A Kalapuya woven basket (Chris Bailey/Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde)
In 2019, the Salem Main Street Association asked residents to suggest names for downtown alleys and vote for their favorites. About 600 people weighed in. As part of Salem Reporter’s local history series, Jacqueline Heavey, chair of the design committee for the project, explains the history behind the chosen alley names.
Alley 9 is bounded by State, Ferry, Commercial and Front Streets. It was not put up for a vote by the public during the downtown alley naming process. The name was to be determined by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. This alley is now named Antsit’ak Alley, pronounced-ahnt-say-tuk.
Les Zaitz · Pronounciation for antsit’ak – basket
Chris Bailey, the Cultural Protection Specialist for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, explains antsit’ak is the Kalapuyan word for basket. “It’s a smaller basket with a tighter weave used for carrying food and other finer things you don’t want falling through a loose weave,” he said.
The word was chosen as this alley was close to the river where the supplies to make the baskets would have been gathered. It also reflects the Kalapuyan inspiration for the new Gerry Frank | Salem Rotary Amphitheater at Riverfront Park and the basket weave pattern on its design.
The Antsit’ak Alley is now by the new Nishioka building and newly opened Koz on State apartments where many more people will access this alley. The hope is to get images of the baskets in the alley to share with the public in the near future. As Chris Bailey says, “It’s pretty exciting to put some of the language back to the land.”
To learn more about Indigenous Perspectives on Archaeology and Heritage part of the 2021 Archeology Roadshow, click here.
Other alley name histories
Hops baron, Chinatown mayor’s name grace downtown alleys
Once a horse stable downtown, Durbin name now graces nearby alley
New alley names pay homage to city’s first steel building, theater that burned
Salem’s alley names provide a glimpse into the past
Editor’s note: This column is a feature from Salem Reporter to highlight local history in collaboration with area historians and historical organizations. If you have any feedback or would like to participate, please contact managing editor Rachel Alexander at [email protected].
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