Modoc Indians
Modoc Indians, a tribe of the Lutuamian division of the Shapwailutan language group. They lived in northern California and southern Oregon. In 1864 the Modocs ceded their lands to the federal government. They were sent to a reservation in Oregon that was also occupied by the Klamath Indians, their traditional enemies, who made them unwelcome. One Modoc band, including about 60 warriors, fled the reservation. What became known as the Modoc War broke out in 1872 after they were ordered to return but refused. The band held out in lava beds east of Mount Shasta, California, defeating several army expeditions, until May, 1873. The leaders were hanged and the rest of the band was sent to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Today, there are about 200 Modocs, in Oklahoma.