KO-NA Foster J. Kalama was born in Portland, Oregon to Roland Kalama, Sr. and Edith Albert-Kalama.  His father is Wasco, Nisqually, Pitt River, and Hawaiian and his mother is Yakama, Nez Perce.  Foster is descended from such venerables as Hawaiian King Kahmahamae and Queen Kalama as well as Old Chief Joseph and his son, Young Chief Joseph.  Foster grew up in Warm Springs, Oregon.

Foster prefers to stay as close as possible to traditional ways:  He is a peace pipe carrier for his family and people; spent more than thirty years as a Treaty Fisherman, fishing along Oregon's Columbia River; and was chosen to be Tribal Ceremonial Fisherman and Hunter for the Tribe’s Salmon Feast Huckleberry Feast.  Much of Foster's art thus depicts the culture and traditions, people and creatures of the Columbia River and of the area around Warm Springs.  His drawings include a series on Fishing for Salmon from traditional platforms on the river and another on the legendary Stick Indians, sometimes called Stick-shower Indians, spirits that may be hidden under cover of the woods or rocks and are, in the opinion of some, considered Tricksters of a kind.

Foster presently works at Jefferson County Middle School and Madras High School as a liaison between the Tribes and the school district.  He has served with the Tribal court system as a child advocate, juvenile probation officer and Tribal Deputy Prosecutor.  Foster has enjoyed teaching youth and veterans how to play the Native American flute within a Family Circle of Flutes, and he has performed at such events as the Salmon Festival, celebrations at the Museum at Warm Springs and Portland Art Museum, and at local powwows and the Gathering of Flutes.  Foster also traveled with his sons in 2002 to perform in Frankfurt, Germany, speaking with the people there about his way of life, the Sweat Lodge, Longhouse and fishing, hunting and ceremonial functions.  He has worked with the Veterans of War within the Healing Circle for more than 17 years, and has served as keynote speaker at workshops all over the United States, speaking about child abuse and exploitation as well as about his culture and traditions.  He and his wife, J'Dean Frank-Kalama, daughter of Elvis Frank and Carol Burke and granddaughter of Umatilla Chief Burke, live in Warm Springs.

The Circle of Healing is a spiritual healing within the ways of his people.  One who enters the Circle of Brothers in the Sweat Lodge will always remain, and will have prayers for self, family and friends for as long as the sweat brothers remain.  His family has been spiritually within the Healing Circle for twenty-two years, and they have had the Healing Circle for Veterans, Family and Friends for seventeen years.  These brothers and sisters come together at HeHe Longhouse on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation every year at the end of April.  This year it started in April and ended May 2. 

Foster's website address is: 

http://Kona-Kalama.tripod.com

His e-mail address is fkalama@509j.net.