AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Jennifer E. Jameson for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Anthropology , Design and Human Environment , and Anthropology presented on December 5, 2007 . Title: Iroquois of the Pacific Northwest Fur Trade: Their Archaeology and History Abstract approved: ___________________________ David R. Brauner During the early 19 th Century, the fur trade brought many Iroquois to the Pacific Northwest as working primarily as voyageurs for the North West Company. When the North West Company merged with the Hudson’s Bay Company, the Iroquois employees merged as well. After retirement, some settled in the Willamette Valley and surrounding areas. These Iroquois have been an underrepresented group in the Pacific Northwest history. When archaeological investigations are completed, the Iroquois are overlooked as possible occupants. The purpose of this research is to reconstruct the history of the Iroquois and to create an archaeological description of what their material culture might look like in the Pacific Northwest. Theories involving ethnicity in archaeology, along with documentary evidence and archaeological data, were used to complete body of knowledge that brings the Pacific Northwest Iroquois story to light, and create a catalog of the ethnic markers for archaeologists to look for. ©Copyright by Jennifer E. Jameson December 5, 2007 All Rights Reserved Iroquois of the Pacific Northwest Fur Trade: Their Archaeology and History by Jennifer E. Jameson A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies Presented December 5, 2007 Commencement June 2008 Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies thesis of Jennifer E. Jameson presented on December 5, 2007 . APPROVED: ________________________________________ Major Professor, representing Anthropology ________________________________________ Director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program ________________________________________ Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request. _________________________________________________ Jennifer E. Jameson, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author expresses sincere gratitude to the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde for allowing access to their resources and enthusiastic assistance. To David R. Brauner, thank you for inspiration when things looked dire and for your support and ideas. To my family and friends, thanks for your patience and encouragement. And thank you to Andy and Liam for being my motivation and sanity throughout this project. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………… 1 Method………………………………………………………………. 4 Previous Work……………………………………………………….. 5 Chapter 2: ETHNIC MARKERS IN ARCHAEOLOGY…………………. 8 Chapter 3: IROQUOIS CULTURE……………………………………… 13 History of Iroquoia ………………………………………………...... 13 Social Organization…………………………………………………. 21 Spirituality…………………………………………………………… 29 The New Religion…………………………………………… 31 Material Culture……………………………………………………... 33 Housing……………………………………………………… 34 Religion……………………………………………………. 40 Weapons……………………………………………………. 47 Food Preparation…………………………………………… 48 Dress….…………………………………………………….. 51 Travel………………………………………………………. 63 Entertainment………………………………………………. 64 Burial Goods………………………………………………… 65 Effect of European Contact…………………………………. 66 Chapter 4: EASTERN IROQUOIAN HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY…………………………………………. 69 Powless Homestead………………………………………… 69 Fort D’Epinette……………………………………………… 70 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Chapter 5: IROQUOIS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FUR TRADE………………………………………………… 74 Iroquois in the Pacific Northwest Fur Trade………………………… 77 Prominent Iroquois…………………………………………... 87 Mischievous Iroquois………………………………………... 88 Retirement from the Company……………………………………… 91 Iroquois at Grand Ronde……………………………………. 95 Chapter 6: PACIFIC NORTHWEST IROQUOIS ARCHAEOLOGY .. 99 Housing……………………………………………………………… 100 Religious……………………………………………………………. 101 Pipes………………………………………………………… 102 Combs……………………………………………………. 103 Figurines…………………………………………………. 105 Weapons…………………………………………………………. 106 Food Preparation………………………………………………… 107 Dress…………………………………………………………….. 109 Travel…………………………………………………………… 112 Entertainment…………………………………………………… 113 Burial Goods…………………………………………………….. 113 Effect of European Contact……………………………………… 114 Summary………………………………………………………… 114 Chapter 7: NORTHWEST FUR TRADE ARCHAEOLOGY……… 116 Fort Astoria/Fort George………………………………………... 117 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Fort Okanogan………………………………………………….. 118 Spokane House…………………………………………………. 120 Fort Spokane…………………………………………………… 120 Fort Vancouver…………………………………………………. 123 Summary……………………………………………………….. 