Dead Indian Creek renamed Latgawa Creek
Big news in the first week of 2021 for Vesper Meadow!
The creek that runs through the Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve has officially been renamed Latgawa Creek. This name has been officially replaced with the Oregon Geographic Names board along with the nearby Dead Indian Soda Springs (now Latgawa Soda Springs) and Dead Indian Mountain (now Latgawa Mountain) in Jackson County, Oregon. (*Note: the shared road name of Jackson County Highway #722 “Dead Indian Memorial Highway” has not been changed, since its jurisdiction is with the County not the Oregon Geographic Names Board.)
Although the Vesper Meadow Education Program was not involved with the proposal for renaming of the creek, we are relieved to not use “Dead Indian” as a name anymore. Further, we believe that it is best to have these sorts of proposals be led by the Tribes of record from the place. In this case, “Latgawa” is better than the racist name “Dead Indian,” but would be better still if it had been a name chosen by the Tribes. We hope that this name change will spark continued conversations about the true history of the land and that the non-native community will be inspired to support Tribally-led initiatives in the future. Below are some more considerations regarding the renaming.
Formerly known as Dead Indian Creek, Latgawa Creek begins as springs along the Buck Prairie Divide in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, flows through Vesper Meadow (pictured above) , then through BLM and Forest Service land before connecting with Little Butte Creek and eventually the Rogue River.
How did this name change happen?
Anyone can submit a proposal to change a place name in Oregon to the Oregon Geographic Names Board. The Board then consults with local officials (in this case, the Jackson County Commissioners) and sends it off for Federal approval. During the fall of 2018, Dr. Alice Knotts proposed these name changes, as she had long standing family ties to the place and wanted to commemorate the people of the place in a way that wasn’t racist. After doing research and talking to local historians and community members, she suggested the name “Latgawa” as they are the people of the Medford foothills, and specifically of the drainage in which the now Latgawa Creek runs (including Vesper Meadow). After a year of input and State/Federal process, the names have officially been changed. Here’s the official letter:
What does Latgawa mean?
According to ethnographer Edward Sapir (1907), Lat ga wa translates to “those living in the uplands.” The village name is Lat gau and literally translates to “knife in belly,” possibly a reference tied to one of their creation stories. Some also referred to this group as the “Upland Takelma” or Hanis. (Information provided by archeologist Justin Rohde)
Camas lily, an important native food plant grows in abundance at Vesper Meadow because of the thousands of years in which it was farmed by Latgawa and other Native people.
The current location of the Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve is a large camas filled meadow, which is close to a place name descried by Upland Takelma elder Molly Orton to ethnographer John Peabody Harrington in the 1930’s (Harrington 1981). Archaeologist Jeff Lalande (1984:14) believed the site was located near Howard Prairie Reservoir, which sits adjacent to the site to the east.
The Latgawa are an upland Takelma language speaking group/s and member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and Confederated Tries of Grand Ronde formaly occupying the Rogue Valley south and east of Table Rocks and bordering the Mollala and Klamath Tribes to the east, the lower Takelma to the northwest (Dagelma), and Shasta to the south. A clear connection exists between Indian trails leading east from the Rogue Valley to the Klamath Lakes Basin, via the headwaters of the former Dead Indian Creek, now Latgawa Creek. (Rohde 2019)
Along with other Indigenous people of Southwest Oregon, the Latgawa were subject to killing by settlers often in the form of brutal “hunting parties,” and otherwise forcibly marched north to the Siletz and Grand Ronde reservations by the mid 1850’s. The Latgawa are one of the least known tribes in Oregon. Though they no longer exist as a single tribal entity, (like many of the Indigenous groups of Southwest Oregon, and beyond) there are surviving descendants. One Latgawa man to survive the time of the Rogue River Wars, Kiota/ Coyote Jim, was removed to the Siletz Reservation in 1856-57. His daughter Nettie Jim-West has many descendants who are still enrolled Siletz members. (Information provided by Robert Kentta, Cultural Resources Director, Confederated Tribes of Siletz.)
Why was the name changed?
What is in a name anyway? Some would say that this name, “Dead Indian” should not have been changed, saying that it is not racist and that it preserves the history of the place. It is true that this name recognizes a moment in the past, yet here is an offering of thoughts on the history and the current context for this name.
Agnes Baker Pilgrim “Grandma Aggie” (front, center) 2018 at Vesper Meadow, speaking with youth and other members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz.
The name Dead Indian is offensive to many people, especially to those who matter most in the relevant conversation, Native people. After intentional genocide of Native people of this region (Latgawa, Takelma, Shasta, Klamath, and others) and forced displacement (to be several hours away on Siletz and Grand Ronde Reservations), the Dead Indian name is a shameful way to honor history, and a painful reminder of past atrocities. The name Latgawa remains a name that encourages people to think about the Indigenous and settlers’ history of the place.
Visitors to this region have adverse reactions to seeing the name “Dead Indian” on the map – often in disbelief for the antiquated and racist sentiments that it conjures. For our programs at Vesper Meadow, we have collaborated and hosted Indigenous people from all over the United States, and some of the common reactions to the name “Dead Indian” have included, “I have to put WHAT in to Google?!” and “I can’t believe this is 2020 and that we still have these racist names.” A most memorable statement from the late Agnes Baker Pilgrim “Grandma Aggie” who visited Vesper Meadow during the summer of 2019 as the oldest member of the Siletz Tribe / of local Takelma ancestry, and said “we know they are all dead, let’s just call it Indian Creek!”
The previous name perpetuates ethnic prejudice, harkening back to the old racist saying “the only good Indian is a dead Indian.” Weight must be given to the fact that the name was given at a time when this sentiment was widespread and acceptable, and also that the name was imposed by settlers. Similar consideration should be given as we move forward in to the future.
Aside: For further context today, the State of Oregon has more place names that include Squaw than any other state. *Note Squaw is a derogatory term for a young Native woman, which is problematic because of settlers’ targeted sexual violence toward them. The fact that Squaw remains a common place name today, perpetuates racism and also parallels the continued sexual violence toward young Native women (for further information research “Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women”).
Those who claim that “Dead Indian” is purely a name to describe history, are perpetuating a racist telling of history. This is an act without justice or equity. Let us ask ourselves, “Would our local and state governments stand for having a Dead Cowboy Creek¸ or a Dead Settler Mountain, or a Dead White-Man Soda Springs?” In 2021, we now have a more accurate name to tell of the history of this place, as well as a respectable way to honor the people who have lived and worked with this land for thousands of years. We can make sure to remember history, BUT also do it in a respectful way.
Where do we go from here?
It would have been ideal for the Tribes of record to lead the renaming of this place but due to the multitude of other Tribal priorities, this is not something they have yet chosen to address. (Note that there was a two week comment period for Tribes.) At this point, the creek no longer has a blatantly racist name, and perhaps it will change again if the Tribes decide it should be so.
Initial willow plantings (2018) for restoration of the banks of Latgawa Creek at Vesper Meadow.
The naming of a place is important to remember history, but will always need further interpretation and explanation to be understood. It is everyone’s responsibility to understand the place where they live, and the history that has shaped it. Vesper Meadow is honored to work in partnership with Tribes and Indigenous leaders to reduce the adverse effects of colonization on the land, and support self-identified goals. through partnership with Indigenous leaders and local Tribes. We will continue to create educational resources and programs that further illuminate the story of place, and inspire the community to be active learners and stewards of the land.
Stay tuned for more information coming soon about the developing Indigenous Gardens Network, a Tribally-led network for Southern Oregon-based land projects!