Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon
Encyclopedia
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
with long historical ties to present-day Western Oregon
Western Oregon
Western Oregon is a geographical term that is generally taken to mean the part of Oregon within 120 miles of the Oregon Coast, on the west side of the crest of the Cascade Range. The term is applied somewhat loosely however, and is sometimes taken to exclude the southwestern areas of the state,...
between the western boundary of the Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
and the eastern boundary of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
, and the northern boundary of southwestern Washington, and the southern boundary of Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
.
Members of the confederation
The tribes who were removed to Grand Ronde are:- Chasta (or Shasta; from present-day Oregon and California bands of the ShastaShasta (tribe)The Shasta are an indigenous people of Northern California and Southern Oregon in the United States. They spoke one of the Shastan languages....
Nations) - Chasta Costa (Southern Oregon Athapaskan speakers)
- Kalapuya (Yamel (YamhillYamhillYamhill or Yam Hill is the name of a band of the Kalapuya Native American tribe, living in Oregon, United States, and several places and geographic features named after them:* Yamhill County, Oregon is a county in Oregon...
), Mary's River, Winfelly (MohawkMohawk people (Oregon)The Mohawk or Mohawk River people were a tribe or band of the Kalapuya Native Americans who originally lived in the Mohawk River area of Oregon in the United States. They spoke a dialect of the Central Kalapuya language....
), AtfalatiAtfalatiThe Atfalati, also known as the Tualatin were a tribe or band of the Kalapuya Native Americans who originally inhabited the Tualatin Valley in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Oregon...
(Tualatin), Yoncalla (Kommema), Ahanyichuk, Santiam) - MolallaMolalaThe Molala were a people of the Plateau culture area in central Oregon, United States. Some consider them extinct, though they are one of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, with 141 of the 882 members in the 1950s claiming Molala descent.-Language:The Molalla language...
(Santiam Band, and Molala) - Rogue RiverRogue River (tribe)Rogue River is the name of a Native American group originally located in southern Oregon in the United States. Rogue River was not a single tribe, but a conglomeration of many affiliated and related tribal groups. The total estimated population of these tribes in 1850 was about 9,500...
(Historically an erroneous name conglomerating TakelmaTakelmaThe Takelma were a Native American people that lived in the Rogue Valley of interior southwest Oregon, with most of their villages sited along the Rogue River. The name Takelma means Along the River.-History:...
, Upper UmpquaUmpquaUmpqua may refer to:a placename in the U.S. state of Oregon* Umpqua, Oregon, a community* Umpqua City, Oregon, the former name of Winchester Bay, Oregon* Umpqua Community College* Umpqua County, Oregon, a former county* Umpqua Hot Springs...
and Athapaskan tribes) - Klickitat
- Chinook (Thomas Band Chinook, Williams Band Chinook, Johns Band Chinook, Clackamas Chinook (Oregon City))
- TillamookTillamookTillamook may refer to:Places:* Tillamook County, Oregon, United States* Tillamook, Oregon, a city in the United States* Tillamook River, United States* Tillamook Bay, a bay in the northwestern part of Oregon...
(Salmon River, NehalemNehalemNehalem, meaning "the place where people live" in the Salish language, may refer to:* Tillamook , a Native American tribe also known as the Nehalem...
, Nestucka) - French-Canadian (Iroquoian)
Treaties affecting the CTGR
- Treaty with the Chasta, etc., 1854
- Treaty with the Kalapuya, etc., 1855
- Treaty with the Molala, 1855
- Treaty with the Rogue River, 1853
- Treaty with the Rogue River, 1854
- Treaty with the Umpqua and Kalapuya, 1854
The reservation today
The community has an 11,040-acre (45 km²) Indian reservation, the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation, located in YamhillYamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
and Polk
Polk County, Oregon
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. In 2010, its population was 75,403. The seat of the county is Dallas....
counties.
Economy
Since 1996, the tribes have received the bulk of their income from the Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand RondeGrand Ronde, Oregon
Grand Ronde is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States. Originally named "Grand Ronde Agency", the name of this city is a variation of the French Grande Ronde or "fine large valley", a description given to the area by the employees of the...
