Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PART I: HISTORY
Spokane, Washington
Popular history contends that the city of Spokane, Washington was not “settled”
until the 1870s. However, this popular history fails to remember the native inhabitants of
the region, who had lived there for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first white
settler. These Native people, the Spokane tribe, nestled themselves in permanent villages
against the volcano-formed Spokane River and enjoyed fishing for salmon plentiful in its
waters.
The Spokanes, whose name means “children of the sun”, were the first to live in
the present-day region of Spokane Country and the city of Spokane (Fig. 1). The
Spokanes have legends that predicted the coming of the white settlers, and they were
friendly and welcoming upon their arrival (Ruby & Brown, p. ix). So friendly, in fact, “A
white man once said that, were he to drop a twenty-dollar gold piece among a group of
Spokane Indians, he would more likely get it back than were he to drop it among his own
Figure 1. Map of Spokane Tribal Ancestral Lands and Current Reservation Lands.
< http://www.spokanetribe.com/upload/FCKeditor/map02.gif>
The first Europeans the Spokanes encountered were from the Northwest Fur
Company’s Rocky Mountain House in 1800. Upon contact with these men, possibly the
French Canadian trappers Le Blanc and La Grasse, the Spokanes treated them with
kindness. However, with the arrival of the first Europeans brought new diseases, and the
Spokane began dying during the trappers winter stay and after their stay (p. 35). The
trappers were interested in trading commodities (such as metal knives) for animal furs.
Many more trappers were to follow, and by 1810, the Northwest Fur Company had
Spokane & FAFB 4
established the Spokane House as its main fur trading post in the area. By 1814, the
British had established Fort Spokane. By 1824, under the Hudson Bay Company, Fort
Spokane was removed. This did not cut off all trade between trappers and Spokanes,
however. Spokanes soon were bringing furs to Fort Colville, which remained in
In 1805, the Spokanes caught word of a party of white men moving down the
Columbia River. Two Spokane runners were sent down to meet this expedition, which
happened to be Lewis and Clark on their famous exploration of the West. Lewis and
Clark’s map estimated the Spokane Native population to be 900 (and only 600 in their
journal). If this estimate is accurate, then the Spokane Native population had decreased
by about half to that of its estimated pre-smallpox epidemic population. Smallpox was
said to have come up from the Columbia Plateau, and in 1782 an epidemic hit the
Spokanes. Population estimates in 1780, prior to the epidemic, count 1,400 people (Ruby
By 1818, the U.S. and Great Britain agreed to jointly control Oregon Country
(which encompassed all of present day Washington, Oregon, Idaho and parts of British
Columbia, Montana and Wyoming, see Fig. 2) for ten years. This treaty also called for
free settlement and navigation for its settlers with equal rights to “claiming” land in the
region. This treaty preempted the cede of Great Britain’s claim to Oregon Country in
1846, and further perpetuated the illegal theft of Native land by American settlers.
Spokane & FAFB 5
In 1830, a Spokane Native and converted Christian named Garry (who would
later become the famous Chief Garry) returned to his tribe from the East as the only
Native in his region who could read and write English as result of his Western education.
This inspired neighboring tribes to seek out the knowledge of reading and writing. This
call for knowledge was answered with Protestant missionaries, who taught from Christian
The Indian Intercourse Act of 1834 was the finalized result of earlier treaties with
the U.S. beginning in 1790. This finalized act established “Indian Country” as all of the
land west of the Mississippi River, excluding the states of Missouri, Louisiana, and
Arkansas. The act also started it was illegal for non-Native intrusion into “Indian
Country.” Shortly after this act was passed the 1850 Oregon Donation Land Claim Act
Spokane & FAFB 6
was established, which acted as a precursor to the 1862 Homestead Act. The Oregon
Donation Land Claim Act allotted single white settlers 160 acres and 320 acres jointly to
married couples within Oregon Territory (established in 1848, Fig. 3). This is the first
Act granting women property ownership, and “half-blood” Native Americans were also
eligible for land. Isaac Stevens, the governor of Washington Territory (fig. 4) in the
1850s, officially declared the region open to white settlers in 1855. Washington Territory
split from Oregon Territory in 1853 (fig. 4) using the Columbia River as a natural border.
Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming (fig. 4). Washington achieved statehood with its present-
day borders in 1863 (fig. 5), with former Idaho and Montana Territory lands going to
Figure 5. State of Washington (green) and State of Oregon (blue) and former
territorial lands in 1863.
