Yakima Hunter Tieton Canyon

National Wars

Indian men and women, the indigenous people of these lands called the United States, have always protected the lands upon which our ancestors used and are laid to rest; that is where our patriotism is dedicated.

They fought with American military in WWI even though we had not yet been considered civilized enough to become U.S. citizens.  Indian people still join the U.S. military services in times of need.  Everyone is familiar with the Navajo Code Talkers and how they helped win over a war with their language.  Indians have always dedicated their lives to the safety of these lands in the U.S. since assimilation.  Vivian Adams, Yakama

inter-tribal conflict

Conflict and disagreements among tribes was common.  Theft, intruding upon historical and accustomed land sites was considered trespassing.

Protection of people, usual places and resources is natural in every society and was practiced by all tribes.  There were some people who were viscious just to intimidate, but here in the Columbia River Plateau, almost all of the tribes and bands shared.

Military conflict is best remembered by the Nez Perce, the Palouse and the Cayuse people who have always been known as warriors.  Vivian Adams, Yakama

U.S.-Indian Wars

The short, violent Plateau conflicts called "wars" by whiteman's history were either misunderstandings, events of ignorance or usually just a chance to kill another Indian to get them out of the way of the whiteman's progress.

Volunteer Malitia

Some Indians joined the U.S. Army as militia members, hunting down other tribal individuals.  Many farmers and ranchers made their own malitia supposedly dedicated to bring law breakers to justice.  Most of the time, it was just more chances to kill Indians to get them out of the way of whiteman's progress and greed for lands and the natural resources.  Vivian Adams, Yakama

Protests

The American Indian Movement is most remembered by the whiteman's history.  Not all Indian people looked upon AIM's activities with favor.  Their protests did bring to the forefront the neglect, mismanagement, and injusticies heaped upon Indian people since treaty times by our "caretakers in trust..." injustices quickly forgoteen by mainstream America. 

The short, violent Plateau conflicts called "wars" by whiteman's history were either misunderstandings, events of ignorance or usually just a chance to kill another Indian to get them out of the way of the whiteman's progress.

Protests for harvesting salmon, for water use, and encroachment upon sacred lands are on-going; treaty rights often neglected or ignored.   Vivian Adams, Yakama

Veterans/Warriors

Indian men and women, the indigenous people of these lands called the United States, have always protected the lands upon which our ancestors used and are laid to rest; that is where our patriotism is dedicated.

They fought with American military in WWI even though we had not yet been considered civilized enough to become U.S. citizens.

Many of the Plateau tribes and bands never sought wars and were relatively a peaceful culture living atonoumously in small villages led by headmen and headwomen.

  The usual horse stealing, or stealing people as slaves was common among some tribes, but not so common within the Plateau people.  Guns were introduced in trade with fur trappers and later the military general stores as well as service in the early U.S. military.  Hunters began to use the weapons to kill deer, elk and other food animals but seldom used the guns against one another.

Only until it was thought that Indians were being lied to about the encroachment of the white settlers taking over their seasonal gathering grounds, keeping the lands as their own; as well as bringing in new diseases which killed off many of the village populations, did the Indians decide a violent solution was the only recourse.

Warrior societies today are proud of their military service and march proudly and many social and ceremonial tribal events.  We are all thankful for their protection of the lands we have left and our ancestors buried here.  Vivian Adams, Yakama