[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 46 (Tuesday, April 23, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING COW CREEK BAND OF THE UMPQUA TRIBE OF INDIANS ON THEIR 
                            20TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 23, 2002

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and to 
congratulate the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians on the 
twentieth anniversary of their federal restoration. Saturday, April 27, 
2002, will be a day of joyous celebration of their renewal.
  In 1954, the Termination Act severed the trust relationship between 
the Federal Government and the small tribes and bands of western 
Oregon, Including the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe. If you can 
imagine losing your home and having your identity expunged by an action 
of Congress, you can begin to understand the consequences of 
termination for the Cow Creek Umpqua.
  The termination of the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe was only 
one of many catastrophic events in the history of their relationship 
with the United States Government. By 1954, they had been stripped of 
their homelands, survived relocation, and suffered the loss of their 
reservation lands. Yet, despite great tragedy and unimaginable loss, 
the Cow Creek Umpqua endured.
  In 1982, the Cow Creek Umpqua were restored as an Indian tribe and 
established formal relations with the Federal Government. The 
Recognition Law was a tribute to the indomitable spirit of countless 
tribal elders and tribal leaders, like Ellen Furlong Crispen and Sue 
Crispen Shaffer, who refused to let the Cow Creek Umpqua be 
extinguished.
  Recognition of the Cow Creek Umpqua enriched the lives of tribal 
members, and local communities gained a strong and active partner in 
their efforts to help youth and families. The Cow Creek Umpqua 
Foundation and the Tribal Council have given nearly three million 
dollars to the Special Olympics, local schools, community 
organizations, and civic projects.
  The history of the Cow Creek Umpqua is an impressive story of 
remarkable perseverance in the face of overwhelming challenges. I am 
pleased to offer my warmest congratulations on this historic 
anniversary and my good wishes for continued.

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