<http://img.search.com/thumb/6/6b/Wpdms_washington_territory_1863_legend_
3.png/270px-Wpdms_washington_territory_1863_legend_3.png >
The Spokane Natives did not retreat without resistance during American
settlement on their Native lands, however. According to Churchill (1997), in the Oregon
Territory (fig. 3) “settlers loudly demanded’ that the army ‘annihilate’ the region’s native
peoples, [and] several campaigns for such purposes were undertaken” (p. 221). In the
Spokane & FAFB 8
1850s a series of bloody wars were fought between the United States military and the
Spokanes and other neighboring tribes. Colonel George Wright, a Civil War and
Mexican-American War veteran with a history of fighting against the Florida Seminoles,
had an integral part in orchestrating these Indian Wars against the Spokane tribe. A war
campaign brought against the Natives was the 1857 Coeur d’Alene War. This war was
fought against the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane tribes along with those remaining of the
nearby Yakama, Palouse, Umatilla, and Cayuse tribes. Churchill describes these tribes
being pitted “against ‘a superior force…each man having been issued brand-new long-
range rifles’” (p. 222). After the Coeur d’Alene War, the tribal leaders were executed for
In an important act of Native resistance in 1858, Native fighters from the Spokane
and neighboring tribes defeated Colonel Edward Steptoe and his military forces. Colonel
Steptoe and his troops consisting of 158 men had come to Fort Walla Walla in an attempt
to punish Natives who were accused of killing settlers. Nez Perce scouts helped Colonel
Steptoe and his men ride up the Spokane River where the Spokane tribe refused to help
him march up any further. Colonel Steptoe’s pack train was captured by the tribes, while
Steptoe and his command escaped to safety in a nearby Nez Perce village. Colonel
Steptoe’s defeat by Columbia Basin tribes directly sparked Colonel Wright’s 1858
campaign of revenge.
The 1858 Battle of Four Lakes is a specific example of Indian Wars fought with
rifles, as Colonel Wright conquered some 500 Natives from Columbia Basin tribes
(including the Spokanes) with the help of Nez Perce scouts, while maintaining no U.S.
casualties. This battle was fought near the present-day city of Spokane at Four Lakes. It
Spokane & FAFB 9
was about retaliation, as Wright attempted to punish the Palouse tribe for killing white
settlers as well as punish Columbia Basin area tribes (including the Spokanes) for the
Four days after the Battle of Four Lakes, Colonel George Wright once again went
to war against the Spokane Natives and neighboring tribes on the Battle of Spokane
Plains. According to Wilma (2003), the soldiers and warriors are said to have fought over
a 14-mile distance, with only one U.S. soldier wounded. The soldiers began a march
from Four Lakes while burning prairie grass to stampede the pack train and conceal their
attack. Colonel Wright ordered a counterattack using infantry, cavalry and artillery. The
Natives were driven off and the troops eventually camped on the Spokane River in the
Colonel Wright had forced neighboring tribes to cede their land, but the Spokanes never
signed. The Spokanes continued to live in the same area, sometimes finding success in
farming or ranching, were while American settlers founded the city of Spokane (then
called Spokane Falls) and settled into the Spokane River. A reservation for the Spokane
tribe was established in 1881, but many tribal members refused to move there. In 1887,
however, the Spokane Natives ceded 3.14 million acres of their ancestral land at 32 cents
an acre to the United States (in 1966, the Spokane tribe accepted a $6.7 million
settlement held in trust for their lands). This cede represented the last joint effort of
Spokane Native and white cohabitation on the land. The Spokanes were ordered to
Washington consisting of only 154,898 acres. This cede included all land which the city
Spokane & FAFB 10
of Spokane was founded on and most of the surrounding county and Spokane River (fig.
1).
After the illegal acquisition of land from the Spokane tribe, the region including
present-day Spokane was British owned until the 1846 Oregon Treaty that transferred
ownership of the region into American hands. It wasn’t until the 1870s that Spokane was
really “settled”, as the mainstream history goes. Spokane became the hub of industry for
the surrounding region known as the Inland Northwest, with industries such as mining,
The Spokane Natives will never get all of their ancestral homelands back. They
will never be able to live their truly traditional lifestyles and fully utilize the Spokane
River as their ancestors once did. Instead, the Spokane Natives and Native Americans on
a whole were forced to live on tiny reservations, sometimes far away from tribal ancestral
From the illegal acquisition of Spokane Native land brought white settlers to
establish the city of Spokane. The historic domestic conquest of the Spokane tribe and
other Native tribes by the United States military acted as a precursor for historic global
military action in foreign countries. The conquered land that Spokane was established on
became increasingly militarized. Spokane first became militarized with the establishment
Fairchild Air Force Base was established in 1942. This base was constructed
twelve miles west of the city of Spokane in Airway Heights, Washington. According to
the U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet, this location was the result of a competition between the
Washington cities of Seattle and Everett: the War Department chose Spokane because of
better weather conditions, the location 300 miles from the coast, and the Cascade
Mountain range (Fact Sheet). Because of these reasons, the military felt that Fairchild’s
location provided a better natural barrier against Japanese attack than the cities of Seattle
and Everett did (Fact Sheet). Because of this barrier, its first duties consisted of serving
In January of 1942, 1,400 acres were purchased for the construction of the base at
a cost of over $125,000. The money was result of business and citizen donations and
heavy rallying for the establishment of a military installation in Spokane. After this offer
Spokane & FAFB 12
was presented to the War Department, the government designated $14 million dollars to
purchase more land and to begin construction for a new Spokane Army Air Depot.
