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Land Acknowledgement
SOU's Land Acknowledgement
We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. 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 to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on, and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.
SOU Land Acknowledgment
Harmful Content Warning
Harmful Content Warning
Southern Oregon Digital Archives contain historical materials that may reflect biased, offensive, or harmful viewpoints and language due to past cultural attitudes. Some content may depict violence or graphic events preserved for historical significance. We aim to provide respectful descriptions using contemporary understanding. However, some records may contain outdated, racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic, xenophobic or otherwise offensive terms inherited from past creators and cataloging practices. We welcome feedback to improve descriptions and reduce harm at libdigi@sou.edu. Thank you for your understanding as we work to make Southern Oregon Digital Archives an inclusive space honoring all individuals and communities.
Related Digital Collections
Bioregion Collection
Southern Oregon History Collection
Related Physical Collections
Bioregion
Native American Studies
Helen Redbird-Smith papers / MSS-001
This project was supported in whole (or in part) by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.
Inset:
The wocus plant, a staple food of the Klamath, is from a plate in Frederick Coville's,
Wokas: A Primitive Food Of The Klamath Indians
(United States National Museum, 1902)
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing PDF documents.
First Nations Collection
The First Nations Collection of the Southern Oregon Digital Archives consists of documents, books, and articles relating to the indigenous peoples of this bioregion. We have begun to collect and mount materials about many tribes in southwestern Oregon and northern California. Some of these nations include the Coos, Hupa, Karuk, Klamath, Modoc, Takelma, Shasta, Siuslaw, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua, Yahooskin, and Yurok nations. In the future, we hope to expand the collection by continuing to add materials on these and other tribes whose homelands were in, or adjacent to, the Siskiyou-Cascade-Klamath bioregion.
In creating the First Nations Collection of tribal materials, Southern Oregon University Library has attempted to bring together a comprehensive body of documents dealing with the inhabitants of this bioregion. The purpose of the collection is to provide an educational resource about the First Nations who were the caretakers of this unique region. Indeed, the story of these nations is inextricably interwoven with the environment and land of Southern Oregon. In our efforts we have consulted with tribes and tribal representatives to determine scope and appropriateness of material. This is a work-in-progress, and in collaboration with tribes, we hope to create a comprehensive database of texts on the history and culture of the indigenous peoples of this region.
Most of the materials in this database are in the public domain and we have received permission to digitize those documents not in the public domain. Some of the materials being added include treaties, tribal language dictionaries, early (pre-1923) books and articles, Bureau of Indian Affairs publications, Congressional hearings, and Bureau of American Ethnology publications. As we consult with tribes to see how this project can be of benefit to members, we also hope to add more contemporary tribal materials.
We are excited to be able to add several decades of scanned images of the
Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior
for the Indian agencies in Oregon (Alsea Agency, Siletz Agency, Klamath Agency, Grand Ronde Agency, Malheur Agency, Umatilla Agency). Our thanks to the University of Oregon for trusting us with these irreplaceable volumes that provide such valuable information on Oregon tribes in the early reservation years.
We invite all users of the First Nations Collection to comment on the database, or to express any concerns. Please send any comments or feedback on ways to improve this site to
libdigi@sou.edu
Consultation:
We especially wish to express our gratitude to the many individuals and tribes that have contributed to this project with advice, consultations, and permissions. Some of the individuals include:
Kelly Strickler,
Cow Creek of Umpqua Tribe
Robert Kentta,
Confederated Tribes of Siletz
David West, Southern Oregon University
Brent Florendo, Southern Oregon University
Bob Tom,
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
Jean Maxwell, Southern Oregon University
Mary Carpelan,
Shasta Nation
Betty Hall,
Shasta Nation
Gerald Skelton,
Klamath Tribes
Tori Lahr,
Klamath Tribes
Matthew Kritzer,
Klamath Tribes
Agnes Pilgrim Baker
Historical Articles:
Oregon Historical Quarterly
(Quarterly of the
Oregon Historical Society
) Articles: Permission to digitize selected articles was granted, courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society, Portland, OR.
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Dec 11, 2025 3:48 PM
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