Yesterday, I spoke about how the mobility provided by horses allowed the Cayuse to translate their lush grasslands into dominance over the Central Columbia and to exact tribute in the form of […]
29. Weaponizing the West: Part 1
28. The Spiritual Power of Horses in Old Oregon
To recap: the extensive Indigenous slave trade with the Spanish in the Southwest, and a fight for new technology (the horse), drove Indigenous cultural change on the western edges of New France […]
25. Pandosy: How the Horseman of the Apocalypse Decided History on His Stomach
So, let’s play the history of the Pacific Northwest again. When Pandosy rode into Waillatpu late in 1847, he had just crossed the plains from Saint Louis. It was a great adventure: […]
20. What is a River?
Wikipedia is basic about this: A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground […]
17. How to Enslave the Land and the Water if You Are British: a Guide for Colonists
This is the fourth in a series of notes on the practice of transferring human slavery to land slavery. This one is a compound method that includes a fair bit of human […]
16. How to Enslave the Land if You are American: a Guide for Colonists
After my trip to the plateau, let’s start in again on the history of how we got to the cultural divides we are in today. If you remember, the theme was slavery […]
Technology Isn’t Always the Answer
Here’s a plow rigged up with a three point hitch at Nespelem on the Colville Indian Administration lands. It’s a good lesson to contemplate, while I continue on my own walkabout.
15. How to Enslave the Land if You’re Spanish: a Guide for Colonists
Every culture approaches slavery in its own way. If you are Spanish in the North American West, the vulnerability of your body and self in an absolute monarchy within a vast, uncontrolled […]
12. Are We Slaves?
This history began with a debt, that is mine to repay. It is the dept of a pish, a fish, and not just any pish but a chikamin pish, a bright silver […]
11. Why I Do Not Call This a Canadian Story
You have probably noticed that I live in what is usually called “Canada”, a country claiming the northern half of North America. You’ve probably guessed that I travel on a Canadian passport. […]
Okanagan Okanogan 