The base was first named the Spokane Air Force Base, and in 1948 received its
second of three official names as Fairchild Air Force Base. From 1942 until 1946 the
base served as a repair depot for damaged aircraft returning from the Pacific Theater.
The Pacific Theater was one of four major operations during World War II, and largely
involved the allied and Japanese troops over border conflicts between 1942 and 1945.
Aircraft bombing took place over the Pacific Oceans, largely excluding mainland Asia
but including areas of the Philippines, Australia, Netherlands East Indies, New Guinea,
the Bismack Archipelago, Solomon Islands and other Southwestern Pacific islands.
However, Fairchild was not only a repair depot during WWII. In 1942, the 92d Bomb
Group flew its first combat mission over Nazi-occupied France. By 1946, the 92d Bomb
Group was deactivated with over 300 combat missions to its name.
In the summer of 1946, the primary function of the base shifted to a Strategic Air
Command and assigned to the 15th Air Force. In 1947, The 92d Bomb Group, Heavy was
reassigned as the 92d Bombardment Group, Very Heavy and shifted to Strategic Air
Command. Along with the 92d Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, the 98th Bombardment
Group also arrived at Fairchild. Both of these Bomb Groups flew “the most advanced
bomber of the day” (Fact Sheet) and one of the largest service aircraft in WWII, the B-29
Superfortress developed by Boeing. The B-29 Superfortress aircraft became the primary
model used in the firebombing campaigns against Japan late in the war, and this model
Responding to the Korean Conflict, both the 92d and 98th Bomb Groups deployed
to Japan and Guam in 1950 as part of the Korean War. General MacArthur released the
92d back to the United States a few months later while the 98th stayed on, before being
reassigned to Nebraska. Upon returning to Fairchild, the 92d Bomb Group was re-
In 1951, a ceremony was conducted on the base in the memory of Air Force Vice
Chief of Staff, General Muir S. Fairchild, who was a Bellingham, Washington native.
General Fairchild died while serving at the Pentagon in March 1950. This ceremony
officially dedicated the base to General Fairchild and coincided with the arrival of the
92d Bombardment Wing’s first B-36 Peacemaker. These craft were built by Convair and
were the first aircraft to have intercontinental range as well as the first thermonuclear
weapon deliver vehicle. The B-36 Peacemaker remains the largest military combat
During the Cold War, the base acted as a Strategic Air Command bomber wing.
In 1956 the B-52 Stratofortress was brought to the 92d Bombardment Wing, followed by
the KC-135 Stratotanker in 1958. The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range jet strategic
developed by Boeing, is an air-refueling tanker aircraft. In 1957, the 92d Air Refueling
Squadron was established in 1957 and flew a modified B-29 Superfortress called a KB-
The 92d Bombardment Wing became the first aerospace wing in the nation in
1961, with the acquisition of nine Atlas intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Atlas
missiles were important for the development of future aerospace technologies, as well
Spokane & FAFB 14
important roles during the Cold War. Because of this acquisition, the 92d Bombardment
Wing was re-designated as the 92d Strategic Aerospace Wing. The missiles were
removed from the base in 1965; however, the name was not.
