Confederated Tribe of the Siletz Indians Donates $5,000 to the Elakha Alliance

"Elakha" is a Chinook word for what is commonly called the sea otter. (Photo by Adrian Dorst)

At the Tribal headquarters in Siletz, Oregon on October 3rd, Tribal leaders awarded the Elakha Alliance $5,000 for its work to restore Elakha to the Oregon coast. The Alliance is following the IUCN's (World Conservation Union) criteria for endangered species recovery, and the Siletz donation will fund a significant step in the this process.

At an evening reception, Tribal Chairwoman Delores Pigsley and members of the donation committee presented 32 awards to local and regional organizations. The committee had 89 requests for funds and they described the selection process as extremely difficult. The Tribe donated a total of $94,250 to causes ranging from local sports, arts, music, and food relief programs to bringing Elakha back to Oregon.

The Elakha Alliance was formed less than a year ago and is currently focused on analyzing DNA from ancient Elakha bones. The generous contribution from the Siletz Tribe ensures that a full-time graduate student from Portland State University, Kimberly Valentine, will be able to dedicate the rest of this academic year (2001-2002) to the DNA analyses.

Siletz Tribal Chairwoman, the Honorable Dolores Pigsley, and the donation committee present an enlarged $5,000 check to Elakha Alliance founder, Dave Hatch, and Alliance member from Ecotrust, Brent Davies.

The DNA work is a critical first step in recovering a healthy population of sea otters to the Oregon Coast. Extinct in the marine waters of Oregon since 1906, the absence of sea otter disrupts the balance of the underwater ecosystem, affecting other species, such as kelp and sea urchin in a domino-like reaction. It is not currently known which subspecies of sea otter, the northern or southern, is the most appropriate for re-introduction to Oregon. The northern population of sea otters is found in Alaska and as far south as Washington, and the southern population is found along the coast of California. The Elakha Alliance's work will determine which subspecies most likely inhabited the Oregon coast before it was hunted to extinction a century ago, and, therefore, which subspecies is the most likely to best adapt and survive in the Oregon coast marine ecosystem.

Dave Hatch, Elakha Alliance founder, and Brent Davies, Alliance member from Ecotrust, were thrilled to receive the donation and to be present at the awards ceremony. "This is absolutely wonderful and it comes at such a great time," remarked Hatch. "We are so thrilled and thankful," commented Davies.

Confederated Tribe of the Siletz Indians Donates $5,000 to the Elakha Alliance

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