Organizers of the "Willamette Wetlands of the Kalapuya" mural (L to R): Lisa Arkin, Exec. Director of Beyond Toxics; Susan Applegate, Mural Designer, Artist and Painter; Nancy Bray, Friendly Area Neighbors Equity Action Team Chairperson; Jennifer Eisele, Beyond Toxics Pesticide Project Manager; Esther Stutzman, Kalapuya Descendent and Project Consultant

"Willamette Wetlands of the Kalapuya" mural nears completion, Spring 2022

Susan Applegate, mural designer, artist and painter

Do we have this man's name?

Photo by Lisa Arkin?

Finished mural, June 2022. Photo by Emily Matlock

Detail: L: A woman uses the woven hand-held paddle to thrash the seeds from the burned plants following the intentional fire burning. R: A woman uses the woven hand-held paddle to thrash the seeds from the burned plants following the intentional fire burning. a Kalapuya woman digging for the camas bulb, And’ip. The camas bulbs are dug with a pointed, fire-hardened yew stick.

Detail: The dancer in the center circle depicts this ceremony. He holds a rattle made of deer hooves and wears leather bands holding red tail hawk feathers. Sometimes eagle feathers were used by the dancer. The bright red head feathers of the Pileated woodpecker were attached to hides of river otter or mink and were worn as a head piece for the ceremonial dancer. In this dancer’s leather headband are flicker feathers.

Mural detail: As summer turns to autumn, the oak trees shed their acorns. Sometimes climbers would ascend into the trees to prune branches full of acorns that then fell to the ground, ready to be gathered.