In a nod to cultural preservation, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek is dusting off the old playbook to re-engage with the state's Indigenous peoples. Announcing her move to reestablish the Task Force on Oregon Tribal Cultural Items, Kotek aims to resume the work paused since COVID-19's rampant spread, reported Oregon's state newsroom. The task force was first whipped up in 2017, with the mission of finding out what tribal artifacts were tucked away or displayed across various state-run entities.
The Governor's move places a spotlight back on the cultural treasures of Oregon Tribes—perhaps hoping to sniff out and repatriate artifacts with a history long overshadowed. Created through Executive Order 24-06, the task force will work on cataloging those items and consider their future—either in storage or showcased for educational purposes. Kotek stated, "Tribes should have access to information about cultural items held in storage or on display at state agencies, state universities, colleges, and public schools," in a measure that aims to strengthen ties with the nine sovereign tribal nations of Oregon.
Tasked with the duty of determining the provenance and proper custody of tribal cultural items, the team is set to begin submitting annual reports to the Governor starting in 2025. The task force is a patchwork of appointments including tribal representatives, public university folks, school officials appointed by the Governor, and members from the State Historic Preservation Office, as instructed by the Director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
While the full roster of this revived cultural commission is still to be determined, it’s expected to be as diverse as Oregon's heritage—spanning across agencies, academia, and, crucially, the nine federally recognized Tribes of Oregon. Kotek's Tribal Affairs Director, in cahoots with the Legislative Commission on Indian Services, will wrangle the team. The collective effort aims to rectify a past tinged by the display and storage of tribal cultural items without much regard for the rightful owners.
As the Beaver State takes the lead once again in a nationwide initiative, it illustrates a continuing commitment to reconcile with Native American communities and possibly set a precedent nationwide. After all, Oregon was the first state to report its findings on tribal cultural items back in 2019, and with the task force stepping back into the fray, Governor Kotek hopes to build upon that foundation.
