Grande Ronde tribe purchases land at Willamette Falls in Oregon City

(AUGUST 17, 2019) The Confederate Tribes of Grande Ronde recently purchased the Blue Heron Mill site at Willamette Falls in Oregon City.

The Blue Heron Mill was a paper mill for over 100 years, but it went bankrupt and closed in 2011.

The Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde is one of nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon. It says that the 23-acre property is located within the Tribe’s ancestral homelands and holds significant historical and cultural importance for the Tribe.

According to the tribe's website:

Once home to the Charcowah village of the Clowewalla (Willamette band of Tumwaters) and the Kosh-huk-shix Village of Clackamas people, the area is part of the lands ceded to the United States Government under the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty, tribal members were forcibly removed from Willamette Falls and relocated to Grand Ronde.

"This is a historic day for the Grand Ronde Tribe and our people,” stated Cheryle A. Kennedy, Chairwoman for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. “Since 1855 the government has worked to disconnect our people from our homelands. Today, we’re reclaiming a piece of those lands and resurrecting our role as caretakers at Willamette Falls.”

The purchase of the land will give the Grande Ronde easy access to Willamette Falls for cultural and historical purposes, but the land also has the potential for redevelopment. This might provide a way to earn money in addition to the tribe's Spirit Mountain casino, says Willamette Week newspaper.

"The property has always been of great cultural significance to us," says Kennedy. "For native Americans, land is very important. Being able to continue with the historical cultural practices of the area and the revitalization of the environment is also important."

The tribe is working with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to clean up the site. This includes removing hazardous waste and contaminated soil.

“There will be parts of this property that will be redeveloped, but we have a lot of work that needs to happen before we get there,” said Grand Ronde spokeswoman Sara Thompson. “This is part of our ancestral homeland, and our ancestors had a responsibility to take care of this place. Part of our responsibility is to take on that role."