The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Reservation

The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Reservation is a Native American reserve which has been through a batch in history. This Tribe used to be many folks so combined into one many old ages ago. Uniting all the traditions was one thing, lasting the land being taking, expiration and Restoration are all things many people do non cognize approximately. History books for grade school instruction have created false history merely late allowing the truth be reviled. This folk has gone through a batch but still stands strong. The Reservation is in West Oregon located 12 stat mis from Newport. For my concluding paper I have gone to research the reserve, had many interviews, talked to seniors, read parts of the history book about the folk and looked on the web site. I am a Siletz Indian but was ne'er taught any of the traditions or knew most of the history, this undertaking and category have given me the chance to make so.

The first clip I of all time went to my reserve I was anticipating something beautiful, and that I would ne'er bury. Not stating that is non beautiful or that I would of all time bury it but let’s say it was non what I was anticipating. It is the stereotyped little town, poorness, intoxicant and drug usage. There is tonss of smoke, imbibing, fleshiness and diabetes on the reserve. At first I didn’t understand why these things were such large issues. But I have late come to recognize why and I now understand my grandfather’s concluding for go forthing and ne'er truly learning my brother and I the history or the traditions. For many old ages I was angry about this, I was besides angry about non acquiring to travel to or populate on the reserve but I am no longer angry with my Grandpa, I can see why he did all that he did to acquire off and do a better state of affairs for his household.

The ground the folk is called “Confederated folks of” is because when Oregon was first being taken over there were folks all over. The 1s in South Oregon and Northern Cali were pushed over to Siletz. For the white adult male seting Indians on reserves was called “getting rid of the Indian problem” . The folk that came together to do Siletz spoke around 11 different linguistic communications. There were many Tribes which were forced to travel together they include “Clatsop, Chinook, Klickitat, Molala, Kalapuya, Tillamook, Alsea, Siuslaw/Lower Umpqua, Coos, Coquelle, Upper Umpqua, Tututni ( including all the lower Rogue River Bands and those widening up the seashore to Floras Creek and down to Whales Head ) , Chetco ( including all of the small towns from Whales Head to the Winchuck River ) , Tolowa, Takelma ( including the Illinois Valley/mid-Rogue River and Cow Creek peoples ) , Galice/Applegate, and Shasta” ( Part 1, Paragraph 6 ) . Bing a coastal folk and life off the land and its resources the chief nutrient they ate was fish, shellfish and whale. Though they were put on the reserves they were told non to make many traditional things like have huddles. However they would hold huddles around the American vacations and say that they were making vacation related things. Besides when traveling households to reserves they would direct kids’ grade school ages to get oning schools. The one most of the Siletz childs went to is in Salem and it is called Chemawa. At the get oning school the small misss would hold their hair chopped away and the male childs would acquire shaved. They were forced to larn about Christianity, how to move and eat decently. They had to alter everything they learned as kids and follow new “rules” of life. Many of the older kids would move out and either acquire beaten or kicked out of the school. My great-great grandparents were two that acted out, they besides got kicked out after acquiring pregnant.

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When the expiration Torahs started go oning Siletz was one that it hit hard. The Natives no longer had rights to the land and its resources and since everyone was now considered black or white, they were white. It says white on my grampss and parents birth certifications. It was during the expiration period that Natives gazing going really low category and holding imbibing jobs. This has led to many jobs that are still on reserves today but we will speak about that later on. Another go oning during this clip was Natives acquiring ill and deceasing from deathly diseases they got exposed to. After making more research about this I found out that it was before contact with the Europeans that tribes in Oregon were acquiring ill. The Tribes from the E warning them about the white work forces had spread lifelessly pandemics. One-half of my great-great grand-parents kids died for TB. When Lewis and Clark came to the state in 1805 when they explored the Northwest to happen that many small towns “de-populated by disease” ( Part 2 Paragraph 5 ) . My whole life I was told that Lewis and Clark coming over was when the land was get downing to acquire taken over. I had no thought that there were so many old ages when colonists merely left the Natives be in Northwest and merely had contact with them when researching “most white contact with our people before 1845 or so was fugitive, dwelling of bargainers, trappers, adventurers of different sort” ( Part 4 Paragraph 1 ) .

The first existent jurisprudence covering with the people of the Northwest and new colonists was a `` Northwest Regulation '' in 1787 stating the Natives that their land and rights will be protected. This jurisprudence was taken back in 1846. Then following large jurisprudence we learned about in category “The Oregon Donation act” which was promised land given any new colonist in the country. This is when all the reserves were established. In 1951 there were battles get downing to go on, small towns being attacked. The colonists were naming this the “extermination movement” . When the folks were being taken to Siletz most of the work forces were shot and adult female and kids were marched at that place, this took many trips. Not merely covering with seeking to talk the same linguistic communication, but the folks that came together had different ways of shelter and nutrient, this caused a batch of jobs at foremost. They had to work together while being forced to go “civilized” . One thing that was really interesting to larn was what the folk usage to utilize as money. They use these thin white shells called Dentalium shell. These are now made into beautiful jewellery. They use to be traded until paper money was created.

