Tupper Running for Oregon House District 56 Democratic Ticket

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Taylor Tupper, a Native American woman and life-long Klamath Basin resident, is running for Oregon State Representative for District 56.

Klamath Falls, Oregon – On Monday, March 5, Taylor Tupper, a member of the Klamath Tribes, filed to run for the Oregon Legislature in Oregon House District 56, comprising the southern portion of Klamath and Lake Counties--including Klamath Falls, Merrill, Malin, and Lakeview.

Tupper has served as the Public Relations/News Department Manager for the Klamath Tribes for 26 years and also owns a small business. She has experience as a wildland firefighter, chainsaw crew member, and at one time was a Certified Timber Cruiser for the Fremont-Winema National Forest at the Chiloquin Ranger District. Other experience includes being a former elected member of Tribal Council, and extensive training in the fields of tourism and advocacy for ecosystem restoration.

“I believe there has never been a better time for a Native Woman to run for this position. It is important that the State of Oregon reflects the cultural diversity of the areas they represent in House District 56. And if elected to this position, I will show up, be at the table, and work hard to make good choices for our future.”

She was urged to run by her community and decided to take up the challenge in part because of her commitment to stand against a natural gas pipeline that would run from Malin, Oregon, to Coos Bay, putting 400 waterways at risk, trampling private property rights, adversely affecting cultural resources, traditional sites, sacred places, and contaminating the water for future generations.

Tupper says, “I have been especially disappointed in the approval of this pipeline by so many in our own district. It is beyond me why we are known as the “City of Sunshine” yet we are not organizing to take full advantage of what that can mean for us, not only by fossil fuels reduction, but economically as well. When our communities are suffering and we don’t have jobs that can sustain the families that live here, I am not willing to stand by silently and watch another foreign corporation benefit by destroying my homelands.”

Tupper’s interests and experience go far beyond opposition to this ill-advised project.

“I was raised on a ranch in the Sprague River valley and come from a long-line of cowboy and horse people,” Tupper says. “My tribal name is Lamina Wac – Thunder Horse. I am the direct descendant of some of the most powerful leaders in Modoc Indian history, but am also proud of my Quechan, Czechoslovakian, Austrian, and German descent.”

Tupper will address many issues during the campaign, including economic development for southern Oregon, investment in the tourism economy and the renewable energy industry, revitalization of the Klamath River and surrounding ecosystems, and equality for all.

“I look forward to a positive campaign, meeting voters, and working together to tackle the big challenges facing our communities,” said Tupper. “Sepk’ee’c’a! (Thank You!)”

Press release provided by Tupper4Oregon.com.