Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) is trying to help members of two terminated tribes get services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Congress terminated the federal government's relationship with the Chetco Tribe and the Tututni Tribe in 1954. About 200 of their descendants are trying to regain their status as the Confederated Tribes of the Lower Rogue.

“There’s no question here that this group of people needs services,” Jen Gilbreath, a spokesperson for DeFazio, told The Eugene Register-Guard 3. “The status quo isn’t acceptable and we are trying to find a way to get them services.”

The Lower Rogue Tribes hope to gain recognition through Congress. But they face opposition from the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, where some Chetco and Tututni descendants enrolled after the Siletz were restored to recognition in 1977.

The members of the Lower Rogue Tribes do not qualify for membership in the Siletz Tribes.

Get the Story:
BROKEN BONDS AND TORN TRIBES (The Eugene Register-Guard 3/27)

Related Stories:
Editorial: Support federal recognition for Lower Rogue in Oregon (11/11)
Confederated Tribes of the Lower Rogue seek federal recognition (11/8)