Tag: Kevin Hatfield

Disease and Space: An Historical Epidemiology Study Investigating Northern Paiute Cultural Patterns Pre and Post Reservation

Presenter: Madeline Weissman

Mentor: Kevin Hatfield

Oral Presentation

Major: Psychology/Spanish

I chose to study the effects of disease on the Northern Paiute from the 1700’s through present day for a 10 week Honors College Colloquium. I chose this topic due to my ongoing interest in public health and the ways diseases correlate with cultural and social factors. This study is a historical epidemiology, combining biological information on the components of epidemic diseases such as the flu, malaria, smallpox, and measles with geographical information on the Pacific Northwest as well as cultural information on the lifestyle of the Northern Paiute. I investigated the
onset of epidemiological diseases in relation to movement onto reservations. This study focuses on the interaction between disease and the idiosyncratic cultural patterns of the Northern Paiute, such as location, movement, isolation, and traditional medicinal practices. Methods for my research included finding primary sources such as government documents obtained via microfilm and handwritten letters available through the UO Library’s Special Collections. Additionally, I conducted three oral interviews with four tribe members and referenced secondary sources obtained through the UO library catalogue. Approximately half of my research comes from primary sources and half from secondary sources. Through my research, I found that diseases such as the flu, malaria, smallpox, and measles only started to affect the Northern Paiute once they were forced onto reservations and continue to have devastating population repercussions on the existing tribe.

Governor George L. Woods and Genocide in Oregon

Presenter: Simone Smith

Mentor: Kevin Hatfield

Oral Presentation

Major: Business Administration

Governor George L. Woods, with the help of various members in the US Army and federal government such as Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and General Crook, created a strong federal presence specifically unique to Oregon. Under Woods’ rule, ethnocide along with the use of Indian Scouts were legalized, leading to the attempted extermination of the Northern Paiute and the strengthening of the federal government’s control in Oregon in the context of Richard White’s “kindergarten” theory. The expansion of federal power is evident through Woods’ decision to use Indian Scouts during the Snake War from 1866 to 1868. Prior to Woods’ term in office, the government
had not legalized the pitting of Indian against Indian for the purpose of extermination. Through further inspection of state documents, newspapers, letters, and manuscripts, it becomes evident that this history employs a further discussion of authority and of marginalization. Acting alongside Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, Woods was able to bypass several military officers in order to attempt to eliminate the Northern Paiute during the erroneously named “Snake War” which scholar Gregory Michno proclaims to be “the deadliest Indian war” in terms of Native American casualties. The history of Woods’ genocidal rampage is absent in the common understanding of Oregon’s history and many scholars have overlooked the impact of Woods’ presence in Oregon. In the existing literature surrounding the Snake War and the history of Oregon, Governor Woods is mentioned very briefly although his impact on the Northern Paiute is quite substantial. Given that there are currently no published biographies on the third governor of Oregon, Governor George L. Woods, this research provides original material and will contribute to a larger body of work on federalized power in Oregon and its effect on the Northern Paiute.

Assimilation and Activism: An Analysis of Native Boarding School Curriculum and Native Student Activism in the 20th Century

Presenter: Ayantu Megerssa

Mentors: Kevin Hatfield, History; Barbara Mossberg, Honors College

Oral Presentation

Major: International Studies

This paper will examine Native American student retaliation and activism in the face of assimilationist educational policies and curriculum at both the Warm Springs Boarding School on the Warm Springs Reservation, and at Chemawa Boarding School in Salem Oregon, from the 1930s to the 1970s. I will argue that through the use of vocational education, Christian ethics and citizenship training, and cultural “safety zones” (Ruhl), Oregon Native American boarding schools attempted to assimilate their Native American students by instilling belief in the ideals of American citizenship, Christian morality, and work ethic. I will demonstrate that over the course of the 20th century, student and community activism against these assimilationist policies took the forms of retaliation against school authorities, community legal activism on behalf of the Native American students, creative student activism through literary publications such as The Chemewa American, and finally through student legal activism in the form of the Indian Student Bill of Rights in 1972. I utilized an extensive array of resources, both archival and oral in nature, throughout my research process. I spent a great deal of time working with historic periodicals, the Bureau of Indian Affairs archive collection from the National Archives and Records Administration, digitized Historic Oregon newspapers, UO theses and dissertations, microfilm, and oral histories from Northern Paiute Tribal Elders from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Wilson Wewa and Myra Johson-Orange.

A True Northern Paiute Hero: An Analysis of Chief Egan and his Leadership in the Bannock-Paiute War of 1878

Presenter: Kevin Lai

Mentors: Kevin Hatfield, History; Jennifer O’Neal, Special Collections

Poster: 40

Major: Biology

This research paper examines the circumstances surrounding Northern Paiute Chief Egan’s rise to prominence and his heroic depiction leading up to the Bannock-Paiute War of 1878. I argue that despite his Cayuse ancestry, Chief Egan’s wisdom, loyalty, and bravery made him the prime choice to act as leader over the course of the rebellion against Agent William Rinehart and the U.S. government at the Malheur Reservation. Additionally, this paper demonstrates that although Egan knew such a battle against the Americans would surely end in defeat, he decided to take such a gamble solely to give his people another chance at survival–proof of his devotion to the Northern Paiute culture. The paper is based on examination of a wide range of primary sources including letters, hearings, governmental reports, and oral history from community members, to evaluate both tribal and non-tribal perceptions of Chief Egan not only as a member of the Paiutes but as an individual. Battle records were examined to assess Chief Egan’s prowess as a capable war leader. This research helps to redefine what it means to truly be part of a Native American tribe, by blood or acculturation, in addition to contributing original research concerning Northern Paiute cultural identity, loyalty, and responsibility.

Hidden Hunters: The Little-Known Native Soldiers that Changed Warfare in the West

Presenter: Tyler Jorgensen

Mentors: Kevin Hatfield, History and Jennifer O’Neal, Special Collections

Poster: 34

Major: Mathematics 

My research concerns the Native scouts involved in the Snake War who were hired by the United States Army to hunt Northern Paiutes. Why would these native scouts want to hunt down other native people? Why would they join sides with the government which, at the time, was surging into native lands and seizing territory? This paper asserts that the answers to these questions can be grouped into three categories: money, power, and hatred, my essay will argue that these three factors are what drew the scouts to the American side. One example of a significant primary source I will use is William McKay’s journal. William McKay was the commanding officer over a force of Warm Springs scouts hired to hunt down Northern Paiutes. In addition to primary sources, I will attain information from secondary sources to provide background information for my essay, as well as display evidence to explain why these scouts fought.

For instance, I had the opportunity to ask tribal elders Wilson Wewa and Myra Johnson what they believe made the native scouts want to side with the U.S. government. They provided me with vital information and several avenues of research for my topic. My research will conclude that the incentives I identified for scouts to work with the U.S. Military far outweighed any of the complications. It is my hope that my research can fulfill a gap of knowledge on the subject and allow other scholars to see a new perspective of the conflict.

Who Was Chief Paulina? Restoration History and the Reconstruction of Paulina’s Identity in Popular Memory

Presenter: Sarianne Harris

Mentors: Kevin Hatfield, History; Jennifer O’Neal, Special Collections

Poster: 28

Major: Human Physiology

This paper examines the life of Chief Paulina, a Northern Paiute of the Hunipuitoka band, beginning at the time of major conflicts caused by the creation of the Warm Springs Reservation within Central Oregon in 1855 and ending around the time of his death in 1867.Chief Paulina, throughout his life and in popular memory, has been demonized and distorted into a bullet-proof, blood-thirsty, violent war leader who cared for little but the thrill of raiding. I argue that Chief Paulina was, instead, a skilled leader who cared for his people and fought bitterly to protect his homeland. He made necessary decisions, based on the information and resources he had at his disposal, to care for his people and keep their land. I utilize secondary, but focus on primary, resources as I examine the Northern Paiute view of the Warm Springs Reservation, interactions between Chief Paulina and Captain Kelly of Fort Klamath, and Chief Paulina’s behavior regarding the capture of his people. These areas of focus reveal a more complete view of the person behind the legend than the portrayals of Chief Paulina found in history books, Oregon museums, and local histories.

The Warm Springs Boarding School: Constructing White Femininity While Destabilizing Female Tribal Identity

Presenter: Eva Bertoglio

Mentors: Kevin Hatfield, History; Jennifer O’Neal, Special Collections

Oral Presentation

Major: Humanities

My paper will examine the construction of white femininity amongst Indian boarding school pupils from the 1870s to the 1920s. This paper argues that female boarding school pupils at Warm Springs were subject not only to general forces of assimilation but also to specifically gendered constructions of white femininity in a Victorian context by their teachers and school culture. I will demonstrate this through the gender-segregated instruction, school rules about dress and attire, oral histories of former boarding school pupils and Warm Springs tribal members, and photographs which highlight how white femininity was performed and idealized to the pupils. Oral histories show how many women left the boarding schools with the ambitions of housewifery and domesticity rather than community leadership or traditional lives, which I argue is due to the cultural reprograming the boarding schools were founded on. The reclaiming of the boarding school as a space for cultural education by the tribal community will be examined as a mechanism to destabilize some of the gendered forces which were instilled upon school-age women for sixty years. This research will show how female students at Warm Springs had their culture and traditional roles destabilized and replaced with a white feminine ideal which had long-term consequences for tribal reintegration.

Shedding Snakeskin: The Hidden History of the Northern Paiutes

Presenter: Jordyn Roach

Faculty Mentor: Kevin Hatfield, Jennifer O’Neal

Presentation Type: Creative Work 8 (GSH 115)

Primary Research Area: Social Science

Major: Cinema Studies, Applied Physics

The Northern Paiutes are a First Nations People who used to claim a third of Oregon as their homeland until the mid-nineteenth century. In older and even recent texts, white historians have represented the Northern Paiutes as a demonic and destitute People, or as “Snakes,” who were responsible for baseless acts of savagery against the white settlers of Oregon. This documentary film intends to uproot this injurious “Snake” image to reveal the lost history of a tremendous struggle between the Paiutes, encroaching rival tribes, white settlers and the US government. Combining an array of visual, scholarly, oral and archeological evidence, this film strives to transform the negative historical image of the Paiutes to that of a people who put up an astounding fight to protect their homeland as invaders depleted their resources and threatened their ancient way of life. The time period of 1855-1868 would come to shape the perception and fate of the Northern Paiutes for over a century. By reevaluating the events of this time period concerning territorial claims, the origins of the Snake War, the demonized Chief Paulina and unacknowledged acts of genocide, a new Northern Paiute image may be achieved that will aid in revitalizing the Paiutes’ contemporary cultural identity.

Food and Power at Malheur: Examining the Nexus of Food Systems Implemented on the Malheur Reservation

Presenter: Anna Karvina Pidong

Faculty Mentor: Kevin Hatfield, Jennifer O’Neal

Presentation Type: Oral

Primary Research Area: Social Science

Major: Accounting

The late nineteenth century was marked by movements towards a more moral and perfect society: abolishing slavery, prohibiting alcohol, and Christianizing Indians. The message of these movements were disseminated in several different ways. In this paper, I argue that food systems on the Malheur Reservation were a source of power for the two Indian agents who served there, Samuel Parrish and William Rinehart, to manifest their thoughts on what made a more moral and perfect society. Research from government correspondence and Appointment Papers of the State of Oregon show how Parrish and Rinehart cultivated and distributed food on the reservation asserted their power. Parrish utilized farming activities on the reservation to change policies in favor of the Northern Paiutes while Rinehart used food as a means of exerting control over the Northern Paiutes. Food and farming also affected how the Parrish and Rinehart interacted with the pressures from settlers around Malheur.

School House Blues: How the Bureau of Indian Affairs used the Burns Indian School to Limit Responsibility to the Northern Paiute Indians of the Burns Colony

Presenter: Madeleine Peara

Faculty Mentor: Kevin Hatfield, Jennifer O’Neal

Presentation Type: Oral

Primary Research Area: Humanities

Major: Spanish

The role of the Burns Indian School in the Burns Paiute community was greatly impacted by Burn’s status as a colony rather than a reservation. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) considered the Burns Paiutes “landless” and as a result, denied financial assistance on the grounds of ineligibility. My research addresses the role of the Indian school in Burns given this unusual status; questions: what was the role of the Indian School in the Burns community during the early 1930s, and did its status as a colony affect its responsibilities? What were the goals of the school administrators and Indian agents in the school’s establishment? To what end did the school promote Western culture? In addressing questions, I analyze general correspondence, a survey conducted by a visiting teacher, governmental records and depositions. I argue that for the BIA, the school acted as the arm of the federal government in Burns and the creation of the Burns Indian School was a step in the process of relinquishing responsibility for the funding and provision of education for Paiute children, which included Americanization of the children so that they would be acceptable to the public school. My research is salient because it tells a different story than the predominant narrative about Indian education, and focuses on a community who are underrepresented and misrepresented in historical research.