The Port of Bandon has agreed to return a quarter-acre memorial site in Old Town to the Coquille Indian Tribe, transferring ownership of land where a Coquille village stood.
Tribal council members, elders and children joined port commissioners Sunday at the Nasomah Memorial to mark the transfer.
The port has owned the property for decades and has leased it to the tribe under a 99-year agreement. Commissioners voted unanimously in July to give the land to the tribe.
“Transfer of title is what it is,” Port Commission President Reg Pullen said. “It’s a gift, and the tribe has been great partners with us. We’ve endeavored in several ventures together, and I hope that we’ll do more in the future.”
Pullen said he expects the title transfer to close within a month.
Tribal Council Chair Brenda Meade said the presence of several generations at the gathering was deliberate.
“We have elders here to witness, and we have young people here to witness,” Meade said. “It’s really important to see that, because that’s how important it is to be recognized by others.”