Siletz Rocky Shores parcel near Yachats

What happened

A nearly seven-acre stretch of Oregon coast near Yachats, called Rocky Shores, is on its way to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI), Underscore Native News reported on October 1, 2026. The article says the land was part of the Tribes' ancestral territory and of the Coast Reservation set up by treaty. CTSI Natural Resources Director Angela Sondenaa said promises about the reservation were broken and the land went into private ownership.

The article explains the purchase. Joanne Kittel, founder of the community land trust View the Future, said that with support from the McKenzie River Trust and the Nature Conservancy the land was appraised and purchased for $120,000, with View the Future contributing $55,000. The McKenzie River Trust's Eli Tome said they used flexible funding so there is no encumbrance or restriction on the title, so the Tribes can decide how to manage the land. Executive director Joe Moll and Tome told the reporter that the transaction between the landowner and CTSI was still ongoing but could be finalized by the end of that week. The page shows a later update date of October 13, 2026, but the text read reports no closing.

CTSI says what it plans. Sondenaa described coastal habitat important to the Tribes' efforts to restore kelp and sea otters, and said the property would not be open to the general public, only by special invitation for organized events. Council member Alfred Lane IV said he is happy to see the land returned to the people and excited to reestablish connection to the place.

Good to know. The purchase had not closed as of October 2026.

Summarized with AI assistance from 4 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error