Stephen Dow Beckham is a noted American historian known for his work with Native Americans

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 and the American West, especially the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...

 and the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...

. He has authored many works, and currently is the Pamplin

Robert B. Pamplin, Jr.

Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. is a businessman and philanthropist from the U.S. state of Oregon. He is the owner of a number of businesses in and around Portland, Oregon and across the United States. In 2001, he was reported to be the third-wealthiest person in Oregon.His holdings include textile...

 Professor of History at Lewis & Clark College

Lewis & Clark College

Lewis & Clark College is a private institution of higher learning located in Portland, Oregon. Made up of an undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, a School of Law, and a Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Lewis & Clark is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges with athletic...

 in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

.

Beckham earned his bachelor's degree in history and biology at the University of Oregon

University of Oregon

-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...

 in 1964. He earned a master's degree and PhD in history/anthropology at University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Los Angeles

The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...

 in 1966 and 1969, respectively. Since 1977 he has been teaching at Lewis & Clark College. Beckham is also considered to be a leading authority on Indian law

Indian law

Law of India refers to the system of law in modern India. It is largely based on English common law because of the long period of British colonial influence during the period of the British Raj. Much of contemporary Indian law shows substantial European and American influence. Various legislation...

. He has been called as an expert witness in many land-use

Land use

Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...

 issues, including reservations

Indian reservation

An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...

, casinos, and fishing rights. He also is the lead instructor for the Indian Law Summer Program at Lewis & Clark Law School

Lewis & Clark Law School

Lewis and Clark Law School is a private American law school located in Portland, Oregon. In the last ten years, L&C's Environmental Law program has been the highest-rated in the United States eight times....

.

Additionally, Beckham has helped to develop many museums and exhibits both in the Pacific Northwest and around the world. Some of his projects include The Literature of the Lewis and Clark Expedition touring exhibit, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles

The Dalles, Oregon

The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...

, the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is a interpretive center about the Oregon Trail located northeast of Baker City, Oregon on Oregon Route 86 atop Flagstaff Hill...

 in Baker City

Baker City, Oregon

Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker. The population was 9,828 at the 2010 census.-History:...

, The High Desert Museum

High Desert Museum

The High Desert Museum is located near Bend, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1982, it brings regional wildlife, culture, art and natural resources together to promote an understanding of natural and cultural heritage of North America’s high desert country...

 in Bend

Bend, Oregon

Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...

, and Oregon, My Oregon

Oregon, My Oregon

"Oregon, My Oregon" is the state song of Oregon, United States. Written for a song contest in 1920, the 16-line, 2-verse song became the state's official song in 1927.-History:...

at the Oregon Historical Society

Oregon Historical Society

The Oregon Historical Society is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preserves, and makes available materials of historical character...

.

Selected bibliography

• Coos Bay: The Pioneer Period, 1851-1890 (1973)
• Indians of Western Oregon: This Land Was Theirs (1977)
• Land of the Umpqua: A History of Douglas County, Oregon (1986)
• Tall Tales from Rogue River: The Yarns of Hathaway Jones (1990)
• Lewis & Clark College (1991)
• Many Faces: An Anthology of Oregon Autobiography (1993)
• Hoffman Construction Company: 75 Years of Building (1995)
• Requiem for a People: The Rogue Indians and the Frontiersmen (1996)
• Lewis and Clark in Oregon Country: From the Rockies to the Pacific (2002)
• Literature of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (2003)
• Oregon Indians: Voices from Two Centuries (2006)

External links

• Oregon My Oregon at the Oregon Historical Society