This 1845 painting, Valley of the Willamette River, by Henry Warre, depicts an iconic Willamette Valley landscape - grasslands interspersed with occasional oak and conifer stands. These oak savannas were maintained by Kalapuya burning practices for more than 6,000 years prior to the arrival of settlers. Image: Oregon History Project, www.oregonhistoryproject.org 

Kalapuyans of the Central Willamette Valley: History and Culture

Thank you to everyone who tuned in to our virtual Sips 'n' Science pub talk with David Lewis on October 18, 2022. Below is the full recorded presentation, ready for viewing and sharing!

Synopsis: The presentation will address various Kalapuyan tribes and bands of the central valley. We will look at their original culture, how they stewarded their lands and the adjustments they had to make when settlers arrived. We will dive into the removal process, treaties, encampments and payments, and the likely understandings of the Kalapuyans, and work by Indian agents to remove them all to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation. Finally we will address their context on the reservation for the first 20 years.

​A big thank you goes to Willamette Habitat Restoration Fund for providing the funding that allows us to make this event free of charge. 

About David Lewis, PhD:  I am Santiam, Takelma, Molalla, and Chinook, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. I grew up within the Chemeketa Santiam Kalapuyan territory (Salem), my education was within the lands of the Pomo peoples (Santa Rosa), and the Chifan and Chelamela Kalapuyans (Eugene), and I have worked within the Yamhill lands and now within the homelands of the Pinefu peoples, known as Champinefu (Corvallis). 

​I am a past manager of the Grand Ronde Cultural Resources Department,  and past Tribal Museum Curator & Tribal Historian. I have a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Oregon, where I directed the Southwest Oregon Research Project. I served two terms as an Oregon Heritage Commission member, and two years as the chair of the Commission. I now work as an educator, teaching in local universities, since 2018 at OSU as Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies. 

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