The Kalapuya

What do you know about the Kalapuya?

Kalapuya: Tribe of the Pacific
Northwest

● Native American group, originating from their

traditional homelands in the Willamette
Valley.
● Members of the federally recognized
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
community in Oregon.
○ 27 Native tribes representing Western
Oregon.

https://libraryguides.lanecc.edu/kalapuy
 ● Semi-nomadic: Traveled
throughout the year for seasonal
foods.
● Hunter-gatherers
https://ndnhistoryresearch.com/2014/12/08/chifin-kalapuya-village/
○ Fishing
○ Hunting: Elk, whitetail deer
and other game.
○ Gathering fruit, nuts and
roots: Elderberry, acorn,
camas and more.
● The climate in the Pacific NW is
mostly cold and moist, and
certain foods grow at specific
times.
○ Most resources are only
available seasonally.
Traditional Ecological ● What is TEK?
○ A collective body of knowledge,
Knowledge beliefs, and practices relating to
the relationships between living
beings and the environment.
○ Place-based and environmental
knowledge, where indigenous
peoples have an intimate and
interactive relationship with the
environment.
○ Intergenerational knowledge
passed down from one
https://e360.yale.edu/features/native-knowledge-what-ecologists-are
generation to another.
-learning-from-indigenous-people
Q: What kind of ecological knowledge do you think
you possess?
Examples:
● How do you know when to plant seasonal
vegetables in your garden?
● How do you know when each season arrives?
 Kalapuya Knowledge
● Movement of animals, such as the migration of birds and the running of
fish (salmon and lamprey runs).
○ Can be predicted when specific plants are in bloom.
● Kalapuya can “read” the land and know when camas is ready for
harvesting. Same goes for other berries as well.
● Herbs and medicinal plants for healing and consuming.
● Burning of the land - Fertilizes soil, encouraged plant growth, and
enhanced habitats for game animals, like deer.
 Kalapuya Creation Story
Story told by Esther Stutzman, Yonkalla Kalapuya & Coos

http://www.archaeologychannel.org/content/MP3/stutzman.mp3
 Kalapuya Stories
Why indigenous stories matter

● Stories illustrate their culture and their

connection with the natural environment.
● Stories are life lessons. They are essential when
it comes to understanding and making sense
of the world.
○ Teaches values, significant events, history,
beliefs, and relationships.
● “A way to instill knowledge in the mind, body,
and soul in connection to the earth”(History https://kaitlynyoung.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/storytelling/

and Future of the Book 2018).