Wahweveh (Black Eagle)
Encyclopedia
Wahweveh was a leader of the Oregon Walpapi Paiute (related to the Shoshoni). He was head war chief
in the final phase of the Shoshoni Rebellion, known to Americans as the Sheepeater War of 1879. Little is known of Wahweveh's early life. His full siblings were Chief Paulina
, Bright Eyes, and Puna (Cactus Fruit). His half-brother was Weahwewa (Wolf Dog).
On June 7, 1878, during the leadup to what became known as the Bannock War
, Malheur Reservation
Indian agent
William Rinehart
reported to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that Wahweveh, with 55 braves, had picked up supplies and was heading east. On Saturday, June 22, 1878, Black Eagle rescued the severely-injured Pony Blanket (Egan)
from the battlefield—saving his life, but signaling the end of Egan's tenure as war chief. By July, news of a new Tukadika (Mountain Sheep Killer) Snake outbreak in Idaho drew Wahweveh and his Hunipui (Bear Killer) Snake dog-soldiers onto the battlefront. On their way, on July 4 Black Eagle and his warriors attacked four heavily-laden supply wagons at La Grande
on their way to Pendleton
. They destroyed the wagons, brutally killed and mutilated their drivers and scattered the freight.
On August 13, 1878 more than sixty warriors rode into the Malheur Indian Agency and were arrested after they surrendered to American troops. Among the warriors were Cheegibah (Leggins), son of Natchez (Boy) and grandson of Chief Winnemucca the Younger
; Otiz (Left Hand), grandson of Owitze (Twisted Hand) and Ochiho (Red Willow), son of Chochoco (Has No Horse). Under intense interrogation, Leggins identified the ranking war chiefs: Oytes (Left Hand), Bannock Joe Pohave (Racehorse), Captain Bearskin (Honalelo (Little Bearskin Dick)), Big John Ponce (Three Coyotes), Eagle Eye Wahweveh (Black Eagle), Charley Chongyo (Pipe), D.E. Johnson, Beads, and Surger Wahi (Fox). Most of the leaders whom Leggins named were shot in 1878. Lieutenant Colonel James Forsyth
reported that his troops had killed Wahweveh (Black Eagle) on July 31, 1878; however, in spring 1879 Wahweveh and medicine chief Tamanmo (Black Spirit), with a few Snake dog soldiers, raided a mining camp on the Oregon-Idaho border and killed several Chinese laborers. American troops under several leaders responded with a series of battles which became known as the Sheepeater War. Black Eagle was killed in late August of 1879 on the south fork of the Salmon River
.
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
in the final phase of the Shoshoni Rebellion, known to Americans as the Sheepeater War of 1879. Little is known of Wahweveh's early life. His full siblings were Chief Paulina
Chief Paulina
Chief Paulina was a Northern Paiute war leader.During the late 1850s and 1860s, Northern Paiute bands attacked both settler communities and Native American reservations in central and eastern Oregon, as well as the Klamath Basin. Chief Paulina became the most notorious war leader in those raids...
, Bright Eyes, and Puna (Cactus Fruit). His half-brother was Weahwewa (Wolf Dog).
On June 7, 1878, during the leadup to what became known as the Bannock War
Bannock War
The Bannock War was a series of conflicts in 1878 between various Bannock, Northern Shoshone and Paiute tribes against the United States.- Background :...
, Malheur Reservation
Malheur Reservation
The Malheur Reservation was an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Oregon from 1872 to 1879.-Establishment:On September 12, 1872, a presidential order set aside the Malheur Indian Reservation in Eastern Oregon for the Northern Paiute...
Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
William Rinehart
Rinehart
The cry of Rinehart! was a part of Harvard University student and alumni culture in the early decades of the 20th Century....
reported to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that Wahweveh, with 55 braves, had picked up supplies and was heading east. On Saturday, June 22, 1878, Black Eagle rescued the severely-injured Pony Blanket (Egan)
Egan (Paiute)
Egan is the American name given to Pony Blanket. Pony Blanket was a Paiute leader in the Oregon Country in the 19th century.-Early life:Pony Blanket, known to American settlers as Egan, was born to a Cayuse family and did not know his birth mother. He married Evening Star, the sister of Chochoco...
from the battlefield—saving his life, but signaling the end of Egan's tenure as war chief. By July, news of a new Tukadika (Mountain Sheep Killer) Snake outbreak in Idaho drew Wahweveh and his Hunipui (Bear Killer) Snake dog-soldiers onto the battlefront. On their way, on July 4 Black Eagle and his warriors attacked four heavily-laden supply wagons at La Grande
La Grande, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,327 people, 5,124 households, and 2,982 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,833.5 people per square mile . There were 5,483 housing units at an average density of 1,260.3 per square mile...
on their way to Pendleton
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
. They destroyed the wagons, brutally killed and mutilated their drivers and scattered the freight.
On August 13, 1878 more than sixty warriors rode into the Malheur Indian Agency and were arrested after they surrendered to American troops. Among the warriors were Cheegibah (Leggins), son of Natchez (Boy) and grandson of Chief Winnemucca the Younger
Chief Winnemucca
Winnemucca, , was born a Shoshoni around 1820 in what would later become the Oregon Territory. He married a Kuyuidika woman, the daughter of Old Winnemucca, and thus was a Paiute himself by tribal rules...
; Otiz (Left Hand), grandson of Owitze (Twisted Hand) and Ochiho (Red Willow), son of Chochoco (Has No Horse). Under intense interrogation, Leggins identified the ranking war chiefs: Oytes (Left Hand), Bannock Joe Pohave (Racehorse), Captain Bearskin (Honalelo (Little Bearskin Dick)), Big John Ponce (Three Coyotes), Eagle Eye Wahweveh (Black Eagle), Charley Chongyo (Pipe), D.E. Johnson, Beads, and Surger Wahi (Fox). Most of the leaders whom Leggins named were shot in 1878. Lieutenant Colonel James Forsyth
James W. Forsyth
James William Forsyth was a U.S. Army officer and general. He was primarily a Union staff officer during the American Civil War and cavalry regimental commander during the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
reported that his troops had killed Wahweveh (Black Eagle) on July 31, 1878; however, in spring 1879 Wahweveh and medicine chief Tamanmo (Black Spirit), with a few Snake dog soldiers, raided a mining camp on the Oregon-Idaho border and killed several Chinese laborers. American troops under several leaders responded with a series of battles which became known as the Sheepeater War. Black Eagle was killed in late August of 1879 on the south fork of the Salmon River
Salmon River (Idaho)
The Salmon River is located in Idaho in the northwestern United States. The Salmon is also known as The River of No Return. It flows for through central Idaho, draining and dropping more than between its headwaters, near Galena Summit above the Sawtooth Valley in the Sawtooth National...
.