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Tribes, public meet again
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| This map shows Forest Service land lying within the boundaries of the former Klamath Indian Reservation. It is those lands the Klamath Tribes hope to regain for a reservation. |
Published Nov. 13, 2003
By DYLAN DARLING
CHILOQUIN - For the second time in three days, the Klamath Tribes met with the public about the possibility of re-establishing a reservation, except this time they heard questions and concerns from some of the Tribes' members.
About 90 people showed up for the meeting Wednesday night at the Tribes administration building in Chiloquin.
Like the Monday night meeting in Beatty, Tribes Chairman Allen Foreman started with a Power Point presentation outlining why the Tribes want the reservation.
"The land produced everything we needed," he said.
Foreman said mismanagement of the former reservation lands has led to low numbers of deer and big game, endangerment of mullet, or suckers, and the overall degradation of the ecosystem.
The reservation is critical to the future of the Tribes and the rest of the Klamath Basin, Foreman said.
Unlike the Beatty meeting, which was primarily conducted by Foreman alone, a panel of Tribes officials answered questions Wednesday.
The Tribes have been talking with the federal government about getting 690,000 acres of national forest land in exchange for improved management. The crux of the deal is the Tribes' forest management plan, which tribal officials have called the "gold standard" of management plans. It is being completed by forestry experts from the University of Washington and Oregon State University.
The plan, which had been expected to be released about Nov. 15, is now set for release Dec. 1, Foreman announced.
Jim Kincaid of Chiloquin, who said he moved from California about a year ago, questioned whether the Tribes would have enough people with credentials to implement it even if the Tribes have a solid plan.
Foreman said the Tribes would hire many U.S. Forest Service employees who already work on the Fremont-Winema National Forests. He said preference in hire would not be given to tribal members.
Kincaid remained skeptical.
"How are you going to manage 700,000 acres of forest land, when you can't manage the trees on your casino land?" he said. "Half of those trees are dead."
Foreman said the plan would speak for itself.
Though the plan will outline how the Tribes want to manage the forests, many expressed concern that the Tribes won't have to stick to it because of changes in the Tribes administration. Many also wondered if, and how, the public would be able to bring issues to the Tribes concerning management.
Foreman said the only way for the forest management plan to be changed would be by an act of the U.S. Congress because it would be federally funded.
Shayleen Idrogo, an attorney for the Tribes, said any member of the public would have the right to take issues with the Tribes to the tribal court, which is currently being set up under a federal grant received earlier this fall.
Decisions in the tribal court could then be appealed to federal district court, Idrogo said.
Though there were many details of the plan the panel couldn't go into, Foreman said there are rumors going around about the possible reservation that he wanted to address.
Two of the main rumors suggest the Tribes would take over private property or restrict access to the forests if they have a reservation again. He said the Tribes would do neither.
Another rumor has been that the Tribes might trade water rights for land.
Dino Herrera, former cultural director of the Klamath Tribes, said he hopes this is not a possibility.
"I want some damn guarantee that you are not trading our water right for land," he said.
While the Tribes are negotiating with the federal government about the possibility of a return of reservation lands, they are also talking about the possibility of forgoing some of their water rights in exchange for a restored sucker fishery. Foreman said there would be no water-for-land swap.
While the Tribes tried to keep the meeting focused on the future and what they would do with a reservation again, questions about the past and how they lost the reservation kept coming up.
Dean Haskins of Chiloquin said his grandparents had a spread they sold many years back near Merrill, but he has never asked for it back.
"I'm just trying to understand it - how can you get back land you sold?" he said.
Foreman said the federal government's termination of the Tribes was unjust and took away the most important part of the Tribes economy and livelihood.
The Tribes next public meeting about the reservation is from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 13 in Klamath Falls at the Mabel Liskey Henzel Pavilion, 2200 Eldorado Blvd.
By DYLAN DARLING
CHILOQUIN - For the second time in three days, the Klamath Tribes met with the public about the possibility of re-establishing a reservation, except this time they heard questions and concerns from some of the Tribes' members.
About 90 people showed up for the meeting Wednesday night at the Tribes administration building in Chiloquin.
Like the Monday night meeting in Beatty, Tribes Chairman Allen Foreman started with a Power Point presentation outlining why the Tribes want the reservation.
"The land produced everything we needed," he said.
Foreman said mismanagement of the former reservation lands has led to low numbers of deer and big game, endangerment of mullet, or suckers, and the overall degradation of the ecosystem.
The reservation is critical to the future of the Tribes and the rest of the Klamath Basin, Foreman said.
Unlike the Beatty meeting, which was primarily conducted by Foreman alone, a panel of Tribes officials answered questions Wednesday.
The Tribes have been talking with the federal government about getting 690,000 acres of national forest land in exchange for improved management. The crux of the deal is the Tribes' forest management plan, which tribal officials have called the "gold standard" of management plans. It is being completed by forestry experts from the University of Washington and Oregon State University.
The plan, which had been expected to be released about Nov. 15, is now set for release Dec. 1, Foreman announced.
Jim Kincaid of Chiloquin, who said he moved from California about a year ago, questioned whether the Tribes would have enough people with credentials to implement it even if the Tribes have a solid plan.
Foreman said the Tribes would hire many U.S. Forest Service employees who already work on the Fremont-Winema National Forests. He said preference in hire would not be given to tribal members.
Kincaid remained skeptical.
"How are you going to manage 700,000 acres of forest land, when you can't manage the trees on your casino land?" he said. "Half of those trees are dead."
Foreman said the plan would speak for itself.
Though the plan will outline how the Tribes want to manage the forests, many expressed concern that the Tribes won't have to stick to it because of changes in the Tribes administration. Many also wondered if, and how, the public would be able to bring issues to the Tribes concerning management.
Foreman said the only way for the forest management plan to be changed would be by an act of the U.S. Congress because it would be federally funded.
Shayleen Idrogo, an attorney for the Tribes, said any member of the public would have the right to take issues with the Tribes to the tribal court, which is currently being set up under a federal grant received earlier this fall.
Decisions in the tribal court could then be appealed to federal district court, Idrogo said.
Though there were many details of the plan the panel couldn't go into, Foreman said there are rumors going around about the possible reservation that he wanted to address.
Two of the main rumors suggest the Tribes would take over private property or restrict access to the forests if they have a reservation again. He said the Tribes would do neither.
Another rumor has been that the Tribes might trade water rights for land.
Dino Herrera, former cultural director of the Klamath Tribes, said he hopes this is not a possibility.
"I want some damn guarantee that you are not trading our water right for land," he said.
While the Tribes are negotiating with the federal government about the possibility of a return of reservation lands, they are also talking about the possibility of forgoing some of their water rights in exchange for a restored sucker fishery. Foreman said there would be no water-for-land swap.
While the Tribes tried to keep the meeting focused on the future and what they would do with a reservation again, questions about the past and how they lost the reservation kept coming up.
Dean Haskins of Chiloquin said his grandparents had a spread they sold many years back near Merrill, but he has never asked for it back.
"I'm just trying to understand it - how can you get back land you sold?" he said.
Foreman said the federal government's termination of the Tribes was unjust and took away the most important part of the Tribes economy and livelihood.
The Tribes next public meeting about the reservation is from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 13 in Klamath Falls at the Mabel Liskey Henzel Pavilion, 2200 Eldorado Blvd.
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Kaylah wrote on Dec 19, 2007 3:21 PM:
" this was my grandmother, i am one of her many grandchildren and boy oh boy do i miss her. i was looking back throught the herald and news and i am suprised i found this article. it nice to save the news papers every year for some people to pull memories off the web. thank you "
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She made my ribbon dresses and helped to teach me how to fancy dance.
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