Tag: Kalapuya

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

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

General History, Kalapuya, Native Issues, Oregon indians, Traditional ecological knowledge, Willamette ValleyLeave a comment

The Southern Exploring Expedition and The Kalapuyans

David G. Lewis, PhD

The Charles Wilkes Exploring Expedition came to Oregon in August 1841. The expedition split into two parties with some of the expedition venturing up the Columbia, and a number of the scientists and naval men (The naval men were dispossessed from their duties due to the sinking of the Peacock.) traveling down the Willamette Valley and through the interior valleys into California. Wilkes’ journal is a summary of the journey but does not include all of the details from the journey as many of the officers and scientists kept their own journals. I took note of details that address the … Continue reading The Southern Exploring Expedition and The Kalapuyans

colonization, Kalapuya, Native Issues, Oregon indiansLeave a comment

Yamhill Dogs Chase Comegys’ Hogs

David G. Lewis, PhD

A letter was delivered in person to Joel Palmer, Indian Superintendent of Oregon, in 1855 of a complaint of Jacob Comegys about his pigs being chased and killed by Yamhill Kalapuyans and their dogs. Jacob had sold his lands in Missouri and moved his whole family to Yamhill Oregon where he took up a land claim in 1847. The claim was certified by the Land office in 1851 after the Oregon Donation Land Claim Act was passed. This was part of the purpose of the Act, to certify the previous claims of settlers even though the previous claims were not … Continue reading Yamhill Dogs Chase Comegys’ Hogs

Kalapuya, Oregon indians, Personal History, Uncategorized9 Comments

A Petition to Change the Name of Lane County

David G. Lewis, PhD

  In this new period of “wokeness” there are calls for the elimination of racist names and statues from our institutions. Christopher Columbus statues have been torn from their moorings and thrown into local rivers, while the statues of confederate generals and slaveowner politicians have been defaced and torn down by citizens in their rage.  Similarly, long-stalled movements to eliminate racist placenames and get rid of colonizer monuments have caused pioneer statues to be torn down at UO and Deady hall to finally get the approval to be renamed at the University of Oregon.  I have watched the movement to … Continue reading A Petition to Change the Name of Lane County