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PREVIOUSLY:

• HUMBOLDT HISTORY: First-Hand Accounts of the Tuluwat Massacre, Which Happened 165 Years Ago This Week

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A complex pattern of displacement and genocide ravaged indigenous communities across the American West through the 1860s. Weaving together Native American voices, government reports, and settler perspectives, a cohesive narrative of this dark chapter in Humboldt’s history can be revealed.

In the days after the Wiyot Massacre, about three hundred Native Americans were congregated at Fort Humboldt.¹ In regions not targeted in the slaughter, such as Mad River (Baduwa’t), Wiyot people continued to inhabit their homes. Agent D. E. Buell came to Arcata in April 1860, where he advocated for the removal of the Wiyot to the Klamath Reservation. Buell invited Baduwa’t leaders to Arcata for a meeting and announced plans for their expulsion:

After urging countless objections against leaving their old homes, and fears for their welfare on the reservation, [the Wiyot] said that they thought they would go, but wanted a little time — two or three days — to make ready. To all this they were answered by the agent and citizens, that if they did not consent to remove, force would be used to compel them; that should any of them succeed in eluding the agent and… [the citizens] at this time, they would henceforth be treated as enemies; that before sunset every Lower-Mad River Indian must be in town ready to start the next morning for the Klamath; that some of the party present were to remain in town while the others would accompany white men to the different camps and rancherias to bring in the balance of the Indians, and that there was to be no more talk on the subject.²

Faced with an impossible choice, Baduwa’t communities collected what they could carry, setting their canoes and homes on fire as they left so that they would not be appropriated by the settlers.³At 4 p.m. that day, the Wiyot gathered in the center of Arcata for the forced removal to Klamath Reservation. Buell then fixed his sights on the Wiyot people who were located at Fort Humboldt. Commanding officer Gabriel J. Rains initially appeared to defend the rights of the Wiyot, but quickly caved to public opinion at the urging of eighty-four settlers.⁴ Nearly 450 people were removed from Humboldt County to the Klamath Reservation.

Jane Searson, a 20-year-old Wiyot survivor, recalled jarring details of the forced march:

I remember about 300 Indians coming back have clothes, they [were] driving the Indian like cattle… [swing] whip like drive catt[le] … [Their] legs were [bleeding] and cut [by] the [whip.] They passed dow[n] the road and I had a good look and seen how th[e]y [were] treate[d]. They were on their way to the Res. They [were] to take my child away if I did not go.⁵

Using physical violence, Lieutenant Hardcastle of Fort Humboldt pushed the victims along rugged backcountry trails at breakneck speeds. Roughly a third of the Wiyot — the sick, young, and elderly — were brought to the point of complete exhaustion.⁶ The number of deaths resulting from this march remains unknown. It should be recognized that not all Wiyot were taken to the reservation: in some cases, people remained in Humboldt as a result of settler marriages and indenture contracts, while others lived in the rural countryside with hopes of avoiding further persecution.⁷ Practically every path taken by Native Americans during this period risked violence or death.

For a brief time the expelled Wiyot lived near the mouth of the Klamath River near a place called Wau-Kell, the reservation headquarters.⁸ People were divided into small villages with eight to twelve acres of farmland. Through these farm communes the Bureau of Indian Affairs intended to disrupt hunter-gatherer methods and replace them with agrarian practices.⁹

Forcibly relocated away from their homes under false promises of “protection,” the Wiyot could not escape the terrible cycle of violence. The source of this abuse was the military personnel of Fort Ter-Waw, located across the river from Wau-Kell.¹⁰ One historian states that those who were detained at Klamath were “continually exposed to the brutal assault of drunken and lawless white men; [the women were] forced, and, if resented, the Indians [were] beaten and shot.”¹¹ Oral accounts affirm that a gallows was built between two redwood trees near the fort and used to hang Native Americans, possibly to execute those who resisted forced agricultural practices.

