Coquille Chief Don Ivy dies, after battle with cancer

OREGON— The Coquille Tribe is in mourning, after Chief Don Ivy died Monday, after a seven month battle with cancer.

The City of North Bend says he was 70-years-old and had been Chief since 2014. The city says he was well-known in Oregon, as a champion of the Indian people and a scholar of tribal heritage.

Governor Kate Brown released the following statement Thursday:

“I was incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Chief Don Ivy today. For many years, I counted him as a friend and trusted advisor, turning to him most recently to serve on Oregon’s Racial Justice Council–the mission of which aligned with his life’s work: dismantling the structures of racism that have created disparities in our society.

“A leader and a scholar, he dedicated his life to righting those wrongs, as he worked to preserve tribal traditions and to build a more just future for the Coquille people. His contributions to the work of the Oregon Tribal Cultural Items Task Force helped our state to make groundbreaking progress in the preservation of tribal items in the possession of state agencies and other public institutions.

“I was honored in March to recommend he be inducted as a Southwestern Oregon Community College’s Distinguished Alumnus–a college his father helped to create. My heart is with Chief Ivy’s family and friends today, and with all the people of the Coquille Tribe.”

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