CTUIR swears in Youth Council

By Summer Wildbill, CUJ Contributor

MISSION — The Members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Youth Council were officially sworn in on January 17th in the rotunda of the Nixyáawii Governance Center (NGC). Judge Bill Johnson officiated the swearing-in ceremony.

There were 23 youth council members sworn in, 11 on the youth leadership council, and 12 on the junior youth leadership council. There are 13 re-elected members and ten newly elected members.

The ceremony included speeches from Kat Brigham, Chair of the Board of Trustees. Lindsey-Pasena Littlesky, outgoing Youth Council Chair. Diamond Greene, Youth Council Chair. Garian McDonald, Junior Youth Council Chair, and Hiyuum Nowland Youth Council Cultural Ambassador.

“I wanted to be a role model to our younger generation to give them an example of what their future can hold,” Greene said. “This experience of becoming Chairwoman is rewarding in many ways. …it also inspires our youth to step up after completing my term.”

Along with Greene, council members promised they would support and protect the best interest of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. While also promising that they would fulfill their duties as youth council members of the CTUIR.

The council’s promise to fulfill their duties aligns with their mission statement. Their mission as a counsel is to form a collective voice for the youth while also working towards positive goals and accomplishments for their community.

Julie Taylor, director of the tribes’ department of children and family, services children and family services (DCFS), shared her appreciation of the large turnout from community and staff members that attended the ceremony in support of the youth council.

Newly elected Senior Youth Council members are Chair Diamond Greene, Vice Chair Sunhawk Thomas, Treasurer Anthony Greene, Cultural Ambassador Weptas Brockie, Secretary Madison Munoz, and Publicist Summer Wildbill. The members-at-large are Meadow Morris, Brooklyn Jones, and Dymond Say. The Helix member-at-large is Malaeloa Malumaleumu. The AthenaWeston member-at-large is Addison Carey.

The junior council elected Chair Garian McDonald, Vice Chair Penelope Gavin-Harvey, Treasurer Ava Jackson, Cultural Ambassador Hiyuum Nowland, Secretary Eagle Edminston, and Publicist Miracle Edminston.

The members-at-large are Victoria

Sweowat, Kymani Van Pelt, Abraham Shippentower, Brees Van Pelt, and Sascha Quampts. The Athena-Weston member-at-large is Sydney Carey.