On Highway 101 in Garibaldi, just north of Tillamook and in front of the Garibaldi Maritime Museum, is a statue of Captain Robert Gray. Robert Gray is credited with naming the Columbia River in the 1780s and ultimately its "discovery." However, Gray was also known for the brutality and violence he committed towards the local natives of Tillamook County. In 1792, he commanded numerous attacks on indigenous communities based on previous verbal offenses he perceived to have "endured." For this reason, his crew named the Tillamook Bay "Murder's Harbor." The box he is standing on represents a chest that was sacred to the same tribes he committed such atrocities against. It is an assertion of his domination over the locals and a complete dismissal of their culture.

We demand this statue be removed immediately. It has been a symbol of oppression and white supremacy since its inception.

For more information, please see:

oregonencyclopedia.org

Helen Hill, "A Brief History of Fear and Intolerance in Tillamook County"