The Cape Arago Lighthouse in Oregon. Photo US Coast Guard
The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians celebrated the return of ancestral land on Saturday. The U.S. Coast Guard returned the abandoned Cape Arago lighthouse to the tribe. The 24-acre site includes an ancestral village and burial grounds are located at the site. “We are honored to have been able to work with the Confederated Tribes in returning this land to the tribes,” Coast Guard Capt. Mark Reynolds said in a press release. “We and honored to be able to pay respect to current local tribal heritage and their ancestors who called this land home.” The transfer was authorized by H.R.6370, the Oregon Surplus Federal Land Act, which was signed into law in 2008. The bill placed a five-year deadline on the transfer. Get the Story:
Lighthouse ownership turns over to tribes (The Coos Bay World 8/5)
Cape Arago Lighthouse now owned by tribes (KCBY 8/5)
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