A bill to return 24 acres of ancestral land to the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians of Oregon awaits President Bush's signature.

H.R.6370, the Oregon Surplus Federal Land Act, was introduced in June but benefited from speedy action in the last couple of weeks. It passed the House on September 22 and the Senate on September 24.

The bill transfers the abandoned Cape Arago lighthouse to the tribe. An ancestral village and burial grounds are located at the site.

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Confederated Tribes close to reclaiming land in Charleston (KCBY 9/30)

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