Tag: restoration

General History, Uncategorized, Willamette ValleyLeave a comment

A Stable Kalapuyan Anthropogenic-Environmental Model?

David G. Lewis, PhD

It is noted that humans have had an extreme effect on the environment everywhere they have lived. These changes became much more radical some 12,000 years ago when agriculture was developed. In the Willamette Valley the tribes did not develop agriculture. They did instead participate in seasonal anthropogenic fires, and seasonal harvesting of foods, at least as far back as 8,000 years. The Kalapuyans divided their year in half with the summer season for the tribe began in the spring with movements to gathering camps for early vegetables and fruits. Their year began in autumn as stated on the 1877 … Continue reading A Stable Kalapuyan Anthropogenic-Environmental Model?

General History, Native Issues, Oregon indians, Termination, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Essential Historic Federal Government Documents of Grand Ronde (Document link)

David G. Lewis, PhD

Tribal people have asked for years about their treaties and about many of the original federal documents which shaped the tribe. Many people have been told or taught erroneous facts of the tribe and have an imperfect understanding of dates and documents. This is completely understandable as our history has been very diverse and complex and it very tough to put together all of the pieces. Most of these documents are available online in some manner and I have used them for years to work on our tribal histories. They are treaties, an executive order, the 1936 Constitution, the termination … Continue reading Essential Historic Federal Government Documents of Grand Ronde (Document link)

Archival Development, education, General History, Grand Ronde Reservation, Oregon indians, Siletz Reservation, Uncategorized9 Comments

20 Years of the Southwest Oregon Research Project

David G. Lewis, PhD

  Southwest Oregon Research Projects & The Archival Collection In 1995, I attended an event that would impact me for many years. The event was a potlatch held by the Coquille tribe and the University of Oregon. There was given away copies of some 50,000 pages of information collected from the Smithsonian Institution to the Tribes of Oregon. It was amazing to see all of these national figures in anthropology and the university and local tribes attend and receive their gifts. I did not known much about the project then, nor did I view the collection. It wasn’t until 1997 … Continue reading 20 Years of the Southwest Oregon Research Project

Archival Development, education, Grand Ronde Reservation, Uncategorized, Willamette Valley12 Comments

Native Community History of Eugene Area

David G. Lewis, PhD

Original Peoples The earliest history of Native people in the Eugene-Springfield area is that of the Kalapuya tribes from the area, Chifin, Winefelly,  Pee-u (Mohawk), and Chelamela tribes. These people signed a treaty with the United States in 1855, and were removed to temporary reservations in the Willamette valley. The Yoncalla, in the Umpqua valley, and in the Calapooia Mountains just south of Cottage Grove were removed to the Umpqua reservation after they signed the Kalapuya and Umpqua treaty in 1854. The tribes in the Eugene area of the Willamette Valley were taken to Spores farm to live for a … Continue reading Native Community History of Eugene Area

Native Issues, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Reservations We Choose to Live Inside

David G. Lewis, PhD

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This essay is inspired by the title of the book, “Prisons We Choose to Live Inside” by Doris Lessing, I read some years ago. I have to confess I did not read the whole book, but I did not really have to, the title alone is the inspiration.

Since the beginning of contact, Europeans and later Americans began to move into our lands and sought ways to manage and control the indigenous peoples. This management has taken the form of treaties, removal, and reservations. Tribal peoples learned to live within a number of reservations, many of them imposed upon us and many we have chosen to accept as part of our culture.

Oregon Territory

Continue reading “Reservations We Choose to Live Inside”