Overview
Lesson 1: Before the Coming of the Europeans
Lesson 2: Contact with a New Culture
Lesson 3: The Treaties and the Reservation Experience
Lesson 4: Stories as a Learning Tool
Lesson 5: Learning More about Western Oregon Indian Tribes
Extending the lesson/References
Standards
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
EL.06.RE.09—Understand, learn, and use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly through informational text, literary text, and instruction across the subject areas.
EL.06.RE.05—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more c
omplex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
EL.06.RE.20—Clarify understanding of informational texts by creating simple outlines, graphic organizers, diagrams, logical notes, or summaries.
EL.06.WR.02—Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.
GEOGRAPHY
SS.05.GE.02—Examine and understand how to prepare maps, charts, and other visual representations to locate places and interpret geographic information.
SS.05.GE.02.01—Use maps and charts to interpret geographical information.
CD Segments to Play
Background
Trade was an important cultural activity for most tribes. Resources that were scarce in the home territory could be obtained from other tribes. Many “trade centers” were established thousands of years ago in places now known as The Dalles, French Prairie (near Salem), Saginaw (north of Cottage Grove), the banks of the Umpqua River near Roseburg, and many, many others throughout Oregon. At these trade centers, tribes met with other tribal people from far away who would bring specialized items from their areas.
Some of the most sought-after items were obsidian for projectile points, acorns, shellfish from the Coast and a variety of shells from the Puget Sound and northern California areas. Often, food was traded, sometimes due to a seasonal scarcity of a certain item. Clothing, tools and personal items were also traded and fine craftsmanship was a valuable asset to making a good trade.
Because of the many languages spoken in Oregon, it was difficult to negotiate a trade with someone from a distant tribe. And so the Chinook Trade Jargon (Chinuk Wawa) was used. This is a language made from many tribal words as well as English, French and other words that came after European contact. The early traders, trappers and explorers quickly learned important words in this language and so were able to communicate with Indian tribes.
The Kalapuya people of the Willamette Valley and other inland areas obtained the skins of sea otters from coastal tribes. The Kalapuya prized the sea otter for its appearance and often used it in making traditional regalia. Sea otter was one of the most valuable trade items in the inland valleys of Oregon. But this item in particular brought exploitation from the European culture.
At one time, there was a large sea otter population. On the Pacific coast, the sea otter was used and traded for food as well as for the thick and rich fur. Trade routes between the coast and the inland valleys of western Oregon were established to take advantage of fur trading as well as trade for other items such as acorns, camas, shellfish and tools. The Chinook name for sea otter is “elakha”. The Kalapuya people of the Willamette Valley called him “wul-hyat.”
During the Lewis and Clark expedition, on November 20, 1805 the men first saw sea otter furs at Baker’s Bay on the north side of the Columbia estuary, Pacific County, Washington. Lewis and Clark never actually saw live otters, only their furs, which were traded among the local people.
Captain James Cook, Lewis and Clark, and other early explorers recognized that the fur of the sea otter was a prized commercial item and their stories initiated the European and Russian quest for sea otter hides. More than a million sea otters were killed by the time the first pioneers came to Oregon around 1850. The last known sea otter was killed near Newport, Oregon in 1906.
Suggested Strategies
Activities
Discuss
Explain the trading process. Divide the class into two groups. On a piece of poster paper, have each group write at least six items Indians might have traded and why.
Why was trade important?
Why did the Indian people go far away to trade?
What do you think was the most important item that the Indians of the Willamette Valley wanted? What was the most important for the coastal Indians?
What do you think a pelt is worth today?
Why aren’t pelts used today as much as they were 150 years ago?
Journal
Journal entry #2: What is a sea otter? What would you make out of a sea otter hide?
3. Discuss
Why did the early explorers want sea otter skins?
Why did the trappers and traders kill so many sea otters?
What happened as a result of all the sea otters being killed? (Explain about using all of the resources and the chain reaction that affects all life.)
4. Draw
Draw a picture of a sea otter in the journal (requires looking in the library or online; HYPERLINK “http://www.ask.com” http://www.ask.com or Google search),
5. Mapping exercise
Use a detailed Oregon map (a Gazetteer is ideal). Try to locate these names in the Chinuk Wawa:
Sitkum half (halfway)
Toketee Falls pretty (hint: east of Roseburg)
Siskiyou Pass bob-tail horse
6. Vocabulary
Students will write each word and its definition in the journal
regalia resources
extinction exploit
obsidian
