10/14/2024
Its Indigenous People's Day, but no longer referred to as Columbus Day. There are reasons. Columbus didn't "discover" the Americas, he found them, and their people. He must have been a brave adventurer and worthy of respect. Nonetheless, the carnage to the indigenous people is undeniable.
The Clatsops and Nehalems have never been federally recognized tribes. They signed treaties at Tansy Point, as identified tribes, with Indian Agent, Anson Dart. They were promised $10,500 (in goods and cash paid over ten years) but Congress never ratified the treaty and payment was not made.
Later, Silas Smith, a grandson of Coboway, in 1897, sought and was granted a waiver of sovereign immunity that allowed him to successfully sue the federal government for the benefit of the treaty. It wasn't until 1913 for payments to be funded by Congress. Later, in the 1950's, Congress began to terminate treaties with tribes and discontinued recognition of tribes. Congress directed the Bureau of Indians Affairs to investigate whether tribal people could likely live independently of the benefits that they were receiving from the government and, if so, to pay them for the land no longer recognized as Indian land. First, a tribe had to be recognized as a tribe and then the swath of land ceded to the government had to be quantified. In the Indian Claims Court, the Nehalem tribe again was recognized for its tribal existence. The map seen here shows the property described in the treaty. It was 97,250 acres. The court deemed the amount of $10,500 to be unconscionable and adjusted the amount. In 1962, each person able to establish their tribal heritage was issued a check for $620. Needless to say, there weren't many.
You can admire Columbus for his bravery to show that the world isn't flat. You, also, have to admire the perseverance of the Indigenous People.
