Who Will Own the Mazama? Tribal Power and Forest Ownership in the Klamath Basin

Authors

Erin Kelly, Humboldt State University, Department of Forestry and Wildland Resources
Hannah Gosnell, Oregon State University, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences

Abstract

Through the case study of a 90,000-acre section of forest called the Mazama Tree Farm (Mazama), this manuscript explores several dynamics within the State of Jefferson, notably (1) the changing power of Native American tribes relative to other landowners and (2) the transition in rural land uses from productivism toward post-productivism. The Mazama was part of the Klamath Reservation until tribal termination in 1954, when it was purchased by an industrial landowner. The loss of the reservation coincided with the nadir of tribal power within the State of Jefferson, but more recent developments may return the Mazama to tribal ownership as a result of renewed tribal power and the diminishing role of industrial forestry in the region.

Recommended Citation

Kelly, Erin, and Hannah Gosnell. 2022. "Who Will Own the Mazama? Tribal Power and Forest Ownership in the Klamath Basin." Humboldt Journal of Social Relations 1 (36): 102-117. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55671/0160-4341.1202