KLAMATH INDIANS

THEY LIVED NEAR THE OREGON AND KLAMATH RIVER AREA. THEIR NAME MEANT MAKLAK PEOPLE OR COMMUNITY. THEY DEPENDED ON INLAND FISHING AND THEY HUNTED SMALL GAME, DEER, AND COLLECTED WILD PLANTS, ROOTS, AND WATER LILY SEEDS.

THEY ARE A PLATEAU TRIBE THAT SPEAKS THE PENUTIAN DIALECT. THEY WERE WARLIKE AND THEIR BOWMAN COULD SHOOT AN ARROW RIGHT THROUGH A HORSE. THEY HAD RAIDS ON MANY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TRIBES, AND THEY TOOK CAPTIVES AS SLAVES. THEY WERE FRIENDLY TOWARDS THE WHTES. A CANADIAN, PETER OGDEN, FIRST ESTABLISHED TRADE RELATIONS WITH THE KLAMATH IN 1829. THEY SIGNED A TREATY IN 1864 AND AGREED TO GIVE UP SLAVERY. THEY WERE INDIRECTLY PART OF THE MODOC WAR IN 1872-1873. BECAUSE THE MODOCS DID NOT GET ALONG WITH THE KLAMATHS,THEY HEADED SOUTH, EVENTUALLY THEY FOUGHT THE MOST VIOLENT INDIAN WAR IN CALIFORNIAN HISTORY. IN 1954, THE KLAMATH LOST SOME OF THEIR LAND TO THE GOVERNMENT.

IN 1954 CONGRESS ENDED FEDERAL RECOGNITION OF THE KLAMATH PEOPLE AND THAT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF THE GROUP'S 862, 662 ACRE RESERVE. IT INCLUDED VAST STANDS OF PONDEROSA PINE. IT LEFT THEM LANDLESS, SOCIALLY RAVAGED AND DISENFRANCHISED.

TODAY THEY ARE ONLY NOW BEGINNING TO RECOVER . THE GROUP IS DESCENDED FROM THE KLAMATH, MODOC, AND YAHOOSKIN BANDS OF INDIANS. THE KLAMATH AND MODOC S SHARED A SIMILAR LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, BUT WERE QUITE DISTINCT. AMONG THE KLAMATH INDIANS THEY WERE QUITE DISTINCT. LEADERS WERE CHOSEN FOR THERE DEMONSTRATED ABILITY FOR LEADERSHIPAND OTHER ABILITIES WHICH AUTHORITY DID NOT EXTEND. PRIOR TO EUROPEAN CONTACT THEKLAMATH'S ANCESTRAL TRIBES WERE A SOVERNENTITY. THEY ALSO LIVED SOUTHERN OREGON. IN 1864 THE GOVERNMENT RESERVED 1.1 MILLION ACRES FROM THEIR ORIGINAL DOMAIN OF 20 MILLION ACRES. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT ENCROACHMENT ON THESE LANDS IN THE FUTURE BUT IT DID NEITHER.

IN 1872 CAPTAIN JACK AND 52 MODOC WARRIORS MOVED BACK TO CALIFORNIA IGNORING THIS TREATY THEY MOVED TO THE LAVA BEDS NEAR TULE LAKEWHERE THEY HELD OFF 1000 SOLDIERS AND 78 INDIAN SCOUTS. THE WAR COST 400 SOLDERS LIVES AND 13 MODOC WARRIORS. IN 1873 CAPTAIN JACK WAS HANGED.

IN 1954 CONGRESS TERMINATED THE KLAMATH INDIANS AND THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED ANY COMMUNALLY OWNED LAND OR ASSETS. BY THE 1970S TERMINATION WAS A DISASTER FOR THE KLAMATH INDIANS. FORTY PERCENT OF ALL DEATHS WERE ALCOHOL RELATED. IN 1985 CONGRESS PASSED A PETITION TO RESTORE FEDERAL RECOGNITION FOR THE TRIBE. IN 1994 THEY SIGNED A GAMING CONTRACT TO ENABLE THE TRIBES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.




CARL WALDMAN/FREDERICK HOWIE