After More Than 170 Years, Siletz Tribe To Reclaim Ceded Land. Undisclosed parcel outside Yachats deemed “biodiversity hotspot.”

“These rocky coastlines are biodiversity hotspots that can also provide rich gathering opportunities for our tribal members,” said Sondenaa. She said the coalition of partners behind this historic Land Back transaction “is a testament to what can be done when broad interests align in the name of conservation.”

Sondenaa added that she’s looking forward to the Siletz people being returned to their ancestral roles as stewards of this parcel.

“There is a freshwater stream that runs through it. It’s rich in ferns and mosses and mushrooms,” she said, noting that it also grades into the marine environment, “going through abundant salal and other coastal species. And then again down onto those rocky coastal areas that are so critically important to us, our efforts to restore kelp and sea otters to our territory.”