Cameron Chambers Misses Her Placenta Tree

PDX People

Originally from Portland, Cameron Chambers lives in a house that is ten blocks away from the house she lives in now. Although she does lament the loss of a couple personal items when explaining how her original house has changed.

“It was a brick duplex that has the chain link fence it did then,” she says before dryly finishing with, “unfortunately, the tree that my parents planted with my placenta is gone.”

This is not the placenta tree, but we wish it were

While mourning the loss of the tree… and placenta… Cameron doesn’t hesitate to explain what she loves most about her hometown.

“My favorite thing about Portland is brunch at my house with my homies on a Spring day that is rainy and sunny at once,” she explains.

She goes on to describe the “magical Portland light of green and gold and flowers against a steel grey sky.”

With such expansive prose, one can only wonder if Cameron is a writer.

“I am in customer service for Equal Exchange,” she replies.

Although she may not be in the most creative of jobs, she definitely enjoys working for a company striving to make a difference in the community.

Equal Exchange is a worker-owned cooperative that sources, produces and sells fairly-traded products, from chocolate to coffee, tea, nuts, fruits and olive oil.

“My job fits into my passion for just and liberation,” she explains. “Specifically, Equal Exchange is, and has been, engaged in economic democracy for thirty years and I am truly excited and passionate about that.”

While Cameron expresses true depth in her answers, she also comes off as quite blunt, which is very refreshing. When asked what makes her tick, she doesn’t hesitate.

“When people ask you a question, but interrupt you before you can give them an answer,” she says.

Quite possibly, she interpreted that question as what makes her ticked, but hey, we’ll give her a pass.

When describing what she does in her spare time, Cameron matches all the Portland resident requirements.

“I like to cook, read, nap, drink whiskey, go to the beach or woods, daydream, go camping and live a life of leisure,” she replies.

Although she decries the “continued racism” that plagues Portland and Oregon as a whole, Cameron admits that she has no desire to leave the city of her birth, despite the fact that her placenta tree has been unceremoniously removed from the front yard of the home of her birth.

Fitting in as a PDX Person doing what most PDX people love, Cameron shines as a valuable member of the community, contributing in the way she can and working for a good cause. For that, we salute her!

William Bessette – PDX People Contributor

William Bessette is a journalist and freelance writer who has been covering politics, entertainment, culture and travel for over thirteen years. When he’s not profiling Portland-area restaurants and residents, you can find him reporting on national and international travel and eco-tourism through his travel brand, Floppy Hat Adventures.