Northwest to settle. Some of the first to the Oregon area were the Kalapuya Indians who inhabited Oregon more than 8,000 years ago and although many different tribes called our state home the Kalapuya is just one example of people native to Oregon. The Kalapuya tribe settled in many places but mainly in Eugene, Oregon where they lived for several centuries and had tribes that ranged from Southern Washington to Southern Oregon. The Kalapuya language is considered to be part of the Penutian family related