27 Acres Returned to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians at Cape Foulweather

HISTORIC LAND RETURN: SILETZ TRIBE RECLAIMS ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS ON THE OREGON COAST WITH SUPPORT FROM GOVERNMENTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS

In a historic land transaction, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians regained ownership of 27 acres of their ancestral homelands at Cape Foulweather on the central Oregon coast. This significant land purchase capstones a multi-year collaboration to protect the land’s ecological, cultural and scenic values.

Funded by a $2.01 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Tribe completed the purchase from McKenzie River Trust in October 2024. In 2022, McKenzie River Trust acquired the land from an out-of-state developer, serving as a bridge owner until the Tribe secured funding.

The area has long been a conservation priority. A coalition of partners – including the Tribe, Lincoln County, The Nature Conservancy in Oregon, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, and McKenzie River Trust – came together to secure the property, obtain funding and return the land to Tribal ownership.

Robert Kentta, a member of the Siletz Tribal Council, emphasized the significance of this project in reconnecting Siletz people with their heritage: “Before settlement, this land was home to our families, who fished from the rocks and canoes in the ocean, and gathered mussels from the rocky shore. Now, we will have the opportunity to reinvigorate our connections to traditional lifeways.”

Partners collaborated to access federal funding to support this effort. As a result, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $2.01 million to the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the Siletz Tribe to purchase the property through the Coastal Zone Management Habitat Protection and Restoration Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. The grant was awarded to the Department of Land Conservation and Development through the Oregon Coastal Management Program, aiming to increase coastal resilience by conserving ecologically significant coastal habitats.

Cape Foulweather, a coastal headland featuring rocky shores, salt spray meadows, and spruce forests, holds both environmental and cultural value. The 27-acre parcel lies within the 1.1 million-acre Siletz Reservation, established by U.S. President Franklin Pierce on Nov. 9, 1855. Over the following decades, the Tribe lost most of their reservation lands through forced land cessions, leaving the Cape Foulweather parcel as one of the few undeveloped areas. The return of this land marks the first oceanfront property the Tribe has recovered since those historic losses.

Stan van de Wetering, the Tribe’s biological programs manager, noted the unique ecological features of the property: “This land bridges the ocean and forest, providing access to important cultural resources, including first foods and fibers like seaweed, mussels, kelp, spruce roots and other native plants and animals that serve important roles in Tribal culture.”

Peter Hatch, history and archaeology specialist with the Tribe’s Culture Department, underscores the cultural importance of this acquisition: “This land was part of the original homeland set aside for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in 1855. We are honored to once again be stewards of this sacred place, thanks to the efforts of many.”

The Tribe plans to steward the land in a way that promotes native plant and animal diversity, connects Tribal members and youth to their culture, and engages the public in understanding the importance of Oregon’s coastal habitats for plants, animals and people, and considers Cape Foulweather a hub for cultural revitalization and ecological stewardship.

“I’m excited that this land can now be a gathering place for Siletz people. In particular, I look forward to engaging our youth, who may not be as familiar with some of our traditional practices. We’re already thinking about the needs of the land here and how we can restore kelp beds and bring back ecological fire,” Kentta shared. “Bringing Cape Foulweather home to the Tribe is an important step forward in safeguarding this special area for today and generations to come.”

This historic land return not only restores the Siletz Tribe’s connection to their ancestral homelands but also strengthens a collaboration building coastal resilience for the state. It ensures that cultural, traditional, and ecological diversity will thrive for years to come.

"The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians has worked for many decades to recover parcels of their ancestral lands across western Oregon, especially lands within the 1.1-million-acre Siletz Coast Reservation established as a treaty-guaranteed permanent homeland for the Tribe in November 1855. Opportunities for the acquisition of small conservation lands like Cape Foulweather are allowing the Tribe to bring cultural lifeways and traditions back to its members by providing unique and ecologically healthy, quiet and family-safe areas. The Cape Foulweather site will be the first intertidal rocky shore property recovered by the Tribe, a piece of a landscape where Tribal families have gone to harvest foods and medicines from time immemorial."

“The return of Cape Foulweather to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is of monumental historic significance. I want to express my gratitude to the local government partners and community-based organizations that came together to protect a beautiful place and support the effort to return ancestral land to the Tribe.”

“The return of Cape Foulweather to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians exemplifies our agency’s commitment to preserving Oregon’s ecosystems and strengthening both communities and community resilience. This project reflects agency values and goals by protecting critical coastal habitats while honoring the cultural heritage of the Siletz people. It’s a proud moment for the Department of Land Conservation and Development, to play a role in restoring these ancestral lands.”

"A central aspect of NOAA's mission includes connecting people to the coast while conserving these resources for future generations. NOAA is honored to be part of this incredible partnership to work across so many entities and use funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make this historic transfer of ownership at Cape Foulweather possible. Returning this land to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is a win for land stewardship, coastal resilience and cultural heritage. NOAA is committed to continuing this key work of conserving and restoring habitats within ecological and culturally significant areas."

"I am thankful for all of the partners that came together, including Lincoln County, to protect this property and get it to CTSI. I am excited for the tribe as they take ownership of this beautiful property."

“Several decades ago, the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners placed $2 million of federal ‘timber dollars’ into a special account to fund conservation efforts in Lincoln County. Monies from the Lincoln County Land Legacy Program funded activities needed for the public buy-out of Cape Foulweather. I’m proud of the work we did at the Planning Department, in collaboration with others, to preserve Cape Foulweather. We had an amazing team and outcome. I’m also proud of our county commissioners, Claire Hall, Casey Miller and Kaety Jacobson, who have fully supported this effort.”