. They also receive revenue from timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
. The tribes oppose the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is a federally recognized confederation of Native American Tribes who currently live on and govern the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in the U.S...
' plans to build an off-reservation casino in Cascade Locks, Oregon
Columbia Gorge casino
The Columbia Gorge casino is a casino proposed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, a group of Indian tribes in the U.S. state of Oregon. They have sought to build a casino in the Columbia River Gorge since at least 1999. Current plans call for a facility with 250 hotel rooms in the city...
, and spent over $800,000 on the issue in the 2006 primary races for Governor of Oregon.
CTGR cultural events
Each July, members of the tribe travel to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, to see Tomanowos
Willamette Meteorite
The Willamette Meteorite, officially named Willamette, is an iron-nickel meteorite discovered in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the largest meteorite found in North America and the sixth largest in the world...
, a sky person who fell as a meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
and is now on display at the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
's Rose Center for Earth and Space
Rose Center for Earth and Space
The Rose Center for Earth and Space is a part of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The Center's complete name is The Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space. The main entrance is located on the northern side of the museum on 81st Street near...
.
Tribal languages
Historically the tribe had people from 27 distinct languages. Members of these tribes could speak many languages due to the close proximity of many different tribes. Oregon had one of the most linguistically diverse regions in the world. But on the reservation, most people began communicating using Chinook JargonChinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
, the trade language. The Chinook Jargon was widely spoken throughout the northwest among tribes and new-comers to the region. At Grand Ronde reservation Chinook Jargon became a creole
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
, a first language in most native homes. This language has persisted throughout the history of the tribe and through the termination era (1954-1983), when all other tribal languages became extinct at Grand Ronde.
In the 1970s, Grand Ronde elders began teaching Chinook Jargon language classes in the community. In the 1990s the restored Confederated tribes of Grand Ronde began a language program. Chinook Jargon was reinvisioned as Chinuk Wawa (Talking Chinuk). The Grand Ronde tribe's immersion program is now one of half a dozen Native immersion language programs in the United States that is producing speakers. This program begins in preschool classes (Lilu) and continues into Kindergarten. The immersion program is making plans to expand to a pre-8 grade program. This will create speakers of the language that will help the language survive into perpetuity.
Further reading
- Aikens, C. Melvin (1975) Archaeological Studies in the Willamette Valley. Eugene, University of OregonUniversity of Oregon-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. - Applegate, JesseJesse ApplegateJesse Applegate was an American pioneer who led a large group of settlers along the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country. He took part in the early government of Oregon, and helped establish the Applegate Trail as an alternative route to the Oregon Trail.-Early life:Jesse Applegate was born in Henry...
(1907) The Yangoler Chief. Roseburg, OR, Review Publishing Co. - Applegate, JesseJesse ApplegateJesse Applegate was an American pioneer who led a large group of settlers along the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country. He took part in the early government of Oregon, and helped establish the Applegate Trail as an alternative route to the Oregon Trail.-Early life:Jesse Applegate was born in Henry...
(1914) Recollections of My Boyhood. Roseburg, OR, Review Publishing. - Applegate, JesseJesse ApplegateJesse Applegate was an American pioneer who led a large group of settlers along the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country. He took part in the early government of Oregon, and helped establish the Applegate Trail as an alternative route to the Oregon Trail.-Early life:Jesse Applegate was born in Henry...
(1931) Umpqua Agriculture 1851. Oregon Historical Quarterly. 23: 135-144. - Applegate, Shannon. (1988) Skookum: An Oregon Pioneer Family's History and Lore. New York, Quill, William Morrow.
- Applegate, Shannon. and T. O' Donnell, eds. (1994) Talking on Paper: An Anthology of Oregon Letters and Diaries. Corvallis, Oregon State University PressOregon State University PressOregon State University Press, or OSU Press, founded in 1961, is a university press that publishes roughly 15 titles per year and is part of Oregon State University...
. - Oregon Council for the Humanities. (2007) The First Oregonians. 2nd ed. Corvallis, Or, OSU Press.
External links
- Official website, including tribal documents and history
- A successful model of intergovernmental relations in Oregon, a February 1998 article about the community