march from their homelands to Grand Ronde. Many died on the two-hundred-sixty-three-mile trip. Some from exposure, some from the arduous journey itself, and still others from disease and starvation. Many of my friends never reached the reservation.”
After detailing the conditions of the journey, Faith then described the poor living conditions at Grand Ronde. Finally, she explained that one of the biggest problems was the forced blending of various tribes.
“I know that many of you consider Indians to be one people, but they aren’t. They consider themselves to be tribal members. Their tribe is an important part of who they are. As I mentioned earlier, when I was a child, I lived among the Tututni people. Outsiders referred to them as the Rogue River Indians, but dozens of tribes lived in the area of the Rogue River, and all were very much individual groups with varying cultures and traditions. It was no different from a city neighborhood that holds Swedish families, as well as Irish, German, and French. All might appear white, but their backgrounds, cultures, and languages are all different. It is the same with the Indian tribes.
“When the government rounded up the various tribes and forced them to the reservations, it was a difficult time for all. The government couldn’t understand why many would rather die than leave their homeland, but surely you can imagine the heartache of being driven from the place you cherished. In the case of the Tututni, they were river people. The river was an important and critical element in their lives. The river was their transportation system, and much of their food came from the river. Their livelihood depended on it. Many of the tribes caught fish and sold them to coastal citizens who owned stores.
“Grand Ronde has river access, but it’s not the same. The weather isn’t the same, the climate and growing seasons aren’t the same. Add to this the fact that more than just the Tututni people were rounded up to live at Grand Ronde. Some of their enemies were there as well. They forced a great many Indians to come together in a small area after they had lived free, wandering the land at will, moving if necessary to hunt or collect food for their families. Now they have become prisoners.”
Faith paused to take a sip of water before continuing. “But today we have come together to speak of other issues. The Storm King left many of you with vast amounts of cleanup. It caused all manner of damage to your houses and felled more trees than can be counted. Grand Ronde and other reservations suffered too. Grand Ronde took a heavy hit. It was in the direct line of the storm system, and the Army Signal Corps told us that the lowest barometric pressure—the center of the storm, if you will—was directly over Grand Ronde as it made its way inland to Portland. This caused them to experience some of the heaviest damage, just as we did, and that’s why we’re here today. It is my hope that we can raise enough money to take medical supplies to the people at Grand Ronde so they can receive proper care. Along with medical supplies, we hope to include blankets and common household items—perhaps even lumber to rebuild damaged areas. My aunt and uncle are determined to do whatever they can, and my family has already pledged their assistance, but we need your help as well.”
There were murmurings in the crowd, and Faith waited a moment before continuing. The people seemed completely caught up in her stories of her time with the Indians. Faith felt a sense of pride in being able to speak with some authority about the Tututni and other tribes. By the time she finished and allowed the audience to ask questions, Faith was certain she had done the right thing in speaking in Mr. Peabody’s place. She sensed God with her and His pleasure in her willingness to defend a people so maligned.
“Do the Indian people continue to live as tribes on the reservations, or do they all live mingled together?” an older woman asked.
“Most still work to keep their tribes together, although they live in separate houses. Some of the tribes, however, have very few members left. In fact, there are tribes that have disappeared altogether due to epidemics.”
“And are there still enemy groups after all these years?” a man asked.
“There will always be problems between people, but I’m happy to say that most of the