AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF JAMES B. KENNEDY for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in GEOGRAPHY presented on Title: THE UMATILLA INDIAN RESERVATION, 1855-1975: FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO A DIMINISHED LAND RESOURCE BASE

This dissertation is concerned with the diminution of Oregon's Umatilla Indian Reservation over a 120 year period (1855-1975). Its objective is to show that the transfer of land from Indian to non-,Indian ownership was most attributable to four causal factors: (1) historical happenstance, including the passage of the Oregon Trail through Indian land and the development of agricultural com-munities on the fringes of the reservation; (2) cultural traits and attitudes of the Indians, especially those pertaining to land ownership and resource perception; (3) federal legislation, designed to Americanize the Indian or encourage settlement; and (4) transactions with public agencies to facilitate community expansion and the construction of transportation facilities. The significance of these factors is substantiated through the applica-tion of a geographical methodology known as a sequent occupance study. Three periods of geographical significance provide the framework: 185'5-1885 is a period of rapid cultural transition. The reser-vationwas created in 1855 and diminished under the Slater Act of 1885. Indian land tenure was strongly influenced by cultural mores and pressures to diminish the size of the reservation. Although rele-gated to the land, most Indians were not psychologically or financially equipped to become successful farmers. Influential legislators main-tained that the Indian would progress more rapidly on individual land allotments. After some deliberation, Indians on the Umatilla Reser-vation agreed to accept land allotments and sell surplus reservation land. 1886-1934 covers the land allotment period. The Slater Ac