Oregon

Long-sought court ruling restores Oregon tribe’s hunting and fishing rights

Published

1 month ago

November 27, 2024

Long-sought court ruling restores Oregon tribe’s hunting and fishing rights

LINCOLN CITY, Ore. (AP) — Drumming made the floor vibrate and singing filled the conference room of the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, on the Oregon coast, as hundreds in tribal regalia danced in a circle.

For the last 47 years, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians have held an annual powwow to celebrate regaining federal recognition. This month’s event, however, was especially significant: It came just two weeks after a federal court lifted restrictions on the tribe’s rights to hunt, fish and gather — restrictions tribal leaders had opposed for decades.

“We’re back to the way we were before,” Siletz Chairman Delores Pigsley said. “It feels really good.”

The Siletz is a confederation of over two dozen bands and tribes whose traditional homelands spanned western Oregon, as well as parts of northern California and southwestern Washington state. The federal government in the 1850s forced them onto a reservation on the Oregon coast, where they were confederated together as a single, federally recognized tribe despite their different backgrounds and languages.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, Congress revoked recognition of over 100 tribes, including the Siletz, under a policy known as “termination.” Affected tribes lost millions of acres of land as well as federal funding and services.

“The goal was to try and assimilate Native people, get them moved into cities,” said Matthew Campbell, deputy director of the Native American Rights Fund. “But also I think there was certainly a financial aspect to it. I think the United States was trying to see how it could limit its costs in terms of providing for tribal nations.”

Losing their lands and self-governance was painful, and the tribes fought for decades to regain federal recognition. In 1977, the Siletz became the second tribe to succeed, following the restoration of the Menominee Tribe in Wisconsin in 1973.

But to get a fraction of its land back — roughly 3,600 acres (1,457 hectares) of the 1.1-million-acre (445,000-hectare) reservation established for the tribe in 1855 — the Siletz tribe had to agree to a federal court order that restricted their hunting, fishing and gathering rights. It was only one of two tribes in the country, along with Oregon’s Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, compelled to do so to regain tribal land.

The settlement limited where tribal members could fish, hunt and gather for ceremonial and subsistence purposes, and it imposed caps on how many salmon, elk and deer could be harvested in a year. It was devastating, tribal chair Pigsley recalled: The tribe was forced to buy salmon for ceremonies because it couldn’t provide for itself, and people were arrested for hunting and fishing violations.

“Giving up those rights was a terrible thing,” Pigsley, who has led the tribe for 36 years, told The Associated Press earlier this year. “It was unfair at the time, and we’ve lived with it all these years.”

Decades later, Oregon and the U.S. came to recognize that the agreement subjecting the tribe to state hunting and fishing rules was biased, and they agreed to join the tribe in recommending to the court that the restrictions be lifted.

“The Governor of Oregon and Oregon’s congressional representatives have since acknowledged that the 1980 Agreement and Consent Decree were a product of their times and represented a biased and distorted position on tribal sovereignty, tribal traditions, and the Siletz Tribe’s ability and authority to manage and sustain wildlife populations it traditionally used for tribal ceremonial and subsistence purposes,” attorneys for the U.S., state and tribe wrote in a joint court filing.

Late last month, the tribe finally succeeded in having the court order vacated by a federal judge. And a separate agreement with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has given the tribe a greater role in regulating tribal hunting and fishing.

As Pigsley reflected on those who passed away before seeing the tribe regain its rights, she expressed hope about the next generation carrying on essential traditions.

“There’s a lot of youth out there that are learning tribal ways and culture,” she said. “It’s important today because we are trying to raise healthy families, meaning we need to get back to our natural foods.”

Among those celebrating and praying at the powwow was Tiffany Stuart, donning a basket cap her ancestors were known for weaving, and her 3-year-old daughter Kwestaani Chuski, whose name means “six butterflies” in the regional Athabaskan language from southwestern Oregon and northwestern California.

Given the restoration of rights, Stuart said, it was “very powerful for my kids to dance.”

“You dance for the people that can’t dance anymore,” she said.

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Oregon

Florida State Involved With Oregon Defensive Lineman Transfer

Published

1 hour ago

December 29, 2024

Press Room

Florida State Involved With Oregon Defensive Lineman Transfer

Florida State is revamping its defensive front this offseason after multiple members of the roster departed to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. The moving pieces along with the Seminoles switching to a 3-3-5 multiple scheme under defensive coordinator Tony White means things are going to look a lot different in Tallahassee in 2025.

The Seminoles have already secured two defensive line transfers in December but are remaining active in the portal. According to 247Sports, FSU is among the programs to have contacted Oregon defensive end transfer Jaeden Moore.

Moore is coming off his second season with the Ducks. He was a member of the rotation up-front this fall, appearing in all 13 games and totaling six tackles, one tackle for loss, and 0.5 sacks. Moore saw 104 snaps on defense and graded out at 62.7 overall, per PFF. He created 16 pressures, including 14 quarterback hurries but did miss 20% of his tackles.

