Coquille Indian Tribe
Encyclopedia
The Coquille Indian Tribe is the United States
Bureau of Indian Affairs
-recognized Native American
tribal entity of the Coquille people, who have traditionally lived on the southern Oregon Coast
.
, Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs, negotiated a treaty with the Coquille and surrounding tribes that set aside 125 miles (201 km) of coastline that extended from the Siltcoos River
to Cape Lookout
to form the Coastal (or Siletz) Indian Reservation near present-day Florence
. The Coquille people were forcibly marched to the reservation in 1856; however, the treaty was never ratified by Congress.
Disease and overcrowding were problems on the reservation, which was eventually reduced to a fraction of its former size. The remnants of the original Coastal Indian Reservation are contained in the Siletz Reservation
and associated tribally owned lands. Over the years many Coquilles returned to their traditional homeland and fought for the acknowledgement of the Treaty of 1855.
its recognition of the Coquille as part of the Termination Act of 1954.
In 1989 the tribe regained its federal recognition. With restoration came tribal sovereignty
, which gives the Tribe authority to form its own government and have jurisdiction over Tribal lands, businesses and community members.
, based in Siletz, Oregon
, recognize that the Coquille people are one of the tribes that make up their confederation. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz continue to live on the Siletz Indian Reservation. In addition, by an Act of Congress in 1996, the Coquille Tribe now has reservation area totalling 6512 acres (26 km²). The "Oregon Resources Conservation Act of 1996" (part of Public Law 104-208) restored to the Coquille Tribe approximately 5,400 acres of forest in Coos County, Oregon. The Act's author, Oregon's senior Senator Mark Hatfield, said of the Coquille Forest: "I hope this proposal, with its relatively modest acreage and the required adherence to the most environmentally friendly forest management plan ever implemented in the Pacific Northwest--President Clinton's forest plan--is successful and can become a model for how our Nation deals with other claims by native American tribes." The Forest was formally taken into trust for the Tribe by the U.S. government on September 30, 1998. The Coquille Forest represents a reclaimed heritage. For future generations, the Forest begins a legacy of dedication to renewal of cultural traditions and self-determination. The Coquille Forest comprises fourteen separate parcels of former BLM timberlands in eastern Coos County.
Unlike other forests held in trust for and managed by federally recognized tribes, under the National Indian Forest Resources Management Act, the Coquille Forest has the additional requirement of meeting the "standards and guidelines" of adjacent federal forests, such as the Northwest Forest Plan
. While most federal forests have not met their timber production expectations under the Northwest Forest Plan, the Coquille Forest is widely considered the only entity to meet both the ecological and economic outputs of the Northwest Forest Plan.
In 2011, the U.S. Secretary of Interior endorsed the first component of the landscape management proposal in which the Coquille Indian Tribe and the BLM will work together to develop a demonstration timber sale pilot in coordination with professors Norm Johnson and Jerry Franklin. This pilot will demonstrate the professors' ecological principles of variable retention regeneration harvest in the Oregon coast range. The timber sale will be designed under the Northwest Forest Plan and comply with all BLM requirements.
Management of the Coquille Forest has earned recognition of being environmentally sound and sustainable. The Forest Stewardship Council certified the Coquille Forest in September 2011.
The United States Census Bureau
reported the Coquille Indian Reservation's land area as 26.947 km² (10.404 sq mi) and the 2000 census
official resident population as 258 persons. The reservation's lands are located in numerous non-contiguous parcels of land in southern Coos County
, mostly in and to the southeast of the Coos Bay
-North Bend
urban area. Parts of the communities of Bandon
, Barview
, Coos Bay, and North Bend extend onto reservation lands.
.
In 2008 the tribe legalized same-sex marriage. Although the Oregon voters approved an amendment to the Oregon Constitution
in 2004 to prohibit such marriages
, the Coquille are not bound by the Oregon Constitution, because they are a federally recognized sovereign nation.
, an organic
cranberry
growing and packing operation in North Bend
, Heritage Place assisted living
center, and ORCA Communications, a telecommunication
s provider. Coquille Cranberries is the leading commercial grower of organic cranberries on the West Coast.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
-recognized Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribal entity of the Coquille people, who have traditionally lived on the southern Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
.
