PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Linfield University is offering the chance to learn about the history of purple camas lilies and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Rhonde at the second annual Camas Festival.
The fest starts with an art exhibit in the Linfield Art Gallery with images of camas and their history. The exhibit is in conjunction with the current “lakamas” exhibit featuring works from three artists from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Rhonde.
One guest artist described the abundance of camas that used to grow in the area noting, “it would start to look like a river flowing.”
The artist added, “the camas bulb was a traditional food for the Kalapuya people that lived here and it’s important because it was really a part of their survival. The bulb is a really starchy nutrient and so it was our main source of starches.”
The fest also includes tours of camas patches in the Cozine Creek wilderness area led by tribal representatives. Students helped restore the creek by getting rid of invasive plants such as English ivy and Himalayan blackberry, which helped camas thrive.
“That’s when we contacted the Grand Rhonde community and asked if they’d be interested in helping us to celebrate our backyard ecosystems and the importance of these places to both the people that live here as well as everything else that uses these areas,” a Linfield University environmental studies professor told KOIN 6 News.
The Camas Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Linfield University in McMinnville.