Enchanted Wildcraft acknowledges that our workspace, home, garden and some of the wild crafted plants that we use are located within the traditional lands of the Takelma, and Latgawa people, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and the Modoc Nation; as well as the Shasta whose descendants are now identified as members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together – who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed from the land. Most were sent to the Siletz and Grand Ronde Reservations. The Modoc were sent to Oklahoma after the Modoc War in 1873. The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians defied removal and remained in the region.
The result of forced relocation and genocide is that Jackson County is no longer a population center for these specific tribal groups. As of the 2020 Census 4.6% of the population of Jackson County has some indigenous heritage—while this is more than twice the national average, it is a precipitous reduction from the pre-colonial 100%. We acknowledge that indigenous groups are too often relegated to the historical past when, in truth, indigenous people are essential members of the Jackson County community.
We take this moment to recognize the Indigenous people whose traditional lands are where residents of Jackson County live today. We are committed to fostering understanding, deep respect, and honor for Indigenous people, and we encourage you to learn more about the land you reside on.
(Information Credit: Jackson County Library Services, http://www.jcls.org)