Beyond settler history: New book explores the story of Willamette Valley’s Indigenous tribes

When students learn about Oregon’s history, the narrative of the land’s Native people often takes a backseat to the stories of the European settlers on the Oregon Trail or the Gold Rush. A new book aims to add perspective to that narrative. “Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley” is a detailed account of the numerous tribes that ended up confederated at the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation in the mid-1850s. The author, Dr. David Lewis, is an assistant professor of anthropology and Indigenous studies at Oregon State University and a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.

The book weaves together the first encounters between settlers and tribes, the painful dispossession of tribal lands, and the lasting impact of assimilation efforts. Lewis paints a vivid picture of resilience in the face of colonization.