Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-01-19
Indian Affairs in Oregon and Washington

We WV l'I'SC W tiS 1V'iO"iHS IN
tract from the Report of the Commits
sioncr of Indian affairs, cmbodying all
that relates to this Supcrintendcncy.
We feel assured that the information
it contains will prove of sufficient i'll
tcrcSt to our readers, to justify the room
devoted to it. 1t is collatcd from the
annual report of the Oregon and WASH
imgton Superintendent, Rev. +. X.
Gcary, and the reports of the various
agents and sub-agcnts on duty in said
Supcrintcndcncy to that officer. The
Commissioner says:
The report of the Superintendent of
Indian Affairs for Oregon and wash
imgton Territory containsa graphic and
interesting history of Indian affairs
within his supcrintcndcncy during the
plst year.
Ten treaties were negotiated with va
rious Indian tribes in 1854 and 1865,
bat not ratified until March and April,
1859, and for fulfilling these, alpropri-
atoms were only made during the last
8 .sslon of Con grcss. This delay occa-
s'omcd discomfort and doubt in the
minds of the Indians, and fear that the
country occupied by them would be
taken possession OF by the whites, with
out their obtaining the consideration
specified in the treaties, created such
excitement among them that the peace
Of the country was threatened, and the
danger only avcrtcd by the concliatory
conduct ofthc several Agents and the
presence Of a Military force in that
region.
THE action already taken to carry ont
the stipulations of the treaties referred
to, will it is believed, rc-asSure the var
ious tribes of the friendship of the Gov
eminent, and tend to restore and con-
tinuc the amicablc relations which
have been interrupted in consequence
of the delay in the ratification OF those
treaties.
The Indians in this Supcrintcndcncy
arc estimated at tlirty-cight thousand
souls. OF these, seven thousand arc
in Oregon, and thirty-onc thousand i'll
Washington Territory.
There arc three thousand Indians
mpon tho Coast Reservation in Oregon.
Of these one thousand one hundred
and thirty-four Q,13D are provided for
by treaty stipulations, and one thousand
eight hundred and siXty-siX C. 1867 are
Mnprovided for. These latter were col
lccted ut Fort Umpqua during the
troubles of 1866, where they were
clothed and fed by Government appro-
priations for two years. These appro-
Yriations having been withheld, the
Superintendent is without the means
of supplying their necessities.
The Indians at the Grand Ronde
and Siletz agencies, can he subsistcd
with but little assistance from the Gov
ernmcnt, as the crops at these points
arc reported to have yielded abundant
harvcsts.
The Cooscs" and "Umpquas," re-
Gently removed to the "Alcca," in pur-
suancc of instructions from this office,
are reported to be in suffering condi-
ton, owing to Il total failure of the
crops ut that point. TO relieve their
nrescnt necessities and to provide for
their wants during the Winter, the SUI
pcrintcndcnt was prompted by humane
consideration to authorize the local
agent to purchase supplies, and sug-
gests that an appropriation be made by
Congress at an early day to reimburse
the amount thus expended.
The reports of Agents Miller and
Ncwcom6c and sub-Agent Sykes, con-
tain information in detail respecting
the management of Indian affairs on
the Coast Reservation the past year.
The Warm Springs reservation, Sc
lccted for the use of the Indians of
middle Oregon, parties to the treaty OF
June 23rl, 1855, has been occupied
since 1856. Buildings have been erect
ed and other improvements made, and
succcss has rewarded the efforts of the
Indians to cultivate the soil. They
were embarrassed by delay in tho rati-
tication of their treaty, and their fail
ure to receive tho protection of the
troops that had been frequently ap-
piled for.
The Snake Indians, their hereditary
enemies, arc continually dcprcdatiny
upon them, and by their frequent i'll
cursions they arc kept in constant ap-
prehcnsion. During the absence ofthc
Reservation Indians Oh Il hunt, the
Snakes made descent upon the Agcn-
CIV. drove off the cattle and horses be-
longing to the Government and Indians,
killed or captured a few women and
children remaining at home, plumdcrcd