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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 2011)
Page 8 December 14-, 2011 Spilyay Tyrooo, Warm Springs, Oregon Chieftainship question inspires history research B y George W. A g u ilar Sr. unite against a common enemy. Columbia River area, Washing All these groups spoke the ton Governor Isaac Stevens and To the rem aining descen same language, but often differ Oregon Indian Superintendent dants o f K iksht Chinookan from one another as geographi Joel Palmer threatened, bribed, speakers of the Columbia River, cal area extends farther down and persuaded friendly tribal several people o f this group river... leaders like Lawyer of the Nez have approached me concern In early time the Columbia Perce’s to part with nearly 90 ing information regarding the River Peoples’ religion was all percent of their bands ancestral vacancy of the chieftainship of guardian spirit inspired (primal homelands in exchange for res the Wasco. ervations. religions). It is my hope excerpts from In d ivid uals w ith specific The article four, second para my next book, The Shattered Civi guardian spirits were the deci graph of the 1855 mid Oregon lisation, will quell many misun sion makers, like: root digging Treaty may have had (conjec derstandings about chieftainship worker, guardian spirit inspired ture) the same influence with am ong E astern K iksht w ar chief, a noble o f each some of the headhouse hold Chinookan speakers and lower household was a chief and de chiefs, of the Wasco and the al cision m aker... Chinookan civilizations. lied Tenino. This project was prim arily Any individual who rose to a designed for informational pur prominent noble by acquiring Contemporary chief: The poses for my people the Kiksht wealth was considered a chief. 1855 Treaty lists Chinook as one Wasco o f Warm Springs, my It was his responsibility to pro of the principal chiefs of The relatives, and grandchildren. The vide for those who were not Dalles band of Wascos. In 1859, staged events of these tales were quite as fortunate as he, and he Chinook was employed as inter created from the use of ancient relished the position because he preter at W arm Springs for known Indian names. considered it an honor to help $500 a year. With the loss of many Na others who were without. He In the Rattle Snake War cam tives during the epidemics who expected nothing in return... paign activities of 1866-1867, had Indian names, the utilization (Response to these questions in C hinook was a m em ber o f of the few existing ones of my volved the C hinookan speak ing Darragh’s command. It appears ancestries will be used for illus peoples. The comments made on these he may have held a noncommis tration with the The S hattered questions were based upon the earli sioned officer’s grade or at least C ivilisation project. est observations made by G abrial a temporary one as indicated by Franchere, an A stor fu r trapping of the Louis Simpson’s narrative. A large amount of the his ficia l during the era o f 1811.) (Ref. Sapir ethnohistory.) torical events in the project of In 1870, A.B. Meacham men The Shattered Civilization were The people of the Wascopum tions Billy Chinook for his mis documented by anthropologists, had developed a variety of com sionary work and for taking a ethnologists, missionary’s pio plex cultures, each with its own leading part in the progress of neers, explorers, trappers, and complex history and unique way the tribe. early settlers. For that reason and of life. They were divided into In D ecem ber 1871, when accordingly so are the archaic several major groups, and had A.B. M eacham v isited the docum ented N ative R iver politically independent house Warm Springs Agency, he made holds, bands, and villages. people’s customs of that time. mention of how the U.S. gov I must reiterate the project The River people were not ernment reneged on a special of The Shattered Civilisation is to ruled by leaders who could agreement in the Treaty coun show the reader o f how the speak for anyone but their own cil: C hinookan civ ilizatio n may particular household. These “At this time certain members have flourished before the ar people of the Columbia River of the Tenino (Wasco?) Band rival of the Whiteman who later had developed a sophisticated was in possession of, and had came to West Coast and the culture such as: a ladder of sta made improvements of value Oregon Territory. tus; techniques to harvest and near, ‘The Dalles.’ Under spe The called attentions of this store large quantities of food; cial agreements in Treaty Coun w riting are about the Kiksht specialized occupations; a wide cil these improvements were to Chinookan customs, and the spread system o f trade; and be paid for by the Government. Nineteen years have passed, and Kiksht way o f life. The Shat large, permanent homes. M ission Jo hn (sic) and B illy tered Civilisation project was for real and they were well docu There are about 150 Signa Chinook have not yet received mented and authentic. tures on the 1855 Treaty Docu one dollar for the aforesaid im- Some of these traditional ac ment. These are all household provements.” (Ref. Warpath and tivities are still used at Warm headpersons or chiefs from dif the Wigwam.) Springs Reservation to this day. ferent parts o f the Columbia Among the Kiksht Native The audiences for this drama River System. is intended to be the general people are men who became reader and younger generations, N obles: The C olum bia very powerful through the white whom I hope will find the tales River People prided themselves mans educational and political irresistible and entertaining. on how far away a marriage tie structure. These men reportedly This Indian storyline is for was well-known. C hief’s sons took a lead in g part for the those who have some curiosity m arried C h ie f’s daughters, progress and advancement into about our people, the Eastern nobles married into nobles of the American mainstream. Kiksht Chinookan (Wasco) Civi oth er groups. The w ealth y The chiefs and headmen that lization who now live at Warm household Chiefs who were of fraternized the Indian Agents Springs Reservation. a noble family did not marry into who enforced the early estab D uring an interview with those of lower standing. Nobles lished policies were given spe questions and answers for The married families of nobles. Sla cial privileges, for representing O regonian new spaper (about very was an accompaniment to their tribal groups. 