The Land & People
Located in the Illinois Valley of Southern Oregon lies the home of our gathering. We are nestled alongside the Illinois River, just east of the Rogue River and Siskiyou National Forest. The climate and biodiversity of this area over time have created a very abundant environment for a wide variety of plants and animals to thrive, and therefore, a home to humans for a very long time.
Cedar Bloom sits on the original land of the Takelma People. We have an understanding of the privilege and give thanks daily for the opportunity to be in connection with these lands. We are in a continuing relationship of educating ourselves through connection, listening, research, and story sharing with the Takelma people of the Illinois River valley region. We are committed to continuing to build relationships and welcome all Takelma people to share their story and visit these lands to be held and honored amongst the forest and human kin that dwell here.
Jennie, a Rogue River Takelma woman, who crafted the dress worn in this iconic Peter Britt portrait.
Group of Takelma Native Women and Children, Oregon, circa 1880.
Members of the Confederate Tribes of Siletz Indians at SOU celebrate 2019’s Indigenous People’s day.
Takelma means “those who dwell along the river.”
For thousands of years, the Takelma people lived in the Illinois and Rogue River valleys, what is now known as Josephine County. They lived in small bands close to the land. Interior southwest Oregon has pronounced seasons and the ancient Takelma adapted to these seasons by spending spring, summer and early fall months collecting and storing food for the winter season.
Salmon was central to their food source and way of life. The salmon diet was supplemented by game, such as deer, elk, beaver, bear, antelope and bighorn sheep. Smaller mammals, such as squirrels, rabbits and gophers, might have been snared by both men and women. They gathered the root of the Camas plant, part of the asparagus family, as well as acorns from the two native species of Oaks, the Oregon white oak and California black oak. Other vegetation included manzanita berries, pine nuts, tarweed seeds, wild plums and sunflowers. The Takelma are also known to have cultivated a native tobacco plant, but otherwise relied on the fruits of the wilderness for their survival. The main utensils included horn, bone and wood-made implements and a great variety of baskets constructed generally by twining on a hazel warp. Stone was used in the making of arrowheads and pestles. The clothing and personal adornment of the Takelma was similar to the tribes of northern California. Notable characteristics include facial painting, red-headed woodpecker scalps for men and basket caps for women. The women also tattooed the skin in three stripes and men tattooed the left arm.
European Settlement of the Illinois Valley began by the 1830’s, as the gold and logging industries developed. By the end of 1856, the traditional residents of the Rogue and Illinois River valleys were forcibly removed and relocated to both the Siletz Reservation on the central Oregon coast, and the Grand Ronde Reservation. The Takelma were joined on the reservations by their neighbors, the Athapaskans and the Shasta, as well as tribes from even farther away, such as the Coos and Tillamook. It is reported that by 1906 less than ten Takelma were alive and able to speak their native language.
In 1954, one hundred years after the western Oregon Indians were removed to the Grand Ronde Reservation; the indigenous peoples were subjected to the final effort by the United States to colonize the remainder of their lands through Federal termination policy. The permanent Grand Ronde Reservation, settled in 1855 and established by presidential executive order in 1857, was terminated by Congress, and the tribal people lost their Federal recognition. The seven ratified treaties that ceded to the United States millions of acres of land, most of western Oregon, which was occupied by over 60 tribal nations, were nullified. These 60 tribes were declared by Congress to be assimilated, and termination was enacted to free them from continued government management and oppression. In western Oregon, native people appeared to cease to exist, and for 29 years the Grand Ronde descendants suffered disenfranchisement and a multitude of social problems. The reservation’s tribal cultures, languages, and community were severely fractured and much was lost. Terminated tribal members were rejected by other tribes as having willingly sold out to the Federal government. During the post-termination era, despite all of the problems the tribal members faced, they found ways to survive and worked to restore the tribe. In 1983, the Grand Ronde Tribe was restored.
Source: Lewis, David Gene. “Termination of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon: Politics, Community, Identity.” Order No. 3356586 University of Oregon, 2009. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 29 Oct. 2019.
The restoration of the Grand Ronde Reservation in 1983 was made possible entirely through grassroots efforts by indigenous peoples and their allies. These grassroots efforts are the culmination of exhaustive efforts to solidify the space for indigenous people to carry their way of live forward.
In 1994, for the first time in over 140 years, an ancient ceremony took place to welcome home and give thanks for the returning salmon, on the Kanaka Flats of the Applegate River. People of all heritages were welcomed at the annual Salmon Gathering on the Applegate River until 2006. In 2007, the ceremony was moved to the place where it was held for thousands of years: the Tilomikh (Powerhouse Falls), on the Rogue River near Gold Hill, Oregon. Since then, the ceremony has taken place annually in its traditional location, demonstrating that the Takelma culture is alive and will continue into the future.
In 2019, Members of the Confederate Tribes of Siletz Indians celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, hosted by Southern Oregon University for native students, nonnative students, and community members. After a traditional salmon bake and ceremonial music performance, an Intergenerational Activism Panel concluded the event.
It’s imperative that as settlers of these lands, we both acknowledge and support the continued efforts of the local tribes who first stewarded this land, and continue to live and thrive in Southern Oregon today.
