Renegade Tribe: The Palouse Indians and the Invasion of the Inland Pacific Northwest

Trafzer and Scheuerman's Renegade Tribe is a highly informative and interesting history of the Palouse Indians of eastern Washington. The book begins with Lewis and Clark's first contact with the tribe. It then covers each major conflict that occurred between whites and the Indians over the next century. It includes the early interactions with trappers and merchants, outbreaks of disease, the Whitman killings, the Walla Walla Council, the Yakima War, the Jesuit influence, the strengthening of the Washani (Ghost Dance) faith, the Col. Steptoe boondoggle, the Col. Wright campaigns (Battle of Four Lakes, killing of the horses, hanging of Indians, etc.), the dividing of the land into reservations, the Nez Perce War, the Indians' transition into homesteading, and the final, sad outcome of the Indians being almost entirely removed from their ancestral homelands by the early 1900s. The Palouse Indians shared a language, family ties, and frequent interaction with other neighboring tribes (Yakima, Nez Perce, Umatilla, Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, etc.). Therefore, the book also covers a lot of information about these other tribes. There's a lot of information about the lives and fates of such Indian leaders such as Kamiakin, Tilcoax (Wolf Necklace), Peopeo Moxmox (Yellow Bird), Chief Joseph, and others. There's also some discussion about internal tribal politics and the factions that cemented and divided the tribes throughout the period. The scholarship is first-rate. It is clear that the authors have thoroughly and meticulously researched their work. The 150 page text has an additional 50 pages of footnotes that include hundreds of sources. The citations boggle the mind. These guys really dug deep to get their story, and it seems like they confirmed everything they wrote with multiple sources, including oral histories from the Indians themselves. The illustrations and 10 pages of maps are also helpful for orienting the reader and following the action. Finally, many of the footnotes provide interesting anecdotes that help paint a larger picture. If you have an interest in Native Americans, or early Northwest history (Washington, Idaho, Oregon and western Montana), then please add this to your reading list. While it is a terribly sad story, it is a fascinating one. And it is certainly a story that deserves to be told.