Jeri Lynn Thompson
Jeri Lynn Thompson is the daughter of Steve & Dorothy Cate, granddaughter of Henry & Gladys Payne/Peini, great-granddaughter of Sarah Channon & Modesto Peini, and great-great-granddaughter of Cha-met. Cha-met was a Tuu-tu’-Dee-ni’ (Tututni People/Citizen) and Chit Dee-ni’ (Chetco People/Citizen) from the mouth of the Rogue River.
Jeri Lynn’s family has remained rooted in these lands for generations. She has lived most of her life along the Chetco River on the ancestral homelands of her people.
Growing up, she was active in 4-H and the Curry County Fair, participating with horses, beef, and sheep. She worked at her family’s Harbor Post Office, which operated for 100 years before closing in 2015. She also lived in the Rogue Valley for a while before coming home to care for her father.
In 2015, Jeri Lynn was elected to the Tribal Council of the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation (formerly the Smith River Rancheria). In this role, she has traveled many times to Washington, D.C. to advocate for her Tribe and represent her people at the federal level.
Jeri Lynn’s connection to the land is not only ancestral but lived, shaping her understanding of stewardship, responsibility, and the importance of protecting culturally significant places. She carries forward the teachings of her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents in caring for the land and water with respect and gratitude.
Her experience includes community leadership, cultural preservation, advocacy, and intergovernmental relations. She is honored to serve on the Wild Rivers Land Trust board to help protect the lands.
