In 1855, the Siletz Reservation in Oregon covered more than 1 million hectares.
In 1954, when the Siletz tribe was decimated, their reservations consisted of 36 acres of tribal cemetery. The massacre was disastrous for the Siletz. For the first time, indigenous lands were subject to property taxes, and few had the means to pay.
By 1960, most of the former indigenous land had already passed into possession. Homeless, Siletz sprang up in the late 1960s.
Siletz leaders mobilized to regain their relationship with the federal government and to reverse the disastrous effects of the massacre. With the help of the Native American Rights Fund, the Siletz tribe was restored to federal status in 1977. The creation of the 3,600-hectare Siletz Reservation in 1980 secured land and resources necessary for the tribe’s survival.
Many other tribes are being recognized by the federal government through the efforts of the Native American Rights Fund:
Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin
Kickapoo Indian of Texas
Massachusetts’ gay Head Wampanoag
Easter Yaqui Tribe of Arizona
Louisiana’s Tunica Biloxi Tribe
Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island
Poarch Creek Tribe of Alabama
The Native American Rights Fund is the indigenous non-profit organization dedicating it’s time to re-establishing the legal rights of indigenous peoples guaranteed by laws and treaties. http://www.narf.org/