Modoc War impacts examined

National Park Service Archaeologist David Curtis leads a walk in Captain Jack’s Stronghold last month at the Lava Beds National Monument. A series of events to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Modoc War continues June 8 at the Klamath County Museum.

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KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Lives that were lost and people who were displaced during the Modoc War of 1872-73 will be remembered in a presentation scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at the Klamath County Museum.

The presentation carries two themes, including “Remembering the Fallen,” which focuses on various individuals who were killed during the war.

A second theme carries a title in the Modoc language, “hooskanga naa'lam s?as?aaMaks,” or “Remember Our Relatives.”

The program is being presented by the Klamath County Museum, Modoc tribal members, and the Lava Beds National Monument.

“I strongly encourage all Modoc people to participate in the events the Klamath County Museum and the Lava Beds have scheduled as a continuation of the 150th anniversary of the war,” said Brian Herbert, a Modoc tribal member who is enrolled with the Klamath Tribes, and who is employed by the Modoc Nation of Oklahoma.

“Our footprints are needed on our ancestral sites, as we strive for healing as a people,” Herbert added.

Klamath County Museum Director Todd Kepple said the program on June 8 will deal with some of the most difficult aspects of the war, including the loss of life and relocation of Modoc people.

“As we continue commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Modoc War, we’re wrestling with some very painful events to remember and discuss,” Kepple said. “We are pleased to partner on this with descendants of the Modocs who were directly affected by the war. They will bring their own perspective on these events.”

The program will take place 150 years to the day since four Modoc people were murdered during an ambush staged by unknown Whites on June 8, 1873. The ambush occurred after the main battles between the Army and Modocs had ceased.

Tribal member Fernando Herrera will discuss one of those killed, a man known only as Moocha.

Part of the presentation will focus on the deaths of individuals who were not as prominent as those usually recalled in history books, such as General E.R.S. Canby, or Modoc leader Captain Jack. The list will include a White settler, a civilian Army supplier, a lower ranking Army officer, and a Modoc tribal member with many descendants who still live in the area today.

Representatives of the Modoc descendants will discuss how the end of the Modoc War marked the beginning of a new chapter for those displaced from their traditional homeland.

Gina McGuaghey, second chief of the Modoc Nation of Oklahoma, will greet the audience at the outset of the program.

The June 8 program is free and open to anyone interested. To view the program via Zoom, send an email request to museumoffice@klamathcounty.org.