The Coast Reservation of Oregon was established under Executive Order of President Franklin Pierce in November, 1855, as a homeland for the southern Oregon tribes. It was an immense, isolated wilderness, parts of which had burned earlier in the century. There were some prairies where farming was possible, but because the reservation system itself and farming, particularly along the coast, were unknown entities, life for the Indians was a misery for years. Those responsible for the establishment of the reservation were subject to the vagaries of the weather, the wilderness, the Congress, and the Office of Indian Affairs. Agents were accountable, not only for the lives of Oregon Indians, but also for all of the minute details involved in answering to a governmental agency. Some of the agents were experienced with the tribes of western Oregon; others were not. All of them believed that the only way to keep the Indians from dying out was to teach them the European American version of agriculturalism. Eventually, if possible, Oregon Indians would be assimilated into the dominant culture. Most agents held out little hope for the adults of the tribes. This thesis lays out the background for the development of United States Indian policies. European Americans' ethnocentric ideas about what constituted civilization became inextricably woven into those policies. Those policies were brought in their infant stage to Oregon. Thus, the work on the reservations was experimental, costing lives and destroying community. How those policies were implemented on the Coast Reservation from 1856-1877 concludes this study. / Graduation date: 2000 / Best scan available for photos. Original is a black and white photocopy.

The aim of my study was to try to bring forth the basic aspects and characteristics of the Siletz Reservation as it was in the nineteenth century. Concentration was placed on the life activities and concerns of a typical resident, while at the same time extremes in behavior and actions were also noted. Thus an entire spectrum of human life was recreated. Government policies and events and changes of the time were noted as to how they affected the life at the reservation. I did not include all of the information available to me .and all information is not known by any single authority or source of information. I feel that I have presented a broad and, satisfactory picture of my topic. It is hoped that someday more information and insight will be presented that will add depth to my initial study. Also out of necessity I could only briefly cover many topics which could easily be worthwhile covering in more detail. Thus there is more ground to cover. Despite its importance, there is correspondingly not much written about the Siletz Reservation. This is largely probably due to the fact that the reservation fades fast from a center of attention. The population fell below five hundred by the turn of the century, thus making the place far from a population center. A second factor was that the people became a new people in a new world and so, instead of continuing to be a home to change Indians, it was merely a home for people who lived like other Americans but were Indian by heart and appearance. Aside from a few studies and sources of information, there are two main sources of information. The first is the annual reports sent to the Secretary of Interior. These can be found in any major library. The second source is the manuscripts. These are the records and correspondence of the agency. The Siletz Manuscripts are in six boxes at the Oregon Historical Society Library in Portland. The material is unorganized and much of it is damaged. There is also material not related to Siletz. Some of Joel Palmer's Indian Treaties are there as well as quite a lot of records of the Grand Ronde Reservation. Unfortunately, it is largely correspondence to the Agency rather than that sent out. The government archives may have some of the correspondence. As every student and author knows, writing poses many problems. There are any number of ways to put together a study of this kind. I divided mine into three basic parts. The first section is a year by year analysis. The second is topic by topic, and finally the third is again yearly. This helped me keep on the general topic of the reservation itself while still being able to diverge and enlarge on important issues. It was a challenging and rewarding task which I hope will be enjoyed by others and will add to their knowledge and understanding of the Siletz Indians and their life on the Reservation.