Inadequate harvests and widespread malnourishment made conditions even worse.¹² In contemporary accounts, the Tolowa have compared the Klamath Reservation to a concentration camp. Indigenous people seized the earliest opportunities to escape the abysmal state of affairs at Wau-Kell. In July 1860, the Humboldt Times stated that the Wiyot were returning to Humboldt Bay, and by the fall of that year “nearly all of the Indians removed to Klamath last spring [had] returned.”¹³ Hundreds of expelled people made the long march home with hopes of returning to the villages that their families had inhabited since time immemorial. Soon after their arrival, however, a renewed expulsion campaign was carried out upon Wiyot communities.

By October 1860, citizens began petitioning for a second removal of returning Native Americans.¹⁴ Settlers took the matter of deportation into their own hands. In Hydesville, a public meeting was held with the goals of “[making] arrangements in relation to the Indians of [Humboldt] county…”¹⁵ Attendees resolved that all Native Americans were to be rounded up and removed to the Klamath Reservation, except for those under the age of ten who were the servants of white households for at least a year, or if they were born outside the county. Vigilantes went door to door, visiting settler households and demanding that they “provide a way and means to send [Indians] to the Reservation.”¹⁶ Among the men involved in the plan were Sheriff Van Nest, George Huestis (nephew of the county judge), and suspected massacre culprit Hank Larrabee.¹⁷

By September 1861, several hundred Wiyot were forcibly congregated at Fort Humboldt through the posse’s efforts. In cooperation with Agent Buell and Colonel Lippitt (commanding officer of Fort Humboldt), Captain H. H. Buhne assumed the role of transferring the Wiyot back to the Klamath Reservation aboard his steamer, the Mary Ann. ¹⁸ Those aboard the Mary Ann arrived at an unfortunate time: an extreme winter storm battered the Northern Californian coast between December 1861 and February 1862.¹⁹ The Humboldt Times on January 25, 1862 wrote, “The [Klamath] Reservation has been inundated five several times since the first of last month, and at each overflow the Klamath rose higher by many feet than any Indian tradition gives account of.”²⁰ One individual observed the churning Klamath River swell 150 feet above its average height, while a Yurok elder suggested that it was the worst flood in living memory.²¹ Due to its low-lying situation, Wau-Kell was doomed by the rising floodwaters.

“[E]very panel of fencing, every Indian village, and every government building, except a barn” had been swept away by the destructive flood.²² To make matters worse, one of the few redeeming factors of the reservation — its fertile topsoil — was now covered in a deep layer of silt, preventing farming for many years to come.²³ The agency’s entire food reserve was destroyed, leaving two thousand Native American people on the verge of starvation in the middle of a winter storm.²⁴ An immediate evacuation was necessary. Superintendent Hanson wrote, “[Native Americans] will either perish for lack of food or return to their old [homes] … [where they will begin] depredations on the settlers’ [live]stock, which they must do from necessity or die. ”²⁵ By the time he made these remarks, hundreds of people were already returning to their ancestral lands throughout Humboldt County.

The Wiyot expulsion to the Klamath Reservation was a catastrophic failure of the federal government on both a moral and logistical scale. The 1861-62 Flood worsened an already awful situation, sparking a humanitarian crisis and mass exodus. As hundreds of starving, displaced people fled the reservation, they returned to Humboldt not as refugees in need of help, but instead as enemies who the settler community actively hunted and killed. This period marked the final phase of the so-called Humboldt Indian “Wars,” in which Native Americans were targets of an atrocious campaign of genocide. Yet these tales of persecution remain unspoken, nearly forgotten by time — perhaps this morbid chapter in our local history has been deliberately hidden by Humboldt’s founding pioneers, the very people who carried out this butchery.

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Ryan Bass is a historian of Yurok-Karuk descent at Cal Poly Humboldt. After receiving the Charles R. Barnum Award for his research on the 1964 Flood and its effects on indigenous communities in Humboldt-Del Norte, he has shifted his research focus to two particular topics: the Hoopa Valley Boarding School (1892-1932) and the California Genocide (1849-1873). Published works regarding these topics are expected to be released later this year.

You like history? Consider a subscription to the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.

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Brett Delancey Gregory
March 4, 1981 – December 31, 2024

Brett was born on March 4, 1981, to Draper Bell Gregory and Carol Wood Gregory in San Mateo, Calif. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. Brett moved to central California and worked as an emergency medical technician and firefighter. Brett graduated from Humboldt State University in Arcata with a bachelor’s degree in fisheries biology.

