Education

Roseburg Schools to begin granting credit for learning Oregon tribe’s Native language

KLCC | By Brian Bull

Published June 22, 2026 at 7:12 AM PDT

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The Takelma word for "family" is shown in a board book.

Provided by Lindsay Campman, Communications and Marketing Director, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

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The Takelma word for "rainbow" is the last page of the board book.

Provided by Lindsay Campman, Communications and Marketing Director, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

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The Takelma board book shows words for activities, such as dreaming and playing games.

Provided by Lindsay Campman, Communications and Marketing Director, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

Takelma words for eagle and crawfish are shown in the board book.

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Provided by Lindsay Campman, Communications and Marketing Director, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

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Takelma words for colors are shown with two forms of wildlife.

Provided by Lindsay Campman, Communications and Marketing Director, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

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The front and back covers of a Takelma board book on animal names.

Provided by Lindsay Campman, Communications and Marketing Director, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

Roseburg Schools and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians have announced a new partnership to help preserve the tribe’s ancestral language.

Starting in the 2026-27 academic year, both Native and non-Native high school students can take the Takelma language for official language credit. The word Takelma means “those who live alongside the river,” but its usage fell into decline in the early 1900s after its last known speaker died. But the tribe says working carefully with linguists and accessing audio recordings from the Smithsonian Institution have helped revive it.

Lindsay Campman, a spokesperson with the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua, told KLCC that the tribe has deemed language as important to its citizens.

“And that continues to make our people strong,” said Campman. “It's a link to have something in common with your ancestors who lived a very, very different life centuries ago. But being able to speak that same language that they did, that's a powerful connection.”

Campman said the Takelma curriculum is currently being taught by one of the tribe’s citizens who’s become the “master teacher,” and holds Zoom classes.

Woman teaching language to other people. — In this undated photo, Elizabeth Bryant, whose title is Takelma Language Teacher Learner, shares a vocabularly lesson to a small group of people.

“Now we actually have multiple levels of where people are at in their learning,” she said. “Some people are starting to have actual conversations with one another. It's all really exciting because what it means is that more people are speaking the Takelma language than have probably been spoken in decades, maybe centuries.”

The Cow Creek Band is also partnering up with Roseburg Schools on the Tribal Attendance Promising Practices program. The statewide initiative focuses on improving attendance, and — according to a joint press release from the tribe and Roseburg Schools — “creating culturally responsive supports that help Native students succeed academically and socially.”

Roseburg Schools is one of just nine districts in Oregon chosen to participate in TAPP.

The tribe is also giving the district $500,000 towards renovating Roseburg High School’s sports complex. A new name for the facility will be announced soon.