Category: General History

Anthropology, General History, Native Issues, Uncategorized, Willamette ValleyLeave a comment

Socialites and Indian Baskets: Success of Harwood Hall at Sherman and Chemawa

David G. Lewis, PhD

I have always been confused as to why there is a Chemawa Jr. High in Riverside CA. The word Chemawa is from the Kalapuya tribes of the Willamette Valley and designates a village just north of Salem, Oregon. As well there is a Native boarding school, Chemawa Indian School, that began in 1880 located north of Salem that is still operating.  In recent research I found there was a pre-existing Chemawa Park in Riverside which predated Sherman Indian Industrial school by one year (1901), and Chemawa Jr. High, built within the former park, which is still operating as Chemawa Middle … Continue reading Socialites and Indian Baskets: Success of Harwood Hall at Sherman and Chemawa

General HistoryLeave a comment

Redressing Payments for Clatsop and Tillamook Peoples’ Landclaims

David G. Lewis, PhD

  The North coast of Oregon had several tribes of Native peoples, the Tillamook tribes and bands (Tillamook, Nehalem (Naalem), Nestucca, Nechesne) and the Clatsop tribe of Chinooks. These tribes were all approached by federal Indian agents and treaties written with them in 1851 and in 1855. In the fine details of these treaties, it was the Nehalem, Tillamook, and Clatsops which had 1851 treaties, while the Nestucca and Nechesne (Salmon River) were treated with at the Umpqua River meeting of the Coast Treaty in 1855. None of these treaties were successful, the 1851 treaties, all 19 of them, were … Continue reading Redressing Payments for Clatsop and Tillamook Peoples’ Landclaims

colonization, General History, Grand Ronde Reservation, Kalapuya, Native Issues, Oregon indians, treaties, Umpqua Valley, Willamette ValleyLeave a comment

The Upper Umpqua and Yoncalla are Removed to the Umpqua Reservation

David G. Lewis, PhD

A subject which has had little clarity in the past is when were the Umpqua and Southern Kalapuya, the Yoncallas, resettled to the Umpqua Reservation at Coles Valley. The Umpqua and Calapooia Treaty of November 29, 1854 is the treaty of land cession for these tribes and sets in motion the removal of the tribes to a permanent reservation. But that removal did not happen immediately and significant plans had to be made to create the temporary Umpqua Reservation, and develop it to the point that the tribes may be removed there. The illustration of this process and event was … Continue reading The Upper Umpqua and Yoncalla are Removed to the Umpqua Reservation

Ethnobotany, General History, Kalapuya, Traditional ecological knowledge, Willamette Valley5 Comments

Seasonal Wetlands and Minto-Brown Island Park

David G. Lewis, PhD

It seems important to tribes that if they are truly to become restored, and decolonized, they need to be culturally restored by helping to decolonize their lands and traditional resources at the same time. Tribes did not independently become culture but there are important interactions with their land and its resources that helped develop their cultures. Therefore, tribal restoration and environmental restoration are linked elements in decolonization. But there is also many other reasons for restoring traditional landscapes, for the safety and security of the many peoples who now live here, for the health of the land and the planet, … Continue reading Seasonal Wetlands and Minto-Brown Island Park

Ethnobotany, General HistoryLeave a comment

Camas Journal, May 8, 2022

David G. Lewis, PhD

I returned today to Bush Park to take in the middle prairie and see how things are going. The weather has scattered spring rains all day. This year the weather is odd, because for more than a decade its been dry in the spring and, while at the same time its normal because it used to be like this every spring. The land is certainly drenched and the camas is loving it. I took the creek trail and followed the creek up to the ball fields and then crossed to the stadium and followed the camas along the trail there. … Continue reading Camas Journal, May 8, 2022