Introduction
Donner Party Memorial marks the camping site of the Donner party, a group of pioneers traveling west to California. Trapped by the snow in the Sierra mountains, the party lost almost half of its members to starvation, hypothermia, and harsh conditions. The party’s tragic fate attracted the public’s attention immediately after the witnesses reported it. The Donner Party Memorial could have become a very particular type of tourist attraction due to the gruesome nature of the events. However, it is presented to the public respectfully, acknowledging Native American history and abstaining from the excessive mentions of cannibalism.
Background
In the 1800s, many Americans emigrated west, attracted by the promises of rich lands and economic prospects. Their journeys were marked by a variety of obstacles, which led to the losses of many lives. These deaths are attributed to “disease, human and oxen starvation, poor trails, terrible geographic preparations” and other factors (Locke & Wright, 2019). A particularly tragic example is the fate of the Donner Party, who left the Midwest following the Oregon Trail into the California Trail but ended up stranded in the Sierra mountains in the winter of 1846-1847. Trapped by the snow before a narrow pass (later known as Donner Pass), the party had no choice but to set a camp at Truckee Lake, later known as Donner Lake. A party of seventeen people was sent forward on snowshoes, later referred to as the ‘snowshoe party’ or the ‘Forlorn hope’ (Newton-Matza, 2017). Both campers and the snowshoe party suffered from starvation from the sheer lack of supplies, exacerbated by low temperatures and intense physical activity. Only seven members of the snowshoe party have survived through the pass. Relief parties have been sent to reach the remaining campers to varying degrees of success. In total, out of 87 members of the Donner Party (by some accounts, 90), only 48 have survived (Newton-Matza, 2017).
The grim fate of the Donner Party has always fascinated people and became the theme for many works of art (Newton-Matza, 2017). The place where the snow trapped the Donner Party was attracting tourists, curious to witness the location of unspeakably horrible events. In 1918 the statue depicting a pioneer family was erected as the Donner Party Memorial. The figure is elevated on a 22 feet tall base, which illustrates the height of the show that blocked the passage through the mountains. In 1927 the surrounding area was designated as Donner Memorial State Park by the State of California. Many other places in the area, including the main locations of cabins, are marked with memorial plaques dedicated to the Donner Party. Emigrant Trail Museum, located in the area, provides onlookers with a detailed history of the area and Native American history (Newton-Matza, 2017). The Donner Party Memorial and accompanying landmarks bring attention to Native Americans’ mistreatment by the pioneers and the survival cannibalism, the topics that must be addressed with the utmost respect.
The Respect in the Donner Party Representation
Limited Representation by The Donner Party Memorial
Acknowledging Native American history in the context of the Donner Party’s fate and the approach towards the theme of cannibalism deserve particularly respectful attention. Two Native Americans, Lewis and Salvador, were members of the Donner Party. When the party, driven to the brink by starvation, hypothermia, and exhaustion, had succumbed to cannibalism, Lewis and Salvador were among the few who refused to participate (Wallis, 2017). Later, they tried to abandon the party for fear of being killed for sustenance. Still, with only one passable trail available, the party caught up to Lewis and Salvador, killing and consuming them. Ironically, the snowshoe party eventually found their way to a Miwok settlement, providing them with food and shelter. A modern representation of the events must respectfully acknowledge the involvement of Miwok in the story of Donner Party. Their names are listed on one of the memorial plaques in the Donner Memorial State Park, which lists the names of all party members. Still, the racial identity of these people is not mentioned explicitly, and the monument itself depicts only a typical Anglo-Saxon family of pioneers. The lack of explicit mention of the Native Americans’ involvement can be seen as inaccuracy in the representation of the events.
Reports of cannibalism among members of the Donner Party had started spreading already at the time of the first relief parties, fueled by witnesses’ accounts (Newton-Matza, 2017). Often, these stories were exaggerated for the sake of sensationalism (Newton-Matza, 2017). Although the witnesses’ written statements provide substantial evidence of cannibalism, no archeological evidence was found at the sites (Newton-Matza, 2017). The Donner Party Memorial itself only hints at the suffering of the Donner Party members by referencing the height of the snow layer and showing the pioneer family looking towards the mountains they were to cross. However, the accompanying Emigrant Trails Museum (previously known as Donner Museum) provides detailed information on the Donner’s Party history due to its nature.
Improved Representation by Accompanying Landmarks
The nature of the installation hinders the ability of the monument to represent historical events accurately. One hardly imagine a statue or a plaque that would precisely represent events that took months and involved dozens of people. The Donner Party Memorial is accompanied by the State Park and a museum, providing the necessary details and context for anyone interested. The Emigrant Trail Museum acknowledges the involvement of Native Americans in the Donner Party’s story and the local history in general (Newton-Matza, 2017). Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center invites guests to learn about “local Native Americans, the Donner Party, and builders of the transcontinental railroad,” in that particular order (Donner Memorial State Park). Thus, one can see the transition from the original monument only depicting white emigrants to the modern museum that acknowledges Native American history. This transition signifies the rise of respect for the historical events commemorated by the Donner Party Memorial.
Accompanied by the multiple written accounts of cannibalism, The Donner Party Memorial was destined to become a grim curiosity, a tourist attraction inviting thrill-seekers. However, the Memorial as it stands nowadays and the accompanying museum do not highlight the gruesome details. Instead, they focus on the harsh conditions the travelers had to overcome, as well as the historical context and consequences of emigration along the Oregon Trail and California Trail. It is possible that highlighting the horrifying acts of cannibalism could have brought the Donner Party Memorial significantly more notoriety. Still, the choice to refrain from such sensationalism shows nothing but respect for the members of Donner Party and their descendants.
Conclusion
The Donner Party Memorial commemorates a tragic but essential part of pioneer history. Although the story of the Donner Party has become somewhat sensationalized as it is depicted in the works of art, the Memorial, together with the State Park and the museum, provides an accurate and respectful view of the historic event. Initially, the Memorial was seen only as an acknowledgment of the death and suffering of the white pioneers. Nowadays, the tragic fate of the Donner Party is represented with first and foremost respect. This respect means acknowledgment of Native American history and refraining from overemphasizing the themes of cannibalism. Thus, the Donner Party Memorial is a representation of an integral part of American history rather than a mere tourist attraction.
References
Donner Memorial State Park. (n.d.). 2021, Web.
Locke, J., & Wright, B. (2019). The American Yawp. Stanford University Press
Newton-Matza, M. (2017). Historic Sites and Landmarks That Shaped America: From Acoma Pueblo to Ground Zero. ABC-CLIO
Wallis, M. (2017). The best land under heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny. Liveright Publishing.