Tribal Elder June Olson publishes history of early Grand Ronde Indians

Through the collections of many first- and second-generation Grand Ronde Tribal people, Tribal Elder June Olson has produced a volume of Tribal history that starts with the times of the treaty signings and the removal of Tribal peoples to the Grand Ronde Reservation in the 1850s and continues through the first years of the 20^th century.

Olson, who now lives in Happy Valley, started the Tribe's Cultural Resources Department in 1996 and served as its manager until 2005.

"When I first became interested in Tribal history, (Tribal Elder) Don Haller was the family historian," Olson said in an e-mail. "He had been actively collecting historical material along with the late Merle Holmes since the early 1970s.

"Sometime in the late 1980s, the two of them allowed me to go on a trip with them to the regional archives in Seattle where they introduced me for the first time to archival research. This experience set the course of my life."

­Being hired to build a cultural resources program for the Tribe in 1996 gave Olson the opportunity to collect Tribal history in every form, she said.

"After spending years sorting through thousands of historical records, talking with Tribal Elders, listening to old audio-taped interviews and reading firsthand accounts of our people in old journals, I became convinced the life experiences of some of our grandfathers and grandmothers had to be written," Olson said.

So she embarked on a multi-year project that just this year has been completed.

In summary, Olson said, "In 2005, I began writing a Native American directory or Who's Who that would describe every known Native family on the Grand Ronde Reservation."

She included descriptions of historic events "from the memories of our own people."

"For instance," she said, "Wagayuhlen Gwayakiti, a busy medicine doctor and the first wife of the Molalla chief, remembered the day of removal as beginning in the usual way. Unaware of the advancing military, on that particular morning she packed a horse with food for her relatives. Riding one horse and leading the other, she rode into Oregon City just as the military arrived to take the people away. Stopped by the soldiers, she was forced to leave her horses where they stood and join the people being taken by riverboat."

"The book is written in Native voice and from a Native perspective," Olson said. "Scenes and images are threaded throughout to demonstrate the deep e­motional impact Native people endured as their culture was shattered by government policies."

Olson said indexing families was a challenge.

"Many, if not most, of the first- and second-generation people were known by several English names in addition to their Native names," she said. "Further confusing the situation was the fact that the spelling of some English names changed over time."

She quotes Eustace Howard, "one of our long ago grandfathers," as he records an ancient panther myth for archeologists: "Whoever talks (reads) what I say maybe he will want to see what kind of person told this. If I live a little longer, if my life is longer, if I live long enough, they will see how my words are."

Her purpose in writing this book was similar. "While Tribal history education was the primary objective behind this book, like Eustace, I hope through my words years from now others will also come to know me," she said.

"June has worked many hard, long years researching this data," said Tribal Elder and former Tribal Chairwoman Kathryn Harrison. "Through her work, she has thereby created a Tribal family tree.  This book is a must read for each and every Tribal member."

Five hundred copies have been published through Olson's newly formed publishing company, A. Menard Publications in Clackamas.  Soon the book can be purchased by credit card through PayPal at www.GrandRondebooks.com. However, that site was still under construction in early December. It should be up and running in the next few weeks, but in the meantime Olson wanted to get books out to Tribal members early and at a discounted shipping rate. 

The book is $34.99 plus $2.65 for shipping. People can fax their order to 503-658-4104. If they need an order form, they can e-mail Olson at junelolson@hotmail.com.

The book also can be special-ordered through most leading book distributors, such as Barnes & Noble, Ingram, Amazon.com, Baker & Taylor and others. The books also will be available for purchase at Grand Ronde Tribal and satellite offices.

"Very few Native American history books are being written by Native people," Olson said. "I am proud to be a Native author and prouder still to be one of the few Tribal members writing the history of my own people. I hope my work will encourage others."