READ MORE: Florida State Offers Productive Georgia Southern Linebacker Transfer

The California native signed with Oregon as a three-star prospect in the 2023 class. He only saw action in four games as a true freshman, allowing Moore to retain his redshirt. In total, Moore appeared in 17 games and totaled eight tackles, one tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks, and two pass deflections.

Moore stands at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds. He’s expected to have three seasons of eligibility remaining to utilize at his next stop.

The Seminoles have three scholarship defensive ends eligible to return in 2025; redshirt senior Jaden Jones, redshirt junior Aaron Hester, and redshirt freshman DD Holmes.

FSU signed four-star LaJesse Harrold, four-star Tylon Lee, three-star Darryll Desir, and three-star Mandrell Desir during the Early Signing Period.

Florida State also recently landed former Nebraska defensive end James Williams and former Western Kentucky defensive lineman Deante McCray in the transfer portal.

READ MORE: 6-foot-7 Offensive Tackle Xavier Payne Commits To Florida State

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football throughout the offseason

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• Florida State Lands Versatile UCF Tight End Transfer Randy Pittman

• Florida State Lands Experienced Offensive Lineman From UCF

• Mike Norvell On FSU’s Addition Of Adrian Medley: ‘He Brings Significant Size And Toughness’

• Florida State Lands Productive Western Kentucky Defensive End Transfer Deante McCray

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Oregon

Oregon State WBB Takes Down Gonzaga In OT

Published

10 hours ago

December 28, 2024

Press Room

Oregon State WBB Takes Down Gonzaga In OT

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MORE: Nikko Taylor Returns | Beavers In The NFL: Week 16 Recap | OL Flavio Gonzalez Enters Portal | Analysis: What Are The Beavers Getting In Walker Harris?

SPOKANE, Wash. – Oregon State’s 12-point comeback with three minutes left saw contributors from near and far combine to knock off WCC preseason no. 1 Gonzaga 71-67 in overtime.

“I’m just so proud of this group and so happy for them,” head coach Scott Rueck said. “This has been a grind. We have worked so hard to get to the point where we can beat a good team on their home floor.”

From near there was Gresham’s Kennedie Shuler, whose three assists and game-tying free throws helped send the game to overtime. In the extra period she dished three more assists – part of a team-high eight dimes – and scored four points including two more at the stripe to put the Beavs up four with 27.6 seconds left.

“I’m just so proud of the gritty toughness that Kennedie showed today, stepping up and hitting big threes and making big free throws,” Rueck said.

Just 15 minutes from Shuler’s hometown, Ally Schimel grew up splashing threes in Corbett. The freshman was off to an inauspicious start to the season, making less than 20 percent from beyond the arc as she gained confidence.

On Saturday, she looked like a seasoned veteran when she splashed the go-ahead three in OT and put the clamps on Gonzaga’s Allie Turner with 24.7 seconds left. Turner was 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, but Schimel didn’t allow her to even touch the ball until 15 precious seconds had elapsed.

“Ally’s threes were big-time,” Shuler said on the postgame show. “She’s a really good shooter and just needed to get confident and knock it down. I’m so proud of her. She’s like a little sister to me”

From far, Kelsey Rees put on a show with her dad and brother in attendance from Australia. The senior scored 21 points with nine rebounds and made 7-of-10 shots from the floor. She also drew eight fouls, some of which contributed to reigning WCC Player of the Year Yvonne Ejim fouling out in overtime.

Down the stretch, Rees went on a personal 6-0 run to pull the Beavs within four. The senior hit a three, a layup and a free throw to set the stage for Shuler and Tiara Bolden at the line.

“It was a big-time performance from Kelsey. Her putback (in overtime) was insane and got our momentum going. I’m super proud of her,” Shuler said.

Bolden, a native of Eugene, scored 10 points including two at the free-throw line to narrow the gap to two points with 54 seconds left. She also nabbed three steals with one at 1:06 remaining securing a stop at a crucial moment.

The Beavers return to the Beaver State on Monday to take on undefeated Portland. OSU squares off with the Pilots at 6 p.m.

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Oregon

Oregon State EDGE Nikko Taylor Set To Return In 2025

Published

18 hours ago

December 28, 2024

Press Room

Oregon State EDGE Nikko Taylor Set To Return In 2025

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The Oregon State football team and head coach Trent Bray received great news on Saturday morning as outside linebacker Nikko Taylor announced he would return next season.

The 6-foot-5, 257-pounder was set to exhaust his eligibility after the 2024 campaign, but in the wake of the recent JUCO court ruling, he now has another season of eligibility and elected to return to Corvallis.

Previously, Taylor had declared for the NFL Draft; now, he’ll withdraw his name and return to OSU as the team’s most experienced and talented EDGE rusher.

He’s coming off a 2024 campaign in which he led the Beavers in tackles for loss (eight), sacks (2.5), forced fumbles (two), and fumbles recovered (two). He started all 12 games for the Beavers this past season…

With Taylor back in the fold, here’s a closer look at the Beavers’ scholarship numbers/breakdown at OLB

And stay up-to-date with everything Oregon State this offseason with our Offseason Movement Tracker

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