Oral history interview with James K. Logan

Collection

Identifier: SR 1932

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with James K. Logan was conducted by Toni R. Black Cloud in Portland, Oregon, over three sessions from April 12 to May 23, 2002, as part of the Radical Elders oral history series. The interview was conducted as part of a senior capstone class on history at Portland State University, with instructor Sandy Polishuk. The sound quality during session 2 is very poor, and during session 3, the tape recorder malfunctioned.

In this interview, Logan discusses his early life on the Washington coast with an abusive, alcoholic father and shares his memories of the murder of his father in 1969. He speaks at length about his experience as a homeless teenager in Portland during the 1970s, about incarceration at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility and other institutions, and about his alcoholism and drug addiction. He discusses his involvement with the American Indian Movement, and talks about attending pow-wows. He speaks at length about getting sober in 1989, discusses racism he experienced, and talks about his relationship with his children and their mothers.

Dates

2002 April 12-May 23

Creator

Logan, James K., 1962- (Interviewee, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Biographical note

James K. Logan was born in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1962, and spent his childhood on the Washington coast. His family is enrolled in the Flathead/Salish/Kootenay band in Montana, and also has Quinault and Samoan ancestry. In 1969, his father was murdered. He and his siblings spent time in the foster care system in Oregon, and at age 12, he became homeless. For six years, he was incarcerated at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility. He was later incarcerated for several years during his 20s. He lived in Missoula, Montana; Denver, Colorado; and other places around the West. In 1989, he worked to become sober. He was a longtime member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), and mentored youth gang members in Oregon and Denver.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (6 audiocassettes (4 hr., 43 min., 49 sec.) + 1 photograph (black and white))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with James K. Logan conducted by Toni R. Black Cloud from April 12 to May 23, 2002, as part of the Radical Elders oral history series. Logan discusses his early life as a homeless teenager, his recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, and his involvement with the American Indian Movement.