Petition of the chiefs and
Head men in Council at
Siletz Agency Oregon
Feb 12. 1878. –––
We hear that our Great chief at Washington, is now talking of opening the Siletz Reservation to settlement (by whites) and moving our people to the Grand Ronde Agency. Or.
This makes our hearts sad. Many years ago we gave up our homes to the White men and the Government's Agent promised us that the Siletz Reserve should be our homes while we lived.
Thousands of our people have died and are buried here. We claim the land as ours while we live and would rather die here and be buried with our Fathers. Some of our people are able to take care of themselves but not all.
We do not want our families seperated; and cannot consent to a removal to another country.
We want our children educated but are not able to do so without the aid of Government.
[...]
Most of us can plow, make rails, hoe, dig, cut wood, and do other rough work, here we want more of our young men to learn trades before we are ready to become citizens.
We were promised many years ago, that we should be provided with teams, Seed, Wagons, Plows, and such other thngs as we would need to place us in a condition to provide for ourselves like White men.
Now we are poor. Many of our people want to plow, but have no teams, nor plows.
We want such things in the hands of our Agent, so that he can help us. to take care of our selves, and we are willing to do his work.
We do not now get our living from hunting or fishing, but from cultivating the land: and all we ask is a good start, and a good title to our lands.
When George Harney was our head chief and visited Washington, Hon E. P. Smith was the Commissioner, and desired us to make known our wants to your office, and he promised to listen to our pleadings.
Now we ask you to help us in the things we so much need. Let: us have our agent here until we have our lands allotted, our houses and barns built, and our children educated, at which time we will be ready to become Citizens and you can close uup our Agency as soon as you please.
(R. R.) George Harney
Old Klamath
(Toot) Charley Shellhead
(Toot) Ben Hardin
(C. C.) George Mann
(Nolt) Alec Ross
Old Shelhead
(R. R.) John Adams
Old C C John
Old Chetco Charley
Old Joshua
Wm [illegible]
Robt Metcalf
Charley Long
John Chapman
Jake Cook
Old Harny
Wm Smith
Klamath Charley
Alsea Jackson
Done in the Presence of
W E Royal
Louis Shogrun