Today, Takelma descendents continue to reside on or near the Siletz and Grand Ronde reservations. Agnes Baker Pilgrim brought back the Salmon Ceremony to Southern Oregon and known to locals as the ‘Keeper of the Sacred Salmon Ceremony. Agnes, one of the oldest grandmothers of the International Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, returned to the Rogue Valley and though she passed in 2019, her voice can be heard strong and clear, proving that the spirit and blood of her people are still with us.
We were deeply honored to welcome Grandma Aggie Baker Pilgrim and her daughter Nadine to Spirit Weavers in June 2019 for our 7th Annual Gathering. Grandma came to share her stories and offer a land blessing for Cedar Bloom, a moment that continues to ripple through all who were present.
That following September, we had the privilege of hosting Grandma’s 95th birthday celebration at Cedar Bloom, surrounded by her family who traveled from near and far to honor her life and legacy. During the gathering, we gifted Grandma a mural of her likeness, painted by artist Maggie Lochtenberg, in recognition of her wisdom, grace, and lifelong dedication to the Earth. The day was filled with song, ceremony, and heartfelt celebration.
Just a few months later, on November 27, 2019, Grandma Aggie transitioned from this Earth, leaving behind a radiant spirit that continues to guide and inspire us all.
In June 2022, we were blessed to once again welcome her granddaughter Tanya and daughter Nadine to the land for ceremony and prayer. As we move forward in this new chapter without Grandma’s physical presence, we continue to honor her family and lineage. The land remains open to them for fishing, hunting, gathering, and prayer, for this is, and always will be, their ancestral homeland.
We hold a deep sense of gratitude to be stewards of this sacred place. One of our core visions for Cedar Bloom is to protect and preserve its cultural and environmental heritage. We are in the process of placing the land into a conservation trust, ensuring that no logging or future development will occur. For generations to come, we will continue to learn how to live in right relationship with the natural world, for the greater good of the people, the plants, and the animals who depend upon it.
You can donate to Grandma’s Legacy Fund here: https://agnesbakerpilgrim.org/join-our-team/donate/
THE OFFERINGS
Cathedrals of Oak, Madrone, Fir, and Cedar, wide grasslands, and river front meadows will hold us gently as we sleep under the stars together. Wandering trails meander throughout the land offering you a glimpse of our resident fox, deer, and turkeys, as well as hundreds of different Plant species. Several food gardens and our greenhouse provide an opportunity to deepen relationships to the food we consume and the beauty of cut flowers we are enamored by.
THE MAGIC
The magic and depth of the forest stretch in every direction. The waters of the Springtime sky bring subtle rainbows of forest flowers accenting the endless beauty of this exquisite land. As the Summer comes, an abundance of berries, blooms of wildflowers, and wild edibles adorn their land with their nourishment. We can swim to the middle of the river, sit upon mermaid rock or lay upon our floating dock while the sun kisses our skin. The land we gather on and the Illinois River that runs for almost a mile upon the shores, is a hidden gem amongst the valley. We have been told that the land holds one of the best swimming holes in all of Southern Oregon.
THE STILLNESS
The beauty and stillness of this natural forest sanctuary makes it the perfect place to retreat, renew, and reconnect with our nature and each other. The opportunity to sit, listen, and receive the teachings of our plant, animal, and beyond human kin, provides the possibilities to continue to remember the Wisdom of the Forest within us.
PLANT & ANIMAL RELATIONS
We are deeply fortunate to be surrounded by a rich and diverse community of plants and animals. As caretakers of this sacred land, we hold a strong responsibility to honor our more-than-human kin — not only by protecting their habitats, but by educating and inspiring others to recognize and cherish them as well.
Through the gatherings and retreats held here, we offer opportunities for visitors to learn from and commune with the living world, to experience firsthand the beauty, intelligence, and generosity of this ecosystem. We feel grateful to take part in this ongoing exchange — helping to foster a sustainable and abundant future for all beings by sharing knowledge, skills, and ways of living that draw from ancestral wisdom and guide us toward balance.
Practicing reciprocal relationship with the plant and animal worlds is a continual part of our stewardship. We strive to keep these relations alive and felt — woven through every layer of our community, both seen and unseen.
The plant life here is incredibly diverse. This land is home to native grasses, ferns, berries, and wildflowers, as well as an abundance of edible and medicinal plants and fungi including mugwort, self-heal, elderberry, rose hips, hawthorn, blackberries, wild mint, lemon balm, yarrow, soap root, and a variety of mushrooms.
The tree community is a vibrant blend of hardwoods such as manzanita, madrone, and several species of oak, standing alongside mature fir, pine, cedar, alder, maple, and fruit trees. Each species contributes to the balance and vitality of this thriving ecosystem.
With thoughtful attention to the management of non-native and invasive plants, Spirit Weavers remains devoted to maintaining a healthy, biodiverse forest where native species and wildlife can continue to flourish.
LIVING IN RECIPROCITY
Flowing through all we do is the understanding that the land is not something we own — it is something we are in relationship with. The trees, the plants, the river, and the animals are our teachers and allies, showing us how to live in harmony, humility, and care.
Through ongoing stewardship, ceremony, and daily tending, we seek to honor the spirit of place and to live in gratitude for the abundance it provides. Our hope is that every person who visits this land feels that same connection, a remembrance that we are all part of one living web, sustained by the generosity of the Earth.