WASHINGTON, D.C. - Next Wednesday, July 15, is red-letter day for the Chinook Indian Tribe
as tribal leaders testify before the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee in support of U.S. Rep. Brian Baird's proposal
to restore the Chinooks' formal federal recognition.
The historic hearing will get underway at 10 a.m. EDT in the Longworth
House Office Building adjacent to the U.S. Capitol. Tribal Chairman Ray Gardner of Menlo, Council Member Sam Robinson of Vancouver,
and Council Member and hereditary Chief Phil Hawks of Bay Center will attend garbed in traditional Northwest Coast regalia
of button blankets and cedar hats.
Gardner said Friday he is optimistic about the Chinooks' prospects for becoming
a recognized tribe, an important status that brings prestige, federal funds and a renewed sense of self-esteem to people who
have made their homes along the Lower Columbia River for several thousand years.
SOUTH BEND - With 2009 increasingly looking like the year when
the Chinook Indian Tribe could attain its decades-long dream of formal federal status, tribal members from throughout the
region are gathering in South Bend Saturday to elect a council chairman.
Incumbent Chairman Ray Gardner of Menlo is
running for re-election to another three-year term versus two-term former Chairman Gary Johnson of South Bend. Both say whoever
is chairman will play a vital role in helping shape the future of the tribe and local communities in which most members continue
to live, as they have for many centuries.
May 21, 2009, Washington, D.C.-The people who once gave comfort to Lewis and Clark are finally about to see that favor returned. Since 1851, the Chinook people have been seeking recognition from the Federal Government. Today they are closer to success, thanks in large part to the work of Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA-03) who
introduced the Chinook Nation Restoration Act.
"If patience is in fact a virtue, then the Chinook
People have more virtue than they know what to do with," said Congressman Baird. "It's time to finally do the right thing,
and grant the tribe the recognition they've been waiting more than 150 years for.
The time for talk is now over, now is the time for action."
Under the terms of the Chinook Nation Restoration Act, tribal members will still be able
to fish and hunt as other Washington citizens can; however, they will have no special hunting and fishing rights.
The tribe has also agreed to renounce
any claim to land that is currently privately owned, although tribal members are free to pursue its purchase if the current
owner is willing to sell. In exchange, the Chinook Nation will become eligible
for federal funding to establish a reservation, improve healthcare and housing resources, and gain access to services through
the Indian Health Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
"I am honored to do my part to help right a century and a half of injustice," added
Congressman Brian Baird. "The Chinook People have agreed to a remarkable compromise,
and in return, all the federal government has to do is agree to the obvious: that the Chinook Nation exists and that it should
be recognized."
"I can think of no better way to honor my ancestors, nor any better gift to give to future generations of Chinook than to
pass this bill, and end this long quest for recognition,"said Ray Gardner, Chairman of the Chinook Tribal Council. "The history of the Northwest cannot be told without the Chinook People, and thanks to the
hard work of Congressman Baird, neither can the story of the region's future."
The Chinook have been tantalizingly close to the finish line before.
In addition to the unsigned 1851 treaty, they also suffered a near miss during the Clinton Administration. In2001 the tribe filed a petition with the Branch of the Federal Acknowledgement of the Bureau
of Indian Affairs; it was approved late in the Clinton Administration, but quickly rescinded by the Bush Administration before
the process could be completed.
"While we can't change the past, we can change the future," said Congressman
Baird. "This bill will ensure the Chinook are finally treated fairly. This is about fixing an injustice; it is simply the right thing to do."
