History of the Quapaw Peoples and the Tar Creek Superfund Site: A Case Study

The Quapaw peoples of north-eastern Oklahoma have suffered extensively at the hand of both the government and mining companies over the past few hundred years. Through forced removal from their home to later extensive environmental degradation as a result of mining in the area, the Quapaw have an elaborate and complex history. Today, their acquired homelands in northeastern Oklahoma are known as the Tar Creek Superfund site, and the area is considered the most contaminated place in the country (Sonwalkar, 2010). While government funds have helped to clean up the area, the Quapaw have taken the lead in the effort to restore the environment and health of the peoples …show more content…
Originally part of the Dhegiha Sioux in the Ohio Valley, they migrated between the 1500 and 1600’s down the Mississippi river into Arkansas. As their origin story tells, while crossing the Mississippi the people were holding on to a braided vine to cross the river. When the vine broke half of the people moved up the river, while the other half followed the river downstream. This group that moved south became known as the Downstream People and are referred to as the Quapaw in modern times (Buffalohead, 2004). With the arrival and population of Arkansas with white settlers, conflict arose. By 1818 the Quapaws were forced to sign a treaty accepting land between the Arkansas and Ouchita Rivers. But then in 1824 the Quapaw were forced to cede all their lands in the Arkansas Territory and move to northwest Louisiana. Within 10 years, in 1833, the Quapaws signed a new treaty that removed the tribe to allotted tribal lands in the northeastern corner of Oklahoma. The Quapaw acquired 200 acre allotments for each tribal member, and the Quapaw moved for the final time (Buffalohead, …show more content…
In 1891 lead ore was first discovered on allotted tribal lands, leading to the delegation of tribal lands by The Bureau of Indian Affairs of the United States Department of the Interior under the Dawes Severalty Act in 1893 (Robertson 2006). Located in the southwest corner of the Tri-State mining district, 80% of allotted tribal lands were rich with both lead and zinc. This lead to complex leasing agreements between the Quapaw and mining companies and over 60 years of extensive mining. From the mine at Picher, an area of previously owned indian land, the ore was so rich that about 50% of the lead used in bullets during WWI was mined from the site (Gibson, 1957). However, despite the quantitee and quality of the ore being produced in mines throughout the Quapaw lands, only about ⅙ of the Quapaw landowners received royalty checks. While 80% of the Quapaw lands were used for mining, only a select few natives ever received payment (Gibson, 1957). In total about 10 Quapaw families received most of the mining royalties, leading a select few to become exceedingly wealthy and the majority to remain in poverty (Manders,