Oregon U.S. Representative Val Hoyle’s (OR-04) bill to restore fairness for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (Siletz) has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by voice vote.
The legislation will provide the legal ability for the Siletz and the State of Oregon to change a discriminatory legal clause that has severely limited the hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering abilities of the Siletz. Oregon U.S. Senator Merkley leads the Senate version of the bill.
“The Siletz Tribe never should have been forced to give up their sovereign right to hunt, fish, and gather on their ancestral lands,” Hoyle said. “We have a responsibility to right this historic wrong and ensure the Siletz are treated as other Tribes are. As a new Member of Congress, I am grateful to have had the opportunity for this important bill to be my first standalone bill to pass in the House. I hope the Senate will move it forward as soon as possible so it can become a law.”
“I want to thank Rep. Hoyle for her commitment to setting history straight for the Siletz Tribe and its members,” Siletz Tribal Chair Dee Pigsley said. “House passage of her legislation is an important milestone, and its enactment will be the most significant, positive act of federal policy since Congress restored federal recognition to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.”
“The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians were forced to give up their traditional ability to hunt, fish, and gather on Tribal land as the price to restore their homelands. This historic injustice has stood for far too long,” Merkley said. “I am thrilled Representative Hoyle ensured this legislation, which I’ve been leading in the Senate, passed the House. This is a critical step toward justice. I will keep pressing for the Senate to do the same.”
Hoyle’s bill, H.R. 2839, will allow the Siletz Tribe to return to federal court to request the termination or modification of the consent decree from 1980 that unfairly forced the Siletz to give up their traditional hunting and fishing activities as a condition for having their land and status restored.
While the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission recently approved a historic new hunting and fishing agreement with the Siletz Tribe, the State of Oregon can choose or be forced by litigation to return to the previous unconscionable agreement. The legislation is necessary to invalidate the consent decree.
The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians have over 5,000 enrolled members and are headquartered on Oregon’s coast. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde are the only tribes in the country that have consent decrees that legally prevent them from negotiating for traditional hunting and fishing activities on their land.
Hoyle also said she supports similar legislation, H.R. 2850, which would address the consent decree that restricts the Grand Ronde Tribe. Merkley also leads the Senate version of that bill.
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