Complaints lead to tribal member loan fund fixes
By CHRIS AADLAND Reporter
MISSION – Complaints about long loan application processing delays at Nixyáawii Community Financial Services (NCFS) prompted tribal leaders to pressure the entity to eliminate the backlog while working to address other concerns about its operations that were revealed during recent discussions.
Since it opened in 2021, NCFS has operated a revolving loan fund – formerly the Tribal Credit Program operated by the tribe –for tribal members.
But increased demand for loans, higher borrowing limits and slow repayment cycles have resulted in a looming shortage of available loan funds. In response, NCFS Board of Directors voted earlier this year to change how loan officers reviewed requests to prioritize applications from those requesting money to pay for emergencies.
However, those changes contributed to long delays and a processing waitlist that continues to get longer and longer.
To address the problems, NCFS and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Board of Trustees (BOT) first met in a July 3 work session that was attended by many tribal members who shared their complaints in-person or via Zoom to discuss the funding shortfall and the delays that had frustrated many.
As a result, the BOT on July 8 voted to give NCFS $2 million for its loan fund so it had enough money to meet demand as it worked to erase the backlog.
CTUIR propagating rare mussel species
By TRAVIS SNELL CTUIR Communications
WALLA WALLA, Wash.
– The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is trying to keep a rare species of mussel from disappearing by growing it at a lab in Walla Walla.
Alexa Maine, Freshwater Mussel Research and Restoration project lead, said her team is rearing the rare Western Ridged Mussel and other mussels at DNR’s aquatic propagation lab in Washington.
“We propagate and rear for research and restoration all three genera of mussels present in ceded area waterways and the greater Columbia River Basin,” she said. “The Western Ridged
Mussel is a freshwater mussel species. The other types of mussels we work with are the California floater, Oregon floater and the Western Pearlshell.”
DNR’s work with the Western Ridged Mussel is important, Maine said, because the species is being petitioned for endangered status due to population losses and mass die-off events that seemingly affect it more than others, although other mussels are also in decline.
“This mussel species used to be commonly found in areas like the Umatilla River and other rivers and creeks throughout the western United States. Populations of this species have been declining for about two decades,” she said. “Historic
BOT shelves plans for hemp, marijuana businesses
While the tribe won't be pursuing hemp cultivation or a marijuana retail business, marijuana possession and purchase by anyone 21 and older remains legal on the reservation. CUJ | STOCK PHOTO
By CHRIS AADLAND Reporter
MISSION – Tribal leaders have abandoned pursuing hemp cultivation and a marijuana retail business after studies showed neither venture would lead to substantial profits for the tribe.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Board of Trustees (BOT) on July 15 voted against a resolution to pursue cannabis related businesses by a 5-0 vote, with three members abstaining.
The resolution also rescinded the tribe’s hemp code.
Years of tribal members pushing for cannabis legalization culminated with the Board approving a resolution legalizing hemp and marijuana on the
reservation in January 2023. Since that action, the BOT prioritized looking into whether to launch tribally owned cannabisrelated businesses, citing additional revenue for the tribe and the potential sustainability and regenerative agriculture benefits of a hemp crop.
A feasibility study, which was shared with tribal leaders during a July 10 work session, estimated how much revenue a hemp production business would produce for the tribe.
In a best-case scenario, the study found, a hemp business would lose money in its first three years and generate an estimated profit of about $20,000 over the project’s first five years. The project, which
Alexa Maine, Freshwater Mussel Research and Restoration project lead, shows a collected sample of Western Ridged mussels. COURTESY PHOTO
MUSSELS CONTINUED PAGE 16
By CHRIS AADLAND Reporter
MISSION –Tribal leaders recently finalized a list of nearly 50 priorities for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and determined how tribal staff will work to meet those goals.
With a unanimous vote at its June 26 meeting, the Board of Trustees (BOT) finalized a list of 48 priorities that spans topics from public safety to housing to treaty rights protection. The priorities document also contained more detailed plans, next steps and timelines for meeting those goals.
CTUIR staff and departments now have detailed directions from tribal leaders about expectations for their work and what goals or projects to focus on, although some of list contains work or goals associated with previous BOTs that had not been finished.
“It’s an enormous list,” Interim Executive Director J.D. Tovey said during a June 21 work session. “There’s a lot of things on here. Forty-
eight is a lot. A lot of [the priorities and projects] are already baked in. A lot of them are quick wins. A lot of them are kind of ongoing work.”
The resolution also directed the tribe to send the priorities and implementation plan to CTUIR committees and commissions and present the priorities to the General Council at an upcoming meeting.
Although BOT members had previously broadly defined their priorities – such as improving tribal health care and protecting First Foods and natural resources – in March, tribal staff members had yet to provide a detailed plan on how to meet those goals.
During a CTUIR management retreat and subsequent workshops, tribal staff and departments further defined the BOT priorities and developed detailed plans for completing tasks and implementation timelines.
For example, Tovey said the BOT had already established that one of its priorities was to implement career and professional development standards across tribal departments and entities but hadn’t defined how to accomplish the goal or what the standards would be.
The priorities document also lumped together broad priority categories such as the tribal economy with projects related to improving the CTUIR economy. In that category,
priorities included instituting thirdparty billing at Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, creating a $5 million economic diversification fund and working towards opening a small business incubator.
Tribal managers also factored feasibility and funding opportunities when determining what could be realistically accomplished or started, Tovey said, mentioning the BOT’s priority of renewable energy development.
He said the tribe has “a lot of energy projects” and “people just want to see something move on one of them,” so managers decided to propose feasible projects such as a solar array project that could power at least 37 homes and another to provide power for another 30 apartments.
Tovey outlined the finalized priorities and the plan for how CTUIR staff would work to address them during the June 21 work session.
“It looks really good, very promising,” said Chairman Gary I. Burke at the meeting.
Not all priorities, such as the completion of the wastewater treatment plant and projects or initiatives associated with them will be wrapped up by the time the current BOT term ends. However, the completed priorities and implementation plan defined
what can, or will be, accomplished towards that priority before the term ends, Tovey said.
The plan also lays out what will be done during the current BOT term to begin tackling that priority, he added. The current BOT term runs until November 2025.
“A lot of these are going to have ongoing activity beyond the end of the board term,” Tovey said.
Some priorities and projects were also carried over from previous BOT terms that hadn’t been completed or had ongoing work or projects.
The COVID-19 pandemic also interrupted tribal officials and leaders and caused projects to be “waylaid” and work began stacking up for tribal employees as they tried to meet previous BOT goals while tackling new priorities, Tovey added.
The current BOT’s directives aim to meet those goals while also addressing its priorities, he said.
While there is a lot of work to be done, Tovey said he and tribal managements are comfortable with the list and their expectations.
“I don’t feel like anyone’s feeling apprehensive about these,” Tovey said. “I think these are good projects and it’s a little aggressive. But, you know, you rise to the occasion, sharpen some blades a little bit and try to get some stuff slapped out and get us back on track.”
Gary I. Burke, Board of Trustees Chairman
CTUIR employee appointed to state advisory committee
By TRAVIS SNELL
CTUIR Communications
MISSION – Gov. Tina Kotek
recently appointed a Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) employee to a committee devoted to advancing regional community and economic development efforts.
Monica Paradise, CTUIR Department of Economic & Community Development business development and tax project manager, was named to the Regional Solutions Greater Eastern Oregon Advisory Committee on July 1 and will serve a four-year term.
“I am thankful to be appointed to
the committee by Gov. Kotek because it allows the opportunity for the tribe to have representation when key economic development issues are being discussed in Oregon,” Paradise said. “It can also offer ways for me to understand how local partners have navigated through such challenges and how the CTUIR can collaborate and be innovative in our thinking to solve problems.”
In 2014, the state adopted its Regional Solutions program to have state, local and tribal governments, as well as private and public businesses and organizations, advance projects, solve problems, seize opportunities and respond to local needs.
The program has 11 economic development districts in the state, with each having an advisory committee to identify community and economic development priorities, obtain and connect to resources, and fund and advance efforts via local connections.
Paradise was appointed to the Greater Eastern Oregon Advisory Committee, which consists of Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla and Wheeler counties and meets up to four times annually at one of six designated Regional Solutions centers.
“My goals on the committee are to gain an understanding of challenges and issues at CTUIR and then be
the voice to express those to the committee to better understand resources that the tribe can leverage around the region,” she said. “It will be great to learn more about what other regions are doing and to be able to be a resource to tribal membership who may not know what services or opportunities are nearby.”
Paradise said she was selected for the committee because of her experience managing projects, developing businesses and serving on external groups in Pendleton as a
liaison for the CTUIR.
“I believe I was selected because I am a member of the CTUIR, and I understand our tribal economy. I also have a family who lives on the reservation and is impacted by changing economic growth or decline,” she said. “But mostly because I work for the CTUIR Department of Economic & Community Development that follows the Board of Trustees priorities and visions to implement and strategize how to achieve those goals and objectives through economic development.”
OF SUMMER END
Monica Paradise was named to the Regional Solutions Greater Eastern Oregon Advisory Committee by Gov. Tina Kotek.
The Greater Eastern Oregon Advisory Committee consists of Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla and Wheeler counties. Regional Solutions advisory committees identify community and economic development priorities, obtain and connect to resources, and fund and advance efforts via local connections. OREGON.GOV | COURTESY GRAPHIC
ABOUT THE CUJ
The Confederated Umatilla Journal (CUJ) was created in 1975 as the official publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), which includes the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla people. The CUJ is produced monthly by the CTUIR Communications Department.
Publisher: Kaeleen McGuire kaeleenmcguire@ctuir.org
Editor: Lisa Hicks Snell lisasnell@ctuir.org
Reporter: Chris Aadland christopheraadland@ctuir.org
Advertising: M. Moses-Conner monecemoses@ctuir.org
Contributing Photographers: Dallas Dick dallasdick@ctuir.org
Lee Gavin leegavin@ctuir.org
CONTACT US
Confederated Umatilla Journal
46411 Timine Way Pendleton, OR 97801
Email: CUJ@ctuir.org
Phone: 541-429-7005
SUBSCRIBE
The CUJ is free to pick up at tribal entities and area businesses. However, a mailed subscription can be purchased for the price of shipping and handling by contacting the CTUIR Finance Department. Call 541-429-7150 or visit the Finance Department in person at Nixyáawii Governance Center, 46411 Timine Way, Pendleton.
One year: $15 • Two years: $28
The CUJ prints on the first Thursday of each month.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
• Limit to 300 words or less
• Information found to be inaccurate/libelous will not be published.
• Letters containing profanity will not be published.
• One letter per issue will be published. Campaigning is not allowed.
• Author’s full name, address and phone number must be listed for verification purposes.
EMAIL ADVERTISING, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR & OTHER SUBMISSIONS TO: CUJ@ctuir.org
DEADLINE: 20th of the month prior to publication
For more information or daily news, visit the CUJ online at: https://cuj.ctuir.org
Gov. Tina Kotek meets with leaders of Oregon’s nine federally recognized sovereign tribal nations at the 2024 Tribal-State Government-to-Government Summit held during the week of July 22-26 in Canyonville, Oregon. From left to right are Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians Chairman Brad Kneaper; Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians Chairwoman Carla Keene; Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Chairman Gary I. Burke; Coquille Tribe Chairwoman Brenda Meade; Gov. Kotek; Confederated Tribes of Siletz Chairwoman Delores Pigsley; Burns Paiute Tribe Chairwoman Tracy Kennedy; Klamath Tribes Chairman William E. Ray Jr.; and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Chairman Jonathan W. Smith Jr. Kotek and First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson joined the tribal leaders, along with state agency directors and staff, to discuss issues including government-to-government consultation, housing production and affordability, economic development and climate resiliency and water.
OFFICE OF GOV. KOTEK | COURTESY PHOTO
UMATILLA INDIAN RESERVATION
Family Violence Services hosts successful summit
By CHRIS AADLAND Reporter
MISSION – Domestic violence service providers and others who work with victims spent three days at Wildhorse Resort & Casino during a July summit aimed at improving how they work with victims and the systems designed to prevent or respond to incidents.
The Confederated Tribes (CTUIR) of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s Family Violence Services (FVS) program hosted the event. Representatives from CTUIR entities and departments, law enforcement, other tribes and state and local agencies attended the Tribal, State and Federal Summit. It was also open to the public.
“Having these conversations, broadening our perspectives, is so hugely important,” said Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland, during opening remarks.
Sanchez, a trained social worker, was the second Native American to be elected to the Oregon Legislature. She is also a founder and former leader of the Portland-based Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA).
“These ideas and these things are going to come from you all and the work you do every single day,” she said to attendees of the role they have
in improving policies and responses to domestic violence or preventing incidents. “I know we have the answers here somewhere.”
