Latgawa

Latgawa are Native American people that live in the Rogue Valley of interior southwest Oregon. In our own language "Latgawa" means "those living in the uplands," though we were also known as the Walumskni by the neighboring Klamath tribe.

History

The Latgawa were located in the upper Rogue River valley eastward to the former Table Rock Indian Reservation and Bear Creek and in the neighborhood of Jacksonville, Oregon. Together with other tribes along the Rogue River, they were grouped as the Rogue River Tribe, but after the Rogue River Wars in 1856, bands of the Rogue River in a forced relocation were split between the Siletz Indian Reservation or to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation far to the north of the tribe's traditional lands. Some of the original tribal members were never captured and were forced to wander.

In the era of the Rogue Indian Wars, Rogue Valley Indians were killed or captured, while many of the Latgawa escaped and survived with the help of Tribes such as the Klamath, Blackfoot, Nez Percé and Suquamish, and from Chief Seattle and others. Wandering as far away as Colorado, up into Canada, and returning to their aboriginal lands in Southern Oregon and Northern California.

Today

The Latgawa along with the members of 26 other bands and tribes living in the Greater Bear Creek and Rogue Valley areas of Southern Oregon, often collectively referred to as the Rogue Indians were forcibly removed to the Siletz and Grand Ronde reservations. The Latgawa are half of a small linguistic family of two tribes: the Takelma on the east side of the Klamath and Coast Mountains in the middle Rogue River area around Grants Pass, Oregon; and the Latgawa in the upper Rogue River area around Applegate, Jacksonville, Talent, Medford, Eagle Point, Butte Falls, Shady Cove, Trail, and extending beyond Prospect and Union up to Crater Lake. Their language is a variant of Takelma, of the Kalapuyan-Takelman family, which was likely associated with the Shastan (Chastacostan) linquistic stock. Latgawa means, "those living in the uplands."¹

Pre-European contact days

The indigenous tribe of the Greater Rogue and Bear Creek Valley were Latgawa. The Latgawa considered home to be the land extending from near Wagner Creek southward and over the Siskiyou Pass into California along Bear Creek near the present-day town of Talent northward above the Table Rock vicinity, and east to Crater Lake. The Latgawa relied on hunting, gathering, and fishing for their subsistence. In the ancient days, Latgawa dwellings were small brush shelters for warm months and fashioned of sugar pine boards for cold months. They adorned their garments with dentalia shells, and skin art was practiced regularly. They also bore cultural traits from California, and valued obsidian and Shasta basket hats. The linguist Edward Sapir (1915) recorded the existence of one village belonging to the Latgawa tribe, known by the tribal name, and also called Latgauk. That was a full 60 years after the cataclysmic Rogue Wars (see below). During the winters, extended family bands resided in semi-permanent villages at lower elevations often situated at the meeting of major streams, where the spring steelhead runs would provide a welcome supply of fish. From late spring through early fall, they typically spent much time in the nearby uplands and mountains, following game and harvesting plant foods as the snow melted from higher elevations. By autumn, the far-afield hunters and gatherers regrouped with village elders and others along the lower-elevation streams to intercept the fall salmon run and prepare for another winter. Their entire environment was the source of a deeply spiritual existence. Both living and nonliving things were held to be inherently sacred, and celebrated in song, dance, drum, and ritual. There was no such thing as "Nature" separate from humans.

Contact with European settlers

With the arrival of the European settlers in the 1850s, the Latgawa and Takelma began to lose their homeland. As a result of that aggressive migration, severe hostility and violent assaults erupted between early homesteaders and the tribes. Like their neighbors, the Latgawa resisted encroachment on their lands and became embroiled in the bloody Rogue Wars of the 1850s. Rogue Valley Indians were killed or captured, but some escaped. The U.S. Army decided to exile the remaining Takelma and Latgawa to the Grand Ronde Reservation many miles to the north, where they arrived both overland and by sea.An 1853 treaty established the Table Rock Reservation in order to throw open the entire Bear Creek and Rogue Valley to white settlement. In the end, from 1855 to 1856, a final Indian War raged from one end of the Rogue Valley to the other. The natives were again compelled to move from Table Rock to the Grande Ronde and Siletz reservations. Many of the Latgawa escaped the wars and survived with the assistance of such tribes as the Klamath, Blackfeet, Nez Percé, Chief Seattle and the Suquamish tribe, and others. Their diaspora ranged as far away as Colorado, into Canada. Some returned to their aboriginal lands in Southern Oregon and Northern California. They continued to grow as more native Indians came home and others were accepted into the tribe.