In 1966, the 3636th Combat Crew Training Crew was established at Fairchild. It
became a wing in 1971 and took control over all Air Force survival schools. The survival
school at Fairchild provided airmen combat survival training under any environmental
In the Vietnam War, Fairchild Air Force Base played a crucial role in Operation
Young Tiger. This operation involved refueling combat aircraft in Southeast Asia. Other
operations in the Vietnam War from Fairchild included the deployment of 92d Strategic
Aerospace Wing’s B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers to Andersen Air Force Base in
Guam for Operation Arc Light and bombing campaigns against North Vietnam and the
Viet Cong insurgency in South Vietnam. In 1972, a nighttime raid on Hanoi led to a 92d
Bombardment Wing B-52 Stratofortress crew being shot down. Five crew members died
and two crew members became Prisoners of War, returning to Fairchild 99 days after
capture. Bombing with B-52 Stratofortress aircrafts continued until the complete
About the role of the Fairchild Air Force Base in the Gulf War, the Fact Sheet
observes:
Furthermore, the Fact Sheet describes the role of Fairchild wings in bombing Iraq in the
1990s. It states, “Wing personnel answered the call for operations such as Desert Strike
and Phoenix Scorpion and routinely deployed in support of Operation Southern Watch
(OSW) and Operation Northern Watch (ONW).” ONW, in fact, required constant tanker
occupation to enforce the supposed UN-sanctioned no-fly zones in Iraq (there was no
such sanction). In 1999, deployments from Fairchild were also made to support
Under Air Force reorganization the 92d Bombardment Wing (Heavy) was re-
designated the 92d Bomb Wing, which emphasized the dual roles of bombing and
refueling. In June 1992, the 92d Wing became part of the Air Combat Command and was
re-designated the 92d Bomb Wing. The U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet notes, “As Strategic
Air Command finished 46 years of service to the nation, Fairchild bomber and tanker
crews took top honors at Proud Shield ’92…The wing won the Fairchild Trophy for best
bomber/tanker team as well as the Saunders Trophy for the tanker unit attaining the most
In the five months between December 1993 and May 1994, all of the B-52
bombers stationed at Fairchild transferred bases. After 52 years, the bombing mission of
the 92d wing ended. This also marked a transition within the base to that of refueling. In
1994, to reflect this change, the 92d Bomb Wing was re-designated as the 92d Air
Refueling Wing and the base was transferred from an Air Combat Command to an Air
Mobility Command. The creation of the 92d Air Refueling Wing marked the largest
refueling wing in the Air Force. According to the U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet, “Dubbed as
Spokane & FAFB 16
the new ‘tanker hub of the Northwest’, the wing was capable of maintaining an air bridge
across the nation and the world in support of US and allied forces.”
Since the important shift to refueling, Fairchild has “…been involved in virtually
every contingency mission around the world” (Fact Sheet). Fairchild tankers act as
“force extenders” (Fact Sheet) to US and allied forces to successfully complete missions.
Additionally, the Fact Sheet assures that the “…92d Air Refueling Wing’s KC-135s have
In 1995, the 92d Air Refueling Wing flew to Travis Air Force Base in California
in its first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) mission, which transported Russian
inspectors to sites in the Western US. START was a treaty proposed in and signed in
1991 to set a cap of arms for the US and USSR. Since the first mission in 1995, Fairchild
aircrafts have flown an annual START mission. In May 2000, the 92d Air Refueling
Wing became the first active duty KC-135 to transport US inspectors on a START
After 9/11, the U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet clearly illustrates Fairchild’s important
role in the “Global War on Terrorism.” The U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet states, “Following
the terrorist attacks on our nation, the wing began providing around-the-clock air
refueling of Combat Air Patrol fighter aircraft and initiated 24-hour ground alert
operations in support of Operation Noble Eagle, the defense of our homeland.” Also
during this time was the creation of extended deployment of aircrews, maintainers, and
medical personnel and support for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan.
According to an article in the Spokesman Review, Fairchild tankers have refueled more
Spokane & FAFB 17
than 8.8 million gallons of jet fuel in OEF and another 1.5 million gallons for Operation
Noble Eagle. Between 9/11 and September 2002, Fairchild tankers logged 1,500 flights
In 2003, more than 100 2d Support Squadron personnel loaded missile packages
Group, states, “You can guarantee that the 2nd Support Squadron was not a silent partner
in the war on terror…Most of the air-launched cruise missiles fired during shock-and-awe
Through this brief history of Fairchild Air Force Base, the rising power of the
base is clearly illustrated. This is a reflection on the rising military strength of the United
States on a whole after World War II. Shifts in military strategy can also be seen using
Fairchild as an example. Fairchild was chosen for its strategic location, and the shift
power and new innovations in air operations, Fairchild Air Force Base continues to be a
very significant base in the areas of refueling squadrons and bomber aircraft.
Spokane & FAFB 18
Spokane, Washington
Spokane, 300 miles east of the densely populated western Washington, is the
central hub of retail, financial, and medical for the eastern Washington and northern
Idaho panhandle region. The largest employers in Spokane are Sacred Heart Medical
Spokane & FAFB 19
Center and Empire Health Services. Manufacturing jobs, which have been dwindling, are
being replaced by service and technical jobs such as retail and medical positions.