At times, nearly 100 attendees were present for sessions during the July 9-11 summit. Topics addressed included the importance of traumainformed interactions with survivors and families, how domestic violence often results in traumatic brain injuries that are rarely identified or treated, and the need for confidentiality in providing victim services.
The summit also included a discussion about the recent study conducted and released by FVS that revealed community perceptions about sexual and gender-based violence in the community and recommended ways the tribe could improve responses and services.
The summit was held as a followup on the federal 2022 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) renewal and provide an overview of how it expanded tribal court’s criminal jurisdiction in sexual misconduct, domestic violence and child abuse cases involving nonNative offenders and other changes it made in strengthening traumainformed and other victim-centered response and training applications.
“Often, when intimate partner violence occurs, the system (police, child welfare, etc.) are quick to acknowledge the violence and that
children may see or hear the violence,” FVS Coordinator Desiree Coyote said in a press release announcing the event. “However, the incident impacts the whole family and often for a lifetime. Children, newborn, infant, youth and teens are impacted physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually – the whole being. From the context of the systems, theirs is a work or practice handed down over generations that did not look at nor address the healing of the whole person. Bias, values, belief, stereotypes, ignorance and racism bleed into action, policy and laws, which in turn impacts our people who seek services or are forced to receive services by the systems.”
Desiree Coyote, Family Violence Services coordinator
Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland, delivers opening remarks at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation's Family Violence Services Tribal, State and Federal Summit held at Wildhorse Resort & Casino July 9-11.
CHRIS AADLAND | CUJ PHOTOS
UTPD now operating under updated policies, procedures
The new policies replaced what Umatilla Tribal Police Department Chief Tim Addleman said was an obsolete and inadequate policy manual that was last updated in 2005.
By CHRIS AADLAND Reporter
MISSION – The Umatilla Tribal Police Department (UTPD) is now operating under policies and procedures that had not been updated in nearly 20 years as part of a push to improve community relations with law enforcement.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Board of Trustees (BOT) approved a comprehensive new policy manual for the UTPD on July 1 in a unanimous vote that “memorializes [UTPD’s] commitment to preserve the rights of the CTUIR” and will be a “guideline for the performance and professionalism of the employees of the UTPD.”
The 632-page document establishes guidelines and requirements for how officers should respond to certain situations they may encounter during patrols such as pursuits and calls involving domestic violence or elder abuse; how to conduct investigations; an officer’s roles, responsibilities and jurisdiction; and other general operational practices.
Use of force policies, as well as disciplinary and personnel procedures, were also included.
The new policies replaced what UTPD Chief Tim Addleman said was an obsolete and inadequate policy manual that was last updated in 2005.
“I’m very excited about us having this policy manual because it’s built on best practices, it’s built on appropriate case law where it is appropriate,” he said. “But more importantly, this policy manual is built on our own tribal law.”
Development of the new policy came amid calls from community members and some tribal leaders to examine tribal police practices after the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota and ensuing nationwide focus on law enforcement accountability.
The CTUIR’s Law & Order Committee has also taken a role in oversight of the UTPD in recent years, pushing for changes such as the department adopting body and vehicle cameras and for an independent audit to examine policies and procedures.
“We want our police force to establish professional standards that best serve our sovereignty,” Corinne Sams, BOT Member at Large and Law & Order Committee vice chair, said.
UTPD officers began using body
and vehicle cameras to record their patrol interactions with the public in late 2020.
The Law & Order Committee reviewed the manual and recommended that BOT adopt the new policies.
The previous policy manual the UTPD operated under, which only spanned 290 pages, was “woefully behind the times” when tribal police began operating under it nearly 20 years ago, Addleman said.
That document, he added, was inadequate and didn’t reflect current standards law enforcement agencies follow.
It also was never adopted by the BOT.
Still, Addleman said he doesn’t believe the community will notice a big difference in how his officers conduct their work.
That’s because, he said, all UTPD officers are state-certified in Oregon and police academy-trained using the most up-to-date standards and approaches to policing.
“I don’t think people will see any different because we’ve already been following best practices,” Addleman said. “This [new policy manual] just memorializes it.”
The public will be able to access the new manual, which he said will be posted online. In addition, the Law & Order Committee is hopeful it “can share the outcomes and steps forward with the General Council and Community very soon,” Sams wrote in an email.
Ongoing work
Addleman said the manual will be reviewed and potentially edited at least every two years to ensure the department’s policies and practices are always aligned with current standards in law enforcement.
The UTPD is also developing a community outreach and engagement strategy to incorporate with the new policy guide.
“One of the biggest things is that people are saying we need the police department to have more community outreach,” Addleman said.
In addition to updating the policy manual, Sams said one of the Law & Order Committee’s top priorities was improving community engagement to help “build a trusting relationship with law enforcement.”
She added she hoped another community survey would be conducted to learn about any new or ongoing concerns or suggested solutions.
That community engagement work will include a strategy for better outreach and interaction with the public, a process for reviewing and responding to complaints and a public records disclosure policy, according to a request for proposal issued in 2023.
The tribe also wants the project to result in better training for UTPD officers related to CTUIR culture and history and for responding to
calls involving people experiencing a mental health crisis or who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.
While Addleman said he believed his officers had been making strides in improving community relations, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the department to scale back its interactions with the public. Though he added that tribal police have again been prioritizing community engagement efforts.
Eventually, he hopes to hire a community member to work in a civilian community outreach position for the department.
That role, Addleman said, would be responsible for organizing community events, sharing information about the UTPD and public safety online, providing information to the community during emergencies or public safety incidents and acting as a liaison among the UTPD, community and tribal government.
The tribe hired Natalie Camacho Mendoza, an attorney who specializes in law enforcement oversight and worked as the director of the Boise Office of Police Accountability from 2015 to 2021, to lead that community engagement work as an outside consultant.
Camacho Mendoza also played a key role in reviewing UTPD’s policies, developing the manual
and working with the Law & Order Committee.
The tribe also worked with Lexipol, a company that provides services such as training and policy development law enforcement and public safety agencies, to complete the new manual, Addleman said.
As Comacho Mendoza completes her community engagement assessment, Sams said the Law & Order Committee would be involved to ensure “all of the community and policy concerns are addressed in a manner that upholds our mission and responsibility to protect and serve our people.”
A report on the community engagement work and potential next steps should be completed by the end of the year.
Umatilla Tribal Police Department Chief Tim Addleman
CUJ, CTUIR Communications to conduct community survey, audit
MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Communications Department is partnering with the consulting firm TribalStrategy on a community survey and communications audit to better provide information to the public.
“The audit and survey are efforts by the Communications Department to ensure that all tribal members, regardless of age or location, have better access to news, events and information from the CTUIR tribal organization,” said TribalStrategy Communications Specialist Liz Norton.
For the community survey, the Confederated Umatilla Journal (CUJ) will ask readers for feedback during the annual CTUIR Community Picnic on Aug. 15 at the July Grounds.
“The CUJ will have a booth at the community picnic, and we’re hoping community members will stop by, fill out a survey and spin our prize wheel for a ‘thank you’ gift. The answers will help guide me and (Reporter) Chris (Aadland) in better serving the community and let us know what we’re doing right and what we’re getting wrong,” Snell said. “We’ll have camp chairs, fans, frisbees, tumblers and some other
things to give away that will come in handy at the picnic.”
Norton said the survey will also be distributed to all tribal members through digital means such as email and social media as well as directly to tribal elders on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
The survey will include questions about how CTUIR members receive most tribal information, news and updates; how they prefer to receive such information; and if they feel they are well-informed about current tribal issues, news and events.
“We encourage family and community members to help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to complete the survey. Our goal is to hear from every member, both on and off the reservation,” Norton said.
As for the audit, it involves internal interviews and an analysis of current communication practices and channels, including the tribal website, social media, newspaper, radio and email newsletters. The goal is to create a plan for how Communications personnel and resources can enhance the CTUIR’s public messaging as well as form a cohesive branding guide for that messaging.
CTUIR gets $2M in federal funds for salmon hatcheries
By TRAVIS SNELL CTUIR Communications
MISSION – On July 25 the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) received word from the U.S. departments of Commerce and Interior that it is receiving $2 million for its fish hatcheries that produce Pacific salmon and steelhead.
“The decades of backlogged and deferred hatchery maintenance has impacted many of the facilities’ ability to meet the mitigation goals that they were intended for, with many of the facilities not operating at full capacity,” Jerimiah Bonifer, CTUIR Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Program manager, said. “Recognizing that over $1 billion in backlogged and deferred maintenance has been identified across the Columbia River and Snake Basins, we are excited to see this funding coming through to begin to address this critical issue and look forward to future opportunities to fund the additional maintenance needs.”
The news came as part of the two federal departments announcing a $240 million investment from President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which empowers tribal nations by supporting hatcheries that grow the two types of fish.
“Fish hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest support essential subsistence, ceremonial and economic benefits for tribal communities, as well as fulfilling treaty-reserved fishing rights,” the announcement states. “The Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will partner with the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to deliver this funding to regional tribes.”
According to the announcement, an initial $54 million is available to 27 tribes in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska to address current hatchery facility maintenance and modernization necessities and to support tribal capacity needs.
Jen Krajcik, DNR artificial production supervisor, said the funds would be used at the CTUIR’s 11 artificial production facilities that help propagate the fish.
In the Umatilla River Basin, the CTUIR has the Three Mile Dam Adult Facility, Pendleton Acclimation Site, Minthorn Springs, Thorn Hollow Acclimation Site and Imeques Acclimation Site. In the Walla Walla River Basin, there are the Imtwaha Fish Hatchery and Nursery Bridge Dam Fish Ladder and Adult Trap. And in the Grande Ronde River Basin, there are the Catherine Creek Adult Trap, Catherine Creek Acclimation Site, Upper Grande Ronde Adult Trap and Upper Grande Ronde Acclimation Site.
“All of these facilities are relatively old and require annual maintenance and upkeep in order to use them each year,” Krajcik said. “Operating budgets have not kept up with the demand, and climate change and other outside factors have led to major maintenance needs and/or modernization requirements that we will use this funding to help address.”
Along with the CTUIR, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Yakama Nation and Nez Perce Tribe will also get $2 million each as part of the initial $54 million investment. Together the four tribes comprise the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
The remaining $186 million will be made available competitively to tribes in the coming months to address the long-term viability and effectiveness of critical infrastructure for the
Jerimiah Bonifer, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Fisheries Program manager, carries the first spring Chinook salmon of 2024 for CTUIR members to observe during a First Fish Ceremony on April 23, at the Nixyáawii Community School in Mission. Salmon is considered one of the CTUIR’s First Foods, and the tribe received $2 million from the federal government to help maintain and modernize its fish hatcheries.
CTUIR PHOTO
propagation of Pacific salmon and steelhead.
“This is about really addressing deferred maintenance or modernization that could make a hatchery more efficient. It’s not necessarily funding for new facilities,” Jennifer Quan, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region administrator, said. “We’re really looking at programs that repair and bring facilities into a state of function that helps support the tribes and for us to help the tribes meet their treaty obligations.”
Increased fire dangers prompt restrictions on reservation lands
MISSION – Due to current weather conditions and everincreasing fire danger, the Umatilla Tribal Fire Department (UTFD) has implemented the following public use restrictions on all lands within the Umatilla Indian Reservation:
• All open fires are prohibited, including agricultural burns, campfires, cooking pits and warming fires. Ceremonial burns are not prohibited but will need prior UTFD approval, dependent on fire resources and weather conditions.
• All fireworks are prohibited.
• Use of exploding targets and tracers is prohibited. Caution should be used when shooting full metal jacket ammunition because of potential spark on solid surfaces.
• Use of off-road vehicles on dry grass areas is prohibited.
• Non-industrial cutting, grinding and welding in dry grass areas is prohibited. Industrial use requires firefighting type equipment: water tank with pump, portable fire extinguisher and hand tools.
•Non-industrial/agricultural mowing of dried cured grass is prohibited with brush hog type equipment.
• Non-industrial chainsaw use in forested and dry grass lands is prohibited. Electric chainsaws are allowed.
For questions regarding public use restrictions, call the UTFD at 541-276-2126 or email UTFD Chief James Hall at jameshall@ctuir.org
Reminder: Be ready for potential car trouble during fire season
SALEM — If you are travelling by car this summer, especially if you are driving around or headed to Eastern Oregon, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) are encouraging you to be fire safe and prepared.
The 2024 wildfire season is shaping up to be one for the record books. With Gov. Tina Kotek invoking the Emergency Conflagration Act for Durkee and Battle Mountain Complex Fires, there are now three large complex fires burning through acres of land east of the Cascades. Fire officials and OEM are asking people to take every precaution possible to avoid adding to the problem.
