In the Land of the Grasshopper Song: Two Women in the Klamath River Indian Country in 1908-09

by Mary Ellicott Arnold, Mabel Reed, Andre Cramblit (Foreword)

In 1908 easterners Mary Ellicott Arnold and Mabel Reed accepted appointments as field matrons in Karuk tribal communities in the Klamath and Salmon River country of northern California. In doing so, they joined a handful of white women in a rugged region that retained the frontier mentality of the gold rush some fifty years earlier. Hired to promote the federal government’s assimilation of American Indians, Arnold and Reed instead found themselves adapting to the world they entered, a complex and contentious territory of Anglo miners and Karuk families.In the Land of the Grasshopper Song, Arnold and Reed’s account of their experiences, shows their irreverence towards Victorian ideals of womanhood, recounts their respect toward and friendship with Karuks, and offers a rare portrait of women’s western experiences in this era. Writing with self-deprecating humor, the women recall their misadventures as women “in a white man’s country” and as whites in Indian country. A story about crossing cultural divides, In the Land of the Grasshopper Song also documents Karuk resilience despite seemingly insurmountable odds.New material by Susan Bernardin, André Cramblit, and Terry Supahan provides rich biographical, cultural, and historical contexts for understanding the continuing importance of this story for Karuk people and other readers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Indigenous, Native American, Westerns, Historical

350 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by Bill when he heard I was going to be traveling up the Klamath. Our camping trip was centered around the Iron Gate and Copco dam sites. We wanted to see them before their deconstruction over the next couple of years, and get a feel for how the terrain will change once the waters are left to flow freely again. There will still be other larger dams up river, but It’s exciting to know that at least part of the river will be restored. Although this book is definitely not an anthropological text, it is a wonderful glimpse into the past. As we drove through Hoopa, Weitchpec, and up through Orleans it was neat to be essentially following the footsteps of Mary Elliott Arnold and Mabel Reed. I was able to compare their tales of trying to ford a raging Klamath with the smaller, calmer rivers we drove over on our trip.

There is a language to the text that is old and very offensive— though taken within context I can also see the adoration these women had for their neighbors on the Klamath. I also understand their position as “schoolmarms” sent by the federal government to “educate,” (and assimilate) the people of the Klamath is very problematic. There are a lot of questionable reflections and interactions that beget a reading-between-the-lines style of comprehension.

What I took away from this book was not the mission but relationships built through friendship, hard work and bravery. I also enjoyed Arnold and Reed’s journey. The book begins upon their arrival and ends with their departure two years later. It’s amazing the growth of the two women in such a short amount of time. They became proficient horseback riders, they made friends with almost every person they met, and they learned how to handle themselves in just about any scary situation they encountered. I am also in love with how they kept a humorous tone even recounting some of their more horrifying experiences. I definitely recommend this to anyone traveling through the Klamath area. It’s also a refreshing “Wild West” tale told from the perspective of women. I do not recommend this book as a way of understanding the life of the indigenous people of the Klamath.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it was about the indigenous peoples near my tribe (Hoopa). I liked that they talked about the culture and indigenous people there. Admittedly, I did skip around a bit because it was kind of a hard read probably because of how they talked back then. It felt very stream of consciousness kind of writing and it made it feel really long. Would still recommend this book, though. Just for the history at least. And there were definitely a few stories that were very entertaining and were page turners.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book details anthropological insights into the Karok Indians of the North Coast of California in the year 1908-1909. The adventures of two young women as they write, interact and explore the rugged terrain of the Klamath River banks and nearby mountains is astounding. This story proves to be a great view of this Indian culture and how the white culture encroached.

[Susan Beecher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book about two young women who become Indian agents in northern California in 1909. They had no idea what they were exactly expected to do but quickly realized that being identified as "schoolmarms" was not a bad thing. They came to love their Indian neighbors and completely respected their customs and their integrity. Highly recommend.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this unlikely story of two single women from New Jersey who, in 1908–09, became newly appointed “field matrons” to the tribes in the Salmon and Klamath river regions. The role within the Bureau of Indian Affairs is complicated. On one hand, it was one of the very few professional, well-paying jobs available to women in white society at the time. Field matrons worked alongside men in local government and the Forest Service, but their authority was often undermined or dismissed by white men who struggled to take them seriously. On the other hand, their official duty was to be a “civilizing influence” on Native communities, a concept that today reads as white supremacist and deeply patronizing.

