A Little-Known Slice Of Washington History Can Be Found At This Walla Walla Site
By Andrea Verschuyl|Published January 09, 2024
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Andrea Verschuyl
Author
Having grown up in Washington, Andrea is a self-admitted Pacific Northwest snob. In their opinion, there's simply nowhere else in the country with the Evergreen State's beauty. After attending university, Andrea devoted themselves to writing full-time. They're thrilled to represent Washington for Only In Your State while pursuing other professional and personal projects. They currently reside in Olympia, where they enjoy leaf-blowing their yard, perfecting homemade ramen, cuddling with their three tiny dogs, and feeding their pufferfish, Sea Biscuit.
Though it's setting is serene, Whitman Mission would become a flashpoint of colonial tension. The events here had wide-reaching consequences, even sparking a war between the early American government and the Cayuse, or Liksiyu, nation, who'd occupied the land for thousands of years.
Two missionaries, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, founded the mission in 1836. Staunch Presbyterians, they aimed to convert the Cayuse and assimilate them into Western culture. Initially, the tribe welcomed them. The Cayuse were skilled diplomats who'd cultivated alliances with other Indigenous nations. They were also familiar with Western culture, having made lucrative deals with European traders.
The Cayuse viewed the Whitmans as visitors, not landowners, and they grew frustrated when the missionaries insisted that they follow Western social practices rather than their own. The Whitmans continued to offend the Cayuse, logging tribal land without permission and showing open disdain for their culture. When asked to pay the Cayuse for the land they'd already settled, the Whitmans flat-out refused.
Ultimately, however, it was an onslaught of pandemics that led to tensions boiling over. Whitman Mission had become a crucial stopping point for other settlers heading west. On their way, they exposed the Cayuse to diseases that devastated their community.
Not only did the Whitmans refuse to turn these groups away, they failed to intervene when their guests discriminated against the Cayuse people. This further damaged their relationship with the tribe.
Today, it's impossible to visit the mission and not feel haunted by its past. The Whitman massacre was likely a preventable tragedy. Though they may have been well-intentioned, the Whitmans didn't respect the Cayuse, whose land they occupied. With their community made vulnerable by disease and encroachment, the Cayuse felt they had no other recourse.