While you are packing and preparing to take off, it’s important to stay up to date on road closures with Tripcheck.com; connect with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) about campfire restrictions; and make sure you have emergency supplies in case you get stranded.
Here is a list of items to consider for a basic emergency car kit:
• Jumper cables
• Flares or reflective triangle
• Car cell phone charger
• Blanket
• Map
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help if the air is smokey or dusty
• Plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape to shelter in place if needed
• Wet wipes, garbage bags, toilet paper and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Printed maps of the local area in case you lose service
• Cell phone and a backup charger
• Cash or traveler's checks
• A fire extinguisher you know how to use
And pack extra water and snakes in case you get stuck for a while.
In addition to packing an emergency kit, ODOT wants to remind travelers to use U.S. 20 to move east or west across central and eastern Oregon, and if you must travel, consult Tripcheck.com and check conditions for your route. It is also important to make sure your car is tuned up, has plenty of gas and the tires are in good condition.
Here are more tips to be a fire safe traveler:
• When pulling off the road, stay on paved surfaces when possible.
• Avoid the side of the road where dry grass and other fuel can come in contact with your vehicle’s hot components and spark a fire.
• Don’t toss lit cigarettes, or any flammable materials, out your vehicle’s window.
• Extinguish all smoking materials completely and never in dry grass.
• Secure chains and make sure they aren’t dragging. That can cause sparks.
Maintain your car and carry the right equipment
• Maintain proper tire pressure as driving on rims will throw off sparks.
• Prevent vehicle fires by having your vehicle serviced regularly by a professionally trained mechanic.
• Heat and electrical sparks that come into contact with leaking flammable car fluids can easily start a car fire.
You can find more tips on how to prepare your car for road trips at Ready,gov/car.
Although the analysis didn’t include a feasibility study for a tribally owned marijuana business, Leonhard pointed out a marijuana retail business wouldn’t be competitive because state marijuana tax policies would essentially force the CTUIR to charge higher prices than its competitors.
would start out with 25 acres and grow to 300 acres over the first five years, would see about a $70,000 profit afterwards.
At best, growing and selling hemp would lead to slim profit margins, would require water allocations and likely require infrastructure investments, CTUIR Office of Legal Counsel attorney Brent Leonhard told BOT members during the work session.
“Bottom line, it’s just not profitable,” he said.
Leonhard also said the study didn’t account for the costs of building a new facility that would likely be needed to dry hemp crops, which would further decrease the venture’s minimal estimated profits. A crop on the reservation would also need irrigation because the plant requires between 20 and 30 inches of rain –much more than the area receives annually on average – during the growing season, he added.
“Yeah, not a good business opportunity,” Leonhard said. “I don’t believe that’s going to be a profitable commodity at any time.”
It’s also not a good business opportunity for tribal members who wish to grow hemp themselves, nor is it legal on the reservation.
On-reservation hemp production plans must be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the CTUIR’s June 2023 hemp code, which established regulations for hemp farming and related businesses on tribal lands, was also repealed by the BOT because it didn’t comply with USDA requirements.
That means individual tribal members are prohibited from starting their own hemp production businesses within reservation boundaries unless the CTUIR creates a hemp code compliant with federal regulations. Given the grim outlook for commercial hemp production on the reservation, tribal staff recommended that tribal leaders rescind the code to prevent tribal members from starting a business that was unlikely to succeed, Leonhard said.
“I think it’d be a bad thing to set up tribal members for that kind of failure,” he said at the work session.
Although the analysis didn’t include a feasibility study for a tribally owned marijuana business, Leonhard pointed out a marijuana retail business wouldn’t be competitive because state marijuana tax policies would essentially force the CTUIR to charge higher prices than its competitors.
While some tribes have found
success with marijuana-related businesses, it would be a require a “long-haul” effort to get to a point where such a venture could be profitable for the CTUIR, Leonhard said.
According to Leonhard, a complicated and costly lobbying campaign would be necessary to convince state lawmakers to change tax policies so a CTUIR marijuana retail business could be competitive.
A tribal/state compact negotiation would also require a commitment from a unified BOT.
Since cannabis is illegal at the federal level, tribal officials told BOT members starting a marijuana retail business could jeopardize some federal funding or make it more difficult to obtain loans.
For example, CTUIR contract attorney Dan Hester said the bank that the tribe hopes to borrow from to finance the planned Wildhorse Resort & Casino expansion prohibits borrowers from being involved in any enterprise in the cannabis industry, though he said the tribe is negotiating to have prohibition provisions removed from a final loan agreement proposal.
BOT Treasurer Raymond Huesties agreed that the projects should be postponed indefinitely, citing concerns about potential loss of some federal funding and an already crowded marijuana market.
Tribal leaders could, however, reexamine the issue if regulatory changes occur and funding loss concerns are resolved, he said.
If that happens, Huesties added, the tribe could easily resume pursuing cannabis businesses because so much of the initial work, like a hemp farm feasibility study, has already been completed.
“It’s a flooded market and I think we’re doing the right thing by shelving it and just waiting,” he said. “If there’s a big switch that somebody’s going to push, as they push it, that resolution’s already there and the work’s already been done.”
Although hemp and marijuana plants are the same species of cannabis plant and resemble each other, they differ in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, which is primarily responsible for producing the intoxicating effect of marijuana.
Hemp contains such a low amount of THC compared to marijuana that it is unlikely to get someone high. Marijuana possession and purchase by anyone 21 and older remains legal on the reservation.
CTUIR caps off successful first Water Follies sponsorship
By TRAVIS SNELL CTUIR Communications
KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) on July 28 capped off a successful initial sponsorship of the Tri-City Water Follies by awarding prize money to the Apollo Columbia Cup’s top three finishers.
Raced on Sunday evening, the winner of the Apollo Columbia Cup was Corey Peabody of Beacon Plumbing/Apollo Strong Racing, who received $10,000. Andrew Tate of Miss Goodman Real Estate Racing earned $5,000 for second place, while Dustin Echols of Bucket List Racing walked away with $2,500 for third place.
“On behalf of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the treaty tribes of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, we’re proud to be sponsors of the Columbia Cup and congratulate all the racers and the Water Follies,” CTUIR Chairman Gary I. Burke said. “We are extremely pleased with our initial partnership with Tri-City Water Follies and look forward to next year.”
“We were honored to sponsor the Water Follies’ Columbia Cup purse this year and look forward to reaching out for such opportunities in the TriCities more often,” CTUIR Board Member at Large Corinne Sams said. “The Tri-Cities area is a part of our traditional use and aboriginal title lands reserved in the Treaty of 1855. The CTUIR will continue to protect, preserve and enhance our foods and lands in this area.”
The Water Follies is a weekend of hydroplane boat racing in pursuit of the Apollo Columbia Cup and a stop for the H1 Unlimited hydroplane race schedule, showcasing multiple classes of boats. It
Members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Board of Trustees present a $10,000 check to Corey Peabody of Beacon Plumbing/Apollo Strong Racing for winning the 2024 TriCity Water Follies Apollo Columbia Cup on Sunday, July 28 in Kennewick, Washington. From left are CTUIR Chairman Gary I. Burke, Members at Large Steven Hart and Corinne Sams, Treasurer Raymond Huesties, Miss Tri-Cities 2025 First Runner-up Julia Henry, Miss Tri-Cities 2025 Kylie Glendenning, Peabody and his son. The CTUIR sponsored the Columbia Cup’s prize money for the top three finishers. CTUIR PHOTOS
also features the Spokane Teachers Credit Union Over-the-River Air Show and other exhibitions.
As part of its sponsorship, the CTUIR was allowed a hospitality tent and hosted Trios Healthcare employees, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1296 firefighters and Yakama Nation dignitaries as its guests.
Showcasing various activities, the Water Follies annually draw crowds of approximately 50,000 to Kennewick’s Columbia Park and 15,000 to the Pasco shore during its three days. The Tri-Cities area is a metropolitan area consisting of Benton and Franklin counties in Washington state,
and Richland.
anchored by the cities of Kennewick, Pasco
Two hydroplane boats race side by side on the Columbia River at the 2024 Tri-City Water Follies on Sunday, July 28 in Kennewick, Washington.
Youth education central theme at Celebration
“Lamprey aren’t really seen as a pretty fish, if you will,” said Erik Holt, Nimiipuu. "Some people don’t have an understanding of what lamprey really are and why they’re so important to the Indigenous nations that rely on them.”
By NIKA BARTOO-SMITH Underscore +ICT
WILLAMETTE FALLS – A young man with two long, black braids clinging to his back took a deep breath before diving head first into a crevice at the base of the Willamette Falls, searching for a slippery Pacific lamprey – called Asúm in Sahaptin, the traditional language of Yakama Nation.
Though he didn’t catch any himself, he grinned as he held up a lamprey caught by another citizen of Yakama Nation.
Tom Farley, a 17-year-old citizen of Yakama Nation, grew up eating lamprey. He attended last year’s Lamprey Celebration at Clackamette Park, but this year marked his first time going up to Willamette Falls and learning how to harvest the eels.
“If I get the chance to eat them, I’m definitely going to eat them – even if it’s just like a bite or taste,” Farley said as he watched community members join hands and dance to the beating of a drum. “I think it’s very sentimental, very culturally relevant to do lamprey stuff.”
As members from Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), the Nez Perce Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs gathered at the base of Willamette Falls on July 12 to harvest lamprey, hundreds more gathered nearby at Clackamette Park in Oregon City for the third annual Lamprey Celebration hosted by Yakama Nation.
Lamprey harvesting typically takes place early in the morning. So while only a couple were harvested on July 12, hundreds had already been gathered in weeks prior. Many of those were served at the celebration.
Hosted by Yakama Nation and widely attended by members of all four Columbia River treaty tribes — the Nez Perce Tribe, the CTUIR, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation — the celebration was also open to the wider community. For some, this marked their first time eating lamprey. It also offered a chance for advocacy and learning about lamprey and their cultural significance.
“Lamprey aren’t really seen as a pretty fish, if you will,” said Erik Holt, Nimiipuu, while sitting on the mossy rocks at the base of Willamette Falls. “Some people don’t have an understanding of what lamprey really are and why they’re so important to the Indigenous nations that rely on them.”
‘The oldest fish on Earth’
The Pacific lamprey are one of the oldest species in the world – predating dinosaurs, they have been around for over 450 million years. Lamprey have long, slippery bodies and although they have no jaws or bones, they have a mouth full of teeth. Farley, who grew up eating lamprey, remembers one particular origin story fondly.
“The snake and eel raced to the river and the last one there got their bones taken away. The lamprey lost,” Farley said. “It’s just a funny story.”
Numbers of lamprey are nowhere near what they once were. At one point in time, thousands of lamprey could easily be found at Willamette Falls. So many that the scene used to be referred to as
“Mermaid’s Hair” as lamprey flowed up and down the falls.
“People just don’t understand the importance of them,” said Elaine Harvey, a citizen of Yakama Nation. “Some people even call him a trash fish, which is really sad, because it’s the oldest fish on Earth. They survived through the dinosaur age/ They survived through the ice age.”
Despite surviving hundreds of millions of years, Harvey has watched the decline of lamprey populations within her lifetime. Now, she fears lamprey are on the verge of extinction, which is why she advocates for them, now with her work at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission as the watershed department manager.
At Clackamette Park on July 12, Harvey sat at a tent with her mom, Cynthia Esperito, who meticulously filleted and cleaned dozens of lamprey to string them up to dry.
Esperito raised her kids, and now grandkids, to know how to harvest and prepare lamprey. On July 12, she sat at a booth with four other elder women and demonstrated the butterfly filet method.
“The tribes are bringing awareness to the lamprey so that they won’t go extinct,” Harvey said. “Because they really are important in our ceremonies. And they’re just as important as salmon and the other first foods. All our Indian food we believe is medicine to us.”
For future generations
Over a dozen young women and girls dressed in their traditional regalia greeted hundreds of guests with a welcome dance at Clackamette Park on July 12, before introducing themselves and their royalty titles, first in their Indigenous language.
Yakama elder Davis “Yellowash” Washines greeted the crowd, speaking for the first three minutes in Sahaptin. Yellowash is the board chair
and Yakama Nation delegate for the Willamette Falls Trust and helps advocate for creating meaningful, Native-led public access at Willamette Falls in his role there.
“So our way that we are taught recognizes what the creator has left for our people to come and gather the sacred food, our first foods, our salmon, our lamprey,” Yellowash said. “They would set up camps just like we are here today setting up a camp. Instead of teepees, we have these canopies nowadays.”
