Lincoln City
Portland
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Based in the foothills of the Coast Range, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde comprise a multitude of Native tribes from the Pacific Northwest. They include the Kalapuya of the central river valleys; the Chinook along the Columbia River; the Tillamook along the Coast; and the Molalla, Umpqua, Rogue River, Chasta and others to the south. For generations, their people fished, hunted, gathered, traveled and traded, establishing centuries-old cultures in homelands that stretched across what is now called Western Oregon, Southwest Washington and Northern California. Their way of life was forever altered in the 1800s with western expansion, when more than 30 tribes and bands were forced from their lands and relocated to a 61,000-acre reservation along the Yamhill River in the Coast Range. Before long, most of that land was taken away too, along with their federal tribal recognition and rights. People whose self-sufficiency and connection to place dated back thousands of years were left without a home in their own homeland. It took a deep toll. Through decades of injustice, the tribes persevered and eventually triumphed. In the 1980s, they succeeded in reestablishing federal recognition as the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, restoring their tribal rights in the eyes of the federal government and regaining a portion of their lands. It proved a powerful foothold on the path back to self-sufficiency. Today 11,500 acres of that original reservation allotment is the home of a strong and successful tribal confederation. Among the forested hills and verdant river valleys 60 miles southwest of Portland, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde welcome guests to an array of tribal enterprises and visitor attractions. They include the Spirit Mountain Casino, the Spirit Mountain Lodge, the Big Buck Campground, and the Chachalu Tribal Museum and Cultural Center, celebrating a tapestry of cultures and a resilient spirit that defines the tribes today.
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history, the tribes have developed classroom-ready curriculums for Oregon teachers. These ageappropriate educational materials include lesson plans, maps and videos for students from kindergarten through high school on topics ranging from tribal governance to Native language. THE PEOPLE OF THE FALLS The Grand Ronde Tribes have a special connection to Willamette Falls, the village home of their Clackamas and Clowewalla ancestors and a vital site for harvesting salmon and lamprey. They know it simply as tumwata, the Chinook jargon word for waterfall. After the tribes were evicted from their lands in the 1850s, these spectacular horseshoeshaped falls — the most voluminous waterfall in the Northwest — succumbed to development and industrial use.
WILLAMETTE FALLS (TUMWATA)
In 2019 the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde reacquired a portion of this sacred site. They are restoring the ecological health and reestablishing their cultural connections to this historical homeland.
BRIAN KREHBIEL
TEACHING TRIBAL CULTURE The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde thoughtfully preserve and share their rich cultures with tribal members and the broader public. Through exhibits, photos and ceremonial artifacts, the Chachalu Tribal Museum and Cultural Center shares the stories of the tribes’ past losses and inspiring revitalization. A smartphone app lets museum visitors participate in games, quizzes, songs and stories, and hear snippets of the Chinuk Wawa language. Anyone with access to the internet can delve deeper into tribal language, history and artisan skills thanks to a series of instructional videos and documentaries produced by the Grand Ronde Tribes’ Cultural Resources Department. Viewers can learn the basics of basket making, beading, and how to make percussion instruments like traditional drums and clap sticks. To improve understanding and accuracy of tribal
