OCTOBER 1, 2019
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9
‘We are still here, still resilient’
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Rogue River Tribes that ceded a
large swath of southern Oregon that
now includes Medford to the federal
government and the 2011 memo-
randum of understanding with the
Bureau of Land Management and
Nature Conservancy regarding a
management plan for the Tables
Rocks area north of Medford. Table
Rocks was the site of a temporary
reservation that held Tribal mem-
bers before they were force-marched
north to the Grand Ronde Reserva-
tion in February 1856.
Tribal Council member Jack Giff-
en Jr., who has been a proponent of
the Tribe continuing and increasing
its outreach in the southern part of
the state, said that he was happy
with this year’s attendance, which
totaled 11 not counting
Tribal Council mem-
bers and Tribal staff.
“It’s just a step in
the process in building
relationships by com-
ing down,” Giffen said
after the 2.5-hour ses-
sion. “Each time I come
down, I see the same
faces and some new
faces. To me, that’s Tribal Historic Preservation Offi ce Manager
telling us that we’re
Briece Edwards, right, receives help from Cultural
making progress and
Consultant and Tribal Elder Greg Archuleta during
building relationships
with other people rath- a presentation at the eighth annual Coff ee &
er than just the BLM Conversation held in Medford on Friday, Sept. 20.
and certain agencies.”
The event opened with Tribal to preserve the people.
Council Secretary Jon A. George,
“We are still here, still resilient,”
Tribal Historic Preservation Of- Kennedy said. “We still continue to
fi ce Manager Briece Edwards and love the land and will continue to
Cultural Consultant and Tribal care about what happens here. …
Elder Greg Archuleta drumming We have to put our minds, hearts
and singing. George then gave the and science together and learn how
invocation.
to preserve this area in a better
Tribal Council Chairwoman way.”
Cheryle A. Kennedy, who is a direct
Edwards and Archuleta briefed
descendant from two Rogue River attendees on southern Oregon Tribal
Treaty signers, welcomed Tribal places names that survive in print
guests.
today and how those names indicate
“We always look for people to part- a “preponderance of connection.”
ner with, who have the same heart,
“This is a multi-national place,”
the same gift of life so that we can Edwards said, explaining that Trib-
help one another because we are al names were not nouns, but action
all here together and we’re going to verbs for a certain place used for a
make this a better place,” she said. gathering, hunting, fi shing or other
Kennedy said the Rogue River cultural activity.
Tribes signed two treaties with the
“When understanding these places
federal government in 1853 and ’54 and the names, then we can under-
Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Tribal Council member Jack Giff en
Jr. passes out gifts to Lomakatsi
Restoration Project Tribal
Partnership Manager Belinda Brown,
left, and Restoration Project intern
Laliyah Watah at the end of the
eighth annual Coff ee & Conversation
held in Medford on Friday, Sept. 20.
The event commemorates the 1853
treaty signing at Table Rocks and the
2011 signing of a memorandum of
understanding with the Bureau of
Land Management and The Nature
Conservancy regarding management
of the Table Rocks area north of
Medford.
stand how this landscape was work-
ing and how this place here actually
connects with that place over there,”
Edwards said.
Archuleta also briefl y discussed
Tribal oral histories that have been
passed down through the ages from
the Rogue River and Chasta peoples.
“We do have strong connections to
here,” he said about the histories.
After the formal presentation, a
roundtable discussion centered on
the Tribal practices that help the en-
vironment, such as controlled burns
to reduce fuel levels in forestland,
and how to encourage tech-oriented
youth to reconnect with the land and
develop a sense of place and wonder.
Giffen said he hopes the Tribe and
organizations represented at the
Coffee & Conversation event will
work to return to the water and air
conditions that existed before the
Industrial Revolution of the 19th
century.
“We have to educate the entire
state population,” Giffen said. “To-
day, I can’t go up into any forest and
drink out of a creek. That’s not the
standard I want to see. Until we get
the general population to agree that
we want our water and our lands
cleaned up to the standards before
the Industrial Revolution, we’re just
spinning our wheels. … We don’t
want today’s standards. We want
where it was 150 years ago.”
George was hopeful, saying that
current children and grandchildren
will be the ones to make a true dif-
ference in healing the Earth.
“The foundation of what’s being
done today, they will fi nish,” he said.
Kennedy added that Native peo-
ples are always in the forefront
of opening the eyes of the powers
that be and raising environmental
awareness of all Oregonians.
“I believe it goes back to legends
that I heard growing up and those
legends were kind of warning signs,”
Kennedy said. “When we get so
misbehaving toward our sustainer,
which is the Earth, and we’re out of
control, then these things (natural
disasters) are to cleanse it and not
to punish us as people.
“The challenge for every one of us
is what we can do to raise awareness
of all Oregonians because I do be-
lieve they want to do what is right,
but they don’t know the situation
we are in.”
Ellie Cosgrove, program coordina-
tor of the Friends of Cascade-Siskiy-
ou Monument, said she is surprised
that today’s youth are not as inter-
ested in visiting the wilderness and
getting dirty.
“Being outside is not something
you need to be afraid of,” Cosgrove
said. “The only way to have appre-
ciation is to spend time out there.”
Molly Allen, environmental edu-
cation specialist with the Bureau of
Land Management, said she has led
hikes for approximately 75 youth up
Lower Table Rock as part of her job
to reconnect youth with the land.
Tribal staff who attended also in-
cluded Tribal Attorney Rob Greene
and Cultural Resources Department
archaeologist Cheryl Pouley.
NonTribal staff who attended
included Bureau of Land Man-
agement employees Molly Allen,
Teresa Trulock, Jen Sigler and
Elizabeth Burghard, Nature Con-
servancy representative Molly
Morison, Lomakatsi employees and
Pit River Tribal members Belinda
Brown and Laliyah Watah, and
Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou
Monument representatives Stasie
Maxwell, Shannon Browne and
Ellie Cosgrove.
After the event concluded, the
Tribe presented gift baskets to
attendees that included a Grand
Ronde logo coffee cup, chocolates and
reusable grocery bags.
Unlike in previous years, a cultur-
al encampment was not held nearby
along the shores of the Rogue River
or in the foothills of the Table Rocks.
However, Greene, Archuleta and
Tribal member Chris Rempel hiked
to the top of Lower Table Rock in the
afternoon. n
Friends of Cascades-Siskiyou National Monument Program Coordinator
Ellie Cosgrove makes a point about the importance of children making
a connection with the outdoors as Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National
Monument Board member Stasie Maxwell, left, and Tribal Council Secretary
Jon A. George look on during the eighth annual Coff ee & Conversation.