Smiling at a crowd filled with citizens of Native nations and members from the wider community, faces both young and old, Yellowash reflected on a lamprey harvest he attended 30 years ago, back in 1994.
He remembered a very similar celebration — setting up a big tent and sharing a meal with friends, relatives and the general public
“The meal is a medicine to us, especially our first foods like the salmon and the eel. And it renews our strength,” Yellowash said. “I want to thank you for bringing the children, all these young people here. Because they’re the ones that are watching us. They’re listening to what we say, what we do. They’re the ones that are going to carry on into the future.”
Pacific lamprey can use the suction from their mouth to climb up vertical surfaces such as the rocks that make up Willamette Falls. NIKA BARTOO-SMITH |UNDERSCORE + ICT
Corinne Sams, Board of Trustees Member at Large for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Columbia River InterTribal Fish Commission chair, left, receives a gift from Miss Yakama Nation Analynn Olney after addressing the Lamprey Celebration crowd on behalf of the CTUIR and CRITFC. CRITFC | COURTESY PHOTO
People who tested their well water for nitrates in 2023 are encouraged to retest to make sure their water remains safe. Retesting of households with well water close to the health action level of 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) is especially important because nitrate levels can fluctuate during different seasons of the year.
OHA distributes nitrate test strips, encourages retests
SALEM – Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is mailing nitrate test strips to households in the Lower Umatilla Basin that haven’t yet participated in the free state testing program and urging them to find out if their well water has elevated nitrate levels.
The focus of this latest outreach effort is on more than 1,000 domestic well users who were not home when canvassers visited or whose properties were posted with “No Trespassing” signs. OHA has twice in the past few months mailed nitrate information and test strips to these residents, encouraging them to contact OHA if the test strip turns pink when exposed to well water — indicating potentially high nitrate levels — to request a free laboratory analysis of their well water.
State and local health agencies and local community organizations went door to door in parts of Umatilla and Morrow counties in 2023 to offer free well water testing. Volunteers
attempted to contact households three times and skipped households with “No Trespassing” signs.
People who tested their well water for nitrates in 2023 are encouraged to retest to make sure their water remains safe. Retesting of households with well water close to the health action level of 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) is especially important because nitrate levels can fluctuate during different seasons of the year. Nitrate in well water is a potential health hazard, and levels above 10 mg/L are considered dangerous for human consumption. Pregnant people and babies face the greatest risk.
Anyone who resides in the Lower Umatilla Basin can get a free laboratory analysis of their well water by visiting testmywell.oregon. gov, emailing Domestic.Wells@ odhsoha.oregon.gov, or calling the OHA Domestic Well Safety Program at 541-952-9254.
CUJ | STOCK PHOTO
DOI concludes 3-year probe of boarding schools, proposes memorial, investments
By SEQUOIA CARRILLO National Public Radio
WASHINGTON – The federal government on July 30 expanded the number of children known to have died in the repressive boarding school system that, for more than a century, pulled Native American children from their homes and communities. The Interior Department also called for billions in federal funding to begin a “healing” process.
The report concludes a threeyear investigation that saw, for the first time, the federal government accepting responsibility for its role in creating the system, which included more than 400 schools across 37 states.
“The federal government –facilitated by the department I lead –took deliberate and strategic actions through federal Indian boarding school policies to isolate children from their families, deny them their identities, and steal from them the languages, cultures and connections that are foundational to Native people,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement.
The report calculates that the federal government spent the equivalent of $23 billion in today’s dollars on the boarding school system from 1871 to 1969, and calls for spending an equivalent amount toward rebuilding families and communities.
Among the proposed initiatives are a national memorial to “acknowledge and commemorate” the experiences of tribes, and a plan to return the land on which the boarding schools were located to government or tribal ownership.
A
bigger system than imagined
The new report expands upon the previously acknowledged size and scope of the system, adding more schools and burial grounds to the administration’s final portrait of the gruesome system, and including oral histories that detailed decades of abuse and maltreatment.
For the past two years, Haaland and staff from the Interior Department have visited tribal communities around the country, hearing from survivors and their famlies.
“As we have learned over the past three years, these institutions are not just part of our past," said Bryan Newland, assistant secretary of Indian affairs. “Their legacy reaches us today, and is reflected in the wounds people continue to experience in communities across the United States.”
At the same time, the department continued its investigation, headed by Newland, of government records to compile an accurate record of the
toll from the schools’ practices. The final report increased the number of boarding schools in the U.S. from 408 to 417, across 37 states or thenterritories. The number includes 22 schools in Alaska and seven in Hawaii.
And the report confirms that at least 973 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children died while attending schools in the system. The Interior acknowledges that the actual number of children who died while attending Indian boarding schools is likely greater.
“This report further proves what Indigenous peoples across the country have known for generations: That federal policies were set out to break us, obtain our territories, and destroy our cultures and our lifeways,” Newland, a member of the Bay Mills Indian Community, said in a statement,
The investigation also confirms that there are at least 74 marked or unmarked burial sites at 65 of the schools. One initiative proposed in the report is to identify and repatriate the remains of children who never returned home from the schools.
Moving communities forward
In the opening letter of the report, Newland says: “The most important thing is that our work to tell the truth about the Federal Indian boarding school system be paired with action.”
The final report seeks to put a price on that action, arguing that the government could begin to remedy the trauma inflicted in over a century of forced assimilation by investing “on a scale, that is, at a minimum, commensurate with the investments made in the Federal Indian boarding school system between 1871 and
1969.”
In other words, investing $23.3 billion back to the tribes, spread out over a long period of time. The report advocates spending on programs such as family reunification, language revitalization, and Indian education – programs intended to address the ways in which the boarding school system wreaked havoc on tribal communities.
A national memorial to acknowledge the harm to tribes and individuals is one part of the proposed plans. It would serve not only tribal members, the report says, but would also help educate the broader population about the dark time in the country’s history.
Apart from these investments, the report calls on the U.S. government to issue a formal apology, and to continue the work of chronicling this period of history.
“The Road to Healing,” Haaland said, “does not end with this report – it is just beginning.”
Chemawa students at their desks, c.1928. OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland testifies during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing in May. KEVIN DIETSCH | COURTESY NPR
Students at Chemawa Indian Boarding School, located in the mid-Willamette Valley north of Salem, Oregon. OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO
LOANS
FROM PAGE 1
“We need to get this streamlined and we need to get this fixed,” said BOT Treasurer Raymond Huesties, who also sits on the NCFS Board of Directors, at the work session. “Those people need that money now.”
Tribal leaders said they would continue to push NCFS to make changes to address other concerns raised about the loan program’s management and met again in a closed work session on July 17.
As of July 22, NCFS officials said they had eliminated most of the waitlist and were working to finalize applications from the end of June. Maximum turnaround times are now projected to meet the 10-to-15 day goal that was typical before the budget and processing problems of recent months.
The $2 million infusion should prevent the loan fund from running out of money while it waits for repayments from quarterly dividend checks and ensure that any eligible tribal member approved for a loan receives funding for the foreseeable future, said NCFS Executive Director Dave Tovey in an interview with the Confederated Umatilla Journal and NCFS staff involved in the loan program.
“It put us back in good shape,” Tovey said, adding that he was grateful for the BOT’s financial help and the NCFS governing board’s involvement in working to resolve the issues.
Increasing demand
Opened in 2021 as a nonprofit and federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), NCFS was created to provide economic development services in a community that had been underserved by financial institutions and to tribal members who struggled to convince traditional lenders to loan them money for starting a business or buying a home.
The CTUIR BOT adopted the NCFS business plan, which consolidated Wildhorse Resort & Casino’s Business Development Services, the CTUIR Housing Department’s Homeownership Program and the Tribal Credit Program, in 2020.
Today, NCFS’ services include small business and home loans, financial literacy and homebuying classes and technical assistance for budding business owners, in addition to the personal loan program.
The tribe has continued to fund the loan program, allocating about $5 million to the fund for 2024. Interest rates for the loan are purposely kept much lower than what most borrowers expect to see if seeking a loan elsewhere, according to NCFS leaders.
Since it opened, the demand for loans has increased. According to NCFS, nearly 50% of tribal members had a consumer loan with them in early 2024.
At the same time, borrowing limits have increased as tribal member dividend payments –which are used as collateral for the loans – have grown.
And since many tribal members elect to pay back their loans with their quarterly dividend checks, payments come in slower than on a typical monthly loan repayment schedule. NCFS officials say that means they have been lending money faster than could be repaid.
A looming funding deficit earlier this year resulted in the NCFS governing board deciding in March to alter the order in which NCFS processed loan requests to guarantee that funding for emergency loan requests was guaranteed to be available for applicants who needed it quickly, like travel for healthcare services or to escape domestic violence, and for those who didn’t have an unpaid
NCFS Executive
Director Dave Tovey says NCFS is working to publish better information about the loan program and recent changes to help avoid future customer confusion. Improving communication with the community and Board of Trustees is another priority item for NCFS.
balance from a previous loan, Tovey said.
But that helped lead to the application backlog that has frustrated tribal members in recent months. The approval process has also been slowed by an inefficient debt verification process with tribal departments, NCFS leaders say.
Loan officers are required to verify – often with multiple tribal departments – that applicants don’t have unpaid tribal court fees or owe money for CTUIR services such as daycare, housing or utilities. If that happens, the overdue bills are paid with loan funds before the tribal member receives the difference.
Tribal officials and NCFS said they would work to make that process more efficient.
In the meantime, loan applications have continued to surge. Loan processors say recent attention on the program was likely responsible for about 30 to 40% of new loan applications coming from first time borrowers.
“We’ve just kind of been in a whirlwind through this whole thing, trying to explain to everybody what’s going on,” said NCFS loan officer Rachael Wallis. “Then suddenly, we’re like ‘okay, here’s some money.’ Now we’re in a whole different kind of whirlwind.”
Other changes coming
For months, BOT representatives said they have received complaints from tribal members – many who rely on the NCFS loan program to meet basic needs or pay for emergency expenses like car repairs and funeral expenses – about delays in receiving loans.
During the July work session, tribal members shared stories about how the delays affected them and expressed concerns with the loan program’s management.
Some tribal members said the application process was confusing or that they couldn’t understand the borrowing limit guidelines and funding tiers, while others weren’t aware of the
processing priority changes or told of processing delays. Others questioned why the tribe didn’t take over control of the loan fund from NCFS since they didn’t recall experiencing such problems and delays when it was administered by the tribe.
Some tribal leaders also said NCFS needed to improve its communication to the BOT as well as provide more thorough and timely data so problems can be avoided in the future.
Other BOT members said they would like to see NCFS become a bank or credit union, which would give tribal members more financial management options and NCFS more flexibility and funding to help the community build wealth – though Tovey said that goal is much further from becoming reality, despite him agreeing that it would be a welcome addition.
NCFS is already working to address some of the other concerns, however, Tovey said.
One change, he said, is that NCFS is working to publish better information about the loan program and recent changes to help avoid future customer confusion.
Improving communication – with community members and with the CTUIR BOT – is another change Tovey said NCFS will be prioritizing.
“We need to be a little bit more transparent,” Tovey said. “It’s one of those things I wish we were a little bit more ahead on.”
During the July 2 work session, BOT Member at Large Corinne Sams said the loans were an important service many tribal members rely on and that she was hopeful the discussions would lead to changes and better communication.
She said the Covid-19 pandemic led to further financial stress for many tribal members and that makes it even more important to quickly resolve loan program concerns.
“We know that they’re continuing to struggle to catch up,” Sams said. “This loan program is essential and I hope that we can come up with some viable solutions because our tribal membership does count on this money.”
NCFS loan processor Jude Schimmel said she wanted tribal members to know that she and her coworkers haven’t been purposely slowing the process down because they don’t want tribal members who need the money kept from getting a loan.
“I don’t want our tribal members to feel like we’re keeping something from them,” she said. “Because we want to help them.”
Since it opened in 2021, Nixyáawii Community Financial Services has operated a revolving loan fund for tribal members. But increased demand for loans, higher borrowing limits and slow repayment cycles have resulted in a looming shortage of available loan funds. CHRIS AADLAND | CUJ
MUSSELS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
records indicate the species formed dense populations and lived with other mussel species. Historically, populations were likely thousands to tens of thousands, but today some populations have declined to single digits.”
Factors for declining mussels in the western United States, Maine said, include water quality and quantity, temperature, more floods and lower low water as well as habitat loss. Mussels need burrowing material such as gravel and sand.
Another factor is the loss of host fish as mussels rely on certain fish to metamorphose their larvae into juveniles. Maine said invasive species are also problematic such as the Asian clam outcompeting native mussels for resources and space as well as bass outcompeting native fish that serve as hosts.