However, Spokane never became quite the industrial hub it was hoped to have
become. Seattle quickly surpassed Spokane as the biggest and most economically
significant city in Washington State. Today Spokane has a population of about 200,000
residents and is the third-largest city in the state. In 2003, the Spokane Valley
neighborhood was incorporated into the city of Spokane Valley. (Prior to 2003, Spokane
has been the second largest city in Washington after Tacoma.) Population increase in
Spokane mirrors U.S. trends, and between 1970 and 2000 there was a 15 percent
increase.
Today the Spokane tribe’s reservation is still located northwest of the city around
Wellpinit, Washington. The Spokane tribe operates eight casinos in Eastern Washington,
many of them smaller locations. Chewelah Casino, the tribe’s largest, is located 50 miles
north of Spokane. Chewelah Casino underwent a $1.5 million expansion and remodel to
22,000 square feet in 2000. In 1999, Governer Gary Locke met with Washington state
tribal leaders to find out how much money the tribes were brining in with their casinos.
In an act of resistance, the Spokane tribe chose not to participate. As Joseph Pakootas
accounts, “The study’s a good thing in the hands of the public. But in the hands of the
state officials, it can be another toll to use against the tribes and push cutbacks on tribal
health care and housing” (McDonald, 1999). While gambling revenues may help some
tribes near population or tourism centers, most tribes in the Northwest lack access to
David P. Hession, former City Council president, is the current mayor of Spokane
after the Jim West was recalled for his involvement in a sex scandal, and Cathy McMorris
Armed Services Committee. In a meeting with Air Mobility Commander Major General
Hawkins, McMorris was quoted, “’By eliminating encroachment around the base,
promoting the use of electronic medical records, and supporting military construction
projects to ensure the readiness of forces we can continue to make Fairchild Air Force
Base and Eastern Washington a leader in military operations” (US Fed News service).
Expansion in Spokane has led to fears of encroachment for Fairchild Air Force
plans for Spokane. Military and aviation officials urged the Commission to adopt
regulations that would bar further residential and airport development near Fairchild. The
moratorium was passed by Commissioner Phil Harris. The fears of encroachment stem
from a measure passed earlier stating that residential development could take place in
light-industrial areas, which is the zone for a significant amount of land surrounding
Spokane International Airport and Fairchild. Both are largely important to Spokane’s
top reason for base closures nationwide due to limited land for base expansion.
A Spokane non-profit group called Leadership Spokane sought to build closer ties
with Fairchild in 2004. This program seeks to develop and foster leaders of business,
civic and government organizations, education and the arts by offering a course covering
community issues and challenges. About forty members of this leadership training group
wanted to ensure closer ties by touring the base, taking flights in KC-135 tankers and
Spokane & FAFB 21
knowing the key officers and spokespeople on the base. They also want the base to have
a detailed catalog of the area’s social, economic, and cultural assets. Leadership Spokane
Another group was fighting for Fairchild. Forward Fairchild, formed by the
Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce, had the goal in 2003 to keep Fairchild off the
federal list of bases to be closed in 2006. This group is comprised on 25 civic leaders,
business, and aides to Washington’s congressional delegation. Some of the duties of the
group include paying part of the salary of a newly-hired D.C.-based lobbyist. Additional
plans included forming four committees to address planning and infastructure issues,
addressing stakeholders planned to work with the Kalispel Tribe, which owns the
Northern Quest Casino near the base and other property in Airway Heights. Scott Morris,
incoming chairman of the group and president of Avista Utilities said, “If there’s an
anchor tenant for this region, it is Fairchild Air Force Base” (Cooley, 2003). Cooley
states economic analysis estimates by Barcus. If Fairchild were to grow, than 75,000
additional jobs would be added in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene, Idaho region and the
population would grow by 146,000 by 2015. If Fairchild were to maintain its current
missions but not grow, than 60,000 jobs would be added and the population would grow
92,000. If Fairchild were to shut down, Barcus stated, “It would be the end of civilization
as we know it in this community” (Cooley, 2003). Obviously, Fairchild is still open and
operating, with an important role deploying airmen to Manas Air Force Base in
Fairchild is currently home to the 92d Air Refueling Wing made up of the 92d
Operations Group (which provides air refueling), 92d Maintenance Group (which
maintains aircraft), 92d Mission Support Group (which provides support and morale),
and the 92d Medical group (which provides medical services). Fairchild also maintains
its survival school (referred to as the Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape
school) with the 336th training school operating within. Fairchild also houses the 141st
Refueling wing of the Air National Guard. Also included, according to the official
Fairchild website, are “…medical detachments, a weapons squadron, and the Joint
Personnel Recovery Agency”. In 2005, the survival school received $8.2 million to build
a Resistance Training Center (Spokesman Review, 2005). As of June 30, 2006, the 2d
installation laid-off 26 military and 176 civilian personnel. BRAC also recommended
moving 8 KC-135R aircraft to Sioux Gateway AGS, Iowa while the 256th and 242d
Combat Communications Squadrons from Four Lakes and Spokane are moved onto
Fairchild. These two squadrons were previously geographically separated, and this move
together allows for more efficient use of the squadrons. Consolidation of military
facilities in Spokane also occurred, with Mann Hall Army Reserve Center in Spokane’s
Hillyard neighborhood and Walker Army Reserve Center in Spokane Valley closed and
units transferred to the Armed Forces Reserve Center on the base. Geiger Field, once
another small military installation in Spokane, saw consolidation as well. The Geiger
Field Armory and Organizational Maintenance Shop was moved onto the base at a cost of
$31 million. This change was significant with the BRAC stating,
to be stationed at for military personnel and their families. The base includes free
housing for families in the form of duplexes and single-family homes and dorms for
single personnel. Also offered is temporary housing for military personnel and their
families at the Fairchild and Survival Inns as well as several campsites available for rent.