2008) these questions were the Chinookan social structure. The individuals assigned as asked by a reader: The nobles controlled and chiefs had received some edu How were important tribal ruled all aspects of activity. The cation through the missionaries and family decisions made? How nobles had the widest family and other sources; some were was a ch ief chosen, and by connections far and near along sent to the East Coast and be whom? How was a successor Columbia River system. They came aware o f the advanced chosen? Were family blood ties were well informed and had the and overwhelming civilizations to certain ancestors necessary, skills and knowledge in the trade of the whites. Cases in point or was a leader chosen based on system, and they also inherited w ere: H enry M eacham , Jo e an overall opinion of his lead vast wealth through marriage Stw ire, M ission Jo h n , Rev. trade connections. Those that Locksqissa and W illiam Chi ership qualities? If the community lost faith owned fishing stations were con nook. Chinook was the W h ite’s in its political structure, could sidered the most powerful of all. It was the nobles who carried choice to be an assigned chief they be removed from power, or was the honor a life-long en out most o f the momentous who would keep Natives of the titlement? How does the current customs of the Indian name giv older and wilder Wascos in com political structure differ from ing, ear boring, first kills, a young pliance with government poli girl’s first menstruating, and all cies. that of your ancestors? Chinook held this power be other practicing customs of the Answers given for The Orego Chinookan system. This is when cause of his education and his wealth played an important role English-speaking abilities, and as nian: Each household or family for establishing their place in the a result he was assigned by the W hites to be C h ief o f the group of the Chinookan speak Chinookan high society. The nobles were few. The Wasco. The Treaty provisions ers were considered sovereign. T hese C h inookan nations nobles suppressed the common state that the chiefs of the Con branched out into different ers, and kept their children sepa federated Bands were to have a nam es. T hese form ed, as it rated; this was done by the head house— one for each for the were, so many sovereign groups flattening system and ear bor upper and Lower D eschutes belonging to the same way of ing, and there were ceremonies bands of the Walla Walla and one for the Wascopum band of for all of these customs. life and customs. In the 1855 treaty councils Wascos— and to fence and plow They were governed by the heads of the.household, which at Hell Gate, Walla Walla, and ten acres for each chief. Each chief would also have are, in a manner, independent; Wasco (near the Dalles), which nevertheless, all were ready to included all the Tribes of the a salary of $500.00 a year for twenty years. (Second paragraph of the Treaty provision, Article 4 of the 1855 Treaty.) Joe Stwire is an individual of interest. Stw ire was raised from a small child at the Wascopum missions at The Dalles. Stwire was sent to the East Coast for further education to attend the Columbia College. He then became an ordained min ister. Returning to Oregon he was then assigned a position to pas tor the Portland Presbyterian Church. When there was dissen sion on the Yakama Reservation he was assigned by powerful men to be the Head Chief to quell the troubles. Chief Stwire’s Indian name is “White Swan” and there is a small town named after him on the Yakama Reservation. If the Wasco archaic tradi tional heritage is considered for the chieftainship, then some nominated candidates would be ineligible... Utilizing Wasco ar chaic trad itio n al custom method, however, is not practi cal because of the many mod ern issues that need to be ad dressed. A ccording to early, documenters a democratic sys tem in the early River people’s way of life was never a concern. So, the next Wasco Chief may have to be elected and a voting method utilized. Our past along the great Co lumbia River was the founda tion for our current success as traders and business peoples. It is my hope the next W asco Chief will assist in thrusting the Warm Springs Confederated Tribes into many successful ven tures. Whomsoever he may be, he will need all the lay tribal memberships support for the Confederated Tribes to succeed during this distressing era. For a hundred and fifty snow melts the Columbia River People stood afar and w atched the Great River, landscape, and way of life as River People languish. Today, we, the Wasco are almost no more, and we have learned to live differently. As a result o f this change we m ust also change and conform to modern technology and social structure of the White Man. The Kiksht pleasure-seeking society with a fondness for entertainment and leisure are almost no more. Our form er h eritage is that o f an easygoing, robust thriving culture. The once pow erful former