But I think Mabel and Mary approached their work with far more respect, open-mindedness, and genuine curiosity than many of their contemporaries. They admired the self-reliance, creativity, and strong sense of community in Native culture, and they came to prefer Native music, chants, and drumming over their own folk and Christian songs. The Indians were smarter and cleaner and more skillful and celebratory. Mary often seemed more influenced by Native traditions than imposing her own culture.
The matrons became advocates for the tribe and were writing letters to Washington, D.C. and traveled to Yreka to settle a debt the county owed to a Native man for building a bridge. But they were unable to help an Indian family to keep their homestead which was stolen from them because the legal systems that were designed to benefit whites and nearly impossible for Native people to navigate outside of their jurisdiction. This stood in sharp contrast to the Native communities they came to admire, where justice and conflict resolution were rooted in community accountability, and reciprocity — whether by speaking directly to the person involved, offering gifts, or resolving issues through collective consensus. Buy adopting the native way of problem solving and mixing it with their identities as white American field matrons, they garnered more influence and became better advocates.

I also loved the mix of adventure and history and how Mabel and Mary, having only rode a horse a handful of times, pushed themselves to ride long distances across rugged mountains, ford rushing rivers, and mastered the skills of packing and travel on horseback. Their adventures bore witness to Native communities already reshaped by the gold rush just fifty years earlier. Elders still remembered the “old ways,” yet the rise of half white half Indian individuals revealed painful new hierarchies that devalued them in both worlds.

This account captures the vivid beauty of the Klamath and Salmon River country - the beautiful forests, rivers, and wild backcountry. I’m now inspired to plan my own journey along Highway 96 to places like Somes Bar and Happy Camp. In the end, it’s both the story of two women stepping outside the norms of their time and of Native communities caught between tradition and the pressures of white society.

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book twice, as we live in the land of the grasshopper song. The effect on the present time is that many local Native Americans still carry the name of the Swedish loggers who came to these forests and and gave Swedish names to their progeny. The number of Sundbergs, Lindqvists, and all the Axel Lindgrens who continue to populate the regions is very remarkable. I even heard one teacher remark, "Sundberg is an Indian name", so settled are these names into the local culture. I gave this book to an Austrian friend, visiting not long ago. He returned to visit again a few years later with this book, all dog-eared and underlined , as he had carefully read it in English, not an easy task for him. His first request, "Take me to Hoopa!" And so we did.
These remarks simply serve to show how powerful this book is . Those of us who live nearby and who also carry Swedish heritage, though not through native Americans, are awed by the book and the history it brings to life in the far, far northern forests of Northern California.

[Robbin Henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There would be more stars if I could. I live in the Southern Oregon...South West Oregon. I had ancestors in Klamath and Scott Valley and was thrilled to recognize geographic places. As for the story, the women who went as government officials to teach the Indians but they did so much more.And were also taught the Indian culture...ways it was called.
Can really see this being a great movie. They had to ford the Klamath River and several other creeks in the middle of the flooding season with mules. Up and down treacherous trails. Sunrise and Sunsets were awesome. Definitely will remember this one a long time.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an amazing look into this area in 1908 - with beautiful insight into the native culture of the region. It’s sometimes difficult to follow due to the writing style, but if you are familiar with the area of the Klamath or Somes Bar, CA it’s a must read. As someone who spent many summers in this area, I loved this book.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Land of the Grasshopper Song is written by two women who lived and worked as Indian Mothers in Northern California. They lived among the Kurok tribe just north of the Hoopa Reservation between Orleans and Happy Camp. They were unusual women by Victorian Standards and they did not patronize the local people instead they admired and embraced their music and traditions. A good read.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book, though you do have to take into account that there are some parts that may seem a bit disturbing now, but were common thoughts and beliefs then. But all in all, it was a good book.

[Linda Bloodsaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea these positions existed and certainly didn't realize that women in the early 1900's would be placed in the remote west. I admire these women and their honest account of what life was like during these times.

[Peggy Fake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Objectively, that is from a literary standpoint, this is a 3, but personally I found it very entertaining.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

As interesting for what is not said as for what is said. Going in to this book, I had some expectations. I figured there may be a turning point when the writers, who went to "Indian Country" to educate and civilize, become educated themselves. But this book reads more like a meandering post-experience journal, partially written years after the fact. There's no plot structure to speak of, just a roughly chronological account. It doesn't attempt to put their visit in historical context, or thoroughly document cultural practices as a an anthropologist would. It also isn't hugely condescending or elevating of white culture. But it was irritating to read that people were speaking "in Indian." It would have been nice to see the transformation of some of that ignorance.

It mostly read to me like the story of a couple of women who were pretty clueless about what they'd signed up for, but knew it was going to be vastly more interesting than behaving themselves back in New Jersey. A lot of the times it seemed they just wanted to fit in, and to be of service. It would be so interesting to hear the perspectives of the people they interacted with.

