Category: Recent News

Federal Court Upholds Coquille Indian Tribe’s Medford Land and Gaming Decision

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Coos Bay, OR — A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ruled in favor of the Coquille Indian Tribe, upholding the U.S. Department of the Interior’s decision to place approximately 2.4 acres in Medford, Oregon into trust for the Tribe and to authorize gaming there. In a memorandum opinion issued today, September 4, 2026, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta denied the challenge brought by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Karuk Tribe, and the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, and granted summary judgment to the federal government and to the Coquille Tribe, which had joined the case to defend the decision.

The lawsuit challenged Interior’s January 2025 approval on several grounds, and the court rejected each argument. Central to the ruling was the Coquille Tribe’s Restoration Act of 1989, which restored the Tribe’s federal recognition and authorized the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust within the Tribe’s five-county service area — Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Lane. Because the Medford property sits within that service area, the court agreed the land qualifies as “restored lands” under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, meaning gaming is permitted there.

Chair Brenda Meade stated, “Today a federal judge confirmed what we have always known, that the Coquille Restoration Act allows us to provide for our citizens and rebuild our economy in the five counties identified by Congress. This ruling ensures our sovereignty is stronger than ever.”

Full Press Release – September 4, 2026

Rogue Valley Times – September 4, 2026

KCBY-TV (via MSN) – September 6, 2026

KEZI-TV – September 7, 2026

CDC Gaming Reports – September 7, 2026

US Laws website – September 4, 2026

KOBI-TV – September 9, 2026

Tribal Business News – September 9, 2026

KTVL-TV – September 10, 2026

 

Progress is slow to replace dozens of offensive place names in Oregon

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Under a state law passed in 2025, 90 names are up for replacement. Only two have been officially changed so far.

Content warning: The following story contains reporting on place names that currently utilize racial and ethnic slurs through the use of anti-Indigenous, anti-Black, anti-East Asian, anti-Brown, anti-European, anti-Roma, anti-Italian/Spanish/Portuguese and classist offensive language.

For decades, Native people have pushed to remove Oregon’s derogatory place names. Current renaming efforts are moving forward with minimal tribal involvement.

“It’s been decades of work, not just for the state, but for the tribes,” said Brenda Meade, Chairwoman of the Coquille Indian Tribe. “If they are concerned about the tribes not engaging, it’s because it’s so cumbersome of a process.”

Meade continued, “I don’t know if the process is broken or there’s just so many layers of bureaucracy to some of these things, but any time there [are] things that reflect the bad part of our history, it’s something that needs to go away.”

A year after the passage of the state Dignity In Place Act, aimed at replacing derogatory names, few official names have been changed.

Underscore Native News and Oregon Public Broadcasting – August 24, 2026

Yahoo! News – September 4, 2026

 

Life-saving donation comes from a caring coalition

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What equated to a truckload of life-giving opportunities arrived at the front door of the Ko-Kwel Wellness Center on River Road in Eugene on July 15. A donation that crossed state borders and came from donors spanning a variety of cultural and economic demographics, just like the people they are hoping to save.

It arrived locally to the Reveille Foundation, a non-profit organization, whose mission is to help veterans and underserved people rebuild from the ground up, starting with stabilized housing, and staying through holistic healing. But the donation’s origin started much further away, through other connections to Reveille’s leadership.

“Every one of these donated kits represents an opportunity to save a life and connect someone to recovery,” said Ko-Kwel Wellness Center OTP Director Colleen Wray. “We are deeply grateful to the Reveille Foundation, and their partners, for their generous support. Partnerships like this allow us to expand overdose prevention efforts, increase access to Narcan, and continue educating our community that addiction is a treatable medical condition—not a moral failing.”

