Honoring the Indigenous History of the Mohawk Valley
A Land With a Long Memory
The forest surrounding Tipi Village is part of the ancestral homeland of the Kalapuyan peoples. The Mohawk band, known as Pee-you, lived along the Mohawk River, tending to these lands through seasonal gathering, hunting, fishing, and careful stewardship of the natural world.
Colonization brought disease, displacement, and the loss of ancestral lands. In 1855, the Mohawk and other Kalapuyan bands were included in a treaty that ceded nearly the entirety of the Willamette Valley to the United States, followed by forced removal to reservations.
As we gather here today, we honor the people who have known and cared for this valley for generations beyond our imagining. We hold deep gratitude for the opportunity to spend time on this living, storied land.
