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Stevens Treaty Council of 1855 Centennial Celebration Records

 Collection
Identifier: WCMss-009

Scope and Contents

The Stevens Treaty Council of 1855 Centennial Celebration Records, which dates from 1954 to 1956, contains not only the program for the weekend long event, but also a collection of the speeches delivered during the commemoration. Speakers included a representative of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Nez Perce, Yakima, and Confederated Tribes representatives. A draft and final copy of Bill Gulick's pageant script and a transcript of a witness's narrative of the 1855 Walla Walla Council are also housed in this collection. The Correspondence file consists primarily of invitations to and responses from dignitaries invited to attend the event. Correspondence and memos from event planners may be found in the Miscellaneous, Luce Memorandum, and Supporters and Tribal Organizations files. Newspaper clippings about the event and the publicity file provide information about the dissemination of information about the event and its reception. A file on the "Sacajawea of 1955" contest rounds out the collection.

Dates

  • 1954-1956

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Historical Note

In May and June 1855, a treaty among representatives of the Nez Perce, Yakima, Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Umatilla tribes and the United States government was negotiated on the present day site of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Washington Territorial Governor, and Joel Palmer, Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs, represented the interests of the United States government. Native American participants included Lawyer, Timothy, and Joseph (Nez Perce), Kamiakin (Yakima), Peopeomoxmox (Walla Walla), Spokan Garry (Spokane), and Young Chief (Cayuse). The treaty concluded with the establishment of reservations for the Nez Perce, Yakima, and Confederated Tribes (Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Umatilla) and was ratified in 1859. The impetus for a public observation of the Stevens Treaty centennial came from Corbett B. Lawyer in 1954. Lawyer solicited the Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce to "celebrate" the treaty signing with the Nez Perce Indians of Lapwai, Idaho. Tribal representatives and the Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce jointly planned the commemoration under the leadership of Charles F. Luce, a Walla Walla attorney. The Stevens Treaty Centennial Observance ran June 10, 11, and 12 in Walla Walla. The program included a welcome parade, the dedication of a marker commemorating the centennial observance, a barbecue, the "Sacajawea of 1955" contest, a pageant entitled "PE-WA-OO-YIT - First Treaty Council," and a commemorative non-denominational religious service.

Extent

0.4 Linear Feet (1 manuscript box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Stevens Treaty Council of 1855 Centennial Celebration Records, which dates from 1954 to 1956, contains records from the planning and execution of the 100th anniversary commemoration of the 1855 Stevens Treaty signed at the close of the Walla Walla Council.

Arrangement

Flat arrangement; files organized alphabetically

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Collection donated to the archives prior to August 2004. Dr. Ralph Stevens donated the correspondence file. The accession number is retro-0008.

Title
Guide to the Stevens Treaty Council of 1855 centennial celebration records
Author
Colleen McFarland
Date
2006
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Repository Details

Part of the Whitman College and Northwest Archives Repository

Contact:
345 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla WA 99362 United States
509-527-5922