Coquille Indians are federally recognized in 1989
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 43° 07.208 W 124° 24.872
10T E 384927 N 4775126
One of three Coquille Indians history signs on the Bandon Riverwalk.
Waymark Code: WM81CQ
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 01/08/2010
Views: 5
Coquille totem pole on Bandon Riverwalk with three history signs about the Coquille tribe.
Marker Name: Coquille Indians are federally recognized in 1989
Marker Text: In 1989, nearly 150 years since being forced to leave their traditional homelands, the Coquille Tribe was federally recognized. Surviving great odds, they are maintaining a sense of their cultural identity.
The Coquille have a rich cultural heritage that centers around building community.
- In 1994, they purchased 1000 acres in Coos Bay and built housing for their Tribal members.
- In 1994, they opened Heritage Place in Bandon to provide assisted care living facilities.
- In 1995, they harvested their first crop of organically grown Coquille Cranberries in Coos Bay.
- In 1998, the Coquille Forest was established. 5,410 acres near Bridge were returned to the tribe.
- In 1999, ten years after restoration, the Tribe was the second largest employer in Coos County.
The annual Salmon Ceremony is a tradition that honors and celebrates the returning salmon. Each year the Coquille welcome the return of Salmon in a ceremony held on a beach just north of where you stand now.
The Coquille potlatch is a gift giving tradition usually held in times of plenty to celebrate a variety of life experiences such as marriage, deth, or kinship. In 1997, the Coquille honored the memory of their ancestors in a potlatch held in Eugene, Oregon.
As Coquille Indians look to the future, they learn from the lessons of the past. They partner with the community to preserve cultural resources.
1887 - The Federal Government passed the Dawes Act, which dissolved Indian reservations and gave surplus land to non-Indians for logging, mining, ranching, and homesteading.
1954 - The Termination Act was passed which repealed the tribal status of all tribes in western Oregon.
1955 - Landless and without tribal status, the Indian Relocation Act ships the Coquille to urban centers across the nation.
1989 - Nearly 35 years after termination, the Coquille finally win in federal court reestablishing their federal Indian status. Over 500 Coquille sign the judgment rolls.
Today and beyond - Today, they are working to bring cultural tradition back to the community.
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