Tribes Made Conscious Decisions and Travel in Annual Circuits

In anthropology there is a term “Seasonal Round” that describes, or attempts to describe, the annual movement of the tribal peoples throughout their lands. This term is now widely used in all manner of studies about tribal peoples, from history to ethnobotany,  native studies, and  geography and others. In short, the term is now widely respected as accurate and descriptive of the activities of the tribes. Here is one definition: Definition of seasonal round: Also known as the annual round, this term refers to the pattern of movement from one resource-gathering area to another in a cycle that was followed each year. And … Continue reading Tribes Made Conscious Decisions and Travel in Annual Circuits

Tribal Environmental Health Summit 2018: presentation and video link

  I participated in the last tribal Environmental Health Summit at OSU. Tuesday, June 26, 2018 11:40-1:00 pmLunch plenary (starting at 12pm) Lunch and Regional PlenarySpeaker: David Lewis, Ethnohistory Research, LLC Title: “Traditional Land Management of the Kalapuyans”   This is not a direct link: navigate to the 2018 presentation and push the right arrow to find the video. Traditional Land Management of the Kalapuyans   Continue reading Tribal Environmental Health Summit 2018: presentation and video link

A Botanist Documents Tribal Traditions: Martin W. Gorman, Oregon Botanist

Martin W. Gorman was a botanist in Oregon at the turn of the 20th century. He worked extensively in Alaska and British Columbia among many tribes in those areas, and was based in Portland Oregon. His work was financed by a Portland Bank and so he operated as an independent researcher for much of his career. He appears to have been funded for at least one expedition a year into Alaska for some 20 years beginning in the 1880s. When in Oregon he traveled along the Columbia River, around the Portland Metro basin, through the Tualatin Valley, along the Oregon … Continue reading A Botanist Documents Tribal Traditions: Martin W. Gorman, Oregon Botanist

Kalapuyans: Seasonal Lifeways, TEK, Anthropocene

Kalapuyan History (summary) From original 25,000 Kalapuyan people (estimated) in 19 tribes and bands, they were reduced to about 800 by 1850 through diseases like malaria. The loss of population caused cultural collapse and the confederation of many different villages to a very few. This left the land open to settlement from other tribes and American settlers. Americans encountered a park-like setting, a vast flat clear prairie with a mild climate and plenty of water, perfect for agriculture. The collapse of Native culture caused the collapse of most maintenance of the environment. The Tribes were removed to the Reservations in … Continue reading Kalapuyans: Seasonal Lifeways, TEK, Anthropocene