CONFERATED TRIBE OF LOWER UMPQUA

THIS TRIBE LIVES BETWEEN THE CALLIPOGIA RANGE NEAR THE HEADWATERS OF THE SUISLAW AND UMPQUA RIVERS IN LANE COUNTY, OREGON. FOR MANY GENERATIONS THESE PEOPLE HAD LIVED IN THE MOUNTAINS AND TRAVELED TO THE COAST TO HUNT AND GATHER IN THE LAND. THEIR VILLAGES WERE COMPOSED OF NUMEROUS RELATED FAMILIES EACH WITH A HEADMAN. A GROUP OF RELATED CHIEFS COLLECTIVELY FORMED A TRIBAL COUNCIL - ANOTHER HIERARCHY BASED UPON THE CHIEF'S WEALTH.


LARGER VILLAGES CREATED GREATER ECONOMIC WEALTH AND POWER, BUT THE POWER OF PERSONAL CHARACTER AND FAMILY PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE CHIEF'S POSITION. THEY HAD A HIGH MODEL OF GROUP DECISION. MAKING IN A TALKING CIRCLE. THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE WITHIN THE SOCIAL HIERARCHY SAT IN THE OUTER CIRCLE. EVERYONE COULD HAVE A VOICE IN DECISION MAKING. IT WAS A DEMOCRACY SO THAT ALL ADULTS PARTICIPATED.


THEY APPRECIATED NATURE AND THEIR LAND AND FOUND THAT IT WAS SPIRIT EXPRESSING ITSELF. THEY BELIEVED IN SHARING THEIR RESOURCES. VS. BEING AN INDIVIDUAL. THEY HAD POTLATCHES IN ORDER TO SHARE AND GIVE AWAY THEIR POSITIONS. THEIR LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CREATED SUSTAINABLE HUMAN COMMUNITIES IN ALL OF OUR NEEDS. IT WAS A MANAGEMENT STYLE THAT CREATED SUSTAINABLE HUMAN COMMUNITIES IN ALL OF OUR NEEDS. IT WAS A MANAGEMENT STYLE THAT WAS BASED UPON REVERENCE TO THE NATURAL WORLD AND CONSIDERED THE SEVENTH GENERATION. WE RESPECTED THE LIVES OF SALMON PEOPLE AND THE ANIMALS WHO SHARED THEIR LAND.


THEY BUILT PERMANENT WINTER VILLAGES ALONG RIVERS THAT PROVIDED
FRESH WATER FISH AND THESE AREAS THAT WERE PROTECTED FROM STRONG WIND AND STORMS. THEY ALSO HAD SEASONAL CAMPS LOCATED UP RIVER TO CATCH SALMON AND EELS. EACH VILLAGE HAD EXTENDED FAMILY GROUPS WHO WERE RELATED BY BLOOD OR MARRIAGE.


THEY BUILT PLANK HOUSES FROM CEDAR AND NEEDED TO DIG A PIT SIX FEET DEEP. PLANKS AND POSTS WERE ABOVE GROUND AND COVERED WITH A PLANK ROOF OF CEDAR AND TULE MATERIAL. TULE MATS WERE PLACED ON THE FLOOR. THEY BUILT BENCHES ALONG THE WALLS AND STORAGE SHELVES. THEY PLACED BASKETS , DRIED FISH, DRIED MEAT AND ROOTS AND NUTS FOR THE WINTER.


THEY HAD SWEAT LODGES AND PLAYHOUSES AND STORAGE SHEDS. THEY STORED THEIR STONES, BONE, TOOLS, AND BASKETS HERE. MEN AND WOMEN HAD OWN SWEAT LODGES- MEN HAD MEETINGS IN THEIR SWEAT LODGES. WHEN A PERSON WAS OLD ENOUGH TO BE MARRIED, HE OR SHE WAS USUALLY SOUGHT A SPOUSE. FROM ANOTHER VILLAGE OR ANOTHER TRIBE. MARRIAGES WERE ARRANGED FROM BETWEEN THE PARENTS AND THE BRIDE AND GROOM. THE GROOM AND HIS FAMILY PAID TO MARRY THE BRIDE. WOMEN THEN LIVED AT THEIR HUSBAND'S VILLAGE.


