The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians are reclaiming a portion of southern Oregon close to Medford that has historical value, including the probable site of a treaty signing and the vicinity of a slaughter.
About 2,000 acres of privately owned land next to the Table Rocks preserve were purchased by the Siletz Tribe in November, marking a historic land return.
“It’s the most historic piece of land we could ever acquire,” Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians chairman Delores Pigsley said.
Many Takelma origin myths revolve around the Upper and Lower Table Rocks. Robert Kentta, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and treasurer of the tribal council, said that Takelma is one of the major Native languages of Southern Oregon, spoken by several Native nations.
On September 10, 1853, the U.S. government and local Native nations signed the Treaty of Table Rock, creating a temporary reserve on the north side of the Rogue River that encompassed the Upper and Lower Table Rock.
It was the first treaty signed by any Western Native country to be ratified by the U.S. Senate and established the first confederation of Oregon tribes. Hostilities between the U.S. government and colonial settlers encroaching on Oregon Territory also marked this period for the Indians in the area.
In October 1855, two years after the pact was signed, about 20 people were slaughtered while camping close to Table Rocks, the most of whom were women and children. Many Native Americans were murdered in the Rogue River War. Many Native people in southern Oregon were relocated by government officials after the war ended in 1856, and many of them wound up on the Coast Reservation, which is today known as the Siletz Reservation.
An estimated map of the roughly 2,000-acre property. (Photo by Lone Rock Strategies/Matt Hill)Lone Rock Strategies and Matt Hill
The tribal confederation, which was centered on Table Rocks, represented people who lived in the upper Rogue River valleys and was known by the U.S. government as the Rogue River Tribe of Indians. According to the Siletz News, the Takelma, Latgawa, Shasta, Applegate, and Galice peoples were the main inhabitants of the region.
According to Pigsley’s media release, this is a historic event that reunites the Siletz Tribe with its ancestors, history, and treaties inked close to Table Rock.Returning this unique area to Indian management is a tremendous honor.
Pigsley recalls taking her father on car trips to California when she was a little girl. As they passed Table Rocks, he would point out the window and discuss its importance to their forefathers.
Kentta recalls things similarly.
According to Kentta, when I was a child, during the summer or spring vacation, we would travel up the Rogue Valley and see the Applegate River Valley, where my great-grandfather was taken following the conclusion of the Rogue River Wars. For almost 60 years, our family has traveled there to rekindle our relationship, but we have always been guests with no ownership, no foothold, and no place to call home. We now have homelands inside our homelands because to this acquisition.
Regarding land stewardship, the Siletz have long consulted with the Nature Conservancy, the Bureau of Land Management, and others.
After speaking with employees at The Nature Conservancy, Kentta learned about the site for the first time about six years ago. He started the historic land deal by bringing the notion of buying the land to the tribal council.
The prior landowner was the direct seller of the property. On the property, a conservation easement is maintained by the Nature Conservancy. The Siletz will continue to collaborate on conservation and restoration projects with the BLM and The Nature Conservancy.
According to Kentta, “land back” means, in my opinion, giving lands back to a tribe in their most basic form. This was accomplished by a purchase, for which a considerable sum was paid. Therefore, that is the return of land to us, but it is neither an apology nor a settlement for previous events.
The tribe wants to preserve the land’s integrity while providing opportunity for Siletz tribal members to access the historically significant area. Instead of concentrating on exploiting the natural environment, the tribe intends to work on preservation and restoration.
According to Kentta, there will be several chances for the food plants themselves to be restored and improved. Additionally, improving tribe members’ access to and reconnection with those resources from which we have been cut off.
Underscore + ICT, a nonprofit news website devoted on Indigenous issues, was the initial publisher of this item.
