Meet Trustee Michael Langley

*Young Michael, left, with one that didn’t get away*

Michael Langley’s lineage includes Umpqua, Chinook, and Klickitat from his grandfather's family and Shoshone-Bannock and Ute from his grandmother's family. He is a Senior Auditor for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde where he focuses on continuous improvement as part of a coaching and learning approach that fits neatly into tribal values. Among his many volunteer roles, Michael serves as Treasurer on the Board of the State Forests Trust of Oregon (SFTO).

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Michael is often asked to speak about the profound challenges that more than 30 tribes of the Grand Ronde Confederation faced during almost two centuries of displacement. He is equally keen to share cherished family memories, to his connection to what are now Oregon state forests, and to current day forest management practices on the 10,800 acre Grand Ronde reservation.

“It was an honor to serve on the Grand Ronde Tribal Council for two terms, which allowed me to bring my family’s experiences to our people, including our youth, and to the larger community,” says Michael.

Michael’s grandparents, Roy and Delia Langley — I never gave much thought to being poor growing up because of the richness of my experiences with my family. I also knew how hard and poor my father and grandfather really had it on the reservation in Grand Ronde, living without running water and having to haul water for bathing. My father always respected this experience, and now I do as well, turning the shower head on/off as needed rather than letting it selfishly run down the drain.

Growing up in a HUD housing development in Tillamook, we enjoyed all the activities that the Tillamook and the other state forests had to offer. We spent a lot of time in the forests - some was pure recreation, some was hunting, fishing, and harvesting shellfish for sustenance.

Riding in the back of pickup, with our packed lunches, we'd spend the entire day driving and exploring the mostly ungated forest roads. We had our markers for our favorite fishing spots. One was the Leaning Tree on the Kilchis River. Recently I went back to find that fishing spot again, but after30 year it was a challenge because the Leaning Tree finally gave in to that lean.

We also practiced tribal traditions in nature. I remember going with my grandmother to gather moss and harvesting the chittum (cascara)bark for us to use, sell or trade. We picked berries including thimble berries which most people are completely unaware of because they are too delicate for commercial trade.

Our tribe has its own forest management plan and there is no doubt that my experiences shaped my input. It is important that our forests, while able to produce revenue from timber, also respect our seven generation philosophy. The traditional materials we need for our weavers, the cedar for our canoes, baskets, and hats, a good mix of meadows for elk and deer, protections for our streams to keep the water basins in optimal shape - all of these and other considerations were built into our 2024 Forest Management plan.

1933 Tribal Council for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Roy Langley is third from the left. — The plan supports our traditional practices and allows for population growth. This is possible only when maximizing timber revenue is not ultimate the goal. In fact, our timber harvests will now be leaving 12 trees per acre, compared to 3 trees per acre by the state.

All of the outdoor activity that the forests provide offer great health benefits in diet and physical efforts. It is not a surprise to me that science now tells us that our mental health is improved by merely spending time in nature. Furthermore, it brings out our ancestral stories and our own more modern stories, told only during seasonal trips. My life has been so much more enriched by time spent in the forests. The opportunity to leave the concrete jungle behind, and experience the slowness and stillness is something that everyone needs and that our forests provide.