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.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
EL.CM.RE.35—Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
EL.CM.WR.21—Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories.
CD Segments to Play
Background
Because there was not a written language, tribal history, traditions and important events were passed on through stories. In each tribe, certain people were recognized as carriers of stories and these people were the ones who re-told the stories in order to keep the memories alive.
We call them “stories” because that’s what our ancestors call them. We don’t use the words “myth” or “legend” because both words have a connotation that the content is not true. Our grandmothers told us that the stories are true. Storytelling is an art.
Each tribe had its own set of “rules” for storytelling. For example, among the central and southern Kalapuya, only certain stories could be told during certain seasons of the year. (Reference the downloaded copy of the Kalapuya Calendar). Some stories were only told by men and others were only told by women. For many tribes, stories and songs are private property. It is considered disrespectful to tell another tribe’s story or sing their song.
Among the Kalapuya, the storytellers insisted on respect.
It was considered disrespectful to stand up when a story was being told. You could become hump-backed: “Bunda-yuu.”
Also, a person must never lay down when a story is being told. Anyone who does will become crippled or, in the case of a child, never grow as tall as they should be.
Storytellers told the children to look at them at all times. To look around indicates the listener is not interested and that is disrespectful.
Some stories were told with certain “signals” to prompt the audience to respond with a sound or a word, just to ensure that the people were paying attention.
Of the thousands of traditional stories once told in western Oregon lodges, only handfuls remain. Most stories today are told in English because that is how they were remembered for generations after the reservation experience. Stories are carried on today as reminders of tribal life and to show that the lessons of yesterday are valid in today’s world.
The following is a story that has been passed down in the families of the Komemma Kalapuya of the Yoncalla, OR area in Douglas county.
CAMAFEEMA
Camafeema was the headman of the Kalapuya village, Splac’ta Alla, in the Upper Umpqua valley when the pioneer Applegate brothers arrived shortly before 1850. Camafeema saw that the Applegates were “skookum,” a word in the Chinook trade jargon meaning “strong of spirit.” Friendships were made and the Applegate family was allowed to settle on land not far from Camafeema’s village.
The eldest Applegate brother, Charley, and the headman Camafeema became close friends often hunting together and spending time just sitting and talking in the Chinook jargon.
After the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855, the U. S. Army went from village to village to round up the Indians and take them to reservations. When the soldiers arrived at Camafeema’s village in 1856, Camafeema tore open his shirt and stood in front of the soldier’s guns and said “No, I will not go! I will die here in the land of my grandfathers.”
The soldiers did not know what to do. They tried to force Camafeema and his family to march ahead of them and away from the valley.
Before long, the three Applegate brothers arrived, defending Camafeema. They were very politically influential and told the soldiers to leave. The Applegates said they would take responsibility for Camafeema and his village.
After much negotiation, the soldiers did leave, but not before securing a promise from the Applegates: that they would take responsibility and insure that the Indians “caused no trouble.”
And so it was that Camafeema and his family stayed in the valley until many died of disease or moved to other locations with the coming of more settlers.
Suggested Strategies
Activities
1. Discuss
Read the story of Camafeema to the class.
Why didn’t Camafeema want to go to the reservation?
How did this story survive?
Why is it important to remember these stories?
Discuss
Ask the class how many of them have lived in only one house since they were born. Ask how many have lived in two places…three…four…etc.
This illustrates how strongly the Kalapuya and other tribes were connected to the land. It was a rare occurrence for any tribal member to move from the traditional homeland.
Talk about what it is like to move from your home to a strange place. Emphasize that the Indian people did not move from place to place as we do in today’s society, and so the removal to the reservation was very frightening and new.
3. Journal
Journal entry #5: Write a two-paragraph story as if you and your family were forcefully taken to a reservation. Tell about how you feel and why.
Allow time for this activity. Encourage the class to imagine life during the time of removal to reservations.
4. Discuss
Read some of the responses and ask the following questions:
What had to be left behind?
What would the trip be like?
Would you make an effort to go back home?