To propagate the mussels, Maine’s team collects reproductively ready female mussels or gravid from the wild by snorkeling and transporting them to the lab. It also receives gravid from more robust populations from other agencies.
“In the lab, the female mussel will naturally release larvae, called glochidia,” Maine said. “The Western Ridged Mussel produces conglutinates, packets of larvae, which are meant to attract their targeted fish hosts, generally sculpin for this species.”
She said the fish eat the larvae packets and flush them out their gill cavities when they realize it’s not food. Maine and her team mimic this process in the lab by exposing fish to mussel larvae then checking their gills to ensure the larvae have attached to the gill filaments where they will remain until transformation into the juvenile stage.
“We hold inoculated host fish in a specially designed system that allows outflowing water to pass through a mesh screen, capturing any transformed juvenile mussels, which will be approximately 150 microns in size,” she said. A micron is one twenty-five thousandth of an inch. “We count the juvenile mussels that come from each fish or fish species we test so we can better
understand the host fish relationship and reproductive biology for the mussel species.”
Juvenile mussels grow in beakers on a pulse flow beaker system, she added, receiving water and food hourly through an automated process.
With the aquatic propagation lab being built in 2013, DNR grew its first cohort of mussels in 2014. However, the CTUIR’s Freshwater Mussel Project has been studying mussels since 2002 and studying the host fish relationship since around 2008.
“We operate the only propagation facility for freshwater mussels in the western United States,” she said. “We have newly transformed juvenile mussels dropping off their fish hosts daily. We also hold adult mussels on site for research and restoration. We have mussels of all ages and sizes.”
In 2023, the lab produced about 8,000 Western Ridged Mussels and several hundred of the California floater and Western Pearlshell mussels.
“This year we have produced about 1,000 Western Ridged Mussels and are expecting thousands more,” she said. “Since we are the only entity to ever propagate this species, we are thrilled with the success we’ve had in the last two years. Most of the mussels we have produced died in various experiments to better understand their rearing requirements, including food and habitat needs. With the knowledge we gained from the mussels produced last year, we expect many of the mussels produced this year to survive and be used for restoration research in 2025 and beyond.”
The lab also recently implemented an experiment placing propagated mussels into silos in Yellowhawk Creek in the Walla Walla Basin. This will help DNR determine requirements for young mussels in the wild and develop best practices for mussel restoration on a larger scale.
“We have about 80 mussels of two species (floater and pearlshell) out in specially designed containers
called silos. We check these weekly and will bring the mussels back to the lab for analysis in the fall. With the results of this pilot experiment, we will design a larger experiment to outplant hopefully hundreds of mussels in multiple rivers and creeks in 2025,” she said.
Maine added it’s important to keep mussels from further decline because not only have they served as a First Food for Columbia Basin tribes, but they also purify water by removing heavy metals, toxins and pharmaceuticals; oxygenate river sediments that serve spawning salmon and trout; and provide a record of water quality and environmental health in their shells and tissue.
“The ultimate goal of the Freshwater Mussel Project is to restore self-sustaining beds of mussels to CTUIR-ceded area rivers,” she said. “Part of that goal is that someday mussel populations will be stable and healthy enough to withstand tribal harvest.”
CTUIR aquatic propagation lab manager and mussel/lamprey biologist Alexa Maine inspects the lamprey propagation unit at the Water and Environment Center at Walla Walla Community College in Walla Walla, Washington. Maine will be expanding the mussel propagation facility at this location.
LEANNE TIPPETT MOSBY | COURTESY PHOTO
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees
JUNE 24, 2024
Ascertainment of Quorum. BOT Present: Gary Burke, BOT Chairman; Aaron Ashley, ViceChair; Raymond Huesties, Treasurer; Roberta Wilson, Secretary; Lisa Ganuelas, Member; Corinne Sams, Member; Steve Hart, BOT Member and Alan Crawford General Council Chairman departed 10:00 am on travel. Toby Patrick, BOT Member on travel. Quorum present.
Agenda Review. MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to approve agenda. Corinne Sams seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 7-0-0.
Old Business: None
New Business: Proposed Resolutions: Next resolution number is 24-046:
Resolution 24-046: Topic: 2024-2025 BOT Priorities. RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby adopts the 2024-2025 Board Priorities Implementation Plan attached as Exhibit 1; AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees directs the Office of Executive Director to distribute the Implementation Plan through press releases, to the various committees and commissions, and to present
this Implementation Plan at the next available General Council meeting. MOTION: Corinne Sams moves to adopt Resolution 24-046. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 7-0-0.
Nixyáawii Governance Center 46411 Timíne Way Pendleton, OR 97801 541-276-3165 bot@ctuir.org l ctuir.org
BOT Leave and Travel or Outside Meeting Requests.
General Council Chairman. Full quorum present.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is comprised of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes, formed under the Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Valley, 12 Stat. 945. In 1949, the Tribes adopted a constitutional form of government to protect, preserve and enhance the reserved treaty rights guaranteed under federal law.
Other Board Action Items: None.
BOT Travel or External Meeting Reports: Aaron Ashley, 6/1720 to Temecula, CA to attend Tribal Economic Development Conference at Pechanga Resort. Steven Hart also attended the Conference.
Three trip reports from Corinne Sams: 6/10-12 at PDX to attend pre-CRT meeting, 6/12 at PDX to meet with RCVA new Task Force Executive Director, Nic Blosser. 6/18 virtual- Washington DC for 6 Sovereigns check in with John Podesta.
Raymond Huesties, 6/22 at Ukiah to attend 3rd Annual Celebration for First Responders. Also attending were GC Chairman, GC Vice Chairman and GC EA. Gary Burke verbal report on Hanford call. Also attending was Audie Huber, Mason Murphy and Bambi Rodiquez. MOTION: Corinne Sams moves to approve travel reports including verbal report from BOT Chairman on Hanford call. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
Aaron Ashley, PL Alan Crawford, 6/21 and 6/28. Alan Crawford, travel to ATNI Corinne Sams, Travel 6/25-26 to PDX, Corinne Sams, Travel, 6/27 to Hood River, Corinne Sams, Travel, 6/28 to PDX for Change of Command of US ACE. Gary Burke, Travel for ATNI Lisa Ganuelas, Travel to ATNI, Lisa Ganuelas., local Travel to TCI on 6/18, Lisa Ganuelas. ATNI [to submit], Lisa Ganuelas. Local Travel, 6/22 local farm tours. RW also attended. Roberta Wilson. PL 6/28 1-4 pm Steven Hart, July 9-10 travel to Emerald Queen [pending and approved by BOT] MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to ratify and approve leave requests. Roberta Wilson seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
JULY 1, 2024
Ascertainment of Quorum.
BOT Present: Gary Burke, BOT Chairman; Aaron Ashley, ViceChair; Raymond Huesties, Treasurer; Roberta Wilson, Secretary; Toby Patrick, Member; Lisa Ganuelas, Member; Corinne Sams, Member; Steve Hart, BOT Member and Alan Crawford
Agenda Review: Remove 6.a.v. Land Transfer
Old Business: None
New Business: Proposed Resolutions: Next resolution number is 24-047: MOTION: Corinne Sams moves to approve agenda. Toby Patrick seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 8-0-0.
Resolution 24-047: Topic: Laliik Intergovernmental Agreement. RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the InterGovernmental Agreement Between Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Nez Perce Tribe and Wanapum Tribe of Priest Rapids to Form An Inter-Tribal Commission, attached hereto as Exhibit 1, and authorizes its Chairman to execute it on behalf of the Confederated Tribes and to take such further action and execute other documents, if any, that are necessary to carry out the purposes of the InterGovernmental Agreement and this Resolution; AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that following execution of the Inter-Governmental
CTUIR Board of Trustees Minutes
Gary I. Burke Chairman
Aaron Ashley Vice Chairman
Raymond Huesties Treasurer
Roberta J. Wilson Secretary Alan Crawford General Council Chairman
Corinne Sams Member at Large
Lisa Ganuelas Member at Large
Toby Patrick Member at Large
Steven Hart Member at Large
Agreement by all Member Tribes, the Board of Trustees shall appoint a member of the Board of Trustees to serve as a Commissioner and shall appoint up to three (3) Representatives to advise the Commissioner with one representative being a member of the Cultural Resources Committee, one representative being a member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission and one representative being a tribal member. MOTION:
Toby Patrick moves to adopt Resolution 24-047. Corinne Sams seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 8-0-0.
Resolution 24-048: Topic: MOA for BPA McNary-Badger Canyon Project. RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the attached Memorandum of Agreement between the Bonneville Power Administration and the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Regarding the
McNary-Badger Canyon No. 1 Tower Relocation Project, and authorizes its Chair to execute it on behalf of the Confederated Tribes and to take such further action and execute other documents, if any, that are necessary to carry out the purposes of the Memorandum of Agreement and this Resolution; MOTION: Toby Patrick moves to adopt Resolution 24-048. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 8-0-0.
Resolution 24-049: Topic: CTUIR Enterprise Zone. RESOLVED, the Board of Trustees hereby designates approximately 1,367.78 acres or 2.14 square miles of land held in trust by the United States for the Confederated Tribes, commonly referred to as the Coyote Business Park, the Wanapa Industrial Park, and the Rice Property, as shown in Exhibits 1 and 2, as the CTUIR Tribal Enterprise Zone for the purpose of
achieving the Confederated Tribes' goals of job creation and economic diversification; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board of Trustees authorizes the Chairman or his designee to sign any documents and take such other actions as are necessary to carry out the designation of the CTUIR Tribal Enterprise Zone, and to make any technical changes to the designation materials and application as necessary to ensure a complete application is properly filed with the Oregon Business Development Department to recognize the CTUIR Tribal Enterprise Zone as a designated Reservation Enterprise Zone in accordance with the Oregon Revised Statutes 285C.300 to 285C.320; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board of Trustees authorizes its Executive Director when applicable to enter into a school support agreement in lieu of property taxes for each affected school district with the facility of a business firm
in accordance with the Oregon Revised Statutes 285C.162 and 285C.405; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Confederated Tribes, as the Reservation Enterprise Zone sponsor, will comply with the requirements and provisions of Oregon Revised Statutes 285C.105 and otherwise fulfill its duties pursuant to the Oregon Revised Statutes 285C.050 to 285C.250; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees appoints the CTUIR Tax Administrator to function as the Local Zone Manager for the CTUIR Tribal Enterprise Zone, who shall be responsible and required to make all necessary reports to the Board of Trustees and to notify and report to the Umatilla County Assessor's Office, Oregon Department of Revenue, and the Oregon Business Development Department as required to fulfill the obligations as the CTUIR Tribal Enterprise Zone Manager; AND BE IT FINALLY
RESOLVED, that the designation of the CTUIR Tribal Enterprise Zone does not grant or imply permission to develop lands within the Tribal Enterprise Zone without being in full compliance with all existing tribal zoning, regulatory, taxation, and permitting rules, regulations, and processes.
MOTION: Toby Patrick moves to adopt Resolution 24-049. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 8-0-0.
Resolution 24-050: Topic: BIA Distribution of nonCompetitive IRA Funding.
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the attached draft scope of work and budget for submission to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and authorizes the acceptance of the non-competitive Inflation Reduction Act funds; MOTION: Corinne Sams moves to adopt Resolution 24-050. Toby Patrick seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 8-0-0.
JULY
8, 2024
Ascertainment of Quorum.
BOT Present: Aaron Ashley, Vice-Chair; Raymond Huesties, Treasurer; Roberta Wilson, Secretary; Lisa Ganuelas, Member; Corinne Sams, Member; Steve Hart, BOT Member and, Alan Crawford General Council Chairman. Gary Burke, BOT Chairman on personal leave. Toby Patrick, BOT Member on personal leave. Quorum present.
Agenda Review. MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to approve agenda. Steven Hart seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
Old Business: None New Business: Proposed Resolutions: Next resolution number is 24-053:
Resolution 24-053: Topic: Vaccine requirement rescinded. RESOLVED, that effective immediately, the
- SPECIALGeneral Council Draft Agenda
Board of Trustees hereby rescinds the order entitled “Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, Education Department, COVID-19 Screeners and Umatilla Tribal Fire Department Employees”; AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Office of the Executive Director is directed to communicate to affected departments, programs, and entities that the mandatory vaccine order is no longer in effect; MOTION: Corinne Sams moves to adopt Resolution 24-053. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
Resolution 24-054: Topic: Spirit Mountain Community Fund Letter of Inquiry, RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the grant application for submission to the Spirt Mountain Community Fund’s Tribal Grant Program; AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this Resolution shall
become effective as of the date and time of its passage by the Board of Trustees. MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to adopt Resolution 24-084. Steven Hart seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
BOT Travel or External Meeting Reports. Raymond Huesties, 6/28 training at BIA for RT-130. MOTION: Alan Crawford moves to approve travel report(s). Roberta Wilson seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 5 for = 0 against - 1 abstaining. (Raymond Huesties).
