Married "In the Indian Way": Tracing Ella Depoe-Selsic Beyond the Reservation

A record is often more than just a document—it is a rare, unexpected glimpse into the lives of our ancestors. This newly found record sheds light on the life of Ella Depoe-Selsic (daughter of Joshua and wife of Ensalsun) following his passing after 1895. As we navigate the complex histories left behind after the forced removal from our homelands, finding moments of humanity and resilience can bring a deep sense of comfort. Because Ella's father was Joshua, she was rooted within a community of family and relations who stayed close to take care of one another. Visualizing our ancestral grandmother having someone to share life with during such a difficult era reminds us of the realities of survival. As we are learning, multiple marriages or unions were often a necessary part of life for our ancestors for mere survival in a changing world.

"Married Like Indian": Uncovering Ben Smith and the Siletz Ties

As we dig deeper into the official correspondence and administrative records of the post-removal era, we often encounter how government agents viewed—and misunderstood—Indigenous family structures. A key piece of this record introduces Ben Smith of Gold Beach, Curry County, Oregon, who is mentioned regarding Ella:

“I was not married like white men, but I was married like Indian so I call they [her] my wife.”

This statement captures the reality of traditional marriages during a time when federal officials constantly attempted to impose white legal standards onto Native families, allotments, and inheritance claims. For our ancestors—coming from the Southern Oregon bands like the Tututni—unions formed under customary laws were entirely valid and binding, even if they baffled or frustrated the Indian agents trying to police them.

Family Geography: Connecting Gold Beach to Siletz

What makes this record even more compelling is how these names map out across our family trees. As the daughter of Old Joshua, Ella was part of a strong, enduring community. When tracing Ben Smith, we find a direct intersection with familiar ground at Siletz:

• The Siletz Connection: A Ben Smith appears in our Siletz history who later became the husband of Lucy Tom—the niece of our Joshua Tututni relation.

• A Tight-Knit Community: Seeing these threads connect from the southern coast (the traditional homelands of the Tututni bands) up to Siletz highlights just how closely related and interconnected our families remained. Even after displacement, our people maintained overlapping ties, looking out for one another across different regions and households.

For Ella, having someone like Ben Smith in her life during those difficult years after Ensalsun’s passing reflects the ways our grandmothers found support, companionship, and survival within a shifting world, surrounded by the network of family tied to Old Joshua.

Beyond the Reservation: Glimpses of Ella’s Later Years

For years, the question of what life looked like for Ella following the passing of Ensalsun around 1895 has remained a quiet puzzle. Did she spend her final years entirely isolated within the confines of the reservation, or did life open up paths beyond it?

Archival records tied to her later partner, Ben Smith, offer a fascinating window into this period. Land and agency files from the early 1900s—including correspondence regarding a later fee patent application for Ben’s subsequent wife, Lucy Smith—reveal that Ben maintained deep, lifelong roots in Gold Beach, Oregon, which officials explicitly referred to as "their old home."

While Ben would later marry Lucy Smith, these geographical ties to Curry County and Gold Beach provide a vital historical anchor. They hint strongly at the mobility of families during this era, suggesting that life with Ben Smith wasn't bound strictly to agency oversight. Instead, it opens up the strong possibility that Ella was able to live off-reservation, moving between ancestral homelands on the coast and the Siletz community, and sharing those years of her life with companionship rather than solitude.

Department of the Interior, United States Indian Service, May 9, 1910. Correspondence from the Siletz Agency regarding the land allotment application of Lucy Smith. The document places Ben Smith's "old home" in Gold Beach, Oregon, shedding light on the mobility of families moving between the coast and the reservation during the early 20th century. (Source: Yamhill Land Records 1887–1952, via FamilySearch)

Rooted in the Coast: The Tolowa Connection

Drawing on biographical research—such as Megan England’s documentation in Lucy Tom-Dan-Smith's biography—we learn that Ben was a Tolowa man from the Smith River area. Knowing these deep coastal roots provides an incredible key to the puzzle: it explains why their lives weren't rigidly confined to agency oversight and opens up the strong, beautiful possibility that Ella was able to live off-reservation down in their traditional coastal homelands, moving freely between the coast and Siletz.

Reflections on a Life Lived "In the Indian Way"

As we piece these archival fragments together, a clearer picture of Ella’s final years begins to emerge. Did she live with Ben Smith off-reservation? The geographic and land records strongly suggest they did, moving fluidly between his traditional homelands and the agency bounds. More than that, knowing her husband was a Tolowa man from the Smith River area points to a profound sense of continuity. Surrounded by kin, cultural connections, and familiar coastal networks, Ella was not isolated; she was anchored. Those deep Tolowa relations and shared ancestral ties undoubtedly provided companionship, safety, and a profound sense of well-being during those final years living by her own traditions—"in the Indian way."

As we trace these branches of our family tree, I would love to hear your thoughts. Do you have family stories or insights about how our grandmothers navigated life off-reservation during this era? Please leave a comment below or reach out!

Sources: 

United States Indian Service. Correspondence Regarding the Land Allotment Application of Lucy Smith. 9 May 1910. Yamhill Land Records 1887–1952, Siletz Agency. FamilySearch.

England, Megan. Lucy Tom-Dan-Smith: Biography and Family History Research. Nuu-wee-ya, www.nuuweeya.org/lucy-smith.

United States Indian Service. Correspondence Regarding the Land Allotment Application of Lucy Smith. 9 May 1910. Yamhill Land Records 1887–1952, Siletz Agency, via FamilySearch.