CEDAR WAS THE MOST COMMON WOOD AND WAS USED TO BUILD CANOES AND HOUSES. THE PADDLES WERE HAND CARVED FROM HARDWOOD ASH AND MAPLE. THEY USED FLINT AND OBSIDIAN TOOLS. THEY MADE TOOLS SUCH AS MAULS, HAMMERS, FISH NETS, ANCHORS, AND AXES WERE SHAPED. ADZES FOR CARVING CANOES WERE TRADED FROM ANOTHER TRIBES. ELK ANTLERS WERE MADE INTO SPOONS. THE INNER BARK OF THE RED CEDAR WAS PEELED AND DRIED AND USED FOR BASKET MAKING. MAPLE BARK WAS USED IN BASKETRY AND FOR MAKING MAPLE BARK WAS USED IN BASKETRY AND FOR MAKING SKIRTS. BASKETS OF ALL KINDS WERE MADE FROM ALL KINDS OF ROOTS, SEDGES AND BARK. CANOES WERE IMPORTANT TRAVEL AND WERE MADE BY HOLLOWING OUT CEDAR LOGS WITH HOT COALS. THEY FINISHED THE CANOE WITH RED CLAY PAINT.


THEIR FOOD WAS VERY RICH WITH SALMON, EELS, STURGEON, HERRING, SEALS, WHALES, SEA BIRD EGGS, CRAB, ELK, DEER, SEAWEED, ROOTS, AND BERRIES. MEN HUNTED IN FALL AND FISHED WITH THE SEASONAL ROUND OF MIGRATIONS. THE HERRING WERE SO THICK YOU COULD WALK ACROSS THEM. THEY WERE DRIED FOR WINTER. WOMEN COLLECTED CAMAS AND OTHER ROOTS INCLUDING EDIBLE GREENS AND CLOVER AND WAPATO. CAMAS WAS BAKED IN AN EARTHEN OVEN AND A FIRE HEATED THE ROCKS THAT WERE PLACED IN THE OVEN. THE FOOD COOKED THIS WAY AND THEY USED GREEN LEAVES TO COVER THEIR FOOD AND THEN SOIL WAS PLACED ON TOP. CAMAS BAKED FOR ONE DAY. BUCKEYES ALSO WERE COOKED THIS WAY BUT THEY HAD TO BE LEACHED FIRST. BERRIES OF ALL KINDS WERE GATHERED FOR DRYING IN THE WINTER.

THEIR CLOTHES WERE MADE FROM MATERIALS INCLUDING ELK, DEER HIDES, AND A WIDE VARIETY OF PLANT FIBERS. MEN DID NOT WEAR MUCH UNLESS THE WEATHER WAS COLD OR VERY WET. MEN WORE A BUCKSKIN BREACH CLOTH, AND A HAT MADE FROM OF SOME ANIMAL HIDE. THEY WORE CATTAIL CAPES FOR RAIN COATS. WOMEN WORE CAPES AND SKIRTS MADE FROM A VARIETY OF MATERIALS. SEDGES MADE GOOD SKIRTS FOR WORKING AROUND WATER. BUCKSKIN DRESSES DON'T DO WELL IN WET CLIMATES, BUT ARE MADE FOR SPECIAL OCCASION. FIREWOOD FIBER WAS USED FOR CORDAGE. WOMEN MADE VERY FINE BASKET HATS IN RED, BROWN, YELLOW, BLACK, AND WHITE DESIGNS. THEY ALSO USED MAIDENHAIR FERN , ALDER BARK, OREGON GRAPE AND BEAR GRASS.



















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