civilization of the Co lumbia River Chinookans will someday survive only on the white man’s talking paper. Following is a short histori cal account o f some o f the Wasco Chieftainships. During the life span of Chief Daniel Katchia (Tipsu) he was the p eo p le’s choice for the Chieftainship. However, govern ment officials did not condone the people’s wishes. Chief Daniel was considered a hardcore thorn in the flesh by the government officials. Chief Daniel and five other practicing ceremonialists were arrested by the U.S. Army and were trans ported to Fort Vancouver Stock ade. A cco rd in g to an elder Chief, Daniel spent time in a dungeon (so litary co n fin e ment?). It is my conjecture Henry Meacham may have been consid ered a Chief. The conjecture is based upon his receiving an edu cation and taking a leading part for representing the Warm Springs Tribes during trips to Washington, DC. in the late 1800’s. (Continued on page 9) H am ilton G reeley has re searched the question o f the Wasco chieftainship. A t The Dalles he visited the Wasco County Histori ca l Museum, Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. There, Greeley m ade copies fro m some o f the books on file. One o f the books was The Handbook of North Ameri can Indians, vol. 12: Plateau. A nother was The Southern Plateau: An Ecological Analy sis of Intergroup Relations (revised from Northwest An th ro p o lo gical R esearch Notes, vol. 6, no. 2 1972). For the sake o f community discussion, Greeley wishes to share excerpts from the research . A t his request the Spilyay is reprint ing some o f the information. For instance, an excerpt from the Pla teau volume, regarding Wasco groups at the Columbia, includes the following: The winter lodge was oc cupied by an extended fam ily unit under the recognized leadership of a household head, a senior man. Little specific information exists as to the precise composition of winter lodges other than the repeated assertion that all occupants were of one “fam ily” and that all co-resident families freely shared all food consumed within the house. Membership in such winter lodge groups varied from year to year, with nuclear families or hearth units free to realign themselves with kin who were resident in other lodges or in other villages... O ne to a dozen such lodges erected in close prox imity constituted a winter vil lage. One or more outstand ing men in each such village were recognized as “chiefs.” Chiefs (more accurately, “village headmen”) were ex pected to exhort their people to hard work and proper con duct, yet to do so in an ap propriately dignified, quiet manner. To this end, each c h ie f was assisted by a spokesman, who repeated the chief’s exhortations in a com manding voice. The village chief’s authority was based on proven talents and abili ties, ideally combining gener osity, eloquence, self-disci pline, and devotion to the welfare of his people. The position of “chief” was not strictly speaking he reditary, but there was a rec ognized “hierarchy of right” by which the chieftainship would normally pass from a father to his sons, in order of seniority, then to a brother (or m ale cousin) (cf. Murdock 1980:144). How ever, many eligible individu als declined or were passed over for lack of the motiva tion or talent judged neces sary to fill the role. It is not clear whether women in cer tain unusual circumstances might be recognized as chiefs. Since the early twentieth century a “salmon chief” has been recognized at Celilo Falls. His authority included d eclarin g fish in g seasons open and closed and order ing that fishing stop for pur poses of escapement or when ritual required (e.g. for funer als). The antiquity of this role is not clearly attested.... From The Southern Pla teau: An Ecological Analysis of Intergroup Relations come these statements: The village had a leader variously identified in the sources as a headman, chief, or subchief. His duties con sisted of such things as de ciding the movement of the unit if on the move and de ciding on a time to open hunt ing and gathering seasons, if necessary, to give all members an equal chance. He was knowledgeable in the ways of his group and in the every day activities of the members of his group. He set the ex ample for good behavior by living up to the accepted stan dards. He knew the behavior o f his people in detail and where each person was. Gen erally, he did not interfere but stood by with his knowledge to advise when asked, or ad monish when necessary. The headman would en tertain visitors and obtain news o f the outside world which he passed on to his people. He might have as a duty the task of arbitrating disputes and o f punishing v io lato rs o f o b ligato ry norm s... Inheritance of leadership in the Plateau was subject to the conditions of the bilateral kinship system, which lacks the structure to perm it a clear-cut line of descent for more than a few generations. The order of inheritance can be tentatively outlined. A son in order o f birth from the eldest most frequently suc ceeded the chief, a brother less frequently, and som e times a brother’s or sister’s son or son-in-law. A person could refuse to accept office. A chief could be deposed or could resign. He might even accept the chieftainship of an o th er group (De Sm et 1905, Vol. 1:263, 323). Succession to the role was not automatic but was sub ject to the approval of the group and sometimes even o f other gro u p s__ If the person in line of descent was not considered capable of fillin g the office, another might be chosen, even one not related; it was possible for an individual to achieve many of the requirements for can didacy. Along the eastern and southern borders, achieve ment was more im portant than inheritance...
