Confederated Tribes of
the Colville Reservation,
Washington
(Colville Confederated Tribes)
"Protecting the future, preserving the past"
Demographics:
- Tribal Population: Approximately 9200 enrolled members
- Twelve tribes make up the confederacy: Colville, Nespelem, San Poil, Lakes, Okanogan, Methow, Entiat, Wenatchi, Moses-Columbia, Chelan, Palus, and Chief Joseph Band of Nez Perce
- Agency Headquarters Location: Nespelem, Washington - North Eastern Washington State
- Nearest "big" city: Spokane, Washington - two (2) hours away by vehicle
- Executive Order Tribe created April 9, 1872
- Tribe has retained hunting, fishing and gathering areas in aboriginal territories
Land Base:
- Current THPO/Tribal Land base: 1.4 million acres
- Aboriginal land base (including ceded area): 40 million acres including parts of southern British Columbia, Oregon, Idaho and Washington and 20 million acres alone in the State of Washington
- Comparison to state land base (reservation size): About the size of the State of Delaware
Basic THPO functions and activities:
- Ensure all Section 106 compliance for the Tribe. We assist federal agencies and other agencies with meeting their obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Section 106
- Assist the Colville Business Council with traditional information
- Conduct cultural resources surveys prior to federal undertakings and Fire Management projects
- Conduct archaeological surveys and Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) studies on the reservation and on land within our traditional territories
- Maintain records of cultural and archaeological sites on the Colville Reservation using GIS
- Confront problems of inadvertent discoveries of human remains and burials on an average of three per year
- Create and maintain agreements with federal agencies and Public Utility Districts
- Respond to informational requests and educate the public about the importance of reporting any archaeological sites, burials and looting
- Participate in a data sharing agreement with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)
- Developed a Cultural Resources Management Plan (CRMP) for reservation lands.
- Developing a Programmatic Agreement (PA) for the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) reservoir
- Contract with federal agencies to conduct cultural resources management on reservation lands and within our traditional territories
- Maintain and manage a federally recognized Repository
- Maintain curation agreements for housing collections
- Maintain cemetery records and in process of developing a cemetery ordinance
- Gather and maintain information from our elders through oral history interviews that tell us about our history, language, and legends
- Develop and maintain a photograph database
- Develop and provide a book of legends and curriculum aides for schools
- Develop oral history information into educational films (DVD's)
- Provide public outreach ? we visit schools at least five times per year
- Work with historical societies
- Preserve and protect historic structures
- Implement our sovereignty and tribal rights for hunting, fishing, and gathering
Staff:
- Nineteen (19) full-time staff, include two tribal elders; TCP Specialist and Certified Language Instructor
- Nine (9) seasonal employees
Of Note: Colville was one of the first twelve Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, 1996
Photo Captions:
- Colville Confederated Tribes Staff 2007
- Colville Confederated Tribes Archaeological Monitoring and Survey 2005
- Colville Confederated Tribes Tribal Archaeologist Field Trip 2004
- Colville Confederated Tribes Oral History Tour 2003
- Colville Confederated Tribes Archaeology Excavation 2006
- Colville Confederated Tribes Repository 2006