While in college, Brett made his home in Trinidad, where he was a volunteer firefighter, an active fisherman and owner of Salty’s Supply Company. Brett was also a fisheries observer for the North Pacific Groundfish fishery out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska in the Bering Sea.

Brett met his wife, Marian, in Trinidad, and was the loving father of Marlow and Carys Gregory. Brett maintained long-term friendships which he made in his youth, college and his days in Trinidad.

Brett was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Marian Strong; daughters Marlow and Carys Gregory; brother Scott (Kim) Gregory and nieces Kaia and Emily Gregory of Chico; his in-laws Susan Wood and Santo LaTores of Annapolis, Maryland. Brett is also survived by his mother’s family, with numerous aunts, uncles and cousins in Wisconsin.

A celebration of life will be held saturday, March 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Trinidad Town Hall. All are welcome. Please wear your Salty’s gear in memory of Brett. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Gregory Girls Education Fund. Send checks payable to Fidelity Investments to: Susan Wood, 338 Broadview Lane, Annapolis, MD 21401 or bring checks to the memorial service.

Heather May Brazil was born on May 8, 1989, in Arcata, to the late Ronald Brazil and Dorcas Marshall. Heather entered into rest on February 21, 2025, after living a life of laughter, love and a few too many sarcastic comments.

Heather attended elementary school and high school in Hoopa, where she graduated as a part of Hoopa High’s Class of 2007. As a member of the Hupa Valley Tribe, she carried her roots with her everywhere — even when she was on the hunt for the perfect meme to share with her friends and family.

A self-proclaimed Harry Potter enthusiast from the moment the first book hit the shelves, Heather was a proud member of Slytherin House. She was convinced it wasn’t just about cunning and ambition — it was about being the best at sarcastic remarks and finding humor in the darkest corners of life. Her wit could make anyone laugh, whether you needed it or not, and she had the ability to quote nearly every movie, often at the most inappropriate times, just to make sure everyone was laughing.

Heather is preceded in death by her sweet baby girl, Serenity Hope, a loss she carried in her heart every single day. She is also preceded in death by her big sister Rebecca Brazil, father Ronald Brazil, cousin Thomas Mosier Jr, maternal grandparents Joseph and Eunice Marshall, and paternal grandparents Ralph and Norma Brazil.

Heather is survived by her children, David and Kylie Cross, her mother Dorcas Marshall, sisters Kathie and Leah Brazil, nieces and nephew Abigael Gulley, Mackenzie Brazil, Trinity and Emelie Cabodi, Rebecca, Caroline, and Brandon Christian, her boyfriend Geno Masten. She also leaves behind her Aunt Dorene Kautsky (George), Uncle Emil Marshall (Darla), Aunt Joann, and too many cousins to name who know they’re probably going to keep hearing her jokes forever, whether they like it or not.

We would like to take a moment to thank everyone who knew and loved Heather, especially those who truly appreciated her one-of-a-kind sense of humor. While her jokes may no longer fill the room, they’ll live on in every sarcastic quip, every movie quote, and every laugh shared in her honor. We also want to express our deep gratitude to the Palliative Care Team and ICU staff at Providence St. Joseph Hospital for the extraordinary care they provided Heather in her final days. Their compassion and support meant the world to us.

A celebration of life is scheduled for 1 p.m. on March 8 in Hoopa at the Legion Hall. In true Heather fashion, this gathering will be a time to share her unforgettable quotes and stories — the more sarcastic, the better. Come ready to laugh, reminisce and celebrate the incredible person Heather was.

On the morning of December 21, 2024, Mom passed away peacefully after a recurring battle with cancer, surrounded by her family.