Fairchild is like its own American town, with a hospital, veterinary center, base
newspaper called the Fairchild Connection (converted to online only edition called e-
Spokane & FAFB 24
Connection in April 2007), gas station, grocery store, chapel (offering Protestant and
Roman Catholic services), bank, tax-free liquor store, fast food restaurants (including
Burger King), many places for recreation, and retail shopping. Recreation opportunities
include community centers, a bowling alley and roller arena, Sports Ranges with a
shooting galley, and a gym with swimming pools and running tracks. Retail amenities
include a furniture store, a thrift store, and a military department store inside a mini-mall
complete with a food court. Planned community activities range from kayaking lessons
to a turkey shoot to Mongolian grill dinner nights. There is also an airmen readiness
center and readiness in base services with an Honor Guard and mortuary.
branch, a Community College of the Air Force branch, and other college programs from
Webster University. Job opportunities for civilians are available on the base, as they
outsource jobs such as grounds keeping. All of these facilities and services available on
the base help convince the military community that base life is better than civilian life.
Current names of roadways at Fairchild include those named after people, cities,
trees, and national symbols. Examples of roadways named after people include Van
Buren Street, Fort Wright Oval, and Kamiakin Trail, named after Chief Kamiakin of the
Yakama tribe. It’s particularly ironic because Kamiakin Trail and Fort Wright Oval
intersect, just as Colonel George Wright intersected and defeated the Yakama tribe and
other Columbia Basin tribes in the Coeur d’Alene War of 1858. Examples of roadways
named after cities include Seattle Avenue and Olympia Avenue. Roadways such as Oak
Spokane & FAFB 25
Street and Maple Street demonstrate those named after types of trees. Patriot Boulevard
Comparing U.S. Census Bureau data (from “American FactFinder”, 2000) for the
cities of Spokane and Airway Heights and Fairchild (which has its own zip code of
99011) gives you an interesting look at socioeconomic status in the year 2000. Spokane’s
total population was 195,629 compared with 4,500 for Airway Heights and 4,688 for the
99011 zip code tabulation area. Spokane’s median age is 34.7 years while 99011’s
median age is 23.3 years. Spokane’s racial demographics include 89.5 percent white, 2.1
percent black or African American, 1.8 percent American Indian or Alaskan Native, 2.2
percent Asian, 0.2 percent Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 0.9 percent of
other race, and 3 percent Hispanic or Latino of any race. In Airway Heights and 99011,
the percentages of people of color increase. Airway Heights has a 10.5 percent black or
African American population, while 99011 has 7.4 percent. Airway Heights’s Hispanic
or Latino population is three times higher than Spokane’s, while the American Indian or
Alaskan Native population is only 0.6 percent compared to Spokane’s 1.8 percent and
In economic terms, Spokane’s 1999 median household income was $32,273 with
11.1 percent of families below the poverty level. Airway Heights’s 1999 median
household income was $29,829 with 14.8 percent of families below the poverty line.
99011’s 1999 median household income was $33,560 ($1,287 more than the city of
Spokane) with only 4.7 percent of families below the poverty line, about half the national
average of 9.2 percent. The rate of employment of those ages 16 and older is also higher
Spokane & FAFB 26
in 99011 at 80 percent, compared with 40.3 percent in Airway Heights and 64.2 percent
in Spokane.
Economically, Fairchild has a huge impact on Spokane County and the city of
Spokane. Sommers (2004) states that almost nine percent of all Spokane County
economic activity is directly or indirectly linked to the base. As of 2004, the base
employs 6,262 military and civilian workers, which constitutes for about three percent of
Spokane County’s total workforce. The labors earnings of Fairchild employees make up
almost four and a half percent of countywide labor earnings. Directly and indirectly, the
base accounts for 12,850 jobs in Spokane County and almost 13,800 statewide,
medical insurance payments to private providers, service and goods contracts, and on-
base retail spending. The net direct impact of the base in 2003 was $462.3 million.
