In Search of Indians

The John Day Fossil park is a geological treasure. The Visitors Center and historic homestead across the road have an astounding collection of plant and mammal fossils, bones, seeds, minerals, rocks etc. etc. There's also farming equipment and early settlers' home items and books. What is hard to find though is information about Native Americans that lived in the area.

So history from 45-15 million years ago and from 100-150 years ago, easy, but what about 300 or 500 or ?? Not so much.

So after spending Thursday morning at the Visitors Center looking for info on Native people of the area, followed by working on my last painting, unfinished, of Sheep Rock...

I packed up my apartment at Lands Inn and spent my last night in the airplane hangar!

Farewell sweet, beautiful overly affectionate kitty. Goodbye road hogging cows!

I'm so grateful for the wonderful hospitality and beautiful location of Lands Inn. I can't imagine a better place to stay in the area. Friday morning, car packed, apartment and kitchen cleaned, I headed down that 5 mile gravel road one last time.

Just about the time I was leaving the Ochoco Forest I could smell smoke. The sky was sooty orange brown, somewhere nearby was a wildfire. Very glad I was off the mountain!

Still in search of information on any Native American Indian Tribes from the region, I headed North to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation to meet with the curator at their Museum.

I didn't learn a lot but did come away with a general area to begin my search: the Paiute Indians were very likely in the John Day River area. It was also suggested to me that I visit the High Desert Museum in Bend.

Good thing I was headed that way!

At the High Desert Museum I saw snakes and spiders and eagles and an interpretive Indian life exhibit but didn't learn much more other than the Paiutes were a nomadic, seasonal tribe: traveling for root, salmon, eel and berry seasons. 

I think my best bet for information, particularly any native storytelling, will be found in an online search ;)

Nice to be back in Bend. Saw a section of the Deschutes River here in town that was set up with obstacles to simulate rapids and people "white water" kayaking through that area, looked like a lot of fun!! I opted for a 90 minute massage ;)