October 3rd, 2025

Celebrating Indigenous Food and Traditions

Each October, when so many across the country celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day, the Ashland Food Co-op pauses to reflect on the land we call home, the people who've cared for it, and how food and connections to the land can help us return that inheritance in a positive way. This holiday isn’t just a request that we correct the record of history, but that we also plant a greater sense of home, appreciation, and responsibility. In southern Oregon, that means exploring the histories and teachings of the Shasta, Takelma, Latgawa, and other tribes whose ancestral lands include what is now Ashland.

Indigenous peoples in our region lived prior to Euro-American settlement in a deep relationship with food cycles and place. In the Rogue Valley and along the Table Rocks, the Takelma were sometimes called “Dagelma,” meaning “those who dwell by the river.” Life revolved around the waters and the changing seasons. Salmon filled their nets, while wild roots, berries, seeds, and game rounded out their meals. As the seasons changed, they followed the rhythms of the land, moving between elevations to fish, gather, hunt, and carefully store what they would need for the months ahead. Their activity wasn’t just for survival, but for reciprocity: farming soils, burning to maintain open meadows, incubating plant habitats, and honoring areas of ceremony. Their ways of tending the land remind us that we still have much to learn about balance, respect, and stewardship.

Deep disruption came in the mid-1800s: the Rogue River Wars of 1855–1856, when numerous Indigenous communities were forcibly relocated, treaties were violated, and war and disease devastated populations; the brief existence of the Table Rock Reservation was formed and abolished; and numerous descendants of these groups found themselves caught up in confederated treaties or relocated to other reservations. In spite of this break, Indigenous families still reside here, remember, revive language, and preserve cultural food traditions throughout Oregon today.

Food is one of the most powerful connections we have to memory, respect, and the planet itself. Here in Oregon, "first foods" like salmon, roots, berries, and game are still central to Indigenous food sovereignty.This work in southern Oregon centers on renewal: restoring native plants, rebuilding traditional harvesting, and restoring both cultural connections and care for the earth. By the fact that co-ops are community, we can be the change by learning about Indigenous foodways, finding Indigenous-grown produce when possible, and supporting organizations that uplift Native voices.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day reminds us that honoring the past is not only about memory, but also about the actions we take today. We encourage you and our community to become conscious of whose territory you stand on, to contribute financially to Native nonprofits, and to buy at Indigenous food producers. There's something good we can do towards reciprocity, justice, and healthier relations with people and places.

Sources:

  1. OSF Ashland Land Acknowledgment: https://www.osfashland.org/land-acknowledgment
     
  2. BLM Table Rocks History: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/recreation-activities/oregon-washington/tablerocks/cultural-history/regional-tribes
     
  3. Rogue River Wars: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_River_Wars
     
  4. Table Rock Reservation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_Rock_Indian_Reservation
     
  5. Travel Oregon – Indigenous Foods: https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/culture-history/celebrate-oregons-indigenous-foods/
     
  6. My Oregon – Indigenous Foodways in Southern Oregon: https://www.myoregon.gov/2022/12/20/how-indigenous-communities-are-reclaiming-knowledge-and-relationships-to-first-foods-in-southern-oregon/

 

More Co-op News

August 27th, 2020

Change for Good in September: Southern Oregon Land Conservancy

For the month of September, Ashland Food Co-op shoppers can round up at the register to support Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. Since 1973, SOLC has been working on multiple fronts to improve land quality and conservation for humans and nature alike. Check out some of the projects below that SOLC has been working on recently. And mark your calendar for Saturday, October 24, as SOLC hosts an Open Lands Day hike and tour on the Rogue River Preserve.

August 5th, 2020

Chatting about community giving with JPR's "Jefferson Exchange"

Recently, Julie O'Dwyer, Ashland Food Co-op board vice-president, joined a panel of guests on Jefferson Public Radio's "Jefferson Exchange" to discuss how the pandemic has led to an even greater need for community giving and support of local non-profits.

JPR logo

July 7th, 2020

Get to know Ashland Emergency Food Bank

The sixth cooperative principle, "Concern for Community," has become even more important since the pandemic began and economies, locally and globally, started to constrict. To address this, the Board of Directors agreed in April to release 100% of patronage dividends and designate Ashland Emergency Food Bank as a donation option for those dividends - resulting in over $20,000 in donations. And with the early launch of Change for Good register round-up, AEFB was a natural choice to receive round-up donations. 

June 15th, 2020

2020 Co-op Election Results

2020 Co-op Election Results

Ashland Food Co-op owners voted for three open seats on the Board of Directors, and for ten non-profit organizations for the Change for Good register round-up program.

Click a name below to read more about that Co-op Board member.

May 26th, 2020

Co-op Owners Step-Up to Support the Ashland Emergency Food Bank!

AFC and AEFB Press Release - Local Strength!

Release Date: 5-26-2020

In April, the Ashland Food Co-op Board of Directors announced to the community that the Co-op would be returning 100% of the 2019 Patronage Dividend to its owners. The 100% Patronage Dividend return to Co-op owners converted to over $628,000.

The Co-op Board felt in this time of great need it was not the right time for the Co-op to put away funds for the future, but rather to support owners fully so they may have more strength to weather these stormy times.

May 20th, 2020

Free Monday Night Lectures - virtual and recorded

Thanks to the many agile and adaptable experts in the Rogue Valley, the much-loved Free Monday Night Lectures live on - even if everything is moving online.

While we miss seeing community members with a joy of learning showing up at the Co-op Classroom, we hope these recordings teach and inspire you. 

 

May 8th, 2020

Open letter from AFC Board on Coronavirus Policies

The Ashland Food Co-op has played a critical role supporting our community for nearly 50 years by providing healthy food and a safe place to shop. With the recent COVID-19 shutdown, this support has been even more important and has stretched our organization in ways that we could not have anticipated. We have endeavored to address the needs of both our staff and our customers, hopefully in the most cooperative manner.

May 4th, 2020

Owner Voting on 2020 Co-op Board & more

As an owner of the Ashland Food Co-op, you are an important decision-maker in the leadership of the Co-op! A vital part of your ownership is voting for the Board of Directors.

On the ballot: Vote for Board Candidates and Change for Good Organizations

Vote for Board Candidates
This year, four candidates are nominated for three Board positions: each elected Board director will serve a three-year term. The candidates are Ed Claassen, Mark Gibbs, Carolina Livi and Julie O'Dywer.