"chinook" indians website?

[peter webster]

I want to add this to whatever teapot has a tempest in it at this time.
This came off the CERTAIN list, and I'm posting with Jon Schaefer's
permission. Jon has been working/struggling for Indian sovereignty for
longer than I've known him, and I have great respect for his opinions and
mind.

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>Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 22:30:21 -0800 (PST)
>From: Jon Schaefer <jkschae_98 at yahoo.com>
>Subject: Re: "chinook" indians website?

>CERTAIN Home List - http://home.earthlink.net/~ndnhistory/CERTAIN/
>
>One major problem is that Rubin failed to contact any
>Chinook speaking peoples. They do still exist. I was told,
>second hand, that he claimed to one reviewer that he sent
>several letters to the Warm Springs Confederation and that
>no one responded, so he dropped it. This means to me that
>not only do they want no part of the project, but that they
>do not want it to continue. This is second hand
>information. Rubin did not say that to me.
>
>Rubin's sources, as I remember, are white folks who wrote
>about the times. No Indain oral history considered. The
>support of Dell hymes is understandable... if memory serves
>Rubin quoted or referenced him alot.*** Not
>being a scholar, I couldn't comment one way or the other.
>
>My problem is non Indians writing about Indians and
>profiting thereby, period. There has been a history of both
>popular and alleged scholarly works written by non
>indigenous peoples writting about the indigenous peoples
>and the works being used against the indigenous peoples. US
>history is filled with such examples, as are other
>country's historys such as Viet Nam. We, as US citizens
>thanks to Act of Congress, seem to never learn. The white
>folk writters define indigenous culture, language, self.
>Further, they use the information against us, not for us.
>We can continue to allow this to happen, or we can
>challenge this process. Will some peoples of Chinook
>descent please comment?  Or anyone else who chooses.
>
>Craig Leslie apparently supports the book as do other
>Indian peoples quoted on the dust jacket. The two reviewers
>at KBOO, a fairly progressive, community based radio
>station did not think to ask for Indian input. There is no
>assurance that such input will be asked for in the future.
>One can only ask why.
>
>I am neither a scholar, nor a popular writer, nor am I a
>Chinnok speaker, nor of that descent. I do not believe
>myself competant to review Rubin's book. This is just my
>opinion.
>
>Jon

peter