Nearly seven acres of rocky coastline south of Yachats could soon return to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, restoring tribal stewardship of land tied to the tribe’s history and coastal traditions. The property, known as Rocky Shores, was appraised and purchased for $120,000 with help from the community land trust View the Future, the McKenzie River Trust and The Nature Conservancy. The sale to the Siletz was still being finalized, according to project partners, who said it could be completed by the end of the week. The land was part of the Siletz Coast Reservation established in 1855, tribal leaders said. In the mid-1800s, reservation boundaries were reduced, including through the removal of land around Yaquina Bay and the Alsea River. Another 700,000 acres were taken from the reservation in 1875, according to Siletz tribal council member and historian Robert Kentta. “Our reservation land got shrunk illegally,” Kentta said, describing the loss of territory without the tribe’s agreement or compensation. Tribal officials and conservation partners said concern that Rocky Shores could be developed helped spur the purchase. View the Future contributed $55,000 toward the transaction. The McKenzie River Trust helped with real estate negotiations and fundraising, while partners sought flexible funding that would leave the tribe free to decide how to manage the property without government oversight. The rugged parcel includes a freshwater stream, ferns, mosses, mushrooms and coastal plants, as well as rocky shore habitat. Siletz Natural Resources Director Angela Sondenaa said the coastline is important for biodiversity and for the tribe’s efforts to restore kelp and sea otters in its territory. Siletz council member Alfred “Buddy” Lane IV said elders confined at the Alsea Subagency in the mid-1800s recalled gathering mussels from the same rocks. The return would allow tribal members to renew their connection with the land and its plants, ocean and wildlife, he said. The property is steep and hazardous in places, Kentta said. It is not expected to be open for general public access; the tribe plans to allow visits only by special invitation for organized events. View the Future founder Joanne Kittel said the organization had been looking to protect the site for 17 years, citing its ecological value and the importance of placing it in tribal hands. McKenzie River Trust leaders described the project as part of growing cooperation between land trusts and tribal nations to support the return of ancestral lands. The effort follows other Oregon projects involving the Siletz and conservation organizations. In 2024, the tribe reacquired 27 acres at Cape Foulweather with support from a $2 million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant. In a separate project near Florence, the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians and partner groups restored a former dairy farm to allow seawater into an estuary.