Klamath Tribal Council records

Klamath Tribal Council records , 1933-1958

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Klamath Tribal Council
Title: Klamath Tribal Council records
Dates: 1933-1958 (inclusive)
19331958
Quantity: 3.5 linear feet, (7 containers)
Collection Number: Bx 051
Summary: This collection documents the Klamath tribal government, which was established at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and represented the Klamath people and its 860,000 acres of land. The Klamath government comprised two main bodies, the General Council and the Executive Council. Subgroups of the Executive Council included the Tribal Loan Board and the Enrollment Committee. The collection consists of minutes of the Executive Council, 1950-1957; minutes of the General Council, 1933-1958; minutes of the Business Committee, 1934, 1936, 1946-1950; circulars; the Klamath Reservation News, numbers 1-14 (June 1953 – May 1954). These records are from Dibbon Cook, a member of the council from Sprague River, Oregon.
Repository: University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
Additional Reference Guides: See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Tribal governments were set up at the request of U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Klamath council represented the Klamath people and their 860,000 acres of land. The General Council was set up as a representative body. It included all the men of the tribe, and later included the women after the nineteenth amendment was enacted. The General Council met sporadically as issues concerning members arose.

The Executive Council was created in 1908 at the request of the federal government because of the General Council's sporadic meetings. The Executive Council was composed of twelve people. In 1929, after years of factional fighting among council members, the Executive Council was renamed the Business Council and a constitution and by-laws were created. The Tribal Loan Board and Enrollment Committee were branches of the Executive Council. Policy decisions made by the Executive Council had to have the approval of the General Council and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior.

The federal government used the branches of the tribal government to oversee the tribes. Much of the policy created by the tribal councils was for the benefit of the federal government and the policies were not widely followed by the Klamath people. The General Council was the branch of tribal government that most closely resembled traditional tribal government.

Source: Stern, Theodore. The Klamath Tribe: A People and Their Reservation. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1965.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection consists of minutes of the Executive Council, 1950-1957; minutes of the General Council, 1933 – 1958; minutes of the Business Committee, 1934, 1936, 1946-1950; circulars; the Klamath Reservation News, numbers 1-14 (June 1953-May 1954).

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Description
Guide to the Klamath Tribal Council Records

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