June 17, 2026 3:30 a.m. 

Following approval by the Roseburg School Board on June 10th, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and Roseburg Schools are expanding their partnership through a series of initiatives designed to strengthen educational opportunities, celebrate Tribal culture and language, and invest in the future of local students and families.

The Tribe and Roseburg Schools have announced that they would work together to upgrade the Roseburg High School sports complex, offer students language credit for learning the Cow Creek Umpqua ancestral language of Takelma, and extend a successful program designed to support attendance among Tribal students.

Cow Creek Umpqua Chairman Karla Keene said, “One of the pillars by which the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe makes decisions for our next seven generations is the idea that educational pathways create healthy, independent, and fulfilling lives”.  Keene said, “Partnering with Roseburg Schools on these initiatives and learning from their leadership will be a transformational step forward for our youth, providing them with the best possible tools and opportunities to develop self-respect, teamwork, fortitude and curiosity.”

Over the next ten years, the Tribe will donate $500,000 towards improvement and maintenance of the sports complex at RHS. The Tribe will announce the name of the complex at a later date. A portion of the funds will also be devoted to classrooms and academics.

Roseburg Schools Superintendent Jared Cordon said, “These efforts demonstrate what is possible when we work together with mutual respect and a shared vision for the future. We are deeply grateful for the Tribe’s leadership, generosity and commitment to helping our students thrive.”

As part of the partnership, the district and the Tribe are also establishing a Takelma language proficiency pathway that will allow students to earn high school world language credit by demonstrating proficiency of the Tribe’s ancestral language.

The Roseburg Schools release said that together, these efforts reflect a growing partnership grounded in respect, collaboration and a shared commitment to future generations.