BOT Leave and Travel or Outside Meeting Requests. Gary Burke, travel for LCIS Retreat, July 17-19. Roberta Wilson, 19 hours polled personal leave. MOTION: Alan Crawford moves to ratify and approve leave requests as amended. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
Community honors retired Army vet at powwow
By TRAVIS SNELL CTUIR Communications
MISSION – In January, Erick Sheoships retired from the U.S. Army as a Sgt. 1st Class. His final position was a current operations and integration cell noncommissioned officer in charge or a senior operations manager with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado.
“I never listen,” the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) member said. “I have a hard time saying no.”
Those were the two qualities, Sheoships said, that propelled him to a 21-year Army career.
His father, Emmett Sheoships, had served as a peacetime Army soldier in California, Texas and Korea, but as a protective father, advised his son not to join. Sheoships’ attitude of not listening kicked in, and he followed his instincts to join the Army in 2003 as an Airborne infantryman recruit.
A tenacious Army recruiter had apprehended Sheoships while he was a Blue Mountain Community College student and employed at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino in 2002. Although Sheoships took some evasive measures, he shortly found himself enlisted and heading to Georgia for basic training.
“Like I said, I have a hard time saying no,” he said.
His new bride Yuliana stuck with him all the way as an Army wife and later as the mother of their son Rain and daughter Yulena. The family thrived in spite of the stresses and strains of military life, moving from North Carolina, to
Oregon, to Tacoma, Washington, to Georgia and Colorado while Sheoships traveled to duty stations around the world.
Yuliana did not like Army life at first, but she adapted and made a life for them all.
As a new soldier, Sheoships served in Iraq in 2003-04. Then in 201213, he served a tour in Afghanistan. During the Afghanistan tour, he served as a squad leader and platoon sergeant, which leads the combat team.
His experience with the Stryker Brigade combat teams made him valuable as a trainer and mentor to hundreds of incoming soldiers. He later became a senior instructor at Fort Benning, Georgia, in the field of small unmanned aerial systems or drones. He also served a twoyear stint as a recruiter in Salem, Oregon, before being assigned to Fort Carson as an operations manager.
His resumé modestly states, “I have consistently taken on additional responsibilities and fulfilled the role of the next higher rank, earning multiple honors and awards for my performance and dedication.” On a personal level, he said soldiers often accrue duties because they’re “volun-told” and not necessarily out of personal initiative.
Sheoships admits to some influence from his family’s past military involvements. He got a great deal of support from his Vietnam War veteran uncle Michael “Jughead” Farrow. He also followed the unwritten rule of not querying his uncles Leon Sheoships and Orville Sheoships
about their Vietnam combat tours.
“In sharing my story, I’m not looking for glory. It’s not about glory. In a way, I want to lift up the Sheoships name in a positive way,” he said.
Following his retirement from the Army, an honor ceremony was held during the July 5 opening night of the Wildhorse Powwow in
Mission. Sheoships said he extends a special thank you to Kathy and Lloyd Barkley for coordinating the ceremony.
With his military career behind, Sheoships is presently working as a deputy program manager for Cayuse Holdings. However, his family remains based in Colorado for the time being.
Picard commits to EOU
By ANNIE FOWLER CUJ Special Contributor
MISSION — Landen Picard is a bit of a daredevil.
When he’s not leaping over a high jump bar or a hurdle, he’s flying through the air on his motocross bike.
“I have done everything from bull riding to basketball,” said Picard, a 2024 graduate of Nixyáawii Community School. “I’ve ridden horses and I do track. Of everything, motocross is the most physically demanding thing I have done.”
It’s his success in track that earned him a shot at college athletics at
Eastern Oregon University in La Grande.
“Before I did well in track, I was going to be a journeyman electrician,” Picard said, “but my coach said I could go to college. When they (EOU coaches) started talking to me, the idea of doing it a couple more years sounded good. It kind of fanned the flames.”
As long as Picard keeps himself in one piece, EOU track and field coach Ben Welch doesn’t have a problem and said he encourages his athletes to have fun, even if it’s a little dangerous.
Landon Picard leaps over the bar in the 1A high jump at the OSAA State Track and Field Championships on May 16, 2024. BEN LONERGAN | COURTESY EAST OREGONIAN
David Wolf, left, presents Erick Sheoships with a blanket during an honor ceremony opening night of the Wildhorse Powwow July 5 in Mission. DALLAS DICK | RED ELK IMAGES
NCS teacher, students modernize traditional foods
By BERIT THORSON East Oregonian
MISSION — Rather than sun and popsicles by the pool, summer break for a few Nixyáawii Community School students consists more of hot dogs, fry bread and blueberry cobbler inside a small kitchen.
Rez Dogz, a pop-up restaurant housed inside Nixyáawii Community School on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), serves First Foods-inspired recipes. It’s a grant-funded summer enrichment program through the school, with language arts teacher Nicci Harrison overseeing it and students volunteering to help it run smoothly.
“Basically the idea is just to teach them some skills that they could maybe use in the workforce later on,” Harrison said. “They do receive some elective credit for it, but mostly it’s just so they can have something different to do during the summer.”
Initially, they were going to serve out of a food truck in front of the school, but there was an issue with the trailer’s electricity, so right before their opening on June 26 they had to move inside.
Quick decisions and changes seem to be a theme with the restaurant. Harrison had less than two months to put the restaurant’s plan into action and recruit students to help after the grant was approved. She said she expects the money earned to go toward school trip scholarships, but said the exact plan hasn’t been decided yet. Rooted in tradition
The concept for the project came to her a few years ago, she said, but it took a while to implement it, especially because she wanted to find interesting recipes that incorporated First Foods, or what Indigenous peoples were eating before contact with Europeans.
“We’re on a reservation and we were trying to be respectful of the traditions and acknowledge the culture that we’re within here,” she said. “I came up with the initial ideas for the menu, and then we fine-tuned together. I think, all in all, we came up with some pretty good stuff.”
The hot dogs come in five varieties, with a meat base of elk, bison, pheasant, venison or wild boar. Toppings and condiments include a Lakota berry sauce, cranberry mustard, apple slaw and Three Sisters chili made from beans, corn and squash. Additionally, the hot dogs can be served in a bun or on homemade fry bread.
One of the more popular hot dogs, the Wampanoag, tastes like Thanksgiving in a bun. Harrison said it helps to reclaim the Thanksgiving meal.
“There’s a lot of misconception around how the original Thanksgiving happened,” she said. “However, even today, when we do a Thanksgiving celebration here at the school for students, we serve Thanksgiving foods that people normally associate with Thanksgiving, but we wanted to put our own spin on it.”
Even the sides and drinks highlight Indigenous traditions or culture. Rez Dogz serves a dish called Auntie’s Potato Salad and a Rezy Lemonade with sumac and huckleberry. A learning experience
Two of the students involved, rising NCS seniors Malana Spencer and Lauralee Stanger, said they have enjoyed the work so far. They were able to give feedback on the logo and menu, and once Rez Dogz opened, they have been helping to run the business.
“I feel like it’s a good learning experience and everything,” Spencer said. “It was pretty hard the first day, but we ended up getting through it fine.”
Stanger added that she liked seeing the people enjoying their food. On the final day of the first week, there was already a repeat customer.
Jack Burt, of Pendleton, grabbed lunch from Rez Dogz on June 27 and 28. He said initially, it “just looked interesting,” especially the fry bread, which he enjoyed. But what made him return was more than just the tasty food.
“It’s always good to see young people getting into this kind of stuff and getting excited about it,” Burt said. “You don’t want them to be discouraged, so yeah, it’s nice if you can support that.”
From left, Lauralee Stanger, Malana Spencer and Nicci Harrison stand in Nixyaawii Community School in Mission June 28, 2024. The trio serve specialty hot dogs and sides made with and inspired by Indigenous First Foods as part of a temporary pop-up restaurant called Rez Dogz.
BERIT THORSON PHOTOS | COURTESY EAST OREGONIAN
Lauralee Stanger adds topping to a Rez Dog.
Malana Spencer prepares an order of Flamin’ Potato Fries.
Tamástslikt announces 2024 ArtWORKz winners
MISSION – Tamástslikt Cultural Institute (TCI) has announced the winners of its 2024 ArtWORKz Junior Art Show & Competition. The competition began in May, with area artists aged 18 and under
10 and Under
submitting their work for exhibition. Their works went on view at TCI May 24 and the event culminated with a public artists reception June 22. More than 100 pieces of art were submitted, including paintings,
Grand Prize: Kenadee Rittenbach, 10, “Cherry Tree” Award of Excellence: Ro’Asela Lindell, 10, “Senikau Talei” Award of Merit: Marceline Gottfriedson, 8, “Loop Necklace” Honorable Mention: John Prevot, 5, “The Black Hole” Honorable Mention: Kaytuu/Pete Sanger, 8, “Life Cycle of a Salmon”
11-14 Year Olds
Grand Prize: Payton Widener, 14, “Hanging Out to Dry” Award of Excellence: Francoise Prevot, 11, “The Twilight House” Award of Merit: Hunter Blanchet, 14, “Space Paint”
Honorable Mention: Emerson Spike, 12, “Steer Head” Honorable Mention: Ilaq’áawinmay/Kateri Jones, 12, “Twilight” Honorable Mention: Morgan Harris, 13, “Western Inspiration”
15-18 Year Olds
Grand Prize: Madison Aycock, 18, “Girl” Award of Excellence: Halah Fairbanks Smith, 15, “Shred, you Fools” Award of Merit: Eian M., 17, “Captain America Prototype Shield” Honorable Mention: Gabrielle Fertello, “Untitled”
Honorable Mention: Gave Davenport, 15, “Locks and the Sea” Honorable Mention: Janelle Ordina-Cueller, 15, “1&2 Sun & Moon”
Honorable Mention: Kaydence Pauley, 18, “Brachiosaurus”
Honorable Mention: Rosalynn White, 17, “A Glimpse at Hell’s Canyon”
Individual Awards
drawings, sculptures, ceramics, photography and traditional art. For more information about upcoming events and exhibits, visit TCI online at www.tamastslikt.org or call 541-429-7700.
Grand Champion: Rosalynn White, 17, “A Glimpse at Hell’s Canyon” Artists’ Choice 1st: Sofia Glaus, 17, “Koi Pond” Artists’ Choice 2nd: Thalassa P. VanKouwenhoven, 17, “She Called Herself a Shelter Dog”
St. Anthony Hospital presents EXTRAORDINARY ELK Beaded Big Game Icons from the Fred L. Mitchell Collection
Free Admission on Opening Day, August 2
Another incredible exhibit from the Fred L. Mitchell Collection, this time featuring nearly 100 vests, bags, gauntlets, cu s, and more with expertly beaded impressions of elk and deer. Plateau beadwork at its best!
Kinship Café
Open for lunch 11am-2pm Tuesday through Saturday! Great lunch options, weekly specials, and tasty huckleberry treats!
FREE admission all day at Tamástslikt Cultural Institute.
August 2
10am-5pm
Opening day of the new exhibit, "Extraordinary Elk – Beaded Big Game Icons from the Fred L. Mitchell Collection" presented by St. Anthony Hospital. FREE admission all day. Dine inside at Kinship Cafe or order take-out. Enjoy Indian Tacos ($10.50) and Frybread ($5) from 11am-2pm. Shop the Museum Store for unique gifts and souvenirs.
ANNUAL 3-DAY SALE! EVERYTHING
IS 40% OFF!
Thurs-Sat, August 8, 9, 10
Take advantage of 40% o on blankets, home décor, art, books, CDs, and DVDs. Colorful bags, apparel, water bottles, hats and accessories are all marked down for three days only. The 3-Day Sale happens just once a year so don't miss out! O er may not be combined with other discounts or o ers
Art submitted to the 2024 ArtWORKz competition ranged from pottery and ceramics to charcoals and acrylics. TAMASTSLIKT | COURTESY PHOTOS
ATTENTION TRIBAL MEMBERS:
Community Meeting
Please save the Date: Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 6pm Saturday, August 10, 2024 at noon
Location:
CTUIR Senior Center ~ Snacks and drinks will be provided ~
Lucas Eastwood has run a private sector real estate and development business for 17 years. In that time he’s done 300M worth of housing development and worked with various communities. Lucas is now committed to bringing his expertise and passion to serve the tribal community and work on behalf or our people.
