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The Cow Creek Tribe of Umpqua Indians contributes $150,000 to Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon to promote education in Indian law.
Lewis & Clark: Donation to private school will promote American Indian law education
By Stacy D. Stumbo
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians has contributed $150,000 to a private college in Portland to promote American Indian law education and to honor two men who helped the tribe fight for recognition.
The money will be distributed to the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College over the next three years.
Cow Creek Tribe Chairwoman Sue Shafer announced the gift last month at a banquet honoring Stephen Dow Beckham and Dennis Whittlesey, when they were named distinguished honorary Lewis & Clark alumni. The pair played prominently in the settlement of the tribe's land claims case with the federal government and the negotiation of its successful gaming and entertainment enterprises.
Shaffer, 1986 recipient of the college's Aubrey R. Watzek Award for innovators and individuals who define the Northwest, said the contribution was made to increase understanding of Indian rights and sovereignty.
Beckham, an expert in western and American Indian history and a Coos Bay native, holds the Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Professorship in History at Lewis & Clark College. Whittlesey serves on the board of visitors of the Lewis & Clark law school and is a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Jackson & Kelly.
Shaffer met Beckham and Whittlesey about 25 years ago. At the time, there were few attorneys familiar enough with American Indian issues and tribal law to effectively mount a case.
"It's a field within itself. There are very few, just a handful, even today," Shaffer said.
She commended Lewis & Clark and the University of Oregon law schools for making strides in the study.
"We believe Lewis & Clark can become the national center for Indian law education in the country," said Jim Huffman, dean of the law school. “This tremendous gift will help make this dream a reality and will help serve our law. school, Indian country and our nation for many years to come."
The school offers a curriculum in Indian law, courses taught by an American Indian faculty member, a library collection in Indian law, a summer program focused on the study, and scholarships funded by the Quinault Indian Allottees Association--a tribe based near Aberdeen, Wash.
Beckham, Whittlesey, Shaffer tribe approached Congress and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in 1979 seeking compensation for tribal lands taken after the signing of a treaty in 1853. The Cow Creeks received a $1.5 million settlement in 1984.
The tribe negotiated the first Indian gaming compact in Oregon in 1992 and opened the first gaming facility in the state. The tribe has used its Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino Resort as the catalyst for developing a broad economic base and self-sufficiency of its members.
Shaffer said Beckham's status has enabled him to serve as an expert witness in several Pacific Northwest Indian court cases, and his approach to "truth in Indian history" has made him a sought-after teacher at the college.
Shaffer said a Cow Creek tribal member enrolled at Lewis & Clark had to wait years before he could secure a seat in one of Beckham's classes.
Beckham was recently instrumental in obtaining tribal recognition for the Longview, Wash., Cowlitz Indians.'
Whittlesey represents the Columbia River Chinook Indians in their fight to obtain recognition. He also worked on the Cowlitz case.
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