After a week of cold weather, McMinnville temperatures swung into the high 70s making for a perfect day for walking down to Cozine Creek to see the native camas flowers in bloom. All around and within the library, booths and vendors popped up for the daylong festival. On the sidewalk, Linfield artists painted camas flowers along the path for students and visitors to follow to Cozine Creek.

The camas flower is a plant local to the area, with a purple bud that typically blooms throughout April and June. The bulbs of the flower are rich in nutrients and are a First Food for the tribes within the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, including the Kalapuya. The celebration honors the history of the plant, and helps to promote conservation practices.

The Camas Festival kicked off with an introduction from professor Bill Fleeger, of the Department of Environmental Studies, as well as a speech from Cheryle A. Kennedy, a leader of the Grand Ronde Tribe. Kennedy thanked the community and the care that Linfield has put into caring for Camas, and hosting the event. She also remarked that this year’s Camas Festival had the first-ever indigenous makers market held in the area. During her speech, Kennedy bestowed beaded necklaces to Linfield faculty and staff that helped to put on the event, as a gift of gratitude.

Along with the makers market inside the library, there was also a display of Leland Butler’s photography installation, “Connect to the Land” that had previously been hosted within Linfield Art Gallery. Third Street Books had a table with a variety of indigenous authors, including “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Outside the library, beside Vivian Bull Music Center, attendees could purchase food from local indigenous restaurant “Javelina” which served fry bread tacos, corn husk cooked salmon and several other traditional Native dishes.

In the late afternoon, Kathy Cole did a reading of her children’s book, “Lackamas” which includes illustrations of the camas flower, and it describes the connection between the Grande Ronde Tribe and the flower.

To conclude the day, the library hosted a panel discussion titled, “Food Medicine: Reclaiming Indigenous Foodways and Sovereignty” which included three guest speakers each with different backgrounds in food, such as farmer and chef.

This year’s festival was bigger than it has ever been, and many students and community members came to enjoy the event.

If you want to learn more about the art installation, presented at the event, check out this other article:
Linfield Art Gallery hosts “Connect to the Land” by Leland Butler