The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-04-05
Politics Creeps Into
lndien Affairs
Gov. Stevens Victim OF
Official Abuse
Begins Negotiations With
PUGET Sound Indians
NisqusIly BIunder Led 70
Tragedy Of Lesehi


Portable home IN Olympia
and Mrs. Stevens reconclled to
the crude surroundings, the Sec
ond session Of the Washington
territorial legislature organized,
and difficulties with the powers
that be al the national capital
being ironed out. Gov. Isaac Ste
vens turned his attention TO a
settlement of Indian affairs.
OF all his activities. nothing
received so much criticism as
Gov. Stevens dealing with the
Indians. Having been given the
responsibility of dealing with all
the tribes west of the Missouri
as well as those in the territory
of Washington, he undertook
by 10 treaties to reduce the In
dian title in that vast expanse
to an area not much larger than
New England. History does not
reveal that any one man ever
undertook such great response
bility. That there should be
criticism and MISUNDERSTANDING
was inevitable. II also was in
evitable. as il would be in this
day, that the man who tried to
accomplish a great work should
be the victim of political in
trigue.
For several years the treaties
were bitterly assailed both by
hostile Indians and officers high
in authority. The senate refused
confirmation of the treaties and
he was the object of personal
abuse. But through it all he
never wavered from the objec-
tive, predicting that some day
his treaties would be INDICATED.
In that connection he said
Let short-minded men
denounce and criticize ignor-
antly and injuriously, and
let time know that the gov
eminent made no mistake
in the man whom IL placed
In TIC great field of duty as
80 w
treaty with the Indian
tribes"
Time did vindicate him. II is
true there were some failures,
but they were due for the most
part to misunderstanding. The
most fragrant failures were due
to appointment of incompetent
and dishonest agents and letting
politics get into the Indian de-
partment.
Because of their proximity
and his desire to settle the ter
ritory. Gov. Stevens began ne
sotiations first with the Puget
Sound Fuca strait Indians. Early
in December he sent agents and
messengers to the Sound Indians
asking them to assemble at
designated points for a council.
Circumstances made the Sound
Indians comparatively easy to
deal with. The total number of
about 5000 included remnants of
former strong tribes which had
been diminished by disease and
the ravages of the powerful
tribes of British Columbia and
Alaska. Often the northern In
dams had swooped down upon
them. slaughtering the men and
making the women and children
slaves.
They also were menaced
by the Yakima Indians who
came across the mountains
and plundered them. To
these dangers was now add
ed the fear of the whites
whose numbers were con-
tinually increasing.
Thus living in constant
fear. they saw in the pro-
posals of Gov. Stevens pro-
lection from their enemies
and guarantee of lands
they could call their own.
The first council was held at
She-nah-nam, or Medicine creek,
now known as McAllister creek.
The site is short distance
from where the new Olympia
highway crosses the creek near
the Pierce-Thurston county line.
The state has designated the
spot by a marker on the high
SIDE e