I acknowledge that where I live and work here in Portland, Oregon is on the traditional lands of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River and in the Willamette Valley. These peoples have lived on this land for thousands of years, and I pay respect to their elders past and present.

Colonialism, capitalism, forced assimilation and migration, murder, and genocide have and continue to plague Indigenous Peoples of this area. This acknowledgment serves as a reminder of our ongoing responsibility to make the Portland area and the Willamette Valley a more inclusive, equitable space for all its inhabitants, respecting the sovereign rights, cultures, and traditions of all Indigenous Peoples.

I commit to learning about and working towards rectifying the injustices that Indigenous Peoples have faced and continue to face. I recognize that this acknowledgement is but a small step in the journey towards reconciliation and justice, and I am committed to building relationships with Native communities that are based on respect, understanding, and support for their rights and their efforts to preserve their cultures and identities.

In 1985, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde was forced to sign a Consent Decree with the State of Oregon and Federal Government. The Consent Decree imposed an impossible choice upon the Tribe: choose your land or hunting and fishing rights.

The Tribe made the only decision it could. By signing the Consent Decree, the Grand Ronde Tribe received a nominal fraction of their original lands as Reservation land but their hunting and fishing rights were severely restricted as a result.

What can you do? Join the Movement.

The Consent Decree is unfair, unjust and a relic of a racist past. Now is the time to correct a longstanding injustice and honor the Grand Ronde’s Tribal Sovereignty. Add your name to the list of those that support quick passage of this important legislation.