes that had existed in Oregon now consolidated due to treaties and a push by government to contain those opposing their movements and how hard the Takelma fought to keep their homes.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJP Hyde
    Release dateJun 6, 2019
    ISBN9781393085287
    Untold: Native Southern Oregon The Takelma Nation and United States Relations 1845-1857
    Author

    JP Hyde

    I have always had a love of history. My family growing up was always discussing family history or world history. So ever since I was a little kid history has always fascinated me. I have always remembered the phrase “More knowledge has been lost over the ages then what is remembered”. To me, I find that to be so true and I like to learn what we have forgotten. To know and to be able to tell people about historical events or people is a passion of mine. Indiana Jones was my childhood hero, he thirst for adventure and knowledge was what I wanted to do. He had a knack for bringing history and stories alive, and that’s what I have always wanted to do, just without the Hollywood affects. I have a teenage son, who challenges me everyday and he is starting to get the history bug as well. My wife is my guiding light and my voice of reason, she keeps me wrangled in to reality. I write history differently than most. I write it like I talk about it, I try to be engaging with the audience, giving them points of thought or questions to ask themselves. It is a unique way to write history, but I believe it personalizes every story for every reader. I hope that I will be able to tell many more historical stories to the present or even the future. https://www.facebook.com/JPHydeResearchBooks

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      Book preview

      Untold - JP Hyde

      UNTOLD: NATIVE SOUTHERN OREGON

      The Takelma Nation and

      United States Relations 1845-1857

      J P Hyde

      Copyright © 2019 J P Hyde

      Cover Art:  James Hills, Pixabay.com

      https://pixabay.com/users/JamesHills-3245241/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2650635"

      All rights reserved.

      Contents

      Introduction

      1

      2

      3

      4

      5

      6

      7

      8

      9

      Conclusion

      Sources

      About JP Hyde

      Introduction

      Relations between the United States and Native Americans through the centuries have been tumultuous to say the least. 

      In most instances, government agencies manufactured powers over Native Americans.  The manipulation of and exertion of these powers by the United States varied depending upon what was wanted by government and reactions of the Native American peoples at that time. 

      These powers and subsequent actions taken ranged from seizing Native lands, relocating Native Americans to other government-designated areas, waging war against whole tribes or any that resisted, decimation of cultures by attempting to erase its existence entirely, and a host of many other atrocities committed against Native American Nations. 

      The results, shockwaves of irreversible impact felt among the whole of all Native American nations over centuries during the settlement and colonization in the United States. 

      This I also found to be true for the relations of Native Americans and the United States in my native home of Southern Oregon.  An impact so great that centuries later myself and others are still trying to piece together in order to locate what little was left of this important indigenous culture.

      Here is my introduction to the little-known band of the Takelma peoples of the Rogue Valley, of Southern Oregon, in these United State of America.  An entire nation in itself wiped from our own history. 

      To many...the story of the Takelma peoples is simply gone or didn’t exist at all. 

      To me...it’s a history worth rediscovery as these lives and their culture helped build this great state, I call home.

      1

      In western southern Oregon, inside the Rogue River valley the Takelma peoples suffered greatly from the relations and contact with settlers, miners, colonizers, and government agencies.  Lies, betrayal, warfare, and massacres characterized the relations between various governmental agencies and the Takelma people of Southern Oregon.  These decisively detrimental years, from 1845 to 1857, ultimately led to the removal of the Takelma.

      Inside twelve years this once great and powerful people were devastated by warfare, massacres, lost their land, way of life, and those left were relocated hundreds of miles from their homelands.  These atrocities encouraged, permitted, and sponsored by various governing agencies supporting the American settlers who came to the Rogue River Valley. 

      There is not a single specific event in this twelve-year period that was deciding against the Takelma Nation; instead, this was a culmination of a multitude of events and actions that formidable decade that sealed their fate. 

      The story of the Takelma people is one of devastation, resistance, and eventual entire removal.  Though these amounted to Acts and Laws passed, pieces of paper enforced by the newly expanding American government run territories...these precedence set were not singularly detrimental to the lives of the Native Americans...but was the brute force of these government interventions quickly making  the Takelma Nation victims, all leading to the ultimate finale. 

