Tag: kiesno

columbia river, Oregon indians, tradeLeave a comment

Encounters with Chief Kiesno of the Columbia

David G. Lewis, PhD

Chief Kiesno was one of the most powerful chiefs on the Columbia River at the time of the fur trade and American settlement. He was related to tribes throughout the lower Columbia region. He is well documented in numerous encounters with a number of explorers, fur traders, and settlers. His time spanned the whole of the early colonization of Oregon and ends in 1848, when he passes. There is then a transition to Oregon as an official U.S. territory.  It is probable that he is the model for the figure of Chief Multnomah fictionalized by Frederick Balch in his book … Continue reading Encounters with Chief Kiesno of the Columbia

Anthropology, columbia river, General History, Kalapuya, Oregon indians1 Comment

Native Kinships and Wealth among the Middle Chinookans

David G. Lewis, PhD

Native kinships are incredibly complex. They do not follow the nice neat patterns of kinship that Americans have adopted from their European ancestors. Native peoples did not marry inside their own tribes, but were influenced by societal norms to marry someone from outside of the tribe. People born of royalty were encouraged to or arranged to marry royalty in other tribes and in this manner leadership roles and genealogies were kept within certain families. It can safely be said that all of the tribes in a particular region are all interrelated with one another by Native laws of marriage. But … Continue reading Native Kinships and Wealth among the Middle Chinookans

columbia river, coos bay, General History, Kalapuya, Oral History, Oregon Coast, Oregon indians, trade, Umpqua Valley, Uncategorized, Willamette Valley2 Comments

Trade Between the Interior and the Coast; Kalapuyans, Klikitats, Coosans

David G. Lewis, PhD

Previous to the Americans and the British In Oregon, the tribes had numerous interrelationships with one another. Trade was a major part of the lives of all tribes. Some tribes had vast resources, but only in a few items were they specialized. The Chinookans, had vast amounts of dried salmon because of owning the best salmon fishing sites on the Columbia and Willamette rivers, as well as access to all of the trade items in the Columbia River Trading region, a vast trade zone which stretched from the mid-west American plains to the Pacific Coast. While the Kalapuyans had lots … Continue reading Trade Between the Interior and the Coast; Kalapuyans, Klikitats, Coosans

columbia river, Oregon indians, Uncategorized, Willamette Valley3 Comments

Outside the Ethnographic Box: Native Trade Networks

David G. Lewis, PhD

Its important for people today to understand how extensively the tribes in the region traded and traveled. Native peoples generally traveled in annual routes about their homelands and traveled river highways, and overland trails to far away tribes to form partnerships, arrange marriages and access resources they did not have in their region. First, its  important to understand how attitudes and understandings about native trade have been heavily shaped by the history of anthropology. In the early days of anthropology, many anthropologists assumed that tribes remained in small areas adjacent to their villages. That they did not travel much or … Continue reading Outside the Ethnographic Box: Native Trade Networks

education, General History, Grand Ronde Reservation, Oregon indians, Siletz Reservation, Uncategorized2 Comments

Short Biographies of a Few of the Most Important Chiefs of Western Oregon

David G. Lewis, PhD

Tribes generally rename President’s day to Tribal Chief’s Day. Chiefs, headmen and leaders of the tribes have significant responsibilities to make decisions for the welfare of their tribes. In the past the Chiefs were the ultimate authority and their leadership … Continue reading Short Biographies of a Few of the Most Important Chiefs of Western Oregon