Near Stevensville in Ravalli County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
"Removal" of Salish from Bitterroot Valley, 1855-1891
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 11, 2018
1. "Removal" of Salish from Bitterroot Valley, 1855-1891 Marker
Inscription.
"Removal" of Salish from Bitterroot Valley, 1855-1891. . In the Hellgate Treaty negotiations (1855), Xwetxxcln (Plenty Horses or chief Victor) and the Selν people rebuffed efforts of US officials to get them to abandon the choice lands of their ancestral Bitterroot Valley. After Xwetxxcln died, settlers successfully lobbied President Grant to declare the Flathead Reservation "better adapted to the wants of the Flathead tribe" in 1872. Congress sent future President Garfield to arrange for the removal of the Selν. Stmxι Owoxqeys (Claw of Small Grizzly or Chief Chariot) said the Bitterroot was where the bones of his ancestors were buried, and he would not leave, but his "x" mark was forged onto the Garfield agreement. More whites moved illegally onto Selν lands, and pressures intensified with construction of the Missoula and Bitter Root Valley Railroad in 1888. In November 1889, faced with the worsening condition for his people, Stmxι Owoxqeys finally agreed to leave. The Selν therefore planted no crops, but Congress delayed funding for removal for two years, pushing many people to the brink of starvation. Finally, in October 1891, General Henry Carrington and troops from Fort Missoula roughly pushed the tribe on the sad march north to the Reservation. The Government reneged on the promised aid for relocation, but the Selν nevertheless managed to rebuild their lives in the Jocko Valley.
In the Hellgate Treaty negotiations (1855), Xwetxxcln (Plenty Horses or chief Victor) and the Selν people rebuffed efforts of US officials to get them to abandon the choice lands of their ancestral Bitterroot Valley. After Xwetxxcln died, settlers successfully lobbied President Grant to declare the Flathead Reservation "better adapted to the wants of the Flathead tribe" in 1872. Congress sent future President Garfield to arrange for the removal of the Selν. Stmxι Owoxqeys (Claw of Small Grizzly or Chief Chariot) said the Bitterroot was where the bones of his ancestors were buried, and he would not leave, but his "x" mark was forged onto the Garfield agreement. More whites moved illegally onto Selν lands, and pressures intensified with construction of the Missoula & Bitter Root Valley Railroad in 1888. In November 1889, faced with the worsening condition for his people, Stmxι Owoxqeys finally agreed to leave. The Selν therefore planted no crops, but Congress delayed funding for removal for two years, pushing many people to the brink of starvation. Finally, in October 1891, General Henry Carrington and troops from Fort
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Missoula roughly pushed the tribe on the sad march north to the Reservation. The Government reneged on the promised aid for relocation, but the Selν nevertheless managed to rebuild their lives in the Jocko Valley.
Location. 46° 31.075′ N, 114° 6.978′ W. Marker is near Stevensville, Montana, in Ravalli County. It is on Highway 93 near Heritage Drove, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3840 U.S Highway 93, Stevensville MT 59870, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Western Montana, in Glacier Country, and in Greater Missoula. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere,
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 11, 2018
2. "Removal" of Salish from Bitterroot Valley, 1855-1891 Marker
the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 19, 2018. It was originally submitted on September 19, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,173 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 19, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
