The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation is a federally recognized tribe located in Southwest Washington. They are a part of the Northern Straits branch Central Coast Salish peoples of Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast. The Confederated Tribes' traditional territories were along the Black, Chehalis, Cowlitz, Elk, Johns, Newaukum, Satsop, Shookumchuck, and Wynoochee Rivers, and included lands from the Southwest coast to the lower Puget Sound of Washington.

Reservation

The Chehalis Reservation ranges 4438 acres, and is home to more than 600 American Indians. The reservation was first established in 1860 for the Lower and Upper Chehalis people. Originally 4,224.63 acres larger, 3,753.63 acres of land was distributed to non-native settlers in 1866 via Executive Order. An additional 471 acres was given to schools. By 1906, fewer than 150 Chehalis people remained on the reservation and a 1984 survey found the population to be 382.

Government

The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation's headquarters is in Oakville, Washington. The Tribe is governed by a democratically elected five-member General Council. The existing constitution and bylaws were ratified on July 15, 1939.

Chairmen

As of November 2022, Dustin Klatush serves as the current Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis. Past chairmen include:

Language

English has become the common spoken language of the Tribe. Traditional languages include the Upper Chehalis and Lower Chehalis languages, which are derived from the Quinault languages of the Tsamosan branch of the Salish language family. The last native speaker of the Upper Chehalis language died in 2001.

Economic development

The Chehalis Tribe owns and operates Lucky Eagle Casino, Eagle’s Landing Hotel, Grand Buffet, Scatter Creek Grill, Prime Rib and Steakhouse, Sidewalk Deli in Rochester, Washington, the Great Wolf Lodge Resort and Talking Cedar Brewing in Grand Mound, Washington. It also owns three convenience stores, a fast food restaurant, two construction companies, and a cigarette stamping business. The tribe employs 1,498 people.