[or-roots] Chief Joseph and the new baby

[Glen Jones]

I have a lot of books on Northwest History and the Nez Perce, in fact on my father's side of the family we trace back to Chief James of the Lapwai Band and Chief Joseph is supposedly my Great Great uncle. I also have relatives on the Nez Perce Reservation and the Umatilla. Also if it had not been for the usual government screw ups the war could have been avoided all together, Even General Crook did not agree with the orders he was given.
Glen Jones
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: CKlooster at aol.com<mailto:CKlooster at aol.com> 
  To: or-roots at sosinet.sos.state.or.us<mailto:or-roots at sosinet.sos.state.or.us> 
  Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 10:57 AM
  Subject: Re: [or-roots] Chief Joseph and the new baby


  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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