Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Oral history interview with Flora Cushinway Thompson
Date(s)
- circa 1971 (Creation)
Extent
0.1 cubic feet; 2 audiocassettes (2 hr., 1 min., 1 sec.) + transcript (47 pages)
Name of creator
Biographical history
Flora Cushinway Thompson, also named La moosh Cush-nee-yi, was born in 1898. In the 1940s, she and Tommy Thompson, leader of the Wyams, were married. She was active in the attempt to prevent the construction of The Dalles Dam. She died in 1978.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
This oral history interview with Flora Cushinway Thompson was conducted around 1971. The interviewer is unidentified. The audio recording and transcript are incomplete; the interview was recorded on three cassettes, but the first tape is missing.
In this interview, Thompson discusses the execution of Modoc leader Kintpuash, aka Captain Jack. She then talks about salmon fishing by Native peoples at Celilo Falls, and about the slow encroachment of dams and commercial fishing at the falls. She speaks about her marriage to Wyam Chief Tommy Thompson and talks about their respective marital histories. She discusses the Wyams' resistance to the construction of The Dalles Dam; describes attending the dedication of the Celilo converter station; and talks about Tommy Thompson's funeral. She speaks at length about some of the Wyams' spiritual beliefs, particularly regarding visions and songs, and sings a Christian song in Sahaptin. She closes the interview by talking about her work advocating for the Wyams' fishing rights. The recording ends with piano music identified as "Indian Love Poem" by Nancy Walker.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Copyright for this interview is held by the estate of Flora Cushinway Thompson. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Interview was conducted in English; song performed during interview is in Sahaptin.
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Publication notes
An article based on this interview, "Oregon Voices: Flora Cushinway Thompson," was published in Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 108, No. 4, pages 680-685.
Notes element
General note
Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Flora Cushinway Thompson, SR 9586, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition.
Sources used
Archivist's note
Sarah Stroman
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Thompson, Tommy Kuni, -1959 (Subject)