Land deal returns slice of Klamath tribal homeland

Source: The Oregonian

A landmark agreement to be announced Thursday will return to the Klamath Tribes about 90,000 acres of their one-time southern Oregon reservation that the federal government sliced up and sold off more than 50 years ago. The government's strategy at the time was to integrate the tribes into mainstream society. But the opposite happened: The once-prosperous tribes descended into poverty, with many members giving up school and dying alcohol-related deaths.

The land deal scheduled for unveiling Thursday restores only a small slice of the tribes' former 2.5-million-acre reservation. But it's one of the largest pieces of land to be returned to Northwest tribes that once controlled it. And it gives tribal members renewed control over some of their historic resources -- and their destiny.

Careful management of the forested land, known as the Mazama Tract, also promises to improve the quality and quantity of water flowing off the land and into the Klamath Basin, where water is often in short supply and has been the source of pitched, sometimes emotional, struggles.

"There're a lot of contributions this property can bring to the tribes and the Klamath Basin," said Jeff Mitchell, a tribal councilman who helped develop the agreement.

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/12/land_deal_returns_slice_of_kla.html

considering the fact that about 75% of the tribes from this region were the victims of genocide.

The people in Oregon wanted ALL of this land for themselves so they could have the water resources which have now been decimated and there is no longer the lifeblood known as salmon running in huge streams as once was the case.

Instead, old white eyes decided to build a bunch of dams to make the problem maximize itself and now, there are few salmon.

Dare I say that the mission to exterminate the tribes from this region has been accomplished?

Sure, there are some tribes left but most are long gone leaving behind a few proud members. Not all of the remaining members are alcoholics and I always rather resent seeing this printed about them. The remaining tribal members have BEEN THROUGH HELL and that is the reality of it. I think I'd have a drink too. :beer:

:kick:

The govt sold the tract (then reservation land!)to a timber company in the 50's.

It went through a couple more owners (timber companies) and the current owner, Cascade Timberlands, had the idea to sell the tract to the Klamath, rather than put it up for auction.

Sounds wonderful - but we in the PNW know that a history like this means the land is degraded. Indeed, it's now scruffy, densely packed lodgepole pine at high risk for wildfire. That means the big trees were taken off long ago, and what was left was subject to fire suppression for decades.

Still, the Klamath are glad to get a bit of their land back, and I say more power to them. Under their stewardship, may the land once again return to health.

EOM