Smoke Signals
4 FEBRUARY 1, 2001
BIA Issues Final Determination on the Recognition of the Duwamish
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
has issued a final determination to
acknowledge the Duwamish Tribal
Organization, hereafter referred to
as the Duwamish of Renton, Wash
ington, as existing as an Indian
Tribe within the meaning of Federal
law. The Duwamish first filed a let
ter of intent to petition for Federal
acknowledgement on June 7, 1977.
The Bureau made, its final determi
nation based on documentary and in
terview evidence, which formed the
basis for a 1996 proposed finding not
to acknowledge the Duwamish, and
an analysis of information and argu
ments received in response to the pro
posed finding by third parties and the
Duwamish themselves. In addition,
the Bureau reached factual conclu
sions after a review and analysis of
the existing record in light of the ad
ditional evidence. Today's final de
termination reverses the negative
proposed finding issued 1996.
The review established that the
Duwamish Tribal Organization (pe
titioner) has satisfied the criteria
under the 1978 regulations on rec
ognition (25 CFR Part 83). The Bu
reau concluded that while the peti
tioner meets the criteria for recogni
tion throughout the period of first
contact to the present, as an alter
native basis for recognition, the pe
titioner has also demonstrated
prior Federal acknowledgement in
the form of numerous statutory ref
erences of the "Duwamish Tribe" or
the "D'wamish Tribe" beginning with
the United States Senate's ratifica
tion of the 1855 Treaty of Point
Elliott in 1859 up until the final ap
propriation statute in 1923, and that
the petitioner further meets the cri
teria for the period from 1923 to the
present. Express statutory refer
ences also were found in an unbro
ken series of appropriations statutes
beginning in 1860 and ending in
1923.
The Bureau further concluded that
the Duwamish met 1994 regulations
requiring that a petitioner demon
strate historical continuity for the pe
riod commencing from the time of pre
vious acknowledgement to the
present. In light of the additional
evidence, the Duwamish were deter
mined to have met the criteria under
both the 1978 and 1994 regulations.
The final determination will become
effective 90 days after being pub
lished in the Federal Register.
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A Visit to
Washington, D.C.
Kathryn Harrison, Tribal Council
Chair of the Confederated Tribes
of the Grand Ronde attended the
American Indian Inaugural Ball.
Tribe Gives $100,000 to Build Long House on Lane Campus
The Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde will give $100,000 to Lane
Community College's (LCC) Long
House project from the Tribes' Spirit
Mountain Community Fund.
The grant will help finance the
project, which will create a long house
on main campus.. The long house is
a traditional meeting place for Na
tive Americans. The new long house
will provide permanent space for
educational and cultural gatherings.
"The people at Lane Community
College have worked hard to reach
out to Native American students over
the years," said Kathryn Harrison,
Chair of the Grand Ronde Tribal
Council. "I'm pleased that our Tribe
is able to share our good fortune with
the Eugene and Lane County com
munity by joining with LCC on this
exciting Long House project. As a
graduate of Lane Community Col
lege, I know firsthand how impor
tant the education they provide can
be in turning lives around."
Harrison is a 1972 graduate of
At the long house, students can experience a sense of
belonging and community when they may be a long way
Angela Ellis, Community Fund Advisor
from home.'
LCC, earning a degree as a licensed
practical nurse. Lane Community
College currently has 643 enrolled
students who identify themselves as
Native Americans.
The Spirit Mountain grant comes
in two phases a $50,000 grant
that will be given immediately, and
a $50,000 challenge grant that will
be given to the college when the
school raises an equal amount from
other donors.
"Lane Community College is very
grateful to Spirit Mountain for the
generous donation for the Long
House " said Mary Spilde, LCC's Vice
President for Instruction and Student
ServicesBuilding a Long House at
Lane has been a dream for a number
of years. We appreciate that Spirit
Mountain is willing to step forward
to help us fulfill this dream. We will
be actively seeking additional fund
ing to meet Spirit Mountain's chal
lenge. Meanwhile, we are develop
ing a detailed site plan and will con
tinue to work with Lane's Board of
Education as the project progresses."
LCC's Native American Student
Program provides students with an
environment that supports tradi
tional values and promotes academic
achievement, said Angela Ellis, Com
munity Fund Administrator. Staff
members for the program help stu
dents maintain contact with their
Tribal, academic and financial aid
advisors.
"At the Long House, students can
experience a sense of belonging and
community when they may be a long
way from home," Ellis said.
IMS Director Visits Tribal Council
Dr. Michael Trujillo, Director of the Indian Health
Service, recently visited the Grand Ronde Tribal
campus and spent some time meeting with the
Tribal Council. Trujillo was in the Northwest and
took some personal time to visit the Oregon Coast
and spend some time in Grand Ronde. It was his
first visit to Grand Ronde. Trujillo and the council
discussed issues of concern about the direction of
Indian Health Care under incoming President
George W. Bush.
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Council members, from left to right: Secretary Reyn Leno, Cheryle Kennedy, Chair Kathryn Harrison,
Vice Chair Ed Larsen, Dr. Michael Trujillo, Butch LaBonte, Bob Haller and June Sell-Sherer.
Shoshone-Bannock
Tribes Hosting
Indian Nations at
2002 Winter Olympics
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes has
formally accepted an offer from the
Native American 2002 Foundation to
host all Indian Nations during the
XLX Winter Olympics in Salt Lake
City, Utah in February 2002.
The Shoshone-Bannock Official
Tribal Host Committee, Winter
Games 2002, has- been established
and would like to attract interested
members throughout the U.S.
The committee is helping American
Indians during the Olympic events
and is establishing sub-committees
for information; education; market
ing of traditional fine arts and Na
tive merchandise; marketing of tra
ditional foods; performances; hous
ing; and transportation.
Interest parties wishing to assist,
please contact:
Garth Towersap, Chairman
. E-mail: litsageyahoo.com
Phone: 208-478-3936
Toll Free: 888-297-1378
Committee Fax: 208-478-3933