PORTLAND — How tribal sovereignty shapes everyday life in Oregon communities will be explored during a virtual discussion hosted by the Oregon Historical Society (OHS).

The all-virtual discussion is part of a five-part series, “Oregon Connections: A Conversation Series on the Right to Be Free,” a free program that began Jan. 29. All sessions start at 12 p.m. and registration is required.

According to the OHS, the series coincides with the upcoming semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Historians and legal scholars will lead each session, covering topics such as incarceration, immigration, tribal sovereignty and labor. Each program will include opportunities for audience participation through live questions and discussion.

“Oregon’s history shows us that the work of freedom is neither simple nor complete,” Eliza E. Canty-Jones, chief program officer at the Oregon Historical Society, said. 

The series encourages reflection on how people in the state have pursued liberty through both institutional change and individual action, she said.

The session, titled “Tribal Sovereignty and Civil Rights,” will take place on March 19 and feature tribal scholars Bobbie Conner, director of the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, and Robert Kentta, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Shasta and Applegate River Athabaskan (Dakubetede) and a member of the Siletz Tribal Council. They will examine the historical intersections of U.S. citizenship and Native sovereignty in Oregon.

According to the OOHS website, the discussion will explore how Native peoples in what is now the United States have exercised sovereignty for thousands of years. Citizenship within the United States has remained a complex issue for many Indigenous communities. The U.S. Constitution recognizes treaties, including those made with sovereign Native nations, as the “supreme law of the land.” In Oregon, tribal nations and tribal citizens have asserted their rights while working to maintain their sovereignty within the United States.

All conversations will be recorded and posted on the Oregon Historical Society’s Past Programs page, along with resources for further exploration of Oregon’s history.

2026 Oregon Connections Series Schedule

• Jan. 29: “Incarceration” with Peggy Nagae and Kimberly Jensen
• Feb. 12: “Immigration and Deportation” with Chelsea Rose and Jerry Garcia
• March 19: “Tribal Sovereignty and Civil Rights” with Bobbie Conner and Robert Kentta
• May 21: “Race, Citizenship and Labor” with Jennifer Fang and Johanna Ogden
• June 4: “Community Organizing” with Kimberly Jensen, Carmen Thompson and Diane Hess