Buy the Chief a Cadillac

In 1961 the federal government terminated the Klamath Indians of southern Oregon. The Klamaths gave up their land and tribal status and, in return, each member received a cash settlement of $43,000. For those inclined to be wild and reckless, the party was on. Stories made the rounds of Indians buying one, two, three new cars, sometimes an extra for a friend. Others walked into local bars with paper sacks stuffed with cash.

Today, most Klamath Indians view termination as the worst disaster that ever befell them. They say the federal government tricked them into selling. They want their former reservation lands returned to them.

Buy The Chief A Cadillac is a novel set during the chaotic and turbulent time of termination. This fictional story, by well-known eastern Oregon author Rick Steber, is written without pulling any punches.