About the Author

Riley Rice

Riley Rice is a multimedia storyteller from Southern Oregon's Umpqua Valley and a member of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians. He is interested in Oregon's Indigenous history, rural culture and ample outdoor opportunities. He's an expedition climber, avid backcountry splitboarder and casual mountain biker. When he's not working on a story, he teaches mountaineering at a wilderness school.

Keeping a Native Language and Culture Alive

May 17, 2024
Raised by his grandparents on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Jefferson Greene heard the melody of his ancestral language in the ceremonies his grandparents hosted in the traditional longhouse outside of their home. For them, and many Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs tribal elders in their generation, English is a second language. They grew up speaking Ichishkíin, one of the languages of the original inhabitants of the Columbia River Plateau. More
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Central Oregon , Warm Springs , Native American Culture , Tribal Nations , Culture & History ,

Inspiring Pride in Place: Telling Stories About Us, From Us

April 18, 2023
The Klamath and Modoc creation stories Paul Wilson learned as a child are old: They stretch further back in time than the formation of Giiwas (Crater Lake) 7,700 years ago. Learning and carrying on those stories deepened his relationship to the Klamath Basin, the place his relatives have inhabited for thousands of years.  The more he explored his landscape, the more Wilson found that words fell short. So he picked up a camera. “My journey with photography was inspired by the relationships that my dad... More
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Klamath Basin , Klamath Falls , Native American Culture , Photography , Tribal Nations , Culture & History , Cities & Regions ,

Oregon Tribal Spotlight: Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians

February 9, 2022
Recognized by the federal government as the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, these original inhabitants are one of Oregon’s nine Indigenous nations, and they live in and steward the same rivers, tidal flats, forests and fields as their ancestors have for thousands of years. More
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Oregon Coast , Florence , Native American Culture , Culture & History ,

Oregon Tribal Spotlight: Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians

August 5, 2021
Hidden beyond the steep, oak-savannah hillsides that surround Interstate 5 are Southern Oregon’s greatest treasures. Stands of old-growth Douglas fir trees tower above lush pocket valleys, springtime wildflowers turn grass oceans blue, and summertime huckleberries grow fat and purple on the bush. More
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Southern Oregon , Roseburg , Native American Culture , Culture & History ,