Chinook Indian Nation

09/05/2026

Today marks the first International Day of the World’s Indigenous Women and Girls.

A day to celebrate Indigenous women and girls everywhere, and to honor the generations of women who have carried culture, knowledge, language and community forward.

Here at home, we see that strength in our own Chinook women and girls, and in the next generation learning, dancing, singing and carrying those connections forward.

Today, we celebrate them all.

📸 Amiran White

09/04/2026

Hayu masi, Sweetwater.

At Canoe Journey this summer, Sweetwater, Executive Director of Idle No More Washington, came to our camp with a Chinook Justice banner she had made for us.

We brought it home.

A few weeks later, that banner stood with us at Tansy Point, as we gathered to honor our ancestors and mark 175 years since the 1851 treaty negotiations there.

Our fight to restore federal recognition has been long. It matters to know that others see that fight, stand beside us and help carry the call for justice.

Hayu masi, Sweetwater, for your friendship, your solidarity and for standing with Chinook Indian Nation.

Restore Chinook recognition.

📸 Amiran White

09/03/2026

Still here. Still singing.

At this year’s Canoe Journey, Chinook songs carried across the protocol floor at Nisqually, lifted by voices young and old.

For a Nation still fighting to restore its federal recognition, there is power in simply being heard.

We are here.
We have always been here.
And our voices carry forward.

09/02/2026

As these 12 children finally make their journey home, may their return bring some measure of healing to their families and Tribal communities.

Repost NABS - Boarding School Healing
For NABS, the return of these children is a powerful reminder that the history of Indian boarding schools is not simply a chapter in the past. The impacts of the boarding school system continue to be felt by survivors, descendants, families, Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian communities to this day.

“For generations, families and communities have carried the grief of children who were taken from their homes and never returned. We call on institutions entrusted with the care of Native children’s remains and cultural belongings to carry out this work with transparency, respect, consultation and accountability. These children were loved, they mattered, and their lives and stories must never be forgotten.” - NABS Chief Executive Officer, Nikki Santos (Coeur d’Alene Tribe)

09/01/2026

Care-A-Van is coming to Bay Center!

On Saturday, September 26, the Chinook Indian Nation is hosting a free Care-A-Van mobile health clinic at our Tribal Office in Bay Center.

Free services will include blood pressure, A1C and blood glucose screenings, vision testing, mental health screenings, nutritional counseling, telehealth referrals and more.

No insurance is needed, there is no cost, and everyone is welcome.

Saturday, September 26 | 10am–2pm
Chinook Tribal Office, Bay Center

09/01/2026

A powerful gathering in Salem yesterday, standing together for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. ❤️

Repost Smoke Signals

Around 150 people came to Salem’s Riverfront Park Sunday, Aug. 30 for Ampkwa Advocacy’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Walk.

09/01/2026

Repost from Oregon Coast Council for the Arts
•
ON DISPLAY THIS WEEKEND: Join us for TRANSGRESSORS, a special touring exhibition on display September 4 - October 18 in the Runyan Gallery at the Newport Visual Arts Center. The exhibit presents present and future Indigiqueer ancestors who move beyond boundaries in both life and art. Curated by Indigenous artists and advocates Felix Furby (Grand Ronde, Chinook) and Anthony Hudson (Grand Ronde, Siletz), Transgressors explores the long history, cultural roles, and evolving identities of Two Spirit people within their tribal worlds, while highlighting ongoing efforts toward cultural revitalization. The exhibition features work by a.c.ramírez de arellaño, Evan Benally Atwood, Geo Soctomah Neptune, Jeffrey Gibson, Lehuauakea, Qahir-beejee Peco, Roin Morigeau, Steph Littlebird, and Walter Scott.

Opening Reception & Artists Talks: Saturday, September 19, 5-7pm (PRIDE weekend). All are welcome; admission is free.

Learn more at coastarts.org/events/transgressors

08/28/2026

175 years after our ancestors gathered at Tansy Point and made clear their determination to remain in our homelands, we are still here.

This has not been easy. But we are stronger than ever, and the fight for federal recognition continues. ✊🏾

Thank you to reporter Chiara Profenna and The Oregonian/OregonLive for spending time with our community at Tansy Point and telling this story.

https://www.oregonlive.com/native-american-news/2026/08/we-will-get-it-done-175-years-in-chinook-indian-nation-is-still-fighting-for-federal-recognition.html

08/26/2026

“This is our place.”

Thank you to The Oregonian and reporter Chiara Profenna for this thoughtful coverage of our gathering at Tansy Point, 175 years since our ancestors negotiated to remain in our homelands, and of our continuing fight to restore federal recognition.

Read the story:
https://www.oregonlive.com/native-american-news/2026/08/we-will-get-it-done-175-years-in-chinook-indian-nation-is-still-fighting-for-federal-recognition.html

In 2001 Gary Johnson watched his tribe gain federal recognition, only to have it stripped away 18 months later. His son Tony now leads the fight to restore it.

08/26/2026

Indian boarding schools are part of our own Chinook history, with many of our people and families directly impacted by this system.

Ahead of the National Day of Remembrance on September 30, the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition has put together a helpful toolkit for anyone looking to learn more, share resources, or find a meaningful way to take part.

Repost from NABS - Boarding School Healing
•
September 30 is the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding School Survivors, a day to honor the children who never returned home, survivors, families, and communities impacted by the Indian boarding school era.

Every action helps keep survivor stories and histories remembered while supporting the continued movement toward truth, justice, and healing.

Our Day of Remembrance Toolkit is here to help you take action in your community. From hosting an event and sharing resources to lighting your porch orange or working with your state to issue a proclamation, there are many ways to participate.

Explore the toolkit and find a way to take action! NABS - Boarding School Healing

Together, we can honor the past, support survivors, and build a future rooted in understanding, respect, and healing.