Visit marks sixth of Governor’s commitment to visit all nine federally recognized Tribal nations of Oregon this year

This past week, Governor Tina Kotek and First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson visited the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI). The visit is part of Governor Kotek’s commitment to meet with all of Oregon’s nine federally recognized sovereign Tribal nations in 2024.

“The First Lady and I are so appreciative of the CTCLUSI leaders and staff for the wonderful visit,” Governor Kotek said. “From health care to natural resource stewardship, the CTCLUSI are dynamically caring for their community and lands. We enjoyed visiting the restoration project on the Siuslaw River Estuary and hearing about the partnerships behind the project. This is a critical initiative which will benefit local landowners and the community both ecologically and economically.”

“The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians would like to thank Governor Tina Kotek and First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson for taking time out of their busy schedules to spend the day with our Tribal Council.” Chairman Brad Kneaper stated. “We were able to discuss items of concern for both the State and the Tribe, and it was a great opportunity to share parts of our history and stories, as well as show some of our lands. I believe this meeting can serve as a strong foundation for future discussions and communication that will be of benefit to us all.”

The visit to CTCLUSI started at Gregory Point, also known as Baldija, once a village site for their Miluk ancestors, and a place of significance for the Tribe since time immemorial. The Tribe regained stewardship of the 24-acre property encompassing the island back from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2013. Following the visit to Gregory Point, the Governor and First Lady toured the Three Rivers Health Center, which provides multidimensional care for CTCLUSI members, members of all federally recognized tribes, and non-tribal community members in Southwest Oregon.

Over lunch, the Governor and First Lady learned about the history of the Tribe’s plank house, Tribal hall, and sweat lodge, visiting the only piece of property the Tribe was left with after termination. The First Family then toured the Tribe’s Department of Natural Resources, which was established to conserve and manage resources on Tribally-held lands and to work with other governments to influence the conservation and management of resources throughout the Tribes’ Ancestral Territory.

The Governor and First Lady then traveled to Waite Ranch, or haich ikt’at’tuu, where the Siuslaw Estuary Restoration Project is located. The McKenzie River Trust partnered with CTCLUSI to develop the restoration project and purchased the Waite Ranch property with funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). OWEB also holds a conservation easement on the property. Historically, the Siuslaw Basin was one of the most productive watersheds for anadromous fish in the Pacific Northwest.

The day ended at the Three Rivers Casino Resort with the Tribal Council, connecting on some of the Tribe’s challenges and projects, over dinner.

Note to editors: The people of the Miluk (Coos), Hanis, (Coos), Quuiich (Lower Umpqua) and Sha’yuushtl’a (Siuslaw) Tribes have lived on the central to southern Oregon coast and inland along the rivers they belonged to, since time immemorial. These rivers today are called the Siuslaw River, the Umpqua River and the Coos River, which take their linguistic heritage from the tribes.

The tribes’ ancestors worked to manage and steward the lands in a way that provided sustainable resources for future generations; they practiced a culture of abundance. This way of living was severely disrupted due to the exposure of European diseases, the removal of the people from their lands for Euro-American settlement, the boarding school era and the Western Oregon Termination Act of 1954. Despite all of this, the peoples’ resiliency and hard work ethic regained them Federal Recognition as a sovereign nation in 1984.

Since this time, CTCLUSI has rebuilt its culture of abundance by once again practicing the culture of their lands and waters: actively gathering and propagating first foods, weaving, carving and canoeing. They utilize the lessons from their ancestors, their elders and their culture to work with federal, tribal, state and local partners on restoration efforts within their ancestral lands and waters to bring back the abundance that was once here for everyone.