Lucas remarked, “We have the capacity and workforce to build and develop for ourselves, instead of continuing to invest our financial resources and jobs to non-tribal businesses. Furthermore, we can contract for other tribes and governments to create a prosperous business and diversify our own economy.”
He is proposing a joint venture construction and development firm with the tribe and would like membership feedback before finalizing the proposal for the BOT. Lucas will be hosting a community meeting to discuss his proposal and gather feedback from tribal members.
Lucas Eastwood CEO of Eastwood Development CTUIR Tribal Member
Lee Gavin | CTUIR COMMUNICATIONS PHOTOS
WILDHORSE POWWOW CONTEST RESULTS
GOLDEN AGE WOMEN 60+
Champion: Pat Heemsah, Yakama
2nd: Wilma Wahsise, Yakama
3rd: Edith Walsey, Yakama
4th: Ramona Eaglesmith, Choctaw
GOLDEN AGE MEN 60+
Champion: Leslie Wahsise, Yakama
2nd: Peter Jo Olney, Yakama
3rd: Reggie Walsey, Warm Springs
4th: Lloyd Barkley, Yakama/Modoc
SENIOR WOMEN JINGLE 40-59
Champion: Bridget Eaglespeaker, Puyallup
2nd: Sheryl Steinhauer, Saddle Lake Creek
Nation
3rd: Violet Olney, Yakama
4th: Betty Stephens, Diné
SENIOR MEN GRASS 40-59
Champion: Jon David
2nd: Francis Dion, Chippewa Cree
3rd: William Wesley, Yakama
4th: Jimmy Olney, Yakama
SENIOR WOMEN FANCY 40-59
Champion: Carol Melting Tallow, Blood
2nd: Tilda Walsey, Warm Springs
3rd: Zelma Walsey, Yakama
4th: Fern Slimjohn Smith, Yakama/Chippewa Cree
SENIOR MEN FANCY 40-59
Champion: Gary Smith, Yakama
2nd: William Wesley, Yakama
3rd: Jon David, Yakama
4th: Tony Smith, Nez Perce
SENIOR WOMEN TRADITIONAL 40-59
Champion: Tilda Walsey, Warm Springs
2nd: Violet Olney, Yakama
3rd: Katrina Miller, Yakama
4th: Annie Smith
SENIOR MEN TRADITIONAL 40-59
Champion: Andrew Tewawina, Hopi/Apache
2nd: Nakia Williamson, Nimiipuu
3rd: George Meninick, Jr., Yakama
4th: Russell McCloud, Yakama/Walla Walla
Eric Broncheau dances his way to a third place finish in the Chicken Dance contest.
JUNIOR WOMEN JINGLE 18-39
Champion: Analynn Olney, Yakama
2nd: Alayna Bevis, Umatilla
3rd: Elise Parrott
4th: Tommie Auck, Shoshone Bannock
JUNIOR MEN GRASS 18-39
Champion: Xavior Bottom, Blood/Tsimshian
2nd: Manny Hawley, Chippewa Cree
3rd: Tokala American Bear, Standing Rock
Lakota
4th: Trenton Calica, Warm Springs
JUNIOR WOMEN FANCY 18-39
Champion: Tennille Wahtomy, Yakama
2nd: Teata Ellenwood, CTUIR
3rd: Miriam Walsey, Yakama
4th: Katelyn Tanewasha, Warm Springs/ Yakama
JUNIOR MEN FANCY 18-39
Champion: Johnson Meninick, Yakama
2nd: Redhorse Walsey, Yakama
3rd: Gary Olney, Yakama
4th: Manny Totus, Yakama
JUNIOR WOMEN TRADITIONAL 18-39
Champion: Teata Ellenwood, CTUIR
2nd: Sonnie Altaha, Umatilla/Puyallup
3rd: Justine Slimjohn, Yakama
4th: Ida Adams
JUNIOR MEN TRADITIONAL 18-39
Champion: Bryon Adams
2nd: Rusty McCloud, Yakama
3rd: Justus Eaglesmith, Shawnee/Choctaw
4th: Anthony Heemsah
TEEN GIRLS JINGLE 13-17
Champion: Junee Picard, Nimiipuu/Colville
2nd: Leona Slimjohn Smith, Yakama
3rd: Jareen Hines, Umatilla
4th: Cinncee Washakie, Eastern Shoshone/Ba
TEEN BOYS GRASS 13-17
Champion: Ian Mitchell, Yakama
2nd: Sunhawk Barney, Diné/Burns Paiute
3rd: Michael Bahe, Shoshone Bannock
4th: Cashis Alferez-Bevis, CTUIR
Timinah Ellenwood dances during an Intertribal.
Alayna Bevis wins second place in the Junior Women’s Jingle contest, Sunday, July 7, at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino Powwow.
Cashis Bevis dances in the Teen Boys Grass Dance finals, Friday, July 5, during the Wildhorse Resort & Casino Powwow.
DALLAS DICK | RED ELK IMAGES
TEEN GIRLS FANCY 13-17
Champion: Jareen Hines, Umatilla
2nd: Cari-Gene Smith, Yakama
3rd: Vera Johnson, Burns Paiute
4th: Charlotte Brown
TEEN BOYS FANCY 13-17
Champion: Sonny Walsey, Yakama
2nd: Julius Phoenix, Diné/Northern Paiute
3rd: Garian McDonald: Umatilla
4th: Kaizer Selam, Yakama
TEEN GIRLS TRADITIONAL 13-17
Champion: Olivia Allen, Umatilla
2nd: Annie Payer, Yakama
3rd: Vivian Winter, Yakama
4th: Athena Reed, Yakama
TEEN BOYS TRADITIONAL 13-17
Champion: Hiyuum Nowland, Cayuse/CTUIR
2nd: Jayden Esquiro, Warm Springs
3rd: Lewis Allen, Nez Perce
4th: Nakoa Kakakaway, Cree
JUNIOR GIRLS JINGLE 7-12
Champion: Lilyana Johnson, Burns Paiute
2nd: Alimae Jackson, Yakama
3rd: Jocelynn Phoenix, Diné/Paiute/Tohono
4th: Madison Olney, Yakama
JUNIOR BOYS GRASS 7-12
Champion: Jayden Walsey, Warm Springs/ Yakama
2nd: Kenston Chief, Ministikwani Cree
3rd: Cameron Onepenee, Yakama
4th: Senata Meninick, Yakama
JUNIOR GIRLS FANCY 7-12
Champion: Jocelynn Phoenix, Diné/Paiute/ Tohono
2nd: Dazha Joseph, CTUIR
3rd: Abi Ford Kordatsky, CTUIR
4th: Emma Eagle Speaker, Puyallup
JUNIOR BOYS FANCY 7-12
Champion: Hoody Walsey, Warm Springs/ Yakama
2nd: Mosie Walsey, Yakama
3rd: Jeremiah Wahchumwa
4th: Johnson Meninick Jr., Yakama
JUNIOR GIRLS TRADITIONAL 7-12
Champion: Katerra Jackson, Yakama
2nd: Gabriella Calvillo, CTUIR
3rd: Elizabeth Bevis, CTUIR
4th: Abi Ford Kordatsky, Umatilla
JUNIOR BOYS TRADITIONAL 7-12
Champion: Blake Lloyd, Yakama
2nd: Jayden Walsey
3rd: John Adams, Yakama
4th: Amaideo Tewee, Warm Springs
WOMEN’S BASKET HAT ALL AGES
Champion: Sonnie Altaha, Umatilla/Puyallup
2nd: Katrina Miller, Yakama
3rd: Pat Heemsah, Yakama
4th: Tyera Hendrickson, Diné/CTUIR
MENS CHICKEN DANCE ALL AGES
Champion: Jordan Yazzie, Yakama
2nd: Jeremy Barney, Burns Paiute
3rd: Eric Broncheau, Umatilla
4th: Anthony Heemsah
SOUTHERN STYLE WOMEN/MEN
Champion: Justus Eaglesmith, Shawnee/ Choctaw
2nd: George Meninick Jr., Yakama
3rd: Ramona Eaglesmith, Choctaw
HONORING OUR VETERANS SPECIAL
Champion: Elvis Sampson, Yakama
2nd: Mary Diavolikis, Yakama
3rd: Reggie Walsey, Warm Springs
WAR BONNET SPECIAL
Champion: George Meninick Sr., Yakama
2nd: Allen Paul Slickpoo III, Yakama/Cayuse/ Nez Perce
3rd: Nakia Williamson, Nimiipuu
TRADITIONAL YOUTH SPECIAL
Champion: Philip Lloyd, Yakama
2nd: Setoh Powaukee, Nez Perce
3rd: Blake Lloyd, Yakama
HAND DRUM CONTEST
Champion: Charles Woods III (Pendleton, OR)
2nd: Amakay (White Swan, WA)
3rd: Sharpshooter (Sacramento, CA)
DRUM CONTEST
Champion: Tha Cree, Cree
2nd: Up Stream Singers, Sicangu Lakota Sioux
3rd: Indian Nation, Yakama/CTUIR
4th: Eagle Spirit, Warm Springs/Yakama
5th: Diné Charging Horse, Diné
6th: Rocky Ridge, CTUIR
Abi Ford Kordatsky and Dazha Joseph play around during an Intertribal dance. Kordatsky placed third and Joseph placed second in the Junior Girls Fancy category. Kordatsky also placed in the Traditional contest, winning fourth. DALLAS DICK
AARON WORDEN | COURTESY PHOTOS
TAMKALIKS POWWOW
Girls and Women
Junior (7-12) Girls Jingle Dress & Fancy Shawl combined:
Abi Ford Kordatzky, Pilot Rock, 1st
Zariah Wallulatum Medina, Warm Springs, 2nd
Kelsey Jones, Pendleton, 3rd
Junior Girls Traditional:
Gabriella Calvillo, Pendleton, 1st
Abi Ford Kordatzky, 2nd
Demiyah Say, Pendleton, 3rd
Teen (13-17) Girls Jingle Dress & Fancy Shawl combined:
Aurora Whiskeyjack, Pilot Rock, 1st
Carmella Graves, Spokane, 2nd
Lillian Watchman, Pendleton, 3rd
Teen Girls Traditional:
Dymond Say, Pendleton, 1st
Manaia Wolf, Cayuse, 2nd
Quinney Meninick, Toppenish, 3rd
Women’s Golden Age 50+:
Ramona Whiteplume, Lapwai, 1st
Dorothy Cyr, Pendleton, 2nd
Bev Allen, Peshastin, 3rd
Women’s (18-49) Jingle Dress:
Teata Ellenwood, Pendleton, 1st
Oneida Hayes, Spokane, 2nd
Latis Nowland, Pendleton, 3rd
Women’s Fancy Shawl:
Teata Ellenwood & Keyen Singer, Pendleton, TIED 1st
Katelyn Tanewasha, Warm Springs, 2nd
Women’s Traditional:
Tyera Hendrickson, Pendleton, 1st
Lydia Skahan, Lapwai, 2nd
Abby Whitman, Lapwai, 3rd
Women’s All Around Special (Jingle, Fancy, Traditional):
Lydia Skahan, 1st
Teata Ellenwood, 2nd
Tyera Hendrickson, 3rd
Latis Nowland, 4th
Boys and Men
Junior (7-12) Boys Grass & Fancy combined:
Tahiny Jones, Pendleton, 1st
Timinah Ellenwood, Pendleton, 2nd
Thunder Bad Warrior, Pendleton, 3rd
Junior Boys Traditional:
Amadeo Tewee, Pendleton, 1st
Hunter Whiteplume, Lapwai, 2nd
Aaron Thompson, Pendleton, 3rd
Teen (13-17) Boys Grass & Fancy combined:
Adam Bauer, Walla Walla, 1st
Eli Bauer, Walla Walla, 2nd
Teen Boys Traditional:
Darryl Whiteplume, Lapwai, 1st
Hiyuum Nowland, Pendleton, 2nd
Eli Bauer, 3rd
Men’s Golden Age (50+):
Bill Timentwa, Kamiah, and J. T. Williams, Arrow Junction, TIE 1st
Phill Allen, Lapwai 3rd.
Men’s (18-49) Grass:
Jesse Bevis, Sr., Pendleton, 1st
Ted Umtuch, Harrah, 2nd; Phill Allen, 3rd
Men’s Traditional:
George Meninick, Toppenish, 1st
Andrew Tewawina, Pendleton, 2nd
Louis Halfmoon, Pendleton, 3rd
ANGELIKA URSULA DIETRICH | TAMKALIKS COURTESY PHOTOS
“They are nuts,” Welch said of some of his athletes. “As long as they don’t break anything, it’s fine.”
Picard was barely a blip on the high school track radar his junior year –his first year of track. He qualified for state in the high jump, where he placed seventh with a height of 5 feet, 8 inches. His personal best that year was 6 feet.
