Page 8 Spilyay Tyrooo, Warm Springs, Oregon December 14-, 2011 Chieftainship question inspires history research By George W. A guilar Sr. unite against a common enemy. Columbia River area, Washing­ twenty years. (Second paragraph All these groups spoke the ton Governor Isaac Stevens and of the Treaty provision, Article Hamilton Greeley has re­might be recognized as chiefs. To the remaining descen­ same language, but often differ Oregon Indian Superintendent 4 of the 1855 Treaty.) searched the question o f the Wasco Since the early twentieth dants of Kiksht Chinookan from one another as geographi­ Joel Palmer threatened, bribed, chieftainship. At The Dalles hecentury a “salmon chief” has speakers of the Columbia River, cal area extends farther down and persuaded friendly tribal Joe Stwire is an individual of visited the Wasco County Histori­ been recognized at Celilo several people of this group river... leaders like Lawyer of the Nez interest. cal Museum, Columbia Gorge Falls. His authority included have approached me concern­ In early time the Columbia Perce’s to part with nearly 90 Stwire was raised from a Discovery Center. There, Greeley declaring fishing seasons ing information regarding the River Peoples’ religion was all percent of their bands ancestral small child at the Wascopum made copies from some of the open and closed and order­ vacancy of the chieftainship of guardian spirit inspired (primal homelands in exchange for res­ missions at The Dalles. books on file. ing that fishing stop for pur­ the Wasco. religions). ervations. Stwire was sent to the East One of the books was The poses of escapement or when It is my hope excerpts from Individuals with specific The article four, second para­ Coast for further education to Handbook of North Ameri­ ritual required (e.g. for funer­ my next book, The Shattered Civi­ guardian spirits were the deci­ graph of the 1855 mid Oregon attend the Columbia College. He can Indians, vol. 12: Plateau. als). The antiquity of this role lisation, will quell many misun­ sion makers, like: root digging Treaty may have had (conjec­ then became an ordained min­ Another was The Southern is not clearly attested.... derstandings about chieftainship worker, guardian spirit inspired ture) the same influence with ister. Plateau: An Ecological Analy­ among Eastern Kiksht war chief, a noble of each some of the headhouse hold Returning to Oregon he was sis of Intergroup Relations From The Southern Pla­ Chinookan speakers and lower household was a chief and de­ chiefs, of the Wasco and the al­ then assigned a position to pas­ (revised from Northwest An­ teau: An Ecological Analysis Chinookan civilizations. cision maker... lied Tenino. tor the Portland Presbyterian thropological Research of Intergroup Relations come This project was primarily Any individual who rose to a Church. When there was dissen­ Notes, vol. 6, no. 2 1972). these statements: designed for informational pur­ prominent noble by acquiring Contemporary chief:The sion on the Yakama Reservation For the sake of community The village had a leader poses for my people the Kiksht wealth was considered a chief. 1855 Treaty lists Chinook as one he was assigned by powerful discussion, Greeley wishes to share variously identified in the Wasco of Warm Springs, my It was his responsibility to pro­ of the principal chiefs of The men to be the Head Chief to excerpts from the research . At sources as a headman, chief, relatives, and grandchildren. The vide for those who were not Dalles band of Wascos. In 1859, quell the troubles. his request the Spilyay is reprint­ or subchief. His duties con­ staged events of these tales were quite as fortunate as he, and he Chinook was employed as inter­ Chief Stwire’s Indian name ing some of the information. Forsisted of such things as de­ created from the use of ancient relished the position because he preter at Warm Springs for is “White Swan” and there is a instance, an excerpt from the Pla­ ciding the movement of the known Indian names. considered it an honor to help $500 a year. small town named after him on teau volume, regarding Wasco unit if on the move and de­ With the loss of many Na­ others who were without. He In the Rattle Snake War cam­ the Yakama Reservation. groups at the Columbia, includes ciding on a time to open hunt­ tives during the epidemics who expected nothing in return... paign activities of 1866-1867, the following: ing and gathering seasons, if had Indian names, the utilization (Response to these questions in­ Chinook was a member of If the Wasco archaic tradi­ necessary, to give all members of the few existing ones of my volved the Chinookan speaking Darragh’s command. It appears tional heritage is considered for The winter lodge was oc­ an equal chance. He