Date of Award
7-1-1936
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
Excerpt: "When the pioneers pushed westward to Oregon they found the land already occupied by Indian tribes. Their manners, their mode of life, and the effects of their contact with the whites have been of peculiar interest to those who study frontier history. Those who journey [sic] to the Oregon country found there tribes of Indians who differed greatly from the Indians they found on the plains. This thesis presents a study of the social customs of the aborigines who occupied the lower Columbia River region. It also attempts to describe the relations between the whites and the Indians and the effects of these contacts. The occupation of the region was started by the fur-traders, who were employees of the Pacific Fur Company, the North-West Company, and the Hudson's Bay Company. The first post was established in 1810. Missionaries and settlers began to occupy the country in the 1830's. The principal sources for this study have been the letters, diaries, and journals of these pioneers. The accounts written by Alexander Ross and Gabriel Franchere, clerks of the Pacific Fur Company, have been used for information concerning the Astorian enterprise and for the life of the Indians at that time. Information concerning the later period, 1835-1845, after the actual settlement of the region was begun has been secured from the narratives written by John K. Townsend, naturalist and physician with Wyeth's expedition, 1834-1836; by Thomas J. Farnham, a visitor to the region in 1839; by Pierre Jean de Smet, a Jesuit missionary to Oregon; and by other settlers and visitors. These accounts reveal much concerning the effects of the occupation of the land by the whites upon the Indians. The Indians suffered degeneracy and a decrease in numbers as a result of these contacts and are now practically extinct."
Recommended Citation
Oliver, Margaret W., "The Social customs of the Indians of the lower Columbia River region" (1936). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 423.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/etd/423
Comments
Please note that this material contains historic language and images that may be considered offensive or biased, or which marginalize certain individuals and communities. The presence of offensive language or images is not an endorsement by Library Services or by Pittsburg State University.