The Latgawa today

The Latgawa Indian tribe is the only surviving aboriginal group having full rights to the Rogue Valley Indians Treaties of 1853 and 1854, which recognize them as a nation within a nation. Other binding agreements, laws, and executive orders apply as well.The Latgawa were never termimated and therefore cannot have and do not require being re-recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Latgawa Native American Indian Tribe, as has been proven in several courts remain federally recognized. They have federal, tribal, multiple states, and local government recognition from more than 70 entities. Latgawa were never captured or terminated, and have full jurisdiction of historical Latgawa tribe's people, treaties, lands and remain recognized in their relationship with the Federal Government as a "Domestic Sovereign" Indian Nation. The Latgawa Indian Tribe also controls other corporations, one of which assists the Latgawa Government "Original Land Stewards" in conservation and environmental areas in the lands set forth in the Rogue Valley Indians Treaties of 1853 and 1854 and also having jurisdiction and venue of other lands donated by conservation easements and/or in fee simple ownership.The Latgawa Native American Indian Tribe is here today and existed long before white people came to the Rogue Valley. They maintain a tribal council government, judicial court, police department, lands division, and more. They issue driver and vehicle licenses through their Department of Motor Vehicles. As we were never terminated, the "BIA" Bureau of Indian Affairs legally cannot put us on the Federal Register. See notes and references 1 and 2 below that uphold the Latgawa as Federally Recognized. This is a Congressional Matter, not one of the BIA and is misunderstood by many not knowing the difference. Recall that the BIA was formerly known as the "Indian War Department". Being placed on the Federal Register gets you benefits not available to all Indian Tribes. The Latgawa's listing on the Register is now just a formality in progress.

We have had to adapt to the modern way of business, law, government structure, law enforcement and in other areas of living; however, we have also retained many aspects of their culture and traditions. Our Tribal Code contains the information by which they govern. Justice. The Police Department works with all citizens to preserve life and property, protect individual rights, and promote individual and community responsibilities, while maintaining and respecting the culture and traditions of the Latgawa Indian Tribe. The department comprises a chief of police, two police officers, one secretary, and the Tribal Justice Court has one tribal marshal. Firefighting. The Latgawa Tribe has highly experienced tribal members engaged in the war against wildland fires and has secured a contract for helicopters now in restoration. Other known locations named after the Latgawa include recreation areas such as the Payette Trail, No. 970. Recommended Use: hiking, mountain biking. Length: 9.2 miles (one-way). Difficulty: easy. Season: open all year. Level of use: moderate. Connecting trails: outdoor study trails; viewpoint trails. This scenic trail parallels the eastern shoreline of Applegate Lake, contouring just above the reservoir's high-water level. Several connecting trails provide opportunities for alternate loops. Additionally, three walk-in U.S. Forest Service campgrounds are found along the route including Latgawa, Harr Point, and Tipsu Tyee. Camp Latgawa is named after the Latgawa Indian Tribe although is not owned or managed by the Tribe. See Camp Latgawa at: http://camplatgawa.org/. The camp is located in a beautiful, wooded area of the Rogue National Forest historically used by the Latgawa as a hunting and gathering area. Two gentle, flowing creeks and towering evergreens provide a peaceful setting just 35 miles east of Medford, Oregon...”

Most importantly, The Latgawa still have their people, their spirit, and dignity.

See also

• BEFORE THE HEARINGS OFFICER FOR JACKSON COUNTY, OREGON: Case No. 2331-05 FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND FINAL ORDER REF# "... 9. The Tribe is duly recognized by the government of the United States of America. The Defendant and Chief Newkirk argued aring that members of the Tribe are exempt from the imposition of local laws, such as JCC612.03, by virtue of the fact that the Tribe is a sovereign nation. To support this assertion, they submitted extensive information about the Tribe, easily' establishing that it is recognized by the federal government..." DATED September 27, 2006, Hearings Officer Donald Rubenstein presiding.

• BEFORE THE LATGAWA INDIAN TRIBAL JUSTICE COURT - LATGAWA NATION: Case #09CV08247.01. In connection with and as a probable result of the articles published in the media, the Colorado Board of Appraisers initiated various investigations of appraisers that submitted appraisals in connection with the grant of conservation easements in their state. The appraiser that performed certain of the appraisals on conservation easements received and accepted by the Latgawa Indian Tribe's exempt organization (Confederated Tribes - Rogue - Table Rock and Associated Tribes) received a request for information followed by an administrative subpoena from the Colorado Board of Appraisers. The information was in the possession of the Latgawa Indian Tribe. In response to the subpoena, the Latgawa Native American Indian Tribe and its exempt filed and perfected an action for injunctive relief and for a temporary restraining order against the Colorado Board of Appraisers and the appraiser prohibiting the latter from disclosing confidential taxpayer information and the former from soliciting, subpoenaing, and using same. The request for relief was filed in Latgawa Tribal Court. Orders issued pursuant thereto. Thereafter, the Attorney General for the State of Colorado agreed to cause the Colorado Board of Appraisers to withdraw the request for information and the subpoena. The Attorney General entered a stipulated partial dismissal of the action as it affected the Colorado Board of Appraisers recognizing the continuing jurisdiction over the matter by the Latgawa Indian Tribal Court. The subpoena and request for information were withdrawn in connection with the foregoing proceeding. (Not only is it not the case that the Latgawa Indian Tribe has not been recognized but it is another case whereas the State of Colorado/Attorney General has ALSO recognized the Latgawa Indian Tribe as federally recognized in this action before the Tribal Court. This action was filed in Tribal Court against non-members, non-member corporations, and foreign state government entities. Ref: BEFORE THE LATGAWA INDIAN TRIBAL JUSTICE COURT - LATGAWA NATION: Case #09CV08247.01 DATED: December 23, 2008, Honorable Judge John Grey Eagle Newkirk presiding).

External links

• Latgawa Indian Tribe
• Website of the Latgawa Native American Indian Tribe