Oregon Governor Revives Cultural Items Task Force

By Isaac White.

Oregon is making sure they are serious in their effort to address the stewardship and documentation of Native American cultural items within Oregon, Governor Tina Kotek has announced the revival of a task force dedicated to this purpose after a hiatus of approximately four years. This executive order marks a renewed effort to catalog and manage Native American artifacts held in state and public collections across Oregon, building on initiatives first launched under her predecessor.

The Task Force on Oregon Tribal Cultural Items, initially established in 2017 by then-Gov. Kate Brown, was a pioneering effort involving members from all nine federally-recognized tribes in Oregon, alongside government, university, and law enforcement officials. Its creation signaled a significant step towards recognizing and rectifying historical oversights in the management and preservation of tribal cultural heritage. By issuing its first report in October 2019, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to share findings from a survey on tribal items, setting a precedent for transparency and collaboration.

However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic brought the task force’s activities to a standstill, highlighting the fragile nature of such essential cultural initiatives in the face of global crises. The pause in the task force’s work underscored the ongoing challenges in safeguarding cultural heritage amidst unforeseen circumstances.

Gov. Kotek’s announcement not only signifies the task force’s revival but also reflects a broader commitment to strengthening government-to-government relationships with the nine sovereign tribal nations within Oregon. “Tribes should have access to information about cultural items held in storage or on display at state agencies, state universities, colleges, and public schools,” Governor Kotek emphasized. “It is time to renew this important work and continue to strengthen our essential government-to-government relationships with the nine sovereign tribal nations.”

The task force is tasked with a comprehensive agenda, including soliciting information from state public institutions and agencies about items associated with Oregon Tribes, determining the provenance of these items, and deciding their appropriate custodianship and display. This initiative arrives as new federal regulations demand institutions to obtain consent from tribes before displaying cultural items or conducting research on them, reflecting a growing awareness and respect for Indigenous rights and perspectives.

The renewed task force will comprise representatives from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including the Governor’s Tribal Affairs Office, the State Historic Preservation Office, and representatives from each of the nine federally recognized Tribes of Oregon, among others. This diverse membership ensures a holistic approach to the task at hand, leveraging a wide range of expertise and perspectives.

This initiative comes at a crucial time when institutions across the U.S. are being called upon to account for their collections of Indigenous items. Many of these items were acquired under contentious circumstances, including plunder from burial grounds or through deceptive practices. The task force’s work is thus not only an act of inventorying but also a step towards reconciling with the past and ensuring the respectful and accurate representation of Native American cultures.

The implications of this task force extend beyond mere documentation. They touch on deeper issues of cultural respect, historical accountability, and the right of Indigenous peoples to determine how their heritage is managed and presented. It reflects a growing recognition of the importance of incorporating tribal perspectives in the stewardship of cultural items, moving away from outdated, stereotypical, and inaccurate representations towards a more informed and respectful acknowledgment of Indigenous heritage.

As the task force prepares to submit its annual report to the Governor beginning in 2025, the path forward involves not just inventorying and policy-making but fostering a deeper understanding and respect for the cultural heritage of Oregon’s Indigenous peoples. This initiative represents a step towards rectifying historical injustices and ensuring that Native American cultural items are preserved, respected, and accurately represented for generations to come.