KLAMATH TRIBES

THE KLAMATH OF OREGON ARE A FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE OF 3 TRIBES WHO LIVE ON SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - KLAMATH, MODOC, AND YAHOOSKIN. THEIR GOVERNMENT IS IN CHILOQUIN, OREGON. AFTER 1864 THE MEMBERS LIVED ON THE KLAMATH RESERVATION. A NEW RESERVATION IS IN THE PLANNING STAGES.IN 1980. THE KLAMATH ENTERED AN AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE 90,000 ACRES OF MAZANA FOREST WITH SUPPORT FROM THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND.

TODAY THEIR RESERVATION IS 12 NON CONTIGUOUS PARCELS IN KLAMATH COUNTY, OREGON. IT IS ONLY 308 ACRES.. FEW NATIVES LIVE ON THEIR RESERVATION. THEY STILL HAVE A WATER RIGHTS ISSUE GOING ON AMONG FARMERS AND FISHERMEN. IN 1864 THE KLAMATH TRIBE CEDED 20 MILLION ACRES OF LAND IN A TREATY BUT RETAINED 2 MILLION ACRES AND THE RIGHT TO FISH, HUNT, TRAP, AND GATHER AS THEY HAVE DONE TRADITIONALLY FOR GENERATIONS. BOTH CALIFORNIA AND OREGON STATES AND FARMERS CHALLENGED KLAMATH WATER RIGHTS BUT THEY WERE REBUFFED.

THEY HAVE LIVED IN THIS LAND SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL. THEIR LEGENDS TALK ABOUT WHEN THEIR WORLD AND ANIMALS WERE CREATED AND GMOK'AM'C - THE CREATOR SAT TOGETHER AND DISCUSSED THE CREATION OF MAN. IF STABILITY DEFINES SUCCESS, OUR PRESENCE WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO OUR ECONOMIC WELL BEING. THEY BELIEVED EVERYTHING WAS PROVIDED BY THEIR CREATOR IN THIS RICH LAND. WE SAW SUCCESS AS A REWARD VIRTUOUS WORK AND TO STRIVE TO WORK HARD AND BE INDUSTRIOUS. DURING WINTERS THEY SURVIVED WITH THEIR RESERVES FROM SUMMER COLLECTIONS. THE SIX TRIBES WERE BOUND TOGETHER BY LOYALTY AND FAMILY. THESE TRIBES HAD EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED AND WERE RICH IN BIRDS, FISH, AND DEER. IN 1826 THE FIRST FUR TRAPPER CAME TO THESE LANDS. THE NEWCOMERS WERE EXPLORERS , THEN MISSIONARIES., MINERS, AND RANCHERS. BY 1864 THE KLAMATH CEDED 23 MILLION ACRES OF LAND AND THEY RETAINED THE RIGHTS TO HUNT, FISH, GATHER ON THESE LANDS.

TODAY THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT ACHIEVING ECONOMIC SUCCESS. THEIR MEMBERSHIP IS 3500 AND CONTRIBUTE ABOUT $25 MILLION PER YEAR TO KLAMATH COUNTY ECONOMY! THEIR MISSION IS TO PROTECT, PRESERVE AND ENHANCE SPIRITUAL , CULTURAL, AND PHYSICAL VALUES AND RESOURCES OF THEIR PEOPLE BY MAINTAINING CUSTOMS AND HERITAGE OF ANCESTORS. IN 1954 WHEN THEY GAVE MUCH OF LAND TO THE GOVERNMENT THEY WERE THE SECOND WEALTHIEST TRIBE IN THE THE U.S. THEIR DEER HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY REDUCED FROM 60/ SQUARE MILE TO 4/ SQUARE MILE. THE TRIBE OPERATES A TRIBAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM IN KLAMATH COUNTY.

UNDER THEIR NEW ECONOMIC APPROVAL THEY DECIDED TO RAISE CATTLE. THEY TOOK UP RANCHING AND WERE SUCCESSFUL AT IT. IT REMAINS A SUCCESSFUL VENTURE FOR THEM. THERE WERE TWENTY TRIBAL TEAMS WORKING YEAR ROUND TO SUPPLY THE PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL NEEDS OF THE RAPIDLY GROWING COUNTY. THEY SPONSORED A SAWMILL. TO CONSTRUCT AGENCY BUILDING. BY 1873 TRIBAL MEMBERS WERE SELLING VARIOUS CRAFTS. IN 1954 KLAMATH TRIBES WERE TERMINATED FROM FEDERAL RECOGNITION BY CONGRESS. DURING TERMINATION THE TRIBAL REPRESENTATIVE OPPOSED IT. THE BIA DETERMINED THE KLAMATH TRIBES WERE NOT READY FOR TERMINATION. CONGRESS ADOPTED THE KLAMATH TERMINATION ACT. THEY SAW THE END OF FEDERAL RECOGNITION AND THEIR RESERVATION LAND BASE OF 1 TO 8 MILLION ACRES WAS TAKEN WHICH HAD DEVASTATING EFFECTS ON THE TRIBE.

IN 1974 THE COURT RULED THAT WE HAD RETAINED OUR TREATY RIGHTS TO HUNT AND FISH AND GATHER. AND TO BE CONSULTED IN LAND MANAGEMENT DECISIONS WHEN THEY AFFECTED OUR TREATY RIGHTS, IN 1986 THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN REGAINING FEDERAL RECOGNITION , BUT THEIR LAND BASE WAS NOT RESTORED. THEY WERE DIRECTED TO CREATE A PLAN TO REGAIN THIS ECONOMIC SELF SUFFICIENCY. WITH A LOT OF DEBATE THEY WENT WITH A CASINO WHICH THEY OPENED IN 1997. THEY HAVE PLANS FOE BECOMING ECONOMICALLY SELF SUFFICIENT AFTER A LONG STRUGGLE.

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