Shadow Tribe: The Making of Columbia River Indian Identity

by Andrew Fisher

Shadow Tribe offers the first in-depth history of the Pacific Northwest's Columbia River Indians -- the defiant River People whose ancestors refused to settle on the reservations established for them in central Oregon and Washington. Largely overlooked in traditional accounts of tribal dispossession and confinement, their story illuminates the persistence of off-reservation Native communities and the fluidity of their identities over time. Cast in the imperfect light of federal policy and dimly perceived by non-Indian eyes, the flickering presence of the Columbia River Indians has followed the treaty tribes down the difficult path marked out by the forces of American colonization.

Based on more than a decade of archival research and conversations with Native people, Andrew Fisher's groundbreaking book traces the waxing and waning of Columbia River Indian identity from the mid-nineteenth through the late twentieth centuries. Fisher explains how, despite policies designed to destroy them, the shared experience of being off the reservation and at odds with recognized tribes forged far-flung river communities into a loose confederation called the Columbia River Tribe. Environmental changes and political pressures eroded their autonomy during the second half of the twentieth century, yet many River People continued to honor a common heritage of ancestral connection to the Columbia, resistance to the reservation system, devotion to cultural traditions, and detachment from the institutions of federal control and tribal governance. At times, their independent and uncompromising attitude has challenged the sovereignty of the recognized tribes, earning Columbia River Indians a reputation as radicals and troublemakers even among their own people.

Shadow Tribe is part of a new wave of historical scholarship that shows Native American identities to be socially constructed, layered, and contested rather than fixed, singular, and unchanging. From his vantage point on the Columbia, Fisher has written a pioneering study that uses regional history to broaden our understanding of how Indians thwarted efforts to confine and define their existence within narrow reservation boundaries.

Genres: History, Indigenous, Native American, Nonfiction

367 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Anita Nez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Andrew Fisher speaks to the struggles of the Mid-Columbia Tribes. He uses his wealth of knowledge from personal interviews and research to form accurate information about the Tribes along the river. Though belonging to Tribal Nations of the Yakama, Warm springs and Umatilla have remained in the back ground of life along the Columbia and struggle to maintain their rights as the first people populating that area continuously for 20,000 years +/-. The Tribal affiliated and unaffiliated first people still struggle to this day for rights that should be afforded them for having been the residents of this area. Andy lists all his sources including myself and is a wealth of knowledge for other researchers interested learning more.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Shadow Tribe: The Making of Columbia River Indian Identity, Andrew Fisher argues that Indian history is much more than the history of Indians on reservations. He explores the history of Columbia River Indians and examines how they developed a different and unique identity from recognized tribes. He argues that this unique identity was formed through a shared resistance to the reservation system and a devotion to maintaining their traditional way of life. Fisher suggests that Columbia River Indians have “escaped scholarly notice” because of their status as “unofficial.” Fisher uses the term “shadow tribe” as a reflection of this unofficial status and sets out to “restore their visibility by charting the historical development of their identity.” His aim is to explain the significance of this Columbia River Identity within the broader context of Native American history. Fisher is a professor of history at the College of William & Mary, specializing in Native American and environmental history, particularly in the American West. He is considered an expert in this field.
Fisher’s arguments center on two main themes. The first is that the story of the Columbia River Indians is essential to gaining a more complete understanding of Indian history. Fisher's focus on the Columbia River Indians serves to highlight the fact that the history of indigenous peoples did not end with their forced relocation to reservations. He shows that Native people did exist in off-reservation settings and that they “continued to interact with both reservation Indians and non-Indians in complex ways.” This runs counter to the popular understanding and representations of Indian history that focuses on “Indian Wars” and concludes with their confinement onto reservations.
The second significant theme centers around the idea that the identity cultivated by Columbia River Indians represents a challenge to “outmoded notions of indigenous authenticity.” Fisher explains that Indian identity is typically portrayed as timeless and unchanging, resulting in an incomplete, or unrefined understanding of modern Indians. This identity stems largely from boundaries and tribal classifications established by the federal government during the treaty era. By focusing on off-reservation Indians, Fisher aims to highlight the dynamic process of identity formation, and the efforts of indigenous people themselves in gaining control of their history and identity. As he puts it, “The U.S. government did not give Native Americans their identities any more than it gave them land or sovereignty.” Focusing on Columbia River Indians highlights how indigenous identities were created outside of federal control.
In Shadow Tribes: The Making of Columbia River Indian Identity, Fisher presents a compelling argument about the significance of off-reservation communities in understanding modern Indian identity. His book reveals the flaws with mainstream representations of Indian identity and shows how indigenous communities continued to evolve outside of this narrative. He effectively portrays the legal consequences of being an “unrecognized” tribe, while at the same time highlighting how this independence contributed to the formation of a unique Indian identity. By placing a significant emphasis on individual experiences within the larger scope of Native American history, the book provides a personalized perspective that brings these stories to life. Fisher’s wide range and detailed coverage of numerous topics including tribes, places, events, etc., can sometimes lead to the feeling of information overload. Despite this, his arguments are well-articulated and supported by relevant historical evidence.

[Alexa Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Native histories I've read so far. There is so much to unpack and I don't have the words for all of this. Shadow Tribe is both a microhistory and a history to be thought of in the broader sphere of Native history. It is fascinating and tumultuous and a gripping read. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone. Fisher's writing is entertaining and makes you feel as though you are not reading but listening and thus engages the reader even more. Five massive stars for this masterpiece of a history.

[Anthony Frasier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book though historical was based primarily on political history.

[Alessandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew H. Fisher’s debut publication unearths the narrative of off-reservation Indians, a people and shared experience often overlooked or distorted by society and historians alike. Focusing on the historical development of the Colombia River Indians, Shadow Tribe successfully reinforces concepts of Indian identity as fluid and complex, rather than primordial and “authentic.” Furthermore, the mere existence of these off-reservation “renegades” directly challenges existing bureaucratic and academic models of tribal identity. Citing the “social engineering” of tribes by the federal government and early colonizers of the Pacific Northwest, Fisher highlights the oversimplification and external application of Indian socio-political structures that compelled many natives to adopt the shadowy existence of off-reservation residency and tribal disaffiliation. In this rendering of native history, these “shadow tribes” dispute historical perceptions of reservation life as confined and isolated, while also reshaping our understanding of both tribal and Indian identities.