PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde announced Thursday they would pull out of an intergovernmental, inter-tribal agreement meant to build a walkway and restore public access to Willamette Falls.
In a letter sent to Willamette Falls Legacy Project partners, Grand Ronde Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy expressed the Tribe’s “deep frustration with ineffective project management” and a “lack of transparency and accountability” from the Willamette Falls Trust.
Kennedy said it was not a decision they made lightly, and she cited poor communication as another of the reasons for the Tribe’s withdrawal.
The site of the project, which houses the old Blue Heron Paper Mill, sits alongside the falls. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde purchased the property in 2019 and at the time, Kennedy said the Tribe had reclaimed part of their ancestral homeland. Now, the Tribe says they are moving forward with plans for its renovation.
“Renewing, restoring and revitalizing Willamette Falls is an opportunity not to be squandered – and
we have no intention of letting that happen,” Kennedy said in the letter released Thursday. “As the owner and caretaker of the site, we will continue moving forward, guided by our vision of restoration, revitalization and increased public access for everyone.”
In a statement responding to the news of the Tribe’s withdrawal, the Willamette Falls Trust board chair said the partnership has been complex with different visions.
“The Trust is committed to honoring Indigenous culture and carrying on the work collaboratively
with the member Tribes of the Trust and partners who support the restoration of Willamette Falls,” said Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians Tribal Councilman Robert Kentta in the statement. “No one Tribe is the sole caretaker of the Falls; all five Tribes have historical connections to various places, including Willamette Falls – unique unto themselves – and shared histories relating to the Falls.”
The Willamette Falls Trust is a nonprofit organization focused on restoring access to the Falls for all Oregonians while also honoring indigenous people and their cultures. Members of WFT included five federally recognized tribes until the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde withdrew from the trust in April 2021.
It now includes participation from: The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. To direct public funds and secure permits, multiple layers of governmental agencies collaborate with the tribes through the Willamette Falls Legacy Project, which includes the State of Oregon, Metro, Clackamas County and Oregon City.
Kentta said the trust will continue to work toward the goal of an exceptional experience at Willamette Falls.
Since the 2011 closure of the Blue Heron Paper Mill in Oregon City, the development of a Willamette Falls public land project has progressed slowly and spanned more than a decade. Efforts to restore and build in the area have involved a rotating list of collaborators and multiple setbacks — including a three-alarm fire on December 5, 2020.
According to Clackamas Fire officials, the blaze came “dangerously close” to killing multiple firefighters.
The area is part of the lands ceded to the United States government under the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855. Following the treaty, tribal members were forcibly removed from Willamette Falls and relocated to Grand Ronde.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: This article has been edited to clarify the nature of the Willamette Falls Trust and Willamette Falls Legacy Project.