Tillamook State Forest firewood donation supports Native youth programming
Firewood donated by the Oregon Department of Forestry will support Native American cultural activities at an Oregon youth correctional facility.
More than two cords of firewood from the Tillamook State Forest were donated to the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, Oregon, for Native American cultural programming, according to Tillamook County Pioneer. The firewood will be used during activities coordinated through the Oregon Youth Authority, including smudging ceremonies, powwows, sweat lodge gatherings, drum circles and arts programs.
About 50 incarcerated youth in Oregon Youth Authority facilities identify as Native American. Griselda Solano-Salinas, director of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations, said the programs are intended to help youth reconnect with their traditions and communities. The firewood was prepared by adults in custody working through the South Fork Forest Camp, a joint operation between the Oregon Department of Corrections and the Oregon Department of Forestry.
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