[or-roots] Chief Joseph and the new baby

[CKlooster at aol.com]

Well. I thought my wry comment regarding the pursuit of Chief Joseph might 
provoke a response.  Such a fiery response is a welcome indication that we 
genealogists/historians are not wizened academics; we are clearly people of 
passion...or at least passionate conviction.

Revisionist history is an interesting topic.  I think it possible that many 
of us working on family histories are interested in revising our personal 
histories; or at least getting to the root of family puzzles, myths, and closet 
skeletons.  History, whether family or nation, is not necessarily carved in 
stone...though it is often written in blood.

I have researched the saga of Chief Joseph as a part of course work in 
federal Indian law.  I've read copies of documents and reports made at the time.  
Did you know that there were petitions signed by settlers in the area demanding 
that Chief Joseph's band be left alone?  Are you aware that an unscrupulous 
federal Indian agent went to an equally unprincipled member of Joseph's band and 
obtained a signature ceding the land the band occupied to the federal 
government in an attempt to "quiet the title" to the land occupied by the band...and 
that said agent later admitted, in writing, that he knew that the signer had 
no authority to sign on behalf of the tribe?

"Aunt Charlotte" of course, is entitled to her version of history; but it is 
only that, her version.  One problem with history as written in text books and 
taught to us in school is that it is one-dimensional and taught from a single 
(and often not unbiased) perspective.  The other problem with such history is 
that it is often peppered with half-truths, or is sometimes patently untrue. 

As a child growing up in Oregon and Washington, I found it interesting that 
there were so many instances of Indians assisting the settlers that arrived to 
occupy their land.  Later, researching things such as the beginning of the 
Rogue River "Indian war", it was clear that skirmishes and battles often began as 
a result of arrogant and inhuman acts by white thugs.  Other incidents 
appeared to be the result of clear cultural misunderstanding.  The certain result 
was that innocent bystanders were caught up in the aftermath.

I've been living in an Alaska Indian community for the past twenty-five 
years.  The last thing I would ever say is that "...poor Indians were just peaceful 
loving people that wouldn't bother a sole (sic)".  Setting some definite 
cultural differences aside, the people with whom I live are neither less nor more 
peace loving than the non-Indians I know.  Some are spiritual; some are not.  
Some are respectful and considerate; some are rude and inconsiderate.  They 
are human, with the gamut of human traits.  This is my point.  They were no less 
human in Chief Joseph's time. 

It has long been a political tactic of leaders to demonize "the enemy" by 
portraying them as less than human.  It has also long been a political tactic of 
those in power to further their aims by creating enemies against which to 
unite a populace.  Unfortunately, like so many sheep, we of the populace too often 
fail to think for ourselves or to question the "facts" being fed to us by 
those in power.  So it was in the time of Rome, and so it remains today.  Those 
few who do question the "facts" are often ignored or forgotten in the writing 
of the official "histories"...just as the petitioners on behalf of Chief 
Joseph's band were not only ignored at the time, but also ignored by those writing 
the official history of those events.

Revisionist history?  I'm all for it if it brings forth facts that were 
overlooked or unknown when the "official" version was penned.  Perhaps if "we the 
people" had a more thorough understanding of our history, warts and all, we 
would be in a better position not to allow our leaders to repeat it.

Carla

 

 
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