Enter a name, company, place or keywords to search across this item. Then click "Search" (or hit Enter).
Indians and Indian Agents (and Notes)(1997) (11 pages)
Go to the Archive Home
Go to Thumbnail View of this Item
Go to Single Page View of this Item
Download the Page Image
Copy the Page Text to the Clipboard
Don't highlight the search terms on the Image
Show the Page Image
Show the Image Page Text
Reset View and Center Image
Zoom Out
Zoom In
Rotate Left
Rotate Right
Toggle Full Page View
Flip Image Horizontally
More Information About this Image
Get a Citation for Page or Image - Copy to the Clipboard
Go to the Next Page (or Right Arrow key)
Page: of 11
: . 7 =
Phillips, George, Indians and Indian Agents: The Origins of the Reservation System in
Californsa, 1849-1852 (Univ. Oklahoma: Norman 1997)
xh 7 Negotiations Conclude:
oe April 26 conference begins with McKee telling Indians that President wants them to have a
home out of the mountains 92: In promised 500 head of cattle, 260 sacks of flour, 3000 lbs
of iron, 500 pounds of steel, seeds, clothing, and other items each year during 1851 and
1852. Fresno Reservation. 2 treaty. First was the Merced. $40 per head (40) to Merced; 80
to Fresno McKee contracted with Pablo de la Toba.
95 Comm then split up: Redick went north; Wozencraft the Middle and Barbour the south.
Said 2000-3000 could make their home on the Fresno. Land had no agricultural value. Tide
turned. Ind. Placated. Indians “hale, healthy, good-looking people”. Liberal terms and beef
issues: “it is in the end cheaper to feed the whole flock for a_year than fight them for a week.”
(95) Mckee and Barbour went to SF, arriving early May, and learned the Congressional
appropriation had been reduced from $75,000 to $25,000. If Ind. Went to war, McKee told
Lea, it would result from meager Congressional appropriations. (96) McKee’s vision was to
stock the reservations with cattle for breeding. Laments cut in appropriation. Barbour went
to Kings River and opened negotiations May 12, reported he “succeeded in getting them to
remove from the best portion of that country, and tasettle upon lands not so good.” (98) B
says body of troops need to be stationed at convenient point near treaty lands to protect Ind
from unscrupulous selling alcohol and committing outrages, which would certain provoke
Ind. To violate the treaty. Wozencraft conducts a treaty with Yokuts and Miwok on San
Joaquin in late May, giving special provision of land to friendly Captain Comelius. Siakumne
~—> chief JoseJesus-was missing as he was murdered by a white man between Feb. and May. .
Barbor conducted a treaty with five Yokuts and two Mono societies on the Kaweah, creating
the Kaweah and San Joaquin Reservations. Fremont in attendance. Ind promised 200 beef
cattle. At Tule, Yokuts Treaty: Barbour found chiefs Chunut and Wowol courageous,
magnanimous, physically strong, and intelligent. (102) Ind had just fought with Mexicans
probably over stock a few days before he arrived at Tejon. Indians were fine looking, shrewd
and cunning, had firearms and knew how to use. them, grew crops. (103) Acquiring home
turf, so 150 cattle per year for two years promised only. In on tulare were shortly on the
verge of war after Mexicans from Sonora threatened a headman. (105) Barbour told miners
on the Fresno Rez to leave, ca June 1851. Treaty Commissioners optimistic. After a short
trip to SF, Barbour returned to interior in mid August and leamed Indian of south upset
because they didn’t have treaties. Acting Commissioner said to cease buying beef. Comm
told in summer not to spend more than appropriated by Congress.
Ch. 8 Administering to the Indians Ferry/Tavern nearby village on Merced. Drunk man
demands woman for night and Ind. Bound him. Man freed himself and Ind. Surrounded
tavern. Johnson persuaded them to disperse. Adam Johnson decides to buy out the
interests of the ferry and tavern people for what McKee thought was an inflated price.
McKee saw problem as not having a hierarchy in administration, with a person of large
authority in Ca: to hire and fire agents, to make contracts, make treaties “unlimited power”
says Phillips. (111) Perhaps McKee had rivalry with Johnson. , but agents like Johnson
continued to act independently awarding lucrative trading licenses. Provisions paid by
voucher delivered to the rez. George Belt hired Sam Ward to run his store on the Merced.
Ind. Bartered gold dust at the store in Aug. 1851. Ind. Hit pocket and made several thousand
dollars and cleaned out store.