Fourth and tenth graders from Central Point, Oregon, visit the Klamath Tribes

CHILOQUIN, Ore. – Jewett Elementary School fourth graders and Crater High School tenth graders visited the Klamath Tribes today as part of an educational field trip to learn about the Klamath Tribes. It was a two-hour bus ride from Central Point, Oregon, to Chiloquin, and the first stop was a visit to the Tribes Administration building and auditorium for an overview of the Tribes. From there, the students visited Ambodat to view c’waam and koptu suckers at the fish-rearing facility.

Tristan Webb, a teacher at Jewett Elementary School, was one of the chaperones on the trip. “We’re here today to have the kids learn a little bit more about the Klamath Tribes. In fourth grade,” he said. “We study the Native Americans of the whole state of Oregon, and having this opportunity for them to come and learn from the Tribes and see what they’re doing today and learn a little bit about their history and what they’re doing to try and restore some of the traditions and culture that they used to have. And just give them an enriching opportunity to learn a little bit more about what’s going on in the state of Oregon right now.”

Webb said the Native American studies for the fourth graders are part of the Common Core State Standards implemented at the elementary school. He said the trip was coordinated by Crater High School tenth-grade teacher Ana Parra. “They came up with this field trip for us to have this opportunity to come in and learn and share and enrich the students’ lives,” he said. “And hopefully, they can take back some of the things they learned and share it with some of their families, friends, and other students at our schools.”

Para said the tenth graders participate in an outdoor program that includes learning about Native American tribes. They scheduled a language lesson at the Culture and Heritage Center as part of the field trip. “I really wanted them to learn that it’s a real place and that there’s a government,” she said, “and there are different programs for the people and to learn that there are other people in the U.S. learning another language and trying to conserve their culture and their language as well. Just like they are.”

Osvaldo Vargas is a tenth-grader at Crater High School. He was especially appreciative of seeing c’waam and koptu suckers for the first time. “We’ve been learning about it for about a week now in class,” he said. “It’s cool looking at the fish and learning about them and their environment. And, yeah, it’s been pretty cool.”

Harper Madson, also a tenth grader at Crater High School, said she learned about the Klamath Tribes government during a presentation in the auditorium in the morning. “I learned a lot about the Klamath government and how they take care of their community,” she said. “It’s also interesting to learn about the different fish species that are under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Endangered Species Act.”

Both Madson and Vargas said they are interested in a career in environmental science.

Fourth graders from Jewett Elementary School look on as Ambodat staff put c’waam and koptu suckers into a transfer tank. The students were joined by tenth graders from Crater High School on a field trip to Chiloquin to learn about the Klamath Tribes. (Ken Smith/Klamath Tribes)