127 Chapter 8: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION……………………. 129 Archaeological Remains East and West………………………… 129 Limitations and Further Research……………………………….. 131 Conclusions……………………………………………………… 132 BIBLIOGRAHY………………………………………………………… 136 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Map of Iroquoia………………………………………………………. 14 2. Map of Fort Hunter………………………………………………………. 18 3. Iroquois Reservations as they were around 1800………………………… 20 4. Reconstruction of an Iroquois Village…………………………………… 35 5. Two Construction Options for Iroquois Longhouses……………………. 36 6. Post Molds of an Iroquois Longhouse…………………………………… 36 7. Interior Configuration of an Iroquois Longhouse……………………….. 38 8. Iroquoian Ceramic Pipe Shapes…………………………………………. 41 9. Iroquoian Human Effigy Pipe…………………………………………… 42 10. Iroquoian Human/Animal Effigy Pipe……………………………………. 42 11. Iroquoian Cradleboard Effigy Pipe………………………………………. 43 12. Historic Iroquoian Human Effigy Comb………………………………….. 44 13. Early Historic Iroquoian combs………………………………………….. 44 14. Historic Human/Animal Effigy Comb…………………………………….. 45 15. Iroquoian Prehistoric Comb and Historic Comb………………………… 45 16. Iroquoian Human Effigy Figurine in September Morn Pose……………… 46 17. Iroquoian Effigy Turtles and Birdman……………………………………. 46 18. Iroquoian Wolf/Human Effigy Figurine…………………………………... 46 19. Iroquoian Ladles………………………………….……………………….. 47 20. Iroquoian Ceramic Vessel………………………………………………… 49 21. Sherd From Iroquoian Ceramic Vessel Showing Effigy…………………. 49 LIST OF FIGURES (Continued) Figure Page 22. Sky Dome Beading Designs……………………………………………… 54 23. Celestial Tree Beading Designs………………………………………….. 54 24. Iroquois Copper Rolled Beads…………………………………………… 55 25. Metal Iroquoian Tinklers………………………………………………… 56 26. Silver Iroquois Brooches………………………………………………… 58 27. Silver Iroquois Earrings…………………………………………………. 59 28. Silversmithing Tools Plate 1……………………………………………. 61 29. Silversmithing Tools Plate 2……………………………………………. 62 30. Peace River Forts, Fort D’Epinette is Located at Location 5…………… 71 31. Silver Artifacts Retrieved from Fort D’Epinette…………………………. 73 32. Iroquois Silver Jewelry Items for Comparison, ………………….………. 73 33. Pacific Northwest Trade Forts……………………………………………. 76 34. Picture of Joseph Shangreta and Other Grand Ronde Men………………. 97 35. Three Iroquoian Artifacts from the Grand Ronde Collection……………. 97 36. Comparison of Northwest and Iroquoian pipes………………………….. 103 37. Comparison of Northwest and Iroquoian combs………………………….. 104 38. Comparison of Northwest and Iroquoian effigies………………………….. 106 39. Iroquois Ladle Compared with a Northwest Native Ladle………………. 108 40. Pacific Northwest Trade Forts …………………………………………... 117 41. Partially Manufactured Steatite Pipes from Fort Okanogan…………….. 119 42. Iroquoian Pipes, for Comparison..……………………………………….. 120 LIST OF FIGURES (Continued) Figure Page 43. Gaming Pieces Found at Fort Spokane …………………………………. 121 44. Map of Kanaka Village…………………………………………………. 125 45. Comb Found at Fort Vancouver, Iroquois Ornament Designs………..... 127 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Recognized Iroquois Working on Columbia Winter 1813-1814……… 79 2. Iroquois at Spokane House 1822-1823 ………………………………. 81 3. Iroquois at Fort Vancouver…………………………………………… 84 4. Ethnicity at Kanaka Village…………………………………………… 85 1 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION “But it may be said, in truth, that, in their fine physical type, and in their energy of character, and love of independence, no people, among the aboriginal race, have ever exceeded, if any has ever equaled, the Iroquois” (Schoolcraft 1847: 3). The North American Fur Trade is an industry that started in the 1500s and is still in existence today. The trade is an international business that created networks all over the world with an extensive documented history. Much has been written about the important dates, the owners of large companies, and other Euro-American men with prestigious positions in those companies. Little, however, has been written about the actual workers who kept the Fur Trade in business, in particular, the hunters, trappers and boatmen. This is especially true for the historical record of the fur trade in the Pacific Northwest, possibly because it is more recent history than on the East coast. At most fur trade forts, men from several different ethnic groups worked these positions under contract and often lived together in the employee housing. Among the different groups in the Pacific Northwest were Europeans, French Canadians, Hawaiians, local Natives, and Iroquois. The European and French Canadian employees have been studied to some extent, and the Hawaiians to a lesser degree (Brauner 2000) (Brauner 2004) ( (Rogers 1993). The local Natives and the Iroquois have not yet been thoroughly investigated and are often not mentioned