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United States Department of Agriculture
Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region
Umpqua National Forest

MEDICINE CREEK ROCK ART
A WINDOW ON THE AMERICAN INDIAN PAST

[image: horse and rider rock art]

Rock art - paintings and engravings on cave and cliff walls - was made by peoples all over the world In Oregon, American Indians made rock art during religious ceremonies. Their rock art sites are places of power that provide a window into their beliefs.

The rock paintings at Medicine Creek record the rituals of the American Indians in southwestern Oregon, people who have lived in this region for more than 8,000 years.

Medicine Creek Cave: A Place of Supernatural Power
Rock at sites are considered religous places of supernaturla power. Medicine creek most likely received its name because of the rock art site: "medicine" was often a translation for "supernatural power."

[image: Drawing of rock art site with various figures.]

Horse and Rider
The horse and riders painted at this site tell us that it was created sometime during the last 250 years, when horses were first brought into southern Oregon.

[image: horse and rider rock art]

Human Figure
Shamans commonly saw human-like spirits during their visions. These ( may have been interpreted as ghosts (spirits of the dead), humanlike supernatural beings, or even animal spirits that had "shape shifted" into human form. These stick-figure humans are among the most common motifs made by shamans to portray their visions.

[image: human rock art figure]

Paint from Various Pigments
The rock paintings, or pictographs, were often made with red ochre, a natural mineral earth pigment. This was mixed with oil or animal fat, and applied to the cave wall with the fingers, a frayed stick, or with a brush made from the tail of a small animal. Some paintings were also made from a dry chunk of ochre, used like a crayon or chalk.

Other figures at this site, and other sites in the region, have yellow or blue-green pictographs, made from other mineral pigments. Black paintings were most often made with charcoal.

Vandalism
Vandalism, the defacing of rock art sites, destroys not only individual images but damages the entire rock art panel. Some of the chalk tracings of pictographs done over twenty years ago can still be found on this panel. Please show respect by not touching rock art anywhere.

Spirit Figure
"Mask" or "face" figures have exaggerated facial features. No two figures are alike, a notable contrast to the sameness of many other art forms. This suggests that they represent the artists highly individualized perception of their guardian spirit.[image: masklike human face] The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDAs TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

American Indian Life in the North Umpqua Area

A Life of Hunting and Gathering
The American Indians of southwestern Oregon were hunter-gatherers. Their food included wild plants, deer, elk, and especially salmon and trout that are common in this region. The abundance of these resources allowed American Indians to establish large and stable populations and villages. Archaeological studies show that some of the campsites in the Umpqua National Forest were occupied as many as 8,000 years ago.

A Tribal Boundary Area
The Umpqua River Basin was occupied by the Southern Molalla, Cow Creek, Yoncalla Kalapuya and Umpqua tribes. The boundaries of the tribes were much more fluid than those drawn for counties today. Although each of these groups spoke a different language, their cultures and lifeways were similar. They were organized into bands, often led by a headman, who was recognized as the wisest and sometimes oldest member of the group. Each band traveled from one location to the next in order to harvest the food resources that became available with the changing seasons.

[image: horse rock art]

Shamanism: The Foundation of the Ancient Rock Art Forms
The religion of the American Indians of the Umpqua basin was shamanism. Their beliefs centered around a shaman, a medicine man or woman, who could cure illness, foretell the future, influence the weather, control game, and sometimes even bewitch enemies. Shamans did these things by entering the supernatural world in a trance and having visions. Wild tobacco, smoked after days of fasting, was a common way that the shaman achieved a trance-like state.

[image: rock art of a human by a fire]

The Shaman's Supernatural Visions
Rock art was made by shamans to portray the visions that they received while in the supernatural world. The paintings may show the shaman's spirit helpers, or animal spirits, that imparted supernatural power. Geometric patterns are often seen during a vision. These were often believed to represent images of supernatural power.

Sometimes a shaman even painted images of enemies they were trying to bewitch. In other parts of the west, shamans are known to have made rock art of horses and riders - pictures of Euro-Americans - to bewitch the new migrants who were taking over their lands. Southern Oregon experienced great strife during the 19th century, culminating in the Rogue River Indian Wars. Some of the paintings at Medicine Creek may have been made by a shaman hoping to influence the outcome of battles.

Help Us Protect Our Cultural Heritage Sites
The rock art at Medicine Creek, and other sites, is very fragile and is protected by law. What has lasted for hundreds and, in some cases, thousands, of years can be destroyed in a few moments.Please help us preserve this, and other archaeological sites, by following a few guidelines.
Show Respect
This site is important to the American Indians of this area.
Please Don't Touch
Oils from your hands contribute to the destruction of the art.
Keep Dust and Smoke Away
Dust and smoke build up on the rock and obscure the drawings.
Keep the Site Intact
Disturbing, defacing, or looting an archaeological site is against the law. These activities destroy our cultural heritage.

Please report any illegal activities you see to your local Ranger Station or call (541) 957-3462 or (541) 672-6601.

Umpqua National Forest
2900 NW Stewart Parkway
Roseburg, OR 97470
UMP-04-08

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