Ikanum are traditional stories. One such story from Victoria Howard of Grand Ronde is told about the area around Lake Oswego. The story tells of a particularly hostile winter, in which cold and starvation threatened the entire village of k̓ašxəʼkšix (kosh-huk-shix). The headman of the village travelled to Willamette Falls in search of food. He returned with eels, and instructed the people on how to prepare and cook them. Those who followed his instructions survived. Those who did not, starved, and were turned to stone. - Clackamas texts
History
Since time immemorial, people have the area of Lake Oswego. The city encompasses the traditional land of the Clow-we-wal-la Band of Tum-water Indians of Willamette Falls, the Clackamas Chinook from the east side of the Willamette River, and the Tualitin Kalapuya from the Northern Willamette Valley.
The Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855, resulted in the removal of these people to the Grande Ronde Indian Reservation. The descendants of these people are members of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, located an hour and half west of Lake Oswego in the town of Grande Ronde, Oregon.
(Sidebar:)
Victoria Howard was a Molalla/Clackamas woman who was born at Grand Ronde in 1865. She became an invaluable source of information for Anthropologist Melville Jacobs who interviewed Mrs. Howard extensively for her vast knowledge of local languages, songs, and traditional storytelling. These interviews resulted in numerous
publications and recordings, preserving a critical piece of Oregon and local native history, spanning back to mythological times.
Comments 0 comments