His senior year, he put in the work, limiting his events to high jump, the 110 hurdles and the 4x400 relay.
He worked with Nixyáawii assistant track coach and former college high jumper Micah Reading and it made a big difference.
Picard cleared a personal best 6-4 and won the 1A Special District 3 Championships on May 11, then went to state, where he won the 1A state title with a height of 6-2 3/4, clearing the height on his first attempt. He had the bar raised to his personal record of 6-4, but missed all three attempts.
“As soon as I knew I won state, I knew I wouldn’t be able to jump any higher,” he said. “My mind wasn’t in the right place.”
Picard and Jayden Churchwell from Yoncalla were the only two jumpers to get past 6-0 ½, and while Picard cleared his first jump at 6-1 ½, Churchwell needed a second attempt to get over the bar.
When the pair got to 6-2 ¾, Picard
had no trouble with the height, while Churchwell failed on all three attempts to clear the bar.
The gold medal won by Picard in the high jump was the first-ever state track title for Nixyáawii.
“There’s lots of talent at Nixyáawii,” Picard said. “There are kids who don’t do track and they could dominate. Sun Schimmel has a ton of talent.”
Schimmel was on the Golden Eagles’ 4x400 relay team, along with Baron Moses and Sacas Wildbill, that was second at the SD3 meet and placed 10th at state with a season best 3:43.75.
“State was only the third time we had ever run the relay,” Picard said. “If we would have run it all year long, we would have been way better on the podium. We just got better as the season went along.”
Picard also won the 110 hurdles at the SD3 championships with a time of 16.25 seconds. He was fifth at state with a PR of 15.83.
“He’s a good athlete,” Welch said. “We are excited to see what he can do. He hasn’t been doing it very long. He has the ability to adapt to different environments and demands and that is promising. It comes down to adjusting to the college athletic and academic pressures. We have high hopes for him.”
Picard said he is ready for the challenge.
“I’m excited,” he said. “They have an awesome indoor facility. I can’t wait to tear that thing apart. I will do anything but distances.”
Welch plans to keep Picard within
his comfort zone.
“It will be interesting to see how he develops,” Welch said. “He has not been tapped out. We have a guy right now that is knocking on the door of 7 feet (in the high jump), and he only did two years in high school. We are hoping it goes as well for Landen. He has a lot of room to improve. We know what he’s done in the hurdles, and he’s barely run them.”
Being an electrician is on the back burner for Picard, who said he would like to major in construction management. He is getting a taste of it this summer working for the Wenaha Group, a Native Americanowned Construction Management & Consulting Firm.
“I help with pre-construction, and during construction to make sure everything is on track,” Picard said.
Landon Picard clears 1.93 meters (approximately 6 feet, 4 inches) during the 1A State Track and Field Championships May 18 in Eugene.
ROBERT McLEAN | COURTESY PHOTO
2 local golfers to compete in WRC Epson Tour event
Pendleton’s Haley Greb and Caldwell, Idaho’s Gabby Lemieux will play in the 2024 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic Aug. 16-18.
PENDLETON – Two local golfers will tee off against Epson Tour regulars during the 2024 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino’s Golf Course Aug. 16-18.
Returning to Pendleton for the third year in a row, the official qualifying tour of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) event begins Aug. 16 and will feature top women golfers from around the world as they compete for a slot on the LPGA tour in 2025. This year, however,
Haley Greb of Pendleton and Gabby Lemieux of Caldwell, Idaho, will be in the field of players.
“Attendees at the 2024 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic will have two local golfers to cheer on in the competition this year – Haley Greb and Gabby Lemieux,” Wildhorse Resort & Casino CEO Gary E. George said. “We are excited to welcome golfers and fans from around the world to Pendleton for this year’s event and look forward to cheering on these local competitors as well.”
Greb grew up in Pendleton and competed on the Pendleton High School golf team for four years. She was a member of the University of Tulsa women’s golf team before turning pro in 2023 and competing on the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour. Greb also serves as a professional golf instructor in Park City, Utah.
After the 2024 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic, Greb will travel to Palm Springs, California, home of the first stage of the LPGA Qualifying School.
“I look forward to the opportunity to represent my hometown,” Greb said.
Lemieux, who has also competed under the name Gabby Barker, grew up in Caldwell where she also excelled in volleyball, tennis, soccer and basketball. She played alongside her sister on their high school golf team and then played at Texas Tech University where she earned Big 12
Player of the Year honors and was ranked No. 1 in the country.
She was a top contender on the Epson Tour in 2021 and 2022 and is the country’s first female Native American professional golfer.
From Aug. 16-18, tee times for the 2024 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic are 7:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. The final round will be held on Aug. 18 and will begin at 7:15 a.m. The tournament’s trophy presentation will take place at the 18th hole, immediately following the event’s final round.
Tickets are on sale for as low as $5 a day and $10 for a five-day event pass to attend the 2024 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic. Kids 12 years and younger are free to attend the event, and all children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Two free golf clinics for local kids featuring tournament players are set for Aug. 13.
The Wildhorse Resort Golf Course is an award-winning 18-hole championship course that is open to the public. It features five lakes, 66 sand bunkers and over 7,000 yards of lush green perfection.
Food and beverages are available to purchase during the event. Public parking is available at the Wildhorse Boulevard Field Parking Lot, with shuttle service to the course available throughout day.
Visit wildhorseresort.com for tickets and event details.
Haley Greb grew up in Pendleton and was a member of the University of Tulsa’s golf team before turning pro in 2023 and competing on the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour. She’ll be hitting the links during the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic Aug. 16-18. UNIVERSITY OF TULSA | COURTESY PHOTO
Gabby Lemieux tees off during the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. EPSON TOUR | COURTESY PHOTO
BOT rescinds COVID vaccine mandate for tribal employees
By CHRIS AADLAND Reporter
MISSION – Leaders of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) recently rescinded a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for employees of four tribal government departments and entities who worked with youth or in health care that had been in place since 2021.
The CTUIR Board of Trustees (BOT) unanimously voted on July 8 to rescind the vaccine mandate for employees of Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, CTUIR Education Department, Umatilla Tribal Fire Department and any virus screeners. The change took effect immediately.
BOT members discussed the resolution during a July 3 work session after the CTUIR Health Commission recommended the move in May.
Tribal leaders had implemented that mandate in September 2021 amid other precautions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees who objected to the vaccination mandate due to a medical disability or religious belief were excluded.
Before the 2021 mandate, the CTUIR had experienced substantial increases of tribal community
infections during the summer, which stressed the tribe’s medical care capacity.
Tribal leaders at that time voted to require those employees to get vaccinated to help protect the CTUIR’s health care and first responder work force so that medical care capacity wasn’t further eroded. The mandate also helped ensure other critical services, such as education, weren’t crippled by outbreaks among employees.
An estimated 35 employees at the four affected entities and departments weren’t vaccinated when the mandate was established.
An earlier COVID-19 outbreak among firefighters in 2020 had also hobbled the Umatilla Tribal Fire Department, tribal leaders said at the time.
The vaccine mandate was among many precautions – such as declaring public health emergencies and limiting travel and gathering sizes –after the first cases among the tribal community emerged in the summer of 2020.
Tribal leaders ended the public health emergency in October 2021, though the reservation experienced notable case number surges as recently as the winter of 2022.
More Oregonians now qualify for free health coverage
OHP Bridge is anticipated to expand benefits to more than 100,000 people
By OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY
PORTLAND – Oregon is now able to offer free health care coverage to people in more income categories through a new benefit called Oregon Health Plan (OHP) Bridge. An estimated 100,000 people are anticipated to eventually qualify for the new program.
Oregon created the new eligibility category through a Medicaid demonstration assuring coverage for American Indian/Alaska Native populations and by establishing a Basic Health Program (BHP). Oregon is the third state in the nation to establish a BHP.
“Oregon Health Plan was one of the first Medicaid programs in the country to expand to adults with lower incomes. The new OHP Bridge program continues Oregon’s long history of leading the nation in efforts to make health coverage accessible to everyone in Oregon. It also advances our strategic plan to eliminate health inequities by 2030, by helping to expand access to affordable care for all and honoring our government-to-government relationship with the tribes,” said OHA Director Sejal Hathi.
Oregon’s BHP will be administered by OHP, which also administers the state Medicaid program. The name references the goal to “bridge” the health coverage gap between people who have traditional OHP and people who have Marketplace coverage.
OHP Bridge will have no member costs, which means no premiums, co-payments, coinsurance, or deductibles. Oregon will be the first state to offer a BHP with no out-ofpocket costs for members.
Through OHP Bridge, people in Oregon can get medical, dental and behavioral health care with no member costs. Members will also have access to additional benefits, like transportation to medical appointments and other healthrelated services.
However, there are a few things OHP Bridge will not cover that other Medicaid programs do. OHP Bridge will not cover long-term services and supports that help with tasks of daily living, or Oregon’s new Health Related Social Needs benefit, which covers some climate, food and housing needs.
Keeping people covered
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many adults in Oregon with income just above traditional Medicaid limits were uninsured. Additionally, about 34% of members who lost benefits would return to Medicaid within a
year due to fluctuating income. OHP Bridge will help people keep their coverage and their same doctors despite short-term fluctuations in income.
“Virginia Garcia is excited to hear that so many individuals here in Oregon will not have to go without health insurance, thanks to the new OHP Bridge plan,” said Virginia Garcia Chief Executive Officer Gil Munoz. “Our patients rely on the services we provide to stay healthy, and this plan will make that possible.”
Who qualifies?
People in Oregon will qualify for OHP Bridge if they:
• Are 19 to 64 years old;
• Have an income between 138%vand 200%vof the Federal Poverty Level (FPL);
• Have an eligible citizenship or immigration status; and
• Do not have access to other affordable health insurance.
Moving to OHP Bridge from Marketplace coverage
People who have coverage through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace and are potentially eligible for OHP Bridge will not automatically move when OHP Bridge launches.
If someone with a Marketplace plan is potentially eligible for OHP Bridge, they can potentially keep their coverage and financial help
until their automatic re-enrollment period ends if there are no changes to their application. If someone makes any updates to their Marketplace application, like a change in contact information or income, their information may be sent to the state to determine eligibility for OHP programs, including OHP Bridge. There will be additional information for current Marketplace members ahead of open enrollment in the coming months.
Updates must be reported even if they cause people to move to OHP Bridge. This includes changes like moving or an increase or decrease in income. If individuals do not update their application, they may lose financial help from the Marketplace.
To apply online, individuals can go to benefits.oregon.gov. Individuals can also use that link to find information about how to apply in person, to get help to apply, or to get a paper application.
Not sure where to start? Visit the Window Shopping tool at OregonHealthCare.gov/ WindowShop. After answering a few quick questions, you will find out what programs, coverage and savings are available to you and your family.
People in Oregon can apply for OHP Bridge by going to ONE. Oregon.gov.
AWS accepting applications for grant program through Aug. 15
SEATTLE – Applications are now open for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) InCommunities Eastern Oregon Fund, a community grant program that supports local initiatives in Morrow and Umatilla counties. AWS has committed $350,000 to the fund, which is open to individuals, local community groups, schools, non-profits, and other organizations. This is the third consecutive year AWS is sponsoring the program to support local projects driving positive change in Morrow and Umatilla counties as part of its commitment to support communities where it has a presence.
Applicants for this year’s fund may apply for grants up to $10,000 to launch a new or expand an existing community project, focused on one of the following themes: science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM), sustainability, economic development and leadership, community, and health and well-being. Applicants can also apply for funding to introduce one of six established community programs that have been successful in other communities across the world.
“Since launching our data centers in Eastern Oregon more than 10 years ago, we are grateful to have forged strong partnerships with local organizations in our collective
efforts to support the community,” said Paul Butler, AWS Community Engagement Manager. “We’re proud to once again offer this program to help local neighbors bring their best ideas to life and provide funding that can make a positive and lasting impact.”
Applications for the AWS InCommunities Fund will be accepted until Aug. 15. AWS will award $175,000 of the funds in this cycle, and will open up for an additional cycle in January 2025 for an additional $175,000 in order to maximize impact for the community. AWS divided the distribution of funds into two, eight-week windows.
The AWS InCommunities Eastern Oregon Fund will be managed and administered by nonprofit organization ChangeX. ChangeX will review applications and will assess and score them against funding criteria and the positive impact to the community, especially underserved populations. All successful applicants will complete a 30-day challenge, which includes mentorship and other resources, to kick-start their idea and take their first steps towards making their project a reality.
To apply to the AWS InCommunities Fund and for more information, visit www.changex.org.
Nixyáