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JUNE 23, 2000

The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the American Museum of Natural History signed an agreement on Thursday, ending a dispute over the ownership of the Willamette Meteorite, a 15 1/2-ton meteorite sacred to the tribes.

In 1999, the tribes began an effort to have the meteorite repatriated to them under the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990. Known by the Clackama tribe as Tomanowos, or Sky Person, the meteorite was used by the tribes of the Willamette Valley for ceremonial purposes.

Rainwater collected in the meteorite's basins was used as a healing medicine. Hunters used the water as a purification agent and it was a central part of the rite of passage into adulthood, until a local miner's discovery of it in 1902 resulted in the sale of the meteorite by the Oregon Iron and Steel Company in 1905.

The meteorite has been on display with the museum since 1906. It is currently housed in the museum's recently opened Rose Center of Earth and Space in New York City, New York.

Under the agreement, the tribes agree to drop their efforts to repatriate the meteorite, recognizing the museum's ownership of it. The museum recognizes the spiritual significance of the meteorite and will allow access to the tribes during an annual ceremony.

However, if the museum fails in any way to properly display Tomanowos, it will be returned to the tribes.

On hand at the Rose Center to attend the signing of the agreement were several council members from the tribe, including chair Kathryn Harrison. Harrison spoke of the significance of the meteorite and the history of the tribes' struggle to reclaim it.

"I can't begin to tell you how much this means to us," said Harrison at the signing yesterday. "Since the termination of our tribe by the federal government in 1954, we have worked hard to gather our people together to share our unique and important past. This agreement goes even further because it looks towards our future. I consider it one of the outstanding milestones we've reached for our tribal members."

The tribes' status was restored through legislative means in 1983.

The musuem and the tribes are also working on a partnership that will bring students to the museum in an internship program.

Relevant Links:
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community: www.grandronde.org
The American Museum of Natural History: www.amnh.org