The Chinook Indian Nation are the original people of our ancestral homelands at the mouth of the Columbia River. We are a sovereign nation that inherited that inalienable status from our land and our ancestors. We continue to govern ourselves and have one of the oldest living tribal constitutions in the Pacific Northwest.

The U.S. government has increasingly failed to recognize our sovereignty despite numerous examples of past recognition. In 2002, the U.S. government rescinded our federal recognition — just 18 months after federally acknowledging our Nation.

Federal recognition is critical to protecting our culture and legacy. Federally recognized tribes can access federal resources for cultural preservation, housing, utilities, health care, food, and other basic needs — benefits that are critical to the survival of tribes across the country.

Without federal recognition, our tribe lacks the resources and infrastructure needed to thrive. Over the last 20 years, our community has lost out on $200 million in federal funding from the lack of recognition — costing educational opportunities, access to health care and social services, and countless lives. Funding that would have made its way into our in-need local economy by buying goods and services and providing living wage jobs to our members and neighbors. Recognition also means laws meant to protect tribes would apply to us as well.

Congress has consistently recognized tribes and has the power to restore our rightful recognition. Every single day of inaction is another day of justice denied, and the Chinook People can’t afford to wait any longer.

Will you stand with us? Add your name to show your support of federal recognition for the Chinook Indian Nation.