Treaty with the United States
In 1855, Joel PalmerJoel Palmer
General Joel Palmer was an American pioneer of the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. He was born in Canada, and spent his early years in New York and Pennsylvania before serving as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives.Palmer traveled to the Oregon...
, Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs, negotiated a treaty with the Coquille and surrounding tribes that set aside 125 miles (201 km) of coastline that extended from the Siltcoos River
Siltcoos River
The Siltcoos River is a short river on the central Oregon coast. It begins at Siltcoos Lake and drains mostly westward to the Pacific Ocean a direct distance of 2.3 miles but approximately 3 meandering river miles...
to Cape Lookout
Cape Lookout (Oregon)
Cape Lookout is a sharp rocky promontory along the Pacific Ocean coast of northwestern Oregon in the United States. It is located in southwestern Tillamook County, approximately 10 mi southwest of Tillamook, just south of Netarts Bay...
to form the Coastal (or Siletz) Indian Reservation near present-day Florence
Florence, Oregon
Florence is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 8,466.-History:The Florence area was originally inhabited by the Siuslaw tribe of Native Americans. Some state that the city was named for state senator A. B...
. The Coquille people were forcibly marched to the reservation in 1856; however, the treaty was never ratified by Congress.
Disease and overcrowding were problems on the reservation, which was eventually reduced to a fraction of its former size. The remnants of the original Coastal Indian Reservation are contained in the Siletz Reservation
Siletz Reservation
The Siletz Reservation is a 5.852 sq mi Indian reservation in Oregon, United States, owned by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz...
and associated tribally owned lands. Over the years many Coquilles returned to their traditional homeland and fought for the acknowledgement of the Treaty of 1855.
Termination and restoration
The U.S. federal government terminatedIndian Reorganization Act
The Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 the Indian New Deal, was U.S. federal legislation that secured certain rights to Native Americans, including Alaska Natives...
its recognition of the Coquille as part of the Termination Act of 1954.
In 1989 the tribe regained its federal recognition. With restoration came tribal sovereignty
Tribal sovereignty
Tribal sovereignty in the United States refers to the inherent authority of indigenous tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the United States of America. The federal government recognizes tribal nations as "domestic dependent nations" and has established a number of laws attempting to...
, which gives the Tribe authority to form its own government and have jurisdiction over Tribal lands, businesses and community members.
Coquille Indian Reservation
The Confederated Tribes of SiletzConfederated Tribes of Siletz
The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in the United States is a federally recognized confederation of 27 Native American tribal bands that once inhabited a range from northern California to southwest Washington.-Tribes:...
, based in Siletz, Oregon
Siletz, Oregon
Siletz is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,133 at the 2000 census. The city is located next to the Siletz Reservation and is the site of the annual Nesika Illahee Pow Wow in August.-Geography:...
, recognize that the Coquille people are one of the tribes that make up their confederation. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz continue to live on the Siletz Indian Reservation. In addition, by an Act of Congress in 1996, the Coquille Tribe now has reservation area totalling 6512 acres (26 km²). The "Oregon Resources Conservation Act of 1996" (part of Public Law 104-208) restored to the Coquille Tribe approximately 5,400 acres of forest in Coos County, Oregon. The Act's author, Oregon's senior Senator Mark Hatfield, said of the Coquille Forest: "I hope this proposal, with its relatively modest acreage and the required adherence to the most environmentally friendly forest management plan ever implemented in the Pacific Northwest--President Clinton's forest plan--is successful and can become a model for how our Nation deals with other claims by native American tribes." The Forest was formally taken into trust for the Tribe by the U.S. government on September 30, 1998. The Coquille Forest represents a reclaimed heritage. For future generations, the Forest begins a legacy of dedication to renewal of cultural traditions and self-determination. The Coquille Forest comprises fourteen separate parcels of former BLM timberlands in eastern Coos County.
