Illumination: Indigenous History of Springfield and Rural East Lane County

This presentation provides an overview of the Indigenous history of Springfield and rural east Lane County and is divided into three sections:

1. Early History to Removal (Pre-Contact to 1850s)
2. Assimilation Era to Termination (1860s - 1950s)
3. Contemporary History (1960s - 2020s)

Although the history begins thousands of years in the past, it opens with this 2023 photograph of the Painted Sky Northstar dance troupe to remind viewers that Native people are still a part of the present-day community.

Image Credit: Springfield Public Library

The above photograph shows members of the Painted Sky Northstar dance troupe at a 2023 performance in Day Island Park in Springfield. This collective of Native performers blends traditional music and dance with contemporary influences.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Dr. David G. Lewis for his extensive work documenting the history of the Willamette Valley tribes and for serving as an advisor for this presentation.

His book, Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley, goes into greater detail about the history of Oregon through the eyes of Indigenous people. It is available to purchase at most large and independent book retailers.

It is also  available to check out at the Springfield Public Library and can be viewed in the reading corner of the Springfield History Museum.

Dr. Lewis also writes about Oregon Indigenous history in the Quartux Journal of Critical Indigenous Perspectives at ndnhistoryresearch.com.