The University of Oregon is located on Kalapuya ilihi, the traditional indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people.

Following treaties between 1851 and 1855, Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their indigenous homeland by the United States government and forcibly removed to the Coast Reservation in Western Oregon.

Today, Kalapuya descendants are primarily citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and they continue to make important contributions to their communities, to the UO, to Oregon, and to the world.
Coast Fork, Willamette River, Kalapuya ilihi
Air, Water, Land 
Native/Indigenous, Black, and Afro-Descendent Relationalities and Activism 
November 4, 2021
November 23 5:30pm to 7:30pm 
EMU Ballroom


Tracie Jackson is an UO Alum and  Indigenous designer focused on the intersectionality between culture, sport, and design
November 18 2:00pm to 2:50pm
EMU, Duck Nest (Room 041)
“Formed in 2010 under the direction of Dr. Tom Ball (Klamath/Modoc), Native Strategies is the oldest strategies group on campus. Composed of over 40 Indigenous and allied faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members, Native Strategies has spearheaded a diverse array of initiatives to build institutional capacity, foster intellectual community, increase curricular offerings, amplify Native visibility and programming, and support the recruitment, retention, and well-being of Native faculty, staff, and students at the UO.” Read more about the Native American Strategies groups and how community has provided support this past year, the challenges and hopes they have now and for the future, and more.
Native American Strategies Group
Dr. Yvette Alex-Assensoh
Vice President
Division of Equity And Inclusion
The summer of 2020 brought a level of consciousness to American society that many haven’t seen in decades. This included increased attention to Indigenous issues. Among other subjects that finally broke into the mainstream, we are now engaging with concepts like “land back” and Indigenous sovereignty, integrating land acknowledgements into public events, removing offensive Indian mascots and addressing other issues that have long gone ignored in the name of Indigenous erasure. Read more
Alumni Shout Out
Jana Schmieding is the breakout star and a writer on the sitcom, Rutherford Falls. She is a member of the Lakota tribe and is a comedian, actress, podcaster, and writer. She graduated from the UO with a degree in theatre arts in 2005.
Native American Heritage Month, also referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, has its roots in the early 20th century. In 1915, the annual congress of the American Indian Association directed its president to ask the U.S. to observe American Indian Day. The U.S. government didn't act until 1983, when President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 13 American Indian Day, and in 1990 President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month.
Auntie Way Writing Retreat
Michelle M. Jacob, Ph.D. (Yakama), Professor of Indigenous Studies, Co-Director, Sapsik'ʷałá (Teacher) Education Program program, conducts the Auntie Way Writing retreat. This year with the support of Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Yvette Alex-Assensoh, and Vice Provost of Graduate Studies and head of the newly created Division of Graduate Studies, Krista Chronister, one hundred and forty UO graduate students will participate in the retreat
Native American Heritage Month at the UO
Hear from UO members Nicole Barney, Klamath Tribal member and Roshelle Weiser-Nieto, Klamath Tribal member, Modoc Yahooskin Paiute; UO student Stacia Henry, Paiute and the Native American Strategies Group. Read about our alumni, the Auntie Way Writing Retreat and more.
Division of Equity and Inclusion