READ FULL PRESS RELEASE – July 21, 2026

Coquille Tribe celebrate resilience, practice remembrance for Restoration Day

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The Coquille Tribe welcomed policy makers, elders and tribal members spread across the country to celebrate what is described as the most joyful day on the calendar, Restoration Day. The entire weekend leading up to the June 28 holiday becomes a festival honoring tribal culture, traditions and progress…

Read more in The World

The World Newspaper – July 8, 2026

Community connector: Economic development director aligns tribal priorities with local needs

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An enrolled member of the Coquille Indian Tribe, David Hill works for Tribal One, the tribe’s business and economic development arm, serving as a community liaison for the tribe’s Ko-Kwel Wellness Center and other economic development initiatives. 

People are the heart of Lane County — which is why, each week, Lookout Eugene-Springfield will profile someone who is working behind the scenes to make our community better. 

This week, they profile David Hill.

Lookout Eugene-Springfield – June 23, 2026

Interior gives tribal trust asset management program another decade

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The Department of the Interior has extended a federal demonstration program that allows participating tribes to assume greater authority over trust forest lands and certain surface leasing activities, preserving a self-governance initiative that has seen limited participation since 2016.

Only three tribes have secured approved management plans since the law was enacted: the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians.

The Coquille tribe became the first to secure an approved management plan in 2020, four years after Congress created the authority. Tribal forestry advocates have argued that the delayed rollout compressed much of the program’s original 10-year authorization period before tribes could fully utilize it.

Read full story in Tribal Business News…

Tribal Business News – June 23, 2026

Native News Online – June 22, 2026

The Implementation Project at the 25th Session of the United Nations permanent forum on Indigenous Issues

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This article was originally published on the website of The Implementation Project, a joint initiative of the Native American Rights Fund and Colorado Law to advance education and advocacy regarding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Vice Chair Procter Andrews discussed the Coquille Indian Tribe’s groundbreaking passage of their Indigenous Determinants of Health Ordinance, which provides a framework for ensuring that the Tribe’s governance and external relations advance the health and well-being of Tribal citizens. 

Native American Rights Fund – June 1 – 2026

For the water from the heart

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CHARLESTON, Ore. — A centuries-old dugout canoe fragment discovered near Oregon’s South Coast is now on public display, offering a rare window into Indigenous history and culture along the region’s waterways.

In 2015, a dugout canoe fragment that the Coquille Indian Tribe says dates back to as early as the 18th century was discovered near Sunset Bay State Park in Coos Bay. The fragment is now on display at the South Slough Reserve Visitor Center in Charleston.

KPIC – April 30, 2026

Coquille Citizen Kiana Younker Named Native Performing Arts Network’s First Artistic Director Fellow

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Younker will line produce ANTÍKONI by Beth Piatote at The Vault Theater in Hillsboro, Ore.

Native Performing Arts Network has chosen Kiana Younker as its first Artistic Director Fellow. A descendant of Kitzn Jin jn Ghallahd-a-lu’ee (Miluk Coos) and Gishgiu (Upper Coquille), Younker is a citizen of the Coquille Indian Tribe. In addition to studying and pursuing arts management, Younker is a performer whose artistic practice includes dance and choreography.  

Broadway World – April 22, 2026

North Bend Art Walk melds indigenous culture while showcasing artists of all ages

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NORTH BEND — First-time events often earn an “A” for effort, but North Bend’s debut 2025 Community Art Walk proved no amateur attempt, earning state honors for its efforts to revive the city’s downtown. The award, the 2025 Oregon Excellence on Main’s Outstanding Promotional Event, is one of several given as part of the Oregon Main Street program, which works for community revitalization and includes more than 100 communities in its network.

Now, the city of just over 10,000 is ready to host round two from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 10, with a list of events melding art with local culture, history, and industry, and showcasing artists of all ages.

“North Bend hadn’t had a downtown association or program for many years,” said Stephanie Wilson, executive director of North Bend Main Street. The town signed up with the state Main Street program about four years ago, tapping Wilson as lead in developing the North Bend downtown as a “vibrant and inviting hub that seamlessly blends its historic charm with modern growth.”

Oregon Arts Watch – April  7, 2026