I found myself wishing for a map comparing the current day roads with the network of trails they had then, and noting the towns and place names they used in the book.

[Arlington · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting, if you love getting inside the head of white people blindly fucking shit up for Indians. Oh, you don't like that? Me neither. I also don't like boring things that are not just boring but take interesting situations and make them boring (polygamy! rooms full of eels! all delivered SO INANELY). I gave this 150 pages. It's non-fiction, and a diary account, so superficially it doesn't have the pressure to be rocking and rollicking, but it was pretty gross to be inside the daily head of two white people living with the Indians, mostly because there were pictures, so you get to see this picture of Essie, the Indian woman who had three husbands and her own house in a purely patriarchal society and seemed pretty fucking bad-ass, and she looks like a total bad-ass in her picture, and she's reduced to the interested but essentially idiotic comments from the gossipy patronizing mind of Mary Ellicott Arnold. I know we're supposed to be all "but it was back then and back then was back then" but gross. No thanks.

[Wendy Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began this book after having just finished reading another story about a guy who becomes a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kazakstan for two years. After having finished this book I realized that the two stories had a lot in common, namely, the experience of people taken out of their own culture and dropped into another. What I love about 'In the Land of the Grasshopper Song' is that the cultural exchange that is being written about took place in (more or less) my own back yard: The American West.

In this loosely-woven narrative two women travel to the Klamath River region in N. California to become school marms to the indians there. (I also read this book as I was hiking through part of the country Mary described, which was pretty nifty.) The stories about White Puppy made me laugh and cry. The story about Mary and Mabel's trip to Etna made me feel angry and guilty (by association). The story about the Baby Growl was another highlight.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the most interesting part of this story is likely what is not written... what motivated two young women to venture out into Indian country in 1908 in the first place? What were their lives like before this adventure? What kind of personalities did they have that made them brave enough to ford rushing rivers, cross suspended swing bridges on mules, etc... Because this is a journal, we're left at the mercy of the writer, who wasn't an exceptional storyteller. So this is more of an account of events. Left me a little flat and wanting more.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think living in the area they are telling about made this book far more interesting to me. I can see how it may have been hard to get into it if you weren't familiar with the area. It felt more like a report than a book in the ways it described a lot of the culture and events. I would have loved a little more elaborate details but the story did do a good job of creating an image of what life would have been like in the early years. Made me thankful I came along a hundred years later to enjoy the area when you didn't have to ford the river with all your supplies and a horse.

[Beverley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved sharing Mary and Mabel's adventures with the Indians along the Klamath River! I have always wished that my ancestors (all our ancestors!) had written journals so that we could know who they were, how they lived their lives, what part of us came from them. Mary and Mabel did just that for two years of their lives, and we are the beneficiaries. How fascinating, to be transported back to 1908-1910, to that place and to those fascinating Native American people. Thank you, Mary and Mabel, for a wonderful read!

[Trinie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from a friend in New Mexico who also loves Humboldt County, California. Set in Happy Camp and surrounding areas in the Trinity Alps, it is an astonishing look at Kurok life from two pioneer women who are basically adopted by the native families. Like Mary Kelley's captivity narrative, it is set from the Anglo perspective, but this is the first book I've read that is pretty much in total sympathy with indigineous world-views. It's awesome!!!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two white women, looking for adventure or at least something different, become matrons in the Indian service and travel to the Klamath River country to work with the Yurok people. They--the women--learned quite a lot, and their account, written several decades later with some sensitivity and a good sense of humor, is surprisingly absorbing.

[Tamra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book about two eastern young women who accept Indian Service appointments among the Karok Indians in Northern California about 1908. Good representation of Indian ways of doing things and very funny in so many ways

[Chris Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that both the government and the Indians got a good bargain when these two women were sent out to the Klamath region. The book provides an interesting glimpse into what life was like at that time.

[Steven McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing first person account of a vanished era. Conversations with people who remember life before metal? Before the arrival of white people? Fascinating. I've passed near where this book takes place and it is still incredibly remote over a century later. A great read.

[Holly Lamb]

I couldn't get in to it. I'll give it another try at some point.

[Bea Alden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful account by two Victorian-era women of work they did among the Karok Indians of northern California.

[Momwiz · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story of two kind of "prim' ladies from New Jersey in the early 1900's who go to live among the Karok Indians of Northern California.

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories and good information about the area and its natives and settlers. Amazing women who seemed to know no fear.

[Skip Everheart · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read. Just delightful. Highest recommendation!

[Vada Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so honored to read this history of my family and see how life in happy camp used to be.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Difficult to get into, rather boring...