The Willamette Valley has gone through many structural changes in the past 200 years. Using ethnographic records, researchers have been able to reconstruct the lifeways of the Kalapuyans and other tribes from the valley. Dr. David G. Lewis, author of Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley, presents new discoveries on the importance of cultural fire and water in the environment and shares ways of understanding how the tribes lived and thrived in the valley.   

David G. Lewis, Ph.D., is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and a descendant of the Takelma, Chinook, Molalla, and Santiam Kalapuya peoples of western Oregon. Dr. Lewis is an assistant professor of Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at OSU and has written over 500 research essays about the histories of the western Oregon tribes and Northwest Coastal peoples. Read more about Dr. Lewis's work on his blog, the Quartux Journal.   

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp