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CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF COOS, LOWER UMPQUA & SIUSLAW INDIANS
Coos Bay
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
Medford
A sense of abundance and gratitude defines the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, a cultural identity that springs from the richness of their ancestral homeland. Since long before written records, the miluk (Coos), hanis (Coos), shayuushtl’a (Siuslaw) and quuiich (Lower Umpqua) people thrived along the freshwater rivers and saltwater bays of what today is called the Central and South Coast of Oregon. Their historic territory extended some 2,500 square miles, from the wind-sculpted sand dunes along the Pacific to the ancient forests of the Coast Range.
Deeply connected with this ruggedly beautiful landscape, the people had everything they needed. They built villages of cedar-plank houses; crafted clothing and utensils; and enjoyed a varied diet of shellfish, fish, game and edible plants. Even when faced with violent transgressions and devastating loss of their life-giving lands, the tribes continued to carry on their values, celebrating the abundance of their culture.
The lessons and knowledge passed down from ancestors continue to guide today’s tribal citizens, who have rebuilt a strong and successful community on Oregon’s Central and South Coast. The tribes’ Three Rivers Casino Resort is a top regional destination and a mainstay of the local economy, in turn strengthening several other tribal businesses and supporting vital tribal services. In 2022 the casino distributed $6 million to the tribes’ government programs, funding housing, health care, cultural education, youth outreach, environmental-restoration work and more.
The tribes’ generosity and compassion are also reflected in the Three Rivers Foundation, which seeks to enrich the health and welfare of the land and the people of its historical homelands. The foundation awarded $1.4 million to more than 100 grassroots community organizations in 2021, and has awarded nearly $2.7 million since it began awarding grants in 2012. Visitors to the Central and South Coast may feel a sense of abundance, too, when they experience the area’s stunning environment of clear-running rivers, thick forests, beaches and dunes. It is a gift from the generations who came long before and the hard work of current tribal citizens, staff and partners implementing restoration efforts — a reminder to all to cherish and care for these priceless waters and lands while visiting.
EXPLORING TRIBAL WATERS: WATER IS LIFE
Waterways characterized the tribal lands of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw people. You may see tribal citizens paddling those same rivers and lakes today in traditional dugout canoes. For visitors, getting out on the water is a fitting way to explore the region. In the Coos watershed, paddlers can explore the gentle Coos River upstream or put in at the South Slough, where a mix of tidal and freshwater wetlands attracts a wide variety of birds.
Near Reedsport, Tahkenitch Lake is a meandering freshwater lake with good fishing and undeveloped shoreline to explore. Until becoming landlocked by shifting dunes, the lake was actually a tidal estuary, and it holds special significance for the tribes: Materials found at ancient homesites here have been dated to 8000 B.C.E. — more than 5,000 years older than the pyramids of Egypt. (Remember that it is illegal to disturb or remove any artifacts.)
NEARBY VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
With its stunning scenery, winsome coastal towns, and mile after mile of sandy beaches, Oregon’s Coast has long been a favorite vacation destination. In fact, several vacations’ worth of attractions and outdoor
CAPE ARAGO
Cape Arago State Park is an ideal place for whale watching and short trails that lead to beaches and tide pools.
recreation await visitors from Florence to Coos Bay, the heart of the tribal lands.
Florence sits near the mouth of the Siuslaw River, where its riverfront Historic Old Town invites a stroll past fishing boats, shops, coffeehouses and seafood eateries. Just 2 miles away, the Three Rivers Casino Resort provides a perfect base for exploring the region and taking on 18 holes at the tribally owned Ocean Dunes Golf Links, where the unique course layout winds among dunes, shore pines and beach grasses.
Dunes are a dominant feature all along the coastline south of Florence. Long stretches of sandy beach billow into dunes as high as 500 feet at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, the largest expanse of coastal dunes in North America. Explore them on foot, on horseback or even cruising down the slopes on a sandboard. Visitors can learn more about hiking trails and other recreation opportunities at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area office in Reedsport. Visitors also can help the tribes in their efforts to weed out invasive species and restore the native dune ecology by volunteering with the Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative.
Coos Bay and Winchester Bay are known for some of the best crabbing and sportfishing on the Coast, with boating services and charters available in the Charleston Marina and Salmon Harbor Marina. Gray whales also abound in local waters during winter migration; the Umpqua River Whale Watching Station, near the Umpqua River Lighthouse, and Cape Arago State Park are particularly good locations to see these magnificent mammals as they surface just offshore.
TRIBAL CELEBRATIONS
The Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw people celebrate and give thanks yearround through multiple ceremonies, events and restoration projects.
The annual Peace Hike, open to the public, takes place on the first day of the calendar year. It is a time for solemn remembrance of all the ancestors who were forced onto the Coast Reservation, a time to be thankful for survival, and a time of healing for tribal citizens and public alike. The hike begins in Yachats — the Alsean village yaxaik — and follows Amanda’s Trail to the Amanda Grotto.
Tribes along the coast of Oregon, Washington and Canada participate in the Canoe Journey, an annual journey of large, oceangoing traditional canoes that follows a different route each year. The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians have been participating with their own dugout canoe since 2013 — and have been practicing canoe culture within their own community since time immemorial.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CEDAR
The western redcedar tree that thrives in Oregon’s temperate coastal environment has long been integral to the lives of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw people. Its wood — light and soft yet exceedingly durable and weather-resistant — made it an ideal building material. Canoes made from hollowed-out redcedar logs provided the primary source of transportation. Redcedar-plank houses made weather-tight lodging. Processed redcedar bark was made into clothing, baskets and ropes. Boughs were used for medicine. The Coos History Museum in Coos Bay has a dugout canoe and many other Native artifacts on display.
Redcedar continues to play an important role in tribal life. Redcedar canoes are still used during ceremonies, journeys and in healing within their communities. Sweats take place in redcedar sweat lodges. Ceremonial dances and gatherings take place in a redcedar plank house on tribal reservation land. High school graduates often honor their tribal connection by wearing woven-redcedar graduation caps.
Like their ancestors, those gathering redcedar materials remove bark and wood while leaving the tree healthy and standing. The tribes are now engaged in restoration efforts to restore much of the western redcedar forests that were lost during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
THE LAQUAWIIYAT’AS GALLERY
Located within the Tribal Hall in Coos Bay, the Laquawiiyat’as Gallery is a climate-controlled, archive-quality space that exhibits tribal artifacts and photographs offering glimpses of tribal life pre- and post-contact with Europeans. Its collection includes the sacred “Lottie’s Dress,” an intricately beaded buckskin gown owned by Lottie Jackson Evanoff (the daughter of Chief Doloose Jackson), recently returned to the tribe from a museum collection.
Traditional high-prow canoes are carved from the trunk of a western redcedar.
