The earth gave us life.
We were born on a mountain.
The earth gave us the elk.
The earth gave us the plants and animals to eat.
And, the earth gave us the cedar tree for everything else.

The Clatsop-Nehalem People

The Clatsop-Nehalem people share a strong attachment to our homeland on the northern Oregon coast, a strong interest in maintaining the vitality of our unique culture, and a strong commitment to the well-being of our elder’s, our children and our children’s children. Our Goals are to:

Protect & Enhance Cultural Resources

Foster Tribal Member Participation in Cultural and Other Local Events

Increase Communication between the Tribe, its members, and our neighbors

Host Tribal Events & Activities

Strengthen Tribal Government

Tribal canoe, “Dragonfly,” at Cullaby Lake

Our Traditional Ways

• We work cooperatively together for the good of All People.
• All natural things are our brothers and sisters . . . they have things to teach us if we are aware and listen.
• Our older children look after their younger brothers and sisters.
• We honor the old ones for their wisdom. They are not cast aside, but continue to hold a place of honor in our families and communities.
• We prize a good sense of humor . . . especially when directed at one’s self.
• We respect the visions of others.
• People of old often return to whisper wise thoughts.
• Our way is giving and sharing . . . if someone is greedy, they will lose everything in the end. We honor a person for what they’ve done for the people, not for what they’ve done for themselves.
• Our Traditional Way is to feed and make strangers comfortable.
• We have a proud heritage that continues to live and grow within us.