Written by Professor Douglas Deur, associate research professor of anthropology at Portland State University.

Introduction​

​Newberry, John Day, Cascade-Siskiyou and Oregon Caves: all of Oregon’s national monuments hold special significance to Native American tribes. Among the state’s most distinctive, beautiful, and resource-rich landscapes, these places have stood apart, inspiring people across generations. In the high mountains of Oregon’s southwest and in high deserts east of the Cascades, these have long been places to live, harvest, pray, and celebrate among Oregon’s tribal communities.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

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​​​​​​​Newberry National Volcanic Monument is a place of exceptionally ancient significance. Over 10,000 years ago, this was the site of village settlements and camps, as well as important hunting grounds. Across time, the spring waters that bubbled to the surface here, and the lakes of Newberry Crater—Paulina and East Lake—sustained residents and visitors alike. ​​

Continue reading: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument >​​

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​Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

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​​​​​​​Many tribes’ traditional lands have also converged in the mountainous lands now managed as part of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, near the crest of Oregon’s southern Cascade Range. Shastas, Takelmas and Klamaths have considered parts of the Monument home, though the lands also sit within close proximity to other tribes of the Rogue and Klamath Basins who often visited this part of the Cascade crest.