Carol was born in Indiana and raised in Arkansas and Chicago, Illinois. While in her 20s mom headed west to California, as many young people do, and landed in San Diego. After a couple years she relocated to Humboldt County in the late 1960s. She took a clerical job with the County of Humboldt at the County Court House in Eureka. In 1970, she purchased her first home, a small two-bedroom house on Fickle Hill Road in Arcata. Not long thereafter, Carol was introduced to her future husband and our father, Edward Schillinger through mutual friends. They were married at their house surrounded by friends, family and Redwood trees in 1973. A reception followed at Merryman’s Beach House at Moonstone Beach. Carol and Ed acquired an adjacent property and later built their dream home to have room to raise their four active children. Jake, Max, Gus, and Emilie are convinced that our beloved mother is now in heaven and yelling at our father Ed (AKA Pop) to come up from his tinkering on instruments and equipment in the “barn” (his workshop) to get in the house before his dinner ran cold.

Mom was heavily involved in her children’s schooling and was President of the PTO at Jacoby Creek School in the 1980s, where she was proud of the education that was provided. She was a fixture at her children’s numerous sporting events: track and field, bicycling, cross country, swimming, soccer, baseball, basketball, and triathlons. One year, she remembered she had kept scorebook for an astonishing 83 games for the kids. She loved hearing her youngest son talk about basketball from his coaching. Mom also dabbled in politics on various campaigns. Her working career culminated with a stint as a Medical Liaison-Social Worker for the County of Humboldt. She was heavily invested in equality and opportunities for all people that wanted to better themselves. She had a unique and innate ability to communicate with young and old, and all backgrounds. It stemmed from being well read and versed in life’s experiences. Mom possessed tremendous wisdom. Additionally, her cooking and baking was raved about, and at times did so for large groups of family and friends.

After living in Arcata for well over 40 years, she purchased a second home to be closer to her sister Linny and help her take care of their aging mother. She was able to find a delightful house and create new friendships on her mature tree lined cul-de-sac in Southwest Illinois near St Louis, MO and owning this house allowed mom to return to her Midwestern roots. The hospitality and mom’s gregariousness were the ideal fit for that neck of the woods. A neighbor said that when she moved in, she became a force and transformed the neighborhood in a positive manner. While Mom split time between her Illinois house and her home on Fickle Hill in Arcata, she always considered Arcata as her primary residence. To mom, Arcata was always home. It was the place where she had put down roots and raised her family after all.

Always putting family first, Carol finally achieved her own longstanding goal of traveling to Ireland, which she did in the summer of 2024 with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter. She was completely thrilled by the journey.

Lastly, mom loved plants and gardening. She could spend hours toiling and caring for them. Her garden was her happy place and a source of joy, care, and growth. She was simply delighted to work and talk about them.

When mom became sick, her wittiness, humor and storytelling was quite a fixture for the medical personnel and epitomized her personality for all of those who met her during her time on Earth.

Mom’s life was a blessing to all of us.

Carol is proceeded in death by her father John Jacks, mother Beatrice Jacks, Brother William “Bill” Jacks, husband Edward “Ed” Schillinger, nephew Scott DeLisio, and her beloved sister Linny DeLisio. Carol is survived by her youngest brother John Jacks (jr.), children Jakob “Jake” Schillinger (Alicia), Max Schillinger (Kristine), August “Gus” Schillinger (Devon), and Emilie Schillinger-Themens (Justin), grandchildren Alex, Anna, Dexter, and Brooklyn, and along with numerous other nephews and cousins.

A private memorial with family will be held at her Arcata home on Saturday, May 31, during which some of her cremated remains will be spread on the family property per her wishes.

A celebration of life for Carol will be held on Sunday June 1, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka. All friends of Carol are invited to share stories and celebrate her memory.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Carol Schillinger’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

(AUDIO) Cassandra Hesseltine on KHUM

Cassandra Hesseltine would like to get fancy with you this weekend.

For the 10th consecutive year, the Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commissioner is inviting the community to glam it up and head to the Eureka Theatre at 3:30 p.m. this Sunday for the 10th Annual Red Carpet Gala, which, among other enticements, features a screening of a certain mega-important Hollywood awards show. Hmm! It’s your annual opportunity to forego your standard Carhartt ensemble and live like a star!

But it’s not all red carpet-life for Cassandra. In her 15 years as commissioner, she has corralled the various film productions looking to use Humboldt and its natural beauty as the backdrop for their movies, both large and small. And with California’s industry facing challenges, Hesseltine feels a responsibility to help Humboldt become even-more attractive to filmmakers ambitious enough to make the trek up to our neck of woods. 

Want to hear her vision? Listen to her recent interview with KHUM’s Jordan Dobbins by clicking the player above. Topics discussed include:

• How Cassandra came to be the film commissioner for our area
• What her job entails
• What it would take for dreams of a Redwood Coast Sound Stage could become a reality and why it would be attractive to outside productions. 
• Plans for this Sunday’s red carpet gala
• More!

PREVIOUS JORDAN DOBBINS:

• (AUDIO) Want to See a Humboldt-Made Short Horror Film? Emerging Local Filmmaker River Sky Keller Would Love to See You at The Minor on Saturday

Here’s a challenge. Write a better poem about Eureka than this one:

they came for gold

but found rain and stayed anyway

they built homes from redwood bones burned their prayers into the sawdust and left ghosts in every barstool

the money dried up the mills fell silent and now we live in the spaces they left behind

You think you got it? Now top this one!

Eureka

A neon sign hums above an empty street.
Someone strums a guitar on a splintered step.

The harbor smells of diesel and salt.
A stray dog noses at last night’s trash.

Laughter drifts from a bar with no name. A wave breaks, and no one looks up.

You still think you’re better? Then go take on the 100-cycle free verse epic known as “THE EUREKIAD,” which ChatGPT also wrote for us yesterday, and of which one reviewer said: “I really enjoyed them … could imagine them written in chalk in unexpected places around town.”

I’ll wait.

All right — so you must think you’re pretty good at this poetry business. Then why have you not nominated yourself to be Eureka’s next poet laureate, or its next youth poet laureate? They’ve extended the application deadline to March 7, because not enough of you word wranglers have thrown your names in.

Eureka’s poet laureate program is a cool thing. Here’s a press release from the City of Eureka/Ink People Center for the Arts that explains it all:

Informational poster. Click to enlarge.

January 21, 2025 (Eureka, Calif.) - The City of Eureka, in partnership with Ink People Center for the Arts is excited to announce that Eureka Poet Laureate Program applications are being accepted.

Poetry invites us to open our senses to the experience of place, self, and other. The City of Eureka’s Poet Laureate Program brings new people and perspectives into visibility and generates powerful language for expressing the experience of “being here.”

This year a panel of poets, including at least one youth member, will select up to two youth poet laureates and an adult poet laureate. Once selected, these poets will serve as poetry ambassadors to the City of Eureka for a two-year period. To be eligible, poets must live or have a writing studio within the city limits of Eureka, California, or within one mile of Eureka; or must be meaningfully connected to Eureka.

The purpose of the Poet Laureate pilot program is to:

• Serve as a creative ambassador for Eureka
• Celebrate the literary arts in Eureka and beyond
• Be a creative voice for the Eureka Cultural Arts District and the surrounding area
• Collaborate with the broader arts community
• Provide mentorship to youth literary artists

Adult Poet Laureate Information

The Eureka Poet Laureate will:

• Write at least one poem reflecting life in Eureka
• Read an original poem at two Eureka City Council meetings
• Plan and implement at least one poetry-related project in the community
• Meet with the youth poet laureate(s) at least twice to share poetry and experiences as a writer
• Serve as a poetry ambassador for at least three Eureka arts and culture events each year
• Exchange with other poet laureates when possible

The Poet Laureate will receive:

• A $1000 stipend (distributed in two annual $500 payments)
• Public acknowledgment through a press release and mention on the city website, social media channels, and city newsletter
• Nomination for the California Poet Laureate Program (if open for nominations)

Youth Poet Laureate Information

The Youth Poet Laureate will:

• Write one original poem reflecting life in Eureka
• Participate in a poetry reading related to Eureka at least once in each year
• Present one poem at a city council meeting
• Be an ambassador for poetry at Eureka events when possible
• Meet with the adult Poet Laureate at least twice to share poetry and experiences as a writer
• Exchange with other poet laureates when the possibility allows

The Youth Poet Laureate(s) will receive:

• A $300 stipend (distributed in two annual $150 payments)
• Public acknowledgment through a press release and mention on the city website, social media channels, and newsletter

Poet Laureate Program application process:

Prospective Poet Laureate will fill out the submission form and will submit three poetry samples and a community project proposal through Submittable. Applications are due by Friday, February 28 March 7 at 11:59 pm. Decisions will be made by March 20, with a public announcement in early April to coincide with National Poetry Month.

