Amplify Leadership Advisors resides on land in Ashland, Oregon, which is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples, whose descendants are now identified as members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon.

In the 1850s, these Tribes were displaced when colonization and the Gold Rush brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. Starting in 1853, treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together, who would be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. 

These treaties ceded most of the people’s homelands to the United States, and in return, they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from Western Oregon were removed from their land to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation.

The result of forced relocation and genocide is that the community of Ashland, Oregon is no longer a population center for these specific tribal groups. As of the 2020 Census 4.6% of the population of our county has some indigenous heritage—while this is more than twice the national average, it is a significant reduction from the pre-colonial 100%. We acknowledge that indigenous groups are too often relegated to the historical past when, in truth, indigenous people are essential members of our community.

We encourage you to learn about the land you reside on, to take the time to learn and reflect about our past, our present and our future relationship with the indigenous peoples of this land, and to advocate for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people. 

RESOURCES

Learn about the indigenous tribes who resided on the land you reside on.

Native Governance Center creates accessible, introductory-level resources on a variety of topics related to sovereignty, governance, and nation rebuilding. Their guide to indigenous land acknowledgements is essential.


The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture is a people-powered department — a grassroots action network inciting creativity to shape a culture of empathy, equity, and belonging.  Learn more about the USDAC here.