Category: News and Notices

KWC accreditation

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Wellness center receives accreditation

April 27, 2022


COOS BAY – The Coquille Indian Tribe’s new Ko-Kwel Wellness Center in Coos Bay has received accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Accreditation distinguishes the KWC among outpatient facilities for its adherence to rigorous standards of care and safety.


“We are very proud of how far we have come in less than a year,” said Kathryn Halverson, chief executive officer of the Coquille Tribe’s Health and Wellness Division. “2021 brought a lot of changes, including a new building and many new staff. Preparing for accreditation took a lot of collaboration and effort, and I am very grateful for our amazing team that contributed to this success.” The KWC, formerly the Coquille Tribal Community Health Center, initially received accreditation in 2001 and subsequently passed national reviews in 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019.


Construction of the wellness center was completed in the summer of 2021 on the Kilkich Reservation near Charleston. KWC serves Coquille Tribal families, members of other federally recognized tribes, Coquille Tribal employees, and the general public as capacity allows. It offers primary medical care, dental care, behavioral health services and an onsite pharmacy.


Prospective patients can learn more at www.kokwelwellness.org, or by calling (541) 888-9494.
Status as an accredited organization means the KWC has met nationally recognized health-care standards. Organizations that earn AAAHC accreditation embody an ongoing commitment to high-quality care and patient safety.


Ambulatory health-care organizations seeking AAAHC accreditation undergo an extensive self-assessment and onsite survey by AAAHC surveyors – physicians, nurses and administrators who are actively involved in ambulatory care.


Founded in 1979, AAAHC is the leader in ambulatory health-care accreditation, with more than 6,100 organizations accredited. Accredited outpatient settings include ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery facilities, endoscopy centers, student health centers, medical and dental group practices, community health centers, employer-based health clinics, retail clinics and tribal health centers, among others.

Chief Don Ivy Memorial

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May 7 event will honor Chief Don Ivy

NORTH BEND – The family of Chief Donald Boyd Ivy invites the community to honor his memory on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at The Mill Casino-Hotel.

Family members, friends and colleagues will celebrate Chief Ivy’s life and share memories, both in person and in a tribute film. The event starts at 1 p.m. and will be followed by a reception. Everyone is welcome.

Chief Ivy was born in North Bend in 1951 and grew up in the Empire area. After pursuing a career in retailing and sales, he returned to the Coos Bay area in 1991 to work for his tribe. He was elected as its chief in 2014 and served until a few days before his death on July 19, 2021, after a seven-month battle with cancer.

He is remembered as a dynamic leader and skilled consensus builder. He worked effectively to establish Oregon’s strong inter-tribal and inter-governmental relationships, and he relentlessly pursued economic and educational opportunities for Indian people. By researching and sharing knowledge about tribal culture and history, he encouraged understanding and respect for the heritage of Native American people in Oregon.

A public memorial for Chief Ivy was delayed during the COVID pandemic. Now, with restrictions lifted on public gatherings, his many friends can join his family for an afternoon of recognition and remembrance.

The family requests no photography or recording of the event.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Chief Ivy’s memory be given to the Donald Ivy Memorial Scholarship Endowment at Southwestern Oregon Community College. Donations also can be given to the Elakha Alliance, an organization he helped found to restore Oregon’s sea otter population, at www.elakhaalliance.org/donivy/.

New tribal officers

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Coquille Tribe installs new leaders

 

The Coquille Indian Tribe has a new chief and a new secretary-treasurer after recent elections.

Chief Jason Younker, a University of Oregon faculty member, was sworn in on Oct. 29. Jackie Chambers, who previously managed the tribe’s community grants program, was sworn in as secretary-treasurer.

Younker replaces Chief Don Ivy, who died in July. As chief, Younker will hold one of seven seats on the Coquille Tribal Council, while serving as the tribe’s cultural and spiritual leader and voice.

Younker grew up on the shores of Coos Bay’s South Slough. He holds three graduate degrees, including a doctorate in cultural anthropology. He is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon, where he also is an assistant vice president and assistant to the president for tribal sovereignty and government-to-government relations.

He chairs the board of Oregon’s Chemawa Indian school and is past president of the Association of Indigenous Archaeologists.

Chambers, a lifelong Coos County resident, is devoted to serving and strengthening local communities. Before her election to the Tribal Council, she served the tribe as administrator of the Coquille Tribal Community Fund, which awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants each year.

She also is a co-founder and president of Charleston Fishing Families, a nonprofit that helps commercial fishing families in times of need. She graduated from the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Coos program in 2020.

She replaces former Secretary-Treasurer Linda Mecum, who retired after seven years on the Tribal Council.

Along with Chambers and Younker, two Tribal Council incumbents were sworn in for new terms. Chairman Brenda Meade and Rep. Laurabeth Barton both retained their seats in recent elections.

Masked up for safety, four Coquille Tribal Council members take the oath of office on Oct. 29. From left, Jason Younker was elected Oct. 15 as chief; Jackie Chambers is the new secretary-treasurer; Laurabeth Barton retained her seat as representative No. 1; and Brenda Meade was re-elected as chairman. At right, Vice Chair Jon Ivy administers the oath.

Healing the Coquille River

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Our salmon don’t have to disappear

Jii-la! (Greetings, friends!)