However, by 2009, Fairchild will lose about 260 jobs as the Pentagon plans to cut 40,000
full-time Air Force positions. Personnel asked to leave will receive honorable discharge
and benefits.
Spokane County, the base most likely will not be closed in the near future. Resistance to
closure has been demonstrated from government and military officials in Spokane in the
past. Fairchild is also important for military operations, with its refueling wing and
survival school. In this increasingly militarized society and with an economy often
Washington for 39 years. He finished his teaching career at the end of May 2007.
Carriker is an expert on the expedition of Lewis and Clark, and has also written several
historical books on other subjects. I conducted an e-mail interview with him to find out
Lewis and Clark, although extremely significant on the area and neighboring
tribes, seemed to have little impact on the Spokane tribe. Spokane Natives did have
direct contact with Lewis and Clark, but this contact was brief and limited. I asked
Carriker:
Carriker: There is only one reference to the Spokane tribe and Spokane
Falls and Spokane [River] in the journals of L&C. The Spokanes were out
of reach to L&C Expedition so on both ends ([Euro-American] and
[Native American]) there was no impact.
Surely, although the direct contact between the Spokane tribe and Lewis and Clark was
limited, there was an impact. Lewis and Clark impacted all Native peoples, as their
expedition was military in nature and attempted to establish trade relations with Native
peoples. Also, Lewis and Clark helped solidify white settlers’ claims to the Western
region and verify the importance of the Louisiana Purchase. Lewis and Clark’s
expedition was important in gathering valuable information on the geography, flora, and
fauna of the areas for use of Americans to settle the explored regions.
Spokane & FAFB 28
know how resources such as rivers and fur pelts were significant in white settler
expansion in Spokane and how exploitation of these resources affected Spokane Natives:
Carriker: The Columbia [River] is, of course, the lifeblood of the region.
Everything in the region was influenced by the river through World War II
when Puget Sound became a second dominating influence.
The Spokane [River], as a tributary of the Columbia [River],
played much the same influential role as did the Columbia, except on a
smaller scale for a more limited land area. Both had dams, both were
watery avenues for exploration, etc.
The fur trade brought the first European-Americans the Spokane tribe had contact
with in the early 1800s (Ruby & Brown). By 1824, the Hudson Bay Company removed
the fur post Fort Spokane. However, Spokanes traveled north to Fort Colville for fur
trading until 1872 (Ruby & Brown). Exploitation of natural resources is what brought
the fur trappers to the Spokane area. Carriker describes an exchange between fur trappers
and Spokane Natives. The fur trappers used Native labor by exchanging commodities
Spokane & FAFB 29
(such as metal knives) for fur pelts (Ruby & Brown). Fur trappers also, as Carriker
expansion in eastern Washington State. The wars against the Spokane tribe in the 1850s
were acts of resistance (especially the Battle of Four Lakes), but besides these I know of
no more examples. Carriker mentions Fort Spokane (earlier called Camp Spokane) here,
During this time, the Spokane Natives were attempting to peacefully co-exist with
white settlers in the area. Settlers had begin to encroach on allotted Spokane Native land,
despite surveillance from Camps Coeur d’Alene and Chelan, and Fort Spokane was
established on the mouth of the Spokane River and overlooking the Spokane Reservation
lands (Ruby & Brown). In 1881 the reservation in Wellpinit, Washington (50 miles north
of Spokane) was established for the Spokane tribe, and some Natives moved there.
However, it was not until 1887 that the Spokane tribe officially ceded 3.14 million acres
of land to the U.S. government and moved onto the 1881-established reservation. This is
relatively late in the century for a tribe to sign a treaty ceding land, as neighboring tribes
Fuselier: Why do you think Spokane received an Army Air Depot (later
becoming Fairchild) in the 1940s?
Carriker: I suspect it had something to do with the fact that Spokane was
home to one or both of Washington U.S. Senators in that period of time
and that meant clout. The same kind of clout that got Grand Coulee Dam.
Democrats had chits to give and our senators earned them.
The answer I’ve found as to why Spokane received the Air Army Depot in 1942 is
because Spokane provided a strategic location. The Fact Sheet states that Spokane won
out over Everett, Washington and Seattle, Washington because of its location 300 miles
inland, and the Cascade mountain range provided a better buffer against Japanese attack
in World War II. Also, the Fact Sheet states that Spokane’s climate helped draw the Air
Army Depot into the area. The Fact Sheet only cites geographic reasons why Spokane
was picked and ignores any political or economic reasons. Politics were very much
involved in Spokane receiving the Air Depot, as intense lobbying for Spokane occurred.