was ancestries will be used for illus­ peoples. The comments made on these he may have held a noncommis­ the chieftainship, then some cupied by an extended fam­ knowledgeable in the ways of tration with the The Shattered questions were based upon the earli­ sioned officer’s grade or at least nominated candidates would be ily unit under the recognized his group and in the every­ Civilisation project. est observations made by Gabrial a temporary one as indicated by ineligible... Utilizing Wasco ar­ leadership of a household day activities of the members Franchere, an Astor fur trapping of­the Louis Simpson’s narrative. chaic traditional custom head, a senior man. Little of his group. He set the ex­ A large amount of the his­ ficial during the era o f 1811.) (Ref. Sapir ethnohistory.) method, however, is not practi­ specific information exists as ample for good behavior by torical events in the project of In 1870, A.B. Meacham men­ cal because of the many mod­ to the precise composition of living up to the accepted stan­ The Shattered Civilization were The people of the Wascopum tions Billy Chinook for his mis­ ern issues that need to be ad­ winter lodges other than the dards. He knew the behavior documented by anthropologists, had developed a variety of com­ sionary work and for taking a dressed. repeated assertion that all of his people in detail and ethnologists, missionary’s pio­ plex cultures, each with its own leading part in the progress of According to early, occupants were of one “fam­ where each person was. Gen­ neers, explorers, trappers, and complex history and unique way the tribe. documenters a democratic sys­ ily” and that all co-resident erally, he did not interfere but early settlers. For that reason and of life. They were divided into In December 1871, when tem in the early River people’s families freely shared all food stood by with his knowledge accordingly so are the archaic several major groups, and had A.B. Meacham visited the way of life was never a concern. consumed within the house. to advise when asked, or ad­ documented Native River politically independent house­ Warm Springs Agency, he made So, the next Wasco Chief may Membership in such winter monish when necessary. people’s customs of that time. holds, bands, and villages. mention of how the U.S. gov­ have to be elected and a voting lodge groups varied from The headman would en­ I must reiterate the project The River people were not ernment reneged on a special method utilized. year to year, with nuclear tertain visitors and obtain of The Shattered Civilisation is to ruled by leaders who could agreement in the Treaty coun­ Our past along the great Co­ families or hearth units free news of the outside world show the reader of how the speak for anyone but their own cil: lumbia River was the founda­ to realign themselves with kin which he passed on to his Chinookan civilization may particular household. These “At this time certain members tion for our current success as who were resident in other people. He might have as a have flourished before the ar­ people of the Columbia River of the Tenino (Wasco?) Band traders and business peoples. It lodges or in other villages... duty the task of arbitrating rival of the Whiteman who later had developed a sophisticated was in possession of, and had is my hope the next Wasco One to a dozen such disputes and of punishing came to West Coast and the culture such as: a ladder of sta­ made improvements of value Chief will assist in thrusting the lodges erected in close prox­ violators of obligatory Oregon Territory. tus; techniques to harvest and near, ‘The Dalles.’ Under spe­ Warm Springs Confederated imity constituted a winter vil­ norms... The called attentions of this store large quantities of food; cial agreements in Treaty Coun­ Tribes into many successful ven­ lage. One or more outstand­ Inheritance of leadership writing are about the Kiksht specialized occupations; a wide­ cil these improvements were to tures. Whomsoever he may be, ing men in each such village in the Plateau was subject to Chinookan customs, and the spread system of trade; and be paid for by the Government. he will need all the lay tribal were recognized as “chiefs.” the conditions of the bilateral Kiksht way of life. The Shat­ large, permanent homes. Nineteen years have passed, and memberships support for the Chiefs (more accurately, kinship system, which lacks tered Civilisation project was for Mission John (sic) and Billy Confederated Tribes to succeed “village headmen”) were ex­ the structure to permit a real and they were well docu­ There are about 150 Signa­ Chinook have not yet received during this distressing era. pected to exhort their people clear-cut line of descent for mented and authentic.