Category: Willamette Valley

Ethnobotany, General History, Kalapuya, Oregon indians, Willamette ValleyLeave a comment

Reconstructing the Willamette Valley Camas Swales

David G. Lewis, PhD

In recent work I have begun to document the various wetlands of the Willamette Valley from before settler changes took effect. Our best, and most complete set of records of this early period are the General Land Office (GLO) Maps housed now online at the Bureau of Land Management’s Land Status and Cadastral Survey Records website. The earliest surveys were in 1851 up near the Columbia and most begin in 1855 or 1856 in most areas of Oregon. The maps are a series of quadrangle maps that are coded east or west depending on where the land lies in reference … Continue reading Reconstructing the Willamette Valley Camas Swales

assimilation, colonization, General History, Native Issues, Oregon indians, Umpqua Valley, Willamette ValleyLeave a comment

Palmer Strategizes Treaty-Making, 1853

David G. Lewis, PhD

In 1853 Joel Palmer, newly appointed Indian Superintendent of Oregon, was working to keep the peace between the tribes and settlers in Oregon. The plan was to remove the tribes and allow the settlers to take their lands so that the natural resources may be better used. Palmer was in full agreement of his role to help colonize the Indians and in his many letters philosophized extensively about the benefits of assimilating the tribes to civilization. But Palmer was also a humanist and wanted to tribes to be fairly dealt with by the white Americans. He saw them as people … Continue reading Palmer Strategizes Treaty-Making, 1853

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

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, Kalapuya, Traditional ecological knowledge, Willamette ValleyLeave a comment

Camas and Micro-seasonality at Minto-Brown Park

David G. Lewis, PhD

We all are aware of the annual seasons, winter, spring, summer, and fall, but in the growing cycle of the plants of the Willamette Valley there are micro-seasons when specific plants rise and expend their energies. (there is probably a botanical term for micro-seasons but not sure what that is.) This is the case at Minto-Brown park, during the first spring micro-season, with few flowers and plants just beginning to grow. For Camas, in about March-April, they sprout their long leaves and it takes some weeks for the central flower to begin to rise.   There are a few early … Continue reading Camas and Micro-seasonality at Minto-Brown Park