The economic impact of an Air Depot was surely a factor in the lobbying for an Air
Depot in Spokane.
Fairchild Air Force Base observed by a Spokane citizen. In the days of mass movements
against the Iraq War, I wondered if any protests could be witnessed in or around
Fairchild. Spokane’s Peace and Justice Action League conducts several anti-war protests
and vigils in Spokane, but none at or around Fairchild. Additionally, while the League
conducts anti-war protests, they do not conduct protests against the presence of Fairchild.
Carriker: Spokane knows a federal payday when it sees one. Rep. Tom
Foley made sure Fairchild was good for Spokane because it meant money
Spokane & FAFB 31
in the economy. When Rep. George Nethercutt took over from Foley
there was a lot of concern that Fairchild would be on the list of bases to be
closed. We avoided that bullet, however. I do not remember a single anti-
war or peace movement protest taking place outside the gates of the base.
Those kind of unseemly activities get more publicity at the U.S.
Courthouse (Foley Courthouse) because it is located directly across the
street from the newspaper’s editorial offices. If you want publicity, make
it easy for the newspaper reporters and photographers.
Carriker says he does not know of a single protest held in or outside of Fairchild.
But according to Spokane’s Spokesman Review newspaper, ten anti-war protestors were
arrested outside the gates of Fairchild in March 2003. (This protest occurred before the
invasion of Iraq officially began.) The protestors stretched banners across Highway 2
and sat down, blocking access to the base gates, and were arrested for disorderly conduct.
The protestors arrived at nearly seven in the morning and stretched out banners on the
busy highway near the base gates. Twenty minutes later, the ten protestors were arrested
on charges of disorderly conduct and cleared from the roadway. One of the protestors
was Mike Kness, an Air Force Gulf War veteran. Kness was quoted as saying that a new
war in Iraq, “could destroy not only Fairchild families, but possibly the world as we
Finally, I was interested in how Fairchild Air Force Base affects the city of
Fuselier: How does Fairchild Air Force Base affect the city of Spokane?
dependent on the Base. Fairchild is Spokane County’s single largest employer, with over
6,000 military and civilians employed, or about three percent of Spokane County’s total
workforce (Sommers, 2004). The 2003 direct impact of Fairchild on Spokane County
was $462.3 million (Sommers, 2004). Not included in that statistic is the indirect impact
Fairchild has on Spokane County. As Carriker mentions, military personnel and their
into the city means more money into the city’s economy.
The Spokane tribe first had direct contact with Europeans and European-
Americans because of the exploitation of natural resources in the form of fur trapping.
The exploitation of natural resources helped fuel white settlement on Spokane Native
In 1942, during World War II, Spokane received an Air Force Base due to
political, economic, and geographic reasons. Currently the Base significantly impacts
explain why there is little resistance to its closure, and instead there is intense support for
Fairchild remaining open. Spokane and Fairchild Air Force Base illustrate a military-
List of References
“American FactFinder”. (2000). U.S. census bureau American factfinder. Retrieved April
“Rep. McMorris meets with air mobility commander Major General Hawkins”. (2006).
Camden, J. (2002). Fairchild crews the ‘tip of the spear’; Refueling tankers keep war
against terrorism aloft. Spokesman Review. Retrieved May 09, 2007, from
ProQuest.
by war foes;. Spokesman Review. Retrieved June 03, 2007, from ProQuest.
Churchill, W. (1997). A little matter of genocide: Holocaust and denial in the Americas
Cooley, M. (2003). Chamber: Protect Fairchild. Journal of Business. Retrieved May 09,
Fanon, F. (1961). The wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press.
McDonald, R. (1999). Tribes profitable for Washington study tries to dispel myth that
reservations are economic drag. Spokesman Review. Retrieved May 09, 2007,
from ProQuest.
Ruby, R.H., & Brown, J.A. (1970). The Spokane Indians. Norman, OK: University of
Oklahoma Press.
“Survival School gets $8.2 million;;”. (2005). Spokesman Review. Retrieved May 09,
“U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet”. Fairchild Air Force Base History. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
<http://public.fairchild.amc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4303>.
Wilma, D. (2003). U.S. Army defeats Native Americans at Battle of Four Lakes on
September 1, 1858. Essay 5143. Retrieved May 2, 2007, from History Link
Wilma, D. (2003). U.S. Army defeats Native Americans at Battle of Spokane Plains on
September 5, 1858. Essay 5144. Retrieved May 2, 2007, from History Link