*If you need support with the application process and/or accommodations for disabilities, please write Leslie@inkpeople.org

The Eureka Poet Laureate Program is a project of the City of Eureka.

The Ink People staffs and manages this program as a contribution to the arts and culture community.

Link to the application portal

For questions regarding the Eureka Poet Laureate Program, contact Sarah West, Economic Development Project Manager, phone: (707)441-4178, email: swest@eurekaca.gov.

Go broad or go deep? That’s one of the big questions state lawmakers are debating as they grapple with how to most effectively use $1.5 billion that voters approved last year for projects to reduce the impact of California wildfires.

That money comes from Proposition 4, the November ballot measure that authorized a $10 billion bond to pay for climate-related projects such as water systems and wildfire mitigation.

In his January budget proposal, Gov. Gavin Newsom recommended that $325 million of the bond money should be allocated in the upcoming fiscal year to a variety of wildfire prevention programs. The remainder would be spent over the next five years.

But Democratic Assemblymember Steve Bennett, chair of the budget subcommittee on climate, energy and transportation, told the administration in a hearing on Wednesday that the state should pursue a focused strategy to make the most use of limited resources.

“It can’t be a little bit here, and a little bit here, and a little bit here,” said Bennett, who represents Oxnard. “We need a comprehensive plan to say these are the resources we have; by linking these things together, this is how we could maximize our effectiveness.”

Robyn Fennig, assistant director for Hazard Mitigation for the state’s Office of Emergency Services, described the proposal for the upcoming fiscal year as one part of a broader strategy that might include trying to secure matching federal funds.

Bennett also noted that the state faces an enormous challenge to address the threats from climate change.

“There has been a sea change in terms of what’s happening as a result of climate change,” Bennett said. “The home insurance crisis was serious, but it’s now going to be unmanageable for California if we don’t find a way to decrease our losses when these wildfires sweep it near or into communities.”

State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant, defended the administration’s approach.

“I completely agree that [home-hardening] has to be a focal point, but our strategy has to be doing all of these things together,” he told lawmakers. “If we’re not managing the forest, we’re going to have large forest fires that burn right into our communities. ”

The bond measure language, approved by the Legislature last year, offers some flexibility on how to spend the money, Rachel Ehlers, a policy analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office, said at the hearing.

But that flexibility leaves some questions for lawmakers, she said, flagging a proposal in the governor’s budget plan to add an additional $9 million to a pilot program that gives homeowners financial assistance to make their homes more fire-resistant.

“Do you want the funding to go deep and have fewer structures that are protected, but have more of them covered? Or do you want it wide, where you’re giving smaller grants that won’t protect the whole structure, but maybe more properties get access to it? What regions of the state do you want to focus on?”

For the pilot program, established in 2019,the administration’s approach was to target the most vulnerable communities, Berlant said.

Six counties currently are participating in it, based on factors including population health and age, as well as wildfire risk and other climate data. The state reports 17 homes have completed the fire-proofing process and another 23 are in progress. The additional money could expand the program to two more counties.

The selection process could be similar for one of the new programs proposed under the Prop. 4 funding: providing financial assistance to vulnerable Californians to create a five-foot zone around their home that could protect it from burning down.

“You talked about, how do we prioritize? We can’t help everybody,” said Berlant. “We can educate everybody, but those that are most vulnerable who can’t physically do this work, who can’t financially afford to do this work, this program will provide funding to assist them.”

The administration noted that Newsom’s budget proposal is a work in progress — one that was drafted prior to the Southern California wildfires.

“I recognize we have to do all the above and I recognize it is fiendishly difficult to try to figure out, “Do we do 10% here, etcetera there,” Bennett said at the hearing. “In my mind, there has not been enough focus yet on (home) hardening and I think we’re starting to recognize that.”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.