Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians

[1] The Cow Creek band were seasonally migratory, making use of permanent winter encampments and moving villages in pursuit of food sources during the warmer months.

In October 1855, the Rogue River War erupted in the area and the peoples of the Cow Creek Band fled for safety in the hills, joining others there who similarly faced removal from their traditional homeland for concentration on the Grand Ronde Reservation located to the north.

[2] The mountainous terrain near today's Canyonville provided cover for some, however, and efforts in May 1856 by Oregon Indian Agent James P. Day and in 1860 by the re-activaed United States Army failed to round up remaining members of the Cow Creek Band.

Decades of litigation followed, marked by a series of legal defeats based on aspects of the law surrounding the Indian Claims Commission.

In the 21st century, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians is one of nine federally recognized tribal governments in Oregon and includes over 1400 members.