David H. Wilson Jr. - Northern Paiutes of the Malheur: High Desert Reckoning in Oregon Country

In Northern Paiutes of the Malheur David Wilson captures the untold story of Chief Egan and our people, fulfilling the wish of my grandfather Hubert Egan for the true story of the Paiutes, hidden for almost a century and a half, to be revealed at last.

Nancy Egan, direct descendant of Chief Egan and representative of the Egan family

Wrong was done to the Paiutesits as simple as thatand the passion David Wilson puts into telling their story comes through more powerfully for the restrained and careful way he tells it. This will be a book of lasting value for its contributions to the history of the West and for its simple, elegant prose, which is a western artifact of its own. Both authoritative and exciting to read, this is an excellent piece of work.

Ian Frazier, best-selling author of Great Plains and On the Rez and two-time winner of the Thurber Prize

Fascinating.... Extensively researched and carefully documented, Northern Paiutes of the Malheur is essential reading for anyone interested in Native American history of the Northwest.

Steven Lubet, author of The Colored Hero of Harpers Ferry: John Anthony Copeland and the War against Slavery

Northern Paiutes of the Malheur fills a historical gap with a meticulously researched, fascinating story of the survival of a small band of Indians who wanted to go homeand eventually did.... David H. Wilson Jr. does extremely well in describing personalities and backgrounds of leading characters in the story, bringing them to life as real people, not dull figures from a history book. He also excels at placing events in context of some of the cultural and social movements that affected Indian policy.

Roberta Ulrich, author of American Indian Nations from Termination to Restoration, 19532006

David H. Wilson Jr.

University of Nebraska Press | Lincoln

2022 by David H. Wilson Jr.

Cover designed by University of Nebraska Press; cover photo by R. W. Heck.

Author photo by Fritz Liedtke.

All rights reserved

The University of Nebraska Press is part of a land-grant institution with campuses and programs on the past, present, and future homelands of the Pawnee, Ponca, Otoe-Missouria, Omaha, Dakota, Lakota, Kaw, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples, as well as those of the relocated Ho-Chunk, Sac and Fox, and Iowa Peoples.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Wilson, David H., Jr., author.

Title: Northern Paiutes of the Malheur : high desert reckoning in Oregon Country / David H. Wilson Jr.

Description: Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press, [2022] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021037028

ISBN 9781496230454 (hardback)

ISBN 9781496231222 (epub)

ISBN 9781496231239 (pdf)

Subjects: LCSH : Paiute IndiansOregonMalheur CountyHistory19th century. | Paiute IndiansOregonMalheur CountyHistory20th century. | Paiute IndiansWars18661895. | Indians of North AmericaWarsOregonMalheur County. | Malheur County (Or.)History19th century. | Malheur County (Or.)History20th century. | BISAC : SOCIAL SCIENCE / Ethnic Studies / American / Native American Studies | HISTORY / United States / State & Local / Pacific Northwest ( OR , WA )

Classification: LCC E 99. P 2 W 55 2022 | DDC 979.004/9745769dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021037028

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

To Nancy Egan, great-great-great-granddaughter of Paiute chief Egan

In truth, the tragedies of the wars are our national joint property, and how we handle that property is one test of our unity or disunity, maturity or immaturity, as a people wearing the label American.

Patricia Nelson Limerick, Something in the Soil

Oh! that the desert were my dwelling place

Lord Byron

Maps

Figures

Paiute historian, author, and direct descendant of Chief Weyouwewa, Wilson Wewa, met with me and then answered my emails and phone calls, bringing me facts and insights available from no other source. His guidance was indispensable. Fred Townsend could not have been more generous with his time and family history. He told me about his grandmother Annie Adams, who was four during the Bannock War, and his mother, Rena Beers, who had recently died just shy of her one-hundredth birthday. He took me to the Burns Paiute graveyard to visit the grave of his mother and to see as well the memorial for Chief Egan and his brother-in-law Charlie.

The writing of this book took on a new character after Nancy Egan met with my wife and me. Nancy is a direct descendant of Chief Egan and custodian of the Egan family records. From her candor and trust I came away humbled and burdened by an appreciation that the narrative that I was in the process of unearthing was likely to touch her, her family, and her people, more profoundly than I could know.

Im indebted to Matthew Bokovoy, Nebraska Press senior acquisitions editor, and his assistant, Heather Stauffer, for their commitment to this project and their expertise, guidance, and support in bringing it to completion.

Also patient with my questions and generous with her time was Carol Smyth Sawyer, who took me to the Smyth family graveyard, guided me through the complex Smyth family tree, and took my many phone calls with good cheer.

Nothing contributed more to the life of this book than its enthusiastic adoption by Ian Frazier, a prolific and acclaimed author and two-time winner of the Thurber Prize. He was ready with guidance and support at every turn.

Karen Nitz, archivist of the Claire McGill Luce Western History Room of the Harney County Library, seemed to welcome every opportunity to introduce me to more of southeast Oregonto people, documents, collections, and ideas. Many of them found their way into vital roles in the narrative. She brought a deep knowledge of southeast Oregon to the multiple tasks she undertook for me, including review of two drafts. All of her contributions came with unfailing enthusiasm and good cheer.

Closer to home, the work of the endlessly resourceful librarians of the Oregon Historical Society and the Multnomah County Library, both in Portland, enriches every chapter of this book.

In addition to reading multiple drafts, providing regular counsel and support, and keeping up with every development for eight years, Steve Rose also recruited Richard Meeker, author and publisher of several newspapers. Richard met with me regularly as creative thinker, editor, cheerleader, and therapist. Richard also recruited Brent Walth, of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. Im still unpacking the wisdom Brent imparted in half a day.

Buck Parker accompanied me to the North Fork of the John Day River, where we were guided by Christine Helberg of the Forest Service. Buck was also with me on an attempt to locate the Indians camp on Steens Mountain. Rich Jenkins, whose family was one of the earliest on the mountain, was leading us in his horse trailer, ten miles in, when I cracked my oil pan on a rock, ending the endeavor. Bucks edits and comments are models of clear thought and good sense, and were always there when I was most in need.