      Before diving into the bulk of how the relations between the Takelma Nation and the United States evolved over time.  Let us examine some key components that initiated further tensions between not singularly this tribe but all Native American nations.

      The term hostilities in reference to Native Americans in 18th and 19th century relations with the United States, is a term used often throughout that time that we should further examine.  The precedence set by use of that simple word later defined all relations between Native Americans and the United States. 

      I believe it imperative to examine the effects that had not only to the indigenous peoples but later settlements and government interactions after.

      In 2005, Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy wrote an article discussing Tribal Critical Race Theory.  Tribal Critical Race Theory (TCRT or Tribal Crit) is a theoretical framework to look at Native American culture and history from a different viewpoint.[1] Using the nine tenets of Tribal Crit as a guide, a researcher, historian, or reader gains an understanding from a Native perspective of Native American history and culture.  The perspective using Tribal Crit has been utilized when researching, compiling, and telling the story of the Takelma people.

      The term "hostilities’ in 18th and 19th century relations between the United States and Native American people is an ambiguous term.  That simplified means the interpretations of these hostilities were perceived differently by all involved.

      To the United States during its crusade against the Indigenous People, the term hostilities generally meant any act not in compliance with their orders was then against the government as a whole. 

      During the 18th and 19th centuries, in the eyes of the United States, many acts perpetrated by Native Americans were considered to be hostile towards the American people, their process of Manifest Destiny, and civilization of the country.  These ‘crimes’ as dictated by government ranged from murder, robbery, burning houses, and other grand acts even settlers were held accountable if committed. 

      However, the government also made illegal the right for indigenous peoples to gather for hunting, hosting or performing any ceremonies, what was perceived as begging for food, ceremonial dances, and other aspects of daily life dear to these peoples.  Acts many today would consider harmless.

      In 1857, J. Ross Browne was appointed by the United States Senate to investigate and report his findings on the cause and effect of the wars with Native Americans inside the Oregon and Washington Territories.  The only manner at the time to ensure the law was followed and to 'keep an eye out' for potential uprisings that were always a threat to government and settlers’ expansions in all territories. 

      Through the course of his investigation and touring of the Territories, he was able to gather information along with a history of the conflicts with the indigenous peoples of the region.  Browne, after the conclusion of his investigation reported his findings and history learned back to the members of the United States Senate.[2]

      With his report now on file, including his notes interviews, accounts of how life had changed for the land and 'new' people on it, what he had seen, he made his presentation to the members of Congress.  His words were heard, and that meant little to no effort would be made to establish better relations or improving living conditions for the Native American people within the United States over the following century.

      Hindsight, having now read Browne's words from that archived report, I can see this single piece of written communicate was quite reflective of the attitude of the elite at that time.  Those making the decisions and forcing these conditions on 'beings' that never asked for the change.  Much easier to continue treating them as 'hostile' or feral lesser creatures to the masses, which then excuses what was happening at the time.

      Establishing a base for the hostilities with Native Americans inside the Oregon and Washington Territories Browne notes,  "The same primary causes existed in every case-encroachments of a superior upon an inferior race."[3] He goes further to say, specifically of the Oregon Territory, "In 1840 and 1841 the subject of the settlement of Oregon was agitated in the Senate of the United States by Senators Linn and Benton.  Information as to the value and extent of this Territory was published in the country in their speeches.  Settlers were encouraged to go there and secure homesteads for their families."[4]

      Browne presented the mindset held by many Euro-Americans of the day, that of being the Superior race while all other races were considered to be inferior.  Unfortunately, for Native Americans, this mindset continued well into the 20th century, and still today bares a cost. 

      Superiority is the base of the American idea of 'Manifest Destiny', which is what aided...encouraged the American settlement of the continent in those centuries preceding and after.  'Manifest Destiny' is defined as 'the God given right to settle, live on, extract resources, and civilize' evidently this country. 

      This era in American history was a very important piece to settling of all western states.  Many big discoveries and economic booms that made this land very important monetarily.

      I am addressing a component of what was lost during that time.  A component that is fair representative of a larger base of Native peoples and what wiped an entire population away.  With that said, I also hope you find a fair representation of what occurred on both sides that changed our cultural landscape in

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