Culture Taught at Local Elementary Schools

Elementary children in Roseburg are learning more about the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe by having staff come into their schools and teach about historical Tribal ways of life.

In October, Education Programs Officer Jesse Jackson visited several local schools, including Fullerton Elementary, and spoke in front of school-wide assemblies about Cow Creek Umpqua culture.

At Fullerton, Jackson taught students about traditional family units that were ruled by mothers and grandmothers as household decision makers, and how bands traveled with the seasons to source plants and wildlife for food and resources to survive through harsh winters.

Jackson taught students that storytelling was one of the most important methods of passing down knowledge between generations. He called upon 3rd grade Tribal citizen Jasper Campman to help him tell a traditional story about coyote, who lured salmon onto the land to dance and play, teaching students about patience and respect when fishing.