There was a jurisprudence passed in 1924 called “Indian Citizenship Act” , this was stating all Native Americans that they were now portion of the United States and no longer considered Natives. It was 37 old ages and 4 months ago that the Siletz reserve was given their land back. In award of this they have an one-year Restoration huddles head at their casino in Lincoln City. This is in award of their rights. They restoration allowed each folk that is recognized by the authorities to have a casino. The one owned by Siletz is called Chinook Winds Casino ; it is located about 45 stat mis from the reserve.

Some of the tradition and manner the folk is structured today is by royalty, a authorities council and a whip work forces and adult females. All the royalty is adult females, who represent the folk by traveling to powwows all around the US and viing in dance and membranophone competitions. The membranophone group is called the “West Coast Boyz” . The royalty consists of Miss Siletz, Jr. Miss Siletz and small Miss Siletz. They are chosen one time a twelvemonth to be the representative for that twelvemonth and scope in different age groups. The council consists of nine members elected every 3 old ages for a 3 twelvemonth period. The vote regulations are same as the remainder of Oregon and any member can vote at the age of 18 or older. The Tribes president is a adult female and she has been president for I believe my whole life. She represents the folk at Unite States authorities Native events and has had multiple meetings with the United States presidents. To be enrolled in the folk your blood has to be 1/16 Siletz or higher. There used to be so many tribal members that we could non maintain path but today is a small over 5,000 members. Each member is given a figure which represents how long they have been enrolled and helps with fiscal things.

I talked to my gramps about his experience of turning up on the reserve. His name is Howard Fleming, my gramps does non wish to speak about this is it was difficult to acquire it out of him. My gramps was the youngest of four. He use to acquire in problem all the clip, the instructors at his school did non like Indians. All of his friends and siblings were bad. They got called atrocious names like “half-breed” . People didn’t like his household because his ma was white. I said earlier that my great-great grandparents were kicked out of chemawa for acquiring pregnant, they had 5 kids. Three of them passed off from the disease pandemics. My great gramps married a white adult female and was disowned by most of his household. He was the 1 who got an allocation of land that was taken off after the expiration period. My grandfather had a difficult clip being on the reserve back so, acquiring in problem, all the racism and observation, any people ruin their lives because they didn’t think they had anything else to make. My grandfather moved off when he was 17 and didn’t travel back for many old ages. Now he takes my brother and I to the huddle one time a twelvemonth in the summer.

The Tribe still has many traditions, non all that they use to but still a few that I know of. They have an one-year huddle every twelvemonth the 2nd weekend in August. It is the biggest 1 in the Northwest. Tribes from all over the state come to vie in the dance and membranophone competitions. One thing that I have really done with my Grandfather is on Memorial Day weekend we got the Gravess of our household. We clean the Gravess by picking weeds and grass out of the rectangle of soil covering where the coffin lies, we clean the caput rocks and we put fresh soil the hill of soil were the coffin lies. This is all out of regard, it is respectful non to walk on them so by seeing were they lie you don’t measure on them. Turning up I didn’t understand of these things and why we do them but I am larning. I wish I could be more involved in the folk but I do non fault my grandfather for anything he did.

Traveling to the reserve now is really particular to me. Standing by the river hearing to the beating cognizing what all has happened there I get a feeling that is difficult to explicate but I know I am in the right topographic point. Talking to my grandfather, traveling to the reserve and taking this category has taught me a batch. I have truly enjoyed researching and it makes me happy that I have chosen the right major for me. I am majoring in public wellness and minoring in cultural surveies because I want to work on the reserve. I want to assist the poorness, disease and dependence on the reserve. I want people to recognize that times have changed a batch and it’s Oklahoma to travel out and make things! I besides truly desire to alter that ? of the folk are corpulent. As a non so amusing gag my pa one time said to me “you could ne'er be Miss Siletz because you don’t weigh 300 pounds” . This is non nice or amusing but sadly it is true that the royalty are really over weight. One twenty-four hours I would wish to be able to dance or sing. I am non certain who will learn me but I will seek to larn. I love my civilization and I am really proud to be Native American. I am proud of the history and what my household has overcome. Writing this paper was a great chance for me to larn more about my civilization and tribe itself.

Work Cited

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ctsi.nsn.us/chinook-indian-tribe-siletz-heritage/our-history

Charles Wilkinson.“The Peoples Are Dancing Again – The History of the Siletz Tribe of Western Oregon”University of Washington, 2010, Print.

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