Unlike other forests held in trust for and managed by federally recognized tribes, under the National Indian Forest Resources Management Act, the Coquille Forest has the additional requirement of meeting the "standards and guidelines" of adjacent federal forests, such as the Northwest Forest Plan
Northwest Forest Plan
The Northwest Forest Plan is a series of federal policies and guidelines governing land use on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It covers areas ranging from Northern California to western Washington...
. While most federal forests have not met their timber production expectations under the Northwest Forest Plan, the Coquille Forest is widely considered the only entity to meet both the ecological and economic outputs of the Northwest Forest Plan.
In 2011, the U.S. Secretary of Interior endorsed the first component of the landscape management proposal in which the Coquille Indian Tribe and the BLM will work together to develop a demonstration timber sale pilot in coordination with professors Norm Johnson and Jerry Franklin. This pilot will demonstrate the professors' ecological principles of variable retention regeneration harvest in the Oregon coast range. The timber sale will be designed under the Northwest Forest Plan and comply with all BLM requirements.
Management of the Coquille Forest has earned recognition of being environmentally sound and sustainable. The Forest Stewardship Council certified the Coquille Forest in September 2011.
The United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
reported the Coquille Indian Reservation's land area as 26.947 km² (10.404 sq mi) and the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
official resident population as 258 persons. The reservation's lands are located in numerous non-contiguous parcels of land in southern Coos County
Coos County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siskiyou National Forest *Siuslaw National Forest - Incorporated cities:- Unincorporated communities and CDPs:-See also:...
, mostly in and to the southeast of the Coos Bay
Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
-North Bend
North Bend, Oregon
North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean, and borders the city of Coos Bay,...
urban area. Parts of the communities of Bandon
Bandon, Oregon
- Economy :Like many communities on the Oregon coast, Bandon had significant fishing and timber industries, which were greatly diminished by the 1980s, though some remnants still exist. Bandon's current economy revolves around wood products, fishing, tourism, and agriculture...
, Barview
Barview, Oregon
Barview is a census-designated place in Coos County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,872 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Barview is located at...
, Coos Bay, and North Bend extend onto reservation lands.
Government
The tribal government is based in North BendNorth Bend, Oregon
North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean, and borders the city of Coos Bay,...
.
In 2008 the tribe legalized same-sex marriage. Although the Oregon voters approved an amendment to the Oregon Constitution
Oregon Constitution
The Oregon Constitution is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon, originally enacted in 1857. As amended the current state constitution contains eighteen sections, beginning with a bill of rights. This contains most of the rights and privileges granted in the United States Bill of...
in 2004 to prohibit such marriages
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, the Coquille are not bound by the Oregon Constitution, because they are a federally recognized sovereign nation.
Economy
The Coquille Tribe owns several businesses, including The Mill Casino • Hotel in Coos BayNorth Bend, Oregon
North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean, and borders the city of Coos Bay,...
, an organic
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
cranberry
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
growing and packing operation in North Bend
North Bend, Oregon
North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean, and borders the city of Coos Bay,...
, Heritage Place assisted living
Assisted living
Assisted living residences or assisted living facilities provide supervision or assistance with activities of daily living ; coordination of services by outside health care providers; and monitoring of resident activities to help to ensure their health, safety, and well-being.Assistance may...
center, and ORCA Communications, a telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s provider. Coquille Cranberries is the leading commercial grower of organic cranberries on the West Coast.
External links
- Coquille Indian Tribe
- CEDCO Coquille Economic Development Corporation
- Coquille Cranberries
- Map of the original Coastal Indian Reservation as of 1855
- http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_P001&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_P003&-tree_id=4001&-transpose=N&-redoLog=true&-all_geo_types=Y&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=25000US0775&-geo_id=25200US0775R&-geo_id=27300US0775410119022103800&-geo_id=27300US0775410119062904400&-geo_id=27300US0775410119062915250&-geo_id=27300US0775410119062953000&-geo_id=27300US0775410119062999999&-geo_id=27300US0775410119207499999&-geo_id=27300US0775410119256799999&-search_results=27300US0775410119207499999&-format=&-_lang=en&-show_geoid=YCoquille Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Oregon] United States Census Bureau