The Siletz Reservation is a 5.852 sq mi (15.157 km²)

Indian reservation An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...

Lincoln County, Oregon Lincoln County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, its population was 50,395. The county seat is Newport. The county is named for Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States. Lincoln Cou ...

, United States, owned by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. The reservation is made up of numerous non-contiguous parcels of land in east-central Lincoln County, mostly east of the city of Siletz, between it and the Polk County line.

History

Establishment

In November 1855

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

issued an executive order creating a reservation for the relocation of the indigenous peoples of the coastal region of the Oregon Territory.David R.M. Beck, "'Standing Out Here in the Surf': The Termination and Restoration of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians of Western Oregon in Historical Perspective," ''Oregon Historical Quarterly,'' vol. 110, no. 1 (Spring 2009), pg. 10. A 120-mile-long strip of land was designated for the Coast Indian Reservation. This reservation extended from Cape Lookout in

Tillamook County Tillamook County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,390. The county seat is Tillamook. The county is named for the Tillamook or Killamook people, a Native American tribe who ...

on the north coast, extending to the

Siltcoos River The Siltcoos River is a stream on the central coast of the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins at Siltcoos Lake, which straddles the border between Douglas and Lane counties. The river meanders generally west to the Pacific Ocean. It is located ab ...

, near

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in the South. As Oregon's population grew, the federal government opened up some reservation lands for settlement by white newcomers, who displaced the indigenous peoples.Beck, "'Standing Out Here in the Surf,'" pg. 11. The reservation Area was reduced and fragmented by the executive order December 21st 1865 of President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a De ...

and by the Act of Congress March 3rd 1875. Tribal groups reestablished a presence in isolated portions of their traditional homelands. Under the Dawes Act of 1887, the government divided communal tribal lands for allocation of individual plots of 160 acres each to heads of households of tribal members; any remaining acreage was classified as "surplus" and sold to non-natives. This break-up of communal lands accelerated the process of atomization of the state's indigenous peoples. Since the late 20th century, the federally recognized

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in the United States is a federally recognized confederation of more than 27 Native American tribes and bands who once inhabited an extensive homeland of more than 20 million acres from northern Calif ...

has established

casino gambling A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

on its lands and generated monies for its people's welfare, as well as contributing to county needs.

Culture and lifestyle

Tribal housing

The Siletz tribe has built several different areas for tribal members to live. The tribe has created a rent-to-buy style program so that tribal members are able to own their own houses. The tribe has also created elders housing units for the elderly tribal members, and they boast several different areas where members are able to rent tribal apartments, these apartments are spread all over the city on tribal properties.

Tribal events

The Siletz reservation is home to many tribal programs. The most prominent is the annual celebration held in Siletz on top of Government Hill, the Nesika Illahee Pow-wow

This event happens during the second weekend of August. The pow-wow opens up every year with a parade and leads into the celebration that lasts all weekend. Siletz is also home to many other cultural events such as
culture camp
youth activities, and activities for elders. The reservation also houses the Siletz dance house where solstice celebrations take place along with many other events like weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies.

Education

There is one K-12th grade school in Siletz, the Siletz Valley Charter School also known as the

Siletz Valley Early College Academy Siletz Valley Early College Academy, also known as Siletz Valley School, is a public charter high school in Siletz, Oregon, United States. The school opened in 2006 with funding from the Chinook Winds Casino. and from a grant provided by the Bil ...

. The school had been closed for many years but reopened in 2006 due to funding provided by

Chinook Winds Casino Chinook Winds Casino and convention center is a Native American casino located in Lincoln City, Oregon. It is operated by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. The casino's amenities include a 227-room hotel, a gaming floor (between two floors), ...

. It is a public school within the Lincoln County School District.

Footnotes

External links

Confederated Tribes of Siletz homepage
Geography of Lincoln County, Oregon American Indian reservations in Oregon Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians 1855 establishments in Oregon Territory {{NorthAm-native-stub