We are a group of Lower Rogue River Athabaskan descendants of the Tututni people. Our group includes over two dozen family members and spans three generations. Many of us continue to reside in the Lower Rogue River area, a truly beautiful and unique part of Oregon.
In the late 1920s, our Grandmother started working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A) in a long journey to acquire a portion of the land of our ancestors. It took her about 15 years of hard work and dedication to finally prevail. The B.I.A. awarded her the last and final of all allotments from the traditional territory of our ancestors. What a sense of accomplishment and triumph she must have felt!
Her vision was for the land to be stewarded for and enjoyed by her family and the generations to follow. Indeed, her wisdom and foresight has led to the creation of countless memories and experiences. Our bonds with this place, the center of our universe, have instilled a truly wonderful thing into our lives.
It is a place where we can go to gather and share, learn, and enjoy the company of multiple generations of family. A location that we’ve worked hard to take care of and that has, in turn, improved our lives. A spot where the sound of the wind blowing, the smell of the trees and earth, and the crickets chirping at night bring us a true sense of tranquility. A place of belonging.
This place has since been passed down to us, some of the last remnants of the Rogue Tututni people. The land is now divided among our family members. With one exception, we collectively revere the land and have a mutual connection with it. This land speaks to the history of where we came from, who we are today, and who we hope our children will be.
Unfortunately, one descendant has accumulated a large share of the land and is determined to force a sale to obtain a capital return for their interest. This would sever our connection to the area where our people have lived for thousands of years and diminish each of us. While those of us that find this land to be Sacred have tried very hard to find a compromise and prevent a forced sale from happening, we have been unable to come up with enough funds to do so.
Having failed in our collective attempts to find an amicable solution, we are now faced with an impending deadline and need your help.
We're humbly asking for donations to help retain our family's stewardship of this Sacred Land. Donations in the amount of $200,000 are needed before October 9th, 2020 to help avoid the forced sale and auction. We're sympathetic that this is a time of need for many and we would delay this request if it were possible.
We will work diligently to put measures into place that will prevent any similar situation from reoccurring in the future. For us, this property isn't a dollar sign. We're bound by tradition to care for and protect this priceless and irreplaceable part of our heritage.
2010-10-01 Update:
Thank you so very much to everyone that has contributed! This really does mean the world to us. We've got a bit of an extension on our deadline, and it's been changed from October 5th to the 9th. Walk in peace, friends.
2020-11-30 Update:
Unfortunately, a court order has been made to proceed with a forced sale of the property. We're currently doing our best to help keep the lands within our family group. Again, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed!
In the late 1920s, our Grandmother started working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A) in a long journey to acquire a portion of the land of our ancestors. It took her about 15 years of hard work and dedication to finally prevail. The B.I.A. awarded her the last and final of all allotments from the traditional territory of our ancestors. What a sense of accomplishment and triumph she must have felt!
Her vision was for the land to be stewarded for and enjoyed by her family and the generations to follow. Indeed, her wisdom and foresight has led to the creation of countless memories and experiences. Our bonds with this place, the center of our universe, have instilled a truly wonderful thing into our lives.
It is a place where we can go to gather and share, learn, and enjoy the company of multiple generations of family. A location that we’ve worked hard to take care of and that has, in turn, improved our lives. A spot where the sound of the wind blowing, the smell of the trees and earth, and the crickets chirping at night bring us a true sense of tranquility. A place of belonging.
This place has since been passed down to us, some of the last remnants of the Rogue Tututni people. The land is now divided among our family members. With one exception, we collectively revere the land and have a mutual connection with it. This land speaks to the history of where we came from, who we are today, and who we hope our children will be.
Unfortunately, one descendant has accumulated a large share of the land and is determined to force a sale to obtain a capital return for their interest. This would sever our connection to the area where our people have lived for thousands of years and diminish each of us. While those of us that find this land to be Sacred have tried very hard to find a compromise and prevent a forced sale from happening, we have been unable to come up with enough funds to do so.
Having failed in our collective attempts to find an amicable solution, we are now faced with an impending deadline and need your help.
We're humbly asking for donations to help retain our family's stewardship of this Sacred Land. Donations in the amount of $200,000 are needed before October 9th, 2020 to help avoid the forced sale and auction. We're sympathetic that this is a time of need for many and we would delay this request if it were possible.
We will work diligently to put measures into place that will prevent any similar situation from reoccurring in the future. For us, this property isn't a dollar sign. We're bound by tradition to care for and protect this priceless and irreplaceable part of our heritage.
2010-10-01 Update:
Thank you so very much to everyone that has contributed! This really does mean the world to us. We've got a bit of an extension on our deadline, and it's been changed from October 5th to the 9th. Walk in peace, friends.
2020-11-30 Update:
Unfortunately, a court order has been made to proceed with a forced sale of the property. We're currently doing our best to help keep the lands within our family group. Again, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed!
Co-organisers 4
David Petrie
Organiser
Jacob Hawk
Co-organiser
Marie Petrie
Co-organiser
Matthew Petrie
Co-organiser