In 1855, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians ceded much of their ancestral land as the U.S. ratified treaties across Oregon and drove Native people onto smaller parcels.
But some of that land will be returned to the CTSI soon, through a coordinated effort that’s part of an ongoing “Land Back” movement.
The 6.82 acre area is called Rocky Shores, and is located south of Yachats in an undisclosed area. After colonization, it fell under private ownership. But with the help of the McKenzie River Trust and conservation nonprofits including View the Future and the Nature Conservancy, the area will soon be back under the tribe’s stewardship.
“This was part of our ancestral territories, and it was also part of the coast reservation,” CTSI Natural Resources Director Angela Sondenaa explained. “There was 100 miles of the central Oregon coast that was included in that reservation through treaty. And those promises were broken.”
Sondenaa added that Rocky Shores is a pristine, biodiverse space.
“There is a freshwater stream that runs through it. It’s rich in ferns and mosses and mushrooms,” she said. “Abundant salal, other coastal species that are so critically important to us and our efforts to restore kelp and sea otters to our territory.”
Local rumor says the largest Dungeness crab ever caught in Oregon was in this area, according to CTSI councilmember Robert Kentta. He said there’s still a concrete slab where the fisherman used a pulley to lower a crabpot into a narrow chasm to reputedly capture the famed crustacean in the 1930s or 40s. And that’s all the notoriety Kentta cares to see come of the place, given the sensitive nature of the flora and fauna, as well as the treacherous terrain.
“I don't know that the property has really been fully surveyed for all the sensitive species and features, but we will be doing that,” said Kentta. “Hopefully, it'll be suitable for a gathering although I wouldn't take young kids there because it's kind of dangerous cliff-like landform.”
After some negotiating and appraisals, the acreage was bought for $120,000 with Joanne Kittel’s group, View the Future, contributing $55,000 towards its purchase.
“We knew it had to be safe,” said Kittel. “We knew it had to be protected and we knew it had to go to the tribes.”
The transfer is expected to happen within a few days, with the McKenzie River Trust acting as an intermediary.
“We wanted to use flexible funding for this so that there’s not any encumbrance or restriction on the title,” explained Eli Tome, conservation director for the McKenzie River Trust, “so that the tribe really can make the decisions for how they want to manage this land in perpetuity without having any kind of oversight by a government agency over the property.”
Joe Moll, the McKenzie River Trust’s executive director, said there’s been more collaboration between the land trust community and tribal nations that have helped facilitate the Land Back movement. “And that’s really, really satisfying. It’s just good work. It’s joyful work and we’ll continue with it.”
The Siletz tribe won’t open up Rocky Shores to the public, a decision meant to protect its ecosystem from traffic. But some CTSI officials said they might hold organized events there for invited guests soon.
Another council member, Alfred “Buddy” Lane IV said in a statement, “This land became part of our original Siletz Coast Reservation that was established in 1855 and is the homeland of the Alsea peoples.” He added that Siletz elders who were confined at the Alsea Subagency in the mid-1800s recalled sustaining themselves on mussels from the rocks.
“Siletz people’s ties to this land are deep and go back further than collective human memory. I am excited for our people to reestablish our connection to this place, interacting with the land, plants, ocean and other beings we share these lands with.”
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