I’m Brenda Meade, chairman of the Coquille Indian Tribe. Coquille River salmon have nourished my people for countless generations. Our ancestors have  relished and revered these amazing fish since time began.

But a tragedy has struck in the past few years. Fall Chinook salmon have nearly disappeared from the Coquille River. 

As recently as 2010, more than 30,000 fall run Chinook returned to spawn in the river. In recent years, that number has shrunk to just a few hundred. These wonderful fish are on the edge of extinction.

What’s killing our salmon?

Several issues have come together to cause this tragedy:

  • Invasive bass species devour juvenile salmon on their way to the ocean.
  • Year after year, ODFW’s brood stock collection has fallen short of its goals, while seals feasted on adult salmon returning to spawn in the river.
  • Pollution, sediment and warmer water have impeded the salmon life cycle.
  • Old, deteriorated fish hatcheries have produced too few smolts.
  • Rigid state policies have prevented effective management.
  • The Coquille River has been a low priority in the state budget.

We’re stepping up

Despite these challenges, we believe the Coquille River’s fall Chinook salmon still can be saved. In the summer of 2021, the Coquille Tribe began collaborating with the state of Oregon. Over the next year, we developed a new kind of cooperative relationship with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife – not only to address the salmon crisis, but ultimately to co-manage the Coquille watershed.

Today we are collaborating with state and local officials, landowners and sportsmen to clean up the river, thwart the predators, revitalize the hatcheries and restore habitat.

How it’s going

A cooperative effort of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Coquille Indian Tribe and local volunteers collected about 150 breeding pairs of fall Chinook salmon in 2022. That’s up from 24 pairs in 2021, and just three pairs in 2020. See details below.

Bandon hits the salmon jackpot in 2022 (Nov. 10, 2022)

2022 run looks stronger (Oct. 14, 2022)

Senate bill includes $750K for Coquille River (Aug. 1, 2022)

$100K grant targets invasive bass (Aug. 1, 2022)

Tribe launches first 1,000 salmon (June 16, 2022)

 

Hatchery gets a boost (Nov. 22, 2021)

Wet, chilly work (Nov. 1, 2021)

A hopeful start (Sept. 28, 2021)

 

Ways you can help

  • Volunteer to help –  We’ll need help with the hatchery, habitat projects and more. Or just let us list you as a Community Partner.
  • Catch some bass – Stripers and smallmouth bass are bad for salmon, but they’re good for dinner, and the Coquille River has no limit on them. 

Community partners

City of Bandon

“We join the Coquille Indian Tribe in sounding the alarm about the salmon’s plight.”  Full text

_____________________________

City of Myrtle Point

“In just the past decade, what previously was a lively sport fishery has dwindled to almost no fish at all.” Full text

_______________________________

Bandon Chamber

“When the shocking news came this spring from ODF&W that the Coquille River would be completely closed to all salmon fishing in 2021, it spelled more disaster for our community.”  Full text

 

___________________________

Port of Bandon

“We urge your support to rescue this ancient and cherished resource from extinction.” Full text

_____________________________

 

Coquille Watershed Association

“In the face of climate change, land use and water quality issues, it is critical to act now to reverse alarming trends in the watershed.” Full text

_____________________________

Shoreline Education and Awareness

“Limited resources have hobbled the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife efforts to restore the Coquille River’s Chinook population. The Coquille Tribe’s experience, motivation and resources are essential for restoring the salmon population in the river.” Full text

_____________________________

Coos County Commissioners

“Cooperative management offers our best possible hope for success in saving the fall-run Chinook salmon and improving the health the watershed.” Full text

___________________________________

City of Coquille

“Combining resources and involving a more vested local voice and action plan can prove to be very effective.” Full text

______________________________________

City of Powers

“We urge you to accept the tribe’s help and build an effective coalition to heal our watershed.” Full text

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Port of Coquille River

“Already this fall, we are seeing positive results from the tribe’s participation and leadership in
organizing a cooperative local response.” Full text

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Bay Area Chamber

“We join other local voices to endorse the Coquille Tribe’s co-management proposal.” Full text

 

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Media Coverage
Tribal Declaration of Emergency

Media coverage of salmon project

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Saving Coquille River salmon

See news coverage:

 

2022 fall Chinook run looks stronger (KEZI, Oct. 16, 2022)

Hook a bass to reel in cash (Coos Bay World, Aug. 30, 2022)

Senate bill includes $750K for Coquille River 

Electrified boat will target salmon predators

ODFW Commission Approves Emergency Coquille Chinook Hatchery (NW Sportsman, Aug. 5, 2022)

$1,000 fish eludes anglers at Port of Coquille derby  (KQEN News Radio, July 21, 2022)

Hook cash prizes at small mouth bass derby in Coquille this weekend  (KMTR, July 15, 2022)

Tribal chair and ODFW director sign agreement  (ODFW video, July 6, 2022)

Oregon tribe, state leaders enter historic agreement 

Coquille Indian Tribe releases endangered salmon into Coquille River (KEZI, June 17, 2022)

Bandon Hatchery gets a boost from Coquille Tribe  (Coos Bay World, Nov. 23, 2021)

Tribe announces increase in brood stock at Bandon Hatchery (KCBY, Nov. 22, 2021)

Coquille Tribe strives to save its salmon from invasive fish