''We Have Always Lived Here'' is a 2015 public art installation by Greg A. Robinson, installed at Tilikum Crossing in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, in the United States. The work consists of two traditional

Chinook Chinook may refer to: Chinook peoples The name derives from a settlement of Indigenous people in Oregon and Washington State. * Chinookan peoples, several groups of Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest ** Chinook Indian Nation, an organiza ...

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

carvings sited at both ends of the bridge, plus a bronze medallion on the northeast side of the bridge.

Description

''We Have Always Lived Here'' is the collective title of Greg A. Robinson's three-part public art installation, displayed at both ends of Tilikum Crossing, which connects the city's South Portland and Hosford-Abernethy neighborhoods on the west and east sides of the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward ...

, respectively. Robinson is a

artist of the

Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (CTGR) is a federally recognized tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau. They consist of at least 27 Native American tribes with long historical ties to present-day wes ...

. The work consists of two

carvings (one on each end of the bridge) and a bronze medallion with a diameter, installed on the northeast side of the bridge. The carvings depict a "tayi", or headman, and faces "representing the Chinookan people of the past and future". The medallion depicts

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...

s, humans, and Morning Star with her children. According to

KOIN KOIN (channel 6) is a television station in Portland, Oregon, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Salem, Oregon, Salem–licensed The CW, CW owned-and-operated station KRCW-TV (channel 32). The two ...

, basalt carvings are a tradition among the Chinookan peoples. Robinson has said that the installation is "meant to be a testament to the survival of Chinukian people along the Columbia and Willamette rivers and the ongoing cultural activities that happen here constantly. I'm very happy it's going to be here and be visible by the Portland people as well."

History

The public art was presented to

TriMet The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) is a Transit district, transit agency that serves most of the Oregon part of the Portland metropolitan area. Created in 1969 by the Oregon Legislative Assembly, Oregon legi ...

on April 17, 2015, at ceremony held near the bridge's juncture of the Eastside Greenway. It was attended by mayor

Charlie Hales Charles Andrew Hales (born January 22, 1956) is a former American politician who served as the 52nd List of mayors of Portland, Oregon, mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 2013 to 2017. He previously served on the Government of Portland, Oregon, Port ...

and other local dignitaries, council members from the Grand Ronde, and TriMet's general manager Neil McFarlane. Tribal member Cheryle Kennedy said at the event, "Today we honor our ancestors with this gift. Today this opportunity provides what we hope is the beginning of the recognition of the traditional art form of our ancestors." Robinson also spoke at the ceremony. He said the medallion "was an effort to pay tribute to both this world, the world of Earth, and the parallel world of the sky above." Furthermore, he closed his speech by saying, "It's much less about me having my art here as it is about having a permanent testament to the survival and ongoing culture of the Chinookan people that still live here in the Portland Vancouver area." Tilikum Crossing opened to the public as part of the MAX Orange Line in September 2015. File:Tilikum Crossing Jan 2015.jpg, The public artwork is installed at both ends of Tilikum Crossing (2015) File:Tilikum Bridge, November 2015.jpg, Basalt carving on the west end of the bridge, 2015 File:Tillikum Crossing Bridge, Willamette River, Portland - DPLA - 01656f9473b281b276228efb0010bcaf.jpg

References

External links

Bridging cultures: Tribe gifts artwork to TriMet's Tilikum Crossing
by Dean Rhodes (April 20, 2015), Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde
Tilikum Crossing
by Jessica Ridgway (November 11, 2015), How We Roll (TriMet) {{South Portland, Portland, Oregon 2015 establishments in Oregon 2015 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Portland, Oregon Coyotes in popular culture Hosford-Abernethy, Portland, Oregon Mammals in art Outdoor sculptures in Southeast Portland, Oregon Sculptures of men in Oregon Sculptures of Native Americans in Oregon Sculptures on the MAX Orange Line (TriMet) South Portland, Portland, Oregon Stone sculptures in Portland, Oregon

Description

History

See also

References

External links