Confederated Umatilla Journal
The monthly newspaper of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation ~ Pendleton, Oregon September 2021
Section
A
Volume 29, Issue 9
A TRIBE IN MOURNING
CTUIR loses two tribal members to COVID-19 in August as cases spike By Cary Rosenbaum of the CUJ
Biden picks Sams By Cary Rosenbaum of the CUJ
CTUIR member Chuck Sams III has a knack for making history. Months ago, he received a historic appointment from Gov. Kate Brown to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, becoming only the second Native American to serve in that role. On Aug. 18, President Biden an-
nounced the nomination of Sams for an even bigger role: The Director of the National Park Service. He would be the first Native American to serve as the highest ranking poPresident Biden sition in that organization, if approved by the U.S. Senate. Sams would also be the first full-time director since the Obama administration. He declined to comment, but several Sams nomination on page 2A
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation 46411 Timine Way Pendleton, OR 97801
CTUIR member may become first Native American to run National Park Service
MISSION - By definition, “átway” is the Umatilla Tribal word used to respectfully name a deceased person. Two átways were added to Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center’s daily report in August, including 39-yearold Michael Gavin -- the son of Tribal leader Shawna Gavin and brother of Tribal leader Jill-Marie Gavin-Harvey. Yellowhawk’s Interim CEO Aaron Hines called the losses “devastating,” noting the community’s case rate in August has more than quadrupled last August’s count from 14 to 60. “It has been heartbreaking to hear persons deteriorate daily until our staff send them to the E.R. or they require hospitalization or they pass away,” Hines said. “It’s devastating. It’s frustrating. It’s irritating. It’s saddening. Our staff is doing their best to lead the effort to protect the community against COVID-19.” Board of Trustees Chair Kat Brigham said the Tribal government sent its thoughts and prayers to the families, and urged Tribal and community members to get vaccinated. “We still have four more months in 2021 and pray that more CTUIR members and community members will get vaccinated to help avoid any more possible loss due to COVID in 2021,” Brigham said. Shawna, the Tribe’s General Council Secretary, hoped her son would
glide through the sickness safely, despite being unvaccinated. “As my son’s condition worsened, I began asking our family and friends to pray for his recovery,” she said. “As we know, that was not to happen. I desperately wished he’d been vaccinated. It’s very possible that had he been vaccinated, his case would have been mild and he would still be here.” Jill-Marie said her brother had a general mistrust of the government, and noted the CTUIR is less than 50 percent vaccinated. “I think it just boiled down to: He likely didn’t have enough information,” she said. “As his sibling, in retrospect, I wished I’d had more conversations with him about it -though there wasn’t much you could do to deter what he had decided. He was unsure of the vaccine.” Prior to the two deaths, the Tribe had only lost one Tribal member over the course of the pandemic. With the Pendleton Round-Up around the corner in mid-September, Tribal officials released recommendations for CTUIR members to safely attend the event. They fully expect a rise in cases to be linked to the event, which plays host to thousands of visitors each year. Shawna was one of a number of Tribal leaders who spoke out against Tribal members attending the annual átway Michael on page 3A
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