Dr. David Lewis, “Manifest Destiny Battles Tribal Occupation: Oregon's Legacy of Genocide”
In the 1850s, settler aggression against Tribes became extreme, leading
to violence toward Indigenous peoples in most regions of the territory.
Oregon's gold rush and settler push into tribally owned lands caused
numerous conflicts. When Governor Curry turned his volunteer militias
loose on peaceful Tribes, Indian agents saw that the only way to save
the Tribes from extermination was in removal. David G. Lewis, PhD, is an
Associate Professor of Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at Oregon
State University and author of Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley (Ooligan Press).
This talk was delivered as part of Oregon State University's 2026 observance of Holocaust Memorial Week. You can learn more about the program here:
https://holocaust.oregonstate.edu/ 