The Modoc War: A Homeland Lost

(70 reviews)

Klamath County, Oregon audio tour: The Modoc War: A Homeland Lost

This is a 60.3mi driving tour

It takes an average of 120 mins to complete.

Klamath County, Oregon

The United States

Free

Access all 103 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

Reviews

About the Tour

Join Modoc descendent Cheewa James on a riveting and epic driving journey through the historic sites of the Modoc War, starting from Klamath Falls, Oregon to the Lava Beds National Monument in California. Along the way you’ll discover the roots of the Modoc War, hear Modoc and settler stories, and learn what life was like during this turbulent episode in American history. You’ll also pass through the charming communities of Merrill and Malin, and explore several archeological wonders, including Petroglyph Point, Captain Jack’s Stronghold and the impressive Lava Beds National Monument. As the great-granddaughter of the Modoc Warrior Shkeitko (better known as Shacknasty Jim), James' firsthand knowledge and imaginative voice bring the events and landscapes to life in a way you’ve never heard them before.

TOUR PRODUCED BY:
The Klamath Basin Rural Tourism Studio in partnership with Travel Oregon, Discover Klamath, Discover Siskiyou and Rural Klamath Connects

WRITER
Megan Peterson

NARRATOR:
Cheewa James

Cheewa James was born at the Klamath Indian Agency, Oregon. Her great-grandfather Shkeitko— Shacknasty Jim—was a warrior in the 1873 Modoc War. Cheewa attended the University of Oregon and graduated from Northwest Missouri State University. She was a ranger-historian at the Lava Beds National Monument and authored MODOC: The Tribe That Wouldn’t Die. She was also a talk show hostess and anchorwoman in southern Oregon.

ADDITIONAL CAST:

Keintpoos (better known as Captain Jack) – Brandon Tupper
Honorable AM Rosborough – Charles Cossey
Louisa Boddy – Linda Woodley
Ivan Applegate – Todd Kepple
Colonel Wheaton – Rick Woodley
Captain David Perry – Patrick Lynch

MUSIC:
“Howinna (Time of Change)” performed by Taylor Tupper, Natalie Ball and Cheewa James

Tour Producer

Discover Siskiyou

1 tour

Above it all atop California lies a destination beyond the ordinary—a place uniquely touched by all four seasons, shaped by rich local pride and watched over by a legendary mountain. Wander above and experience adventure how it was meant to be–wild, pure and untamed. With four unique regions to explore, no two stories are the same in Siskiyou.

Megan Peterson has been a writer and storyteller for more than two decades, with credits ranging from National Geographic to the Sundance Channel. Her multiple forays into the audio tour world have included eight previous audio tours for Detour and Airbnb, as well as another VoiceMap Tour entitled: Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge History Tour. Megan also works as a freelance writer and television producer.

Preview Location

Location 1

Klamath County Museum

[Cheewa:] Hi there. You should be sitting in your car in a parking area on the same side of the street area as the museum - a massive brick building with cream trim, with a giant Klamath County Museum sign over the main entrance. This is the main history museum in the area, a... [Cheewa:] Hi there. You should be sitting in your car in a parking area on the same side of the street area as the museum - a massive brick building with cream trim, with a giant Klamath County Museum sign over the main entrance. This is the main history museum in the area, and a great place to explore after our tour if you haven't already. Ideally you've also got a full tank of gas, as there's only one place along the sixty mile route we'll be taking where you can fill up. If you need to reposition your car so that you're directly in front of the Museum on the same side of the street, or you want to take this opportunity to fill up your tank, press pause now and then hit play when you’re back in front of the Museum and ready to begin.

Okay. Ready? Great. Now, before we begin driving, let me do a quick introduction. [Music In] My name is Cheewa James. I was a ranger interpreter for the Lava Beds National Monument in 1989 and 1990. And, I’m a Modoc. I'm the great-granddaughter of "Shkeitko," - better known by his English name "Shacknasty Jim." You're wondering where that name came from? Modocs were renamed by settlers and military because English speakers could not pronounce the Modoc language. They did not pick pleasant names, and so such names as Greasy Boots and Tee-Hee Jack emerged! Rumor was that Shacknasty's mother was a terrible housekeeper -- true? Who knows. But it was my great-grandfather, along with the legendary Captain Jack, Scarface Charley and another 55 or so Modoc warriors that held off as many as 1000 US Army soldiers in a six month-long conflict that came to be known as the Modoc War.

The Modoc War was the only major Indian War fought in California - and the only one in which an Army General was killed. And even though now it's generally overshadowed in the history books by the Battle for Little Big Horn that happened three years later, at the time, the Modoc War dominated national headlines for an entire year. It was one of the costliest wars in United States history in terms of lives lost and dollars spent per enemy combatant...and what happened between November 29th, 1872 and June 1, 1873 profoundly and irreparably affected the destiny of the Modoc People...and thus my own. But whether the Modoc War had to happen at all, and until what point it could have been stopped, is a question I have long asked myself – and one that I encourage you to ask as we journey together from Klamath Falls, Oregon to the Lava Beds National Monument in California - through the once-bloody heart of Modoc Territory.

Now, since "housekeeping" is in my blood, a few details. As you drive, this tour will use your location to trigger each part of the story automatically, so it's important that you follow my directions to stay on course. If you need to stop for any reason, just press pause, hitting play when you return to where you left off. Because people also drive at different paces, know that there may be some pauses between my talking, so not to worry. The tour will start up again when you reach the next trigger. The tour will also tell you if you've started to stray off-course. And, I promise I’ll give you directions every step of the way. If you do happen to get lost, just take a look at the map on your screen. This tour is designed to be taken driving the speed limit or slower so please respect the signs. Plus you’ll enjoy the drive a lot more if you s-l-o-w down! So let’s get started.

Still facing the museum, reverse out of the parking space when it’s clear. Keeping the museum on your right, drive with the flow of traffic. We're going to quickly loop around the museum block, so get ready for three quick right turns. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge
Hospital Rock

Getting There

Route Overview

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Start location
1451 Main St, Klamath Falls, OR 97601, USA
Total distance

97km
Final location
1451 Main St, Klamath Falls, OR 97601, USA
Distance back to start location

94.48m

Directions to Starting Point

This tour begins in front of the Klamath County Museum on Main Street, address: 1451 Main St, Klamath Falls, OR 97601. You will want to be parked in one of the diagonal parking spaces in the front of the museum on the same side of the street (ideally with a full tank of gas).

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Along this tour, some additional places we stop along the way are the Klamath County Museum, the Merrill Historical and Modoc War Museum, Stone Bridge, the Malin Park Settlers Monument, the Malin Historical Society & Museum and the Warm Springs Indian Graves.

Best time of day

This tour can be taken at any time, though for maximum enjoyment and to ensure all of the sites are open, we recommend Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM

Precautions

This route travels along several country roads that are also sometimes used by farm equipment, so please use courtesy and caution - driving a little slower will also give you time to soak in the beauty of where you’re driving! Also, it’s advised to wear sturdy shoes in some of the places you explore, and a pair of binoculars can be handy (but not necessary to enjoy the tour).

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”