Walla Walla Council (1855) facts for kids
The Walla Walla Council of 1855 was an important meeting in the Pacific Northwest. It brought together leaders from the United States government and several Native American nations. These nations included the Cayuse, Nez Perce, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Yakama. The goal was to sign treaties about land and how everyone would live together.
What Was the Walla Walla Council?
This council happened from May 29 to June 11, 1855. Important agreements, called treaties, were signed on June 9. These treaties were later approved by the U.S. Senate in 1859.
The treaties helped set up the rules for how people would live on the Nez Perce, Umatilla, and Yakama lands. This was one of the first treaties made in the Pacific Northwest region.
Who Was Involved in the Council?
Washington Territory's first governor, Isaac I. Stevens, played a key role. He worked to get these treaties signed. His goal was to get a lot of land for the United States.
Governor Stevens made sure that the two largest and most powerful tribes, the Yakama and Nez Perce, received the biggest land areas. These areas, called reservations, included most of their traditional hunting grounds. Smaller tribes moved to the smaller reservations.
How Much Land Was Agreed Upon?
Through these treaties, Governor Stevens was able to get about forty-five thousand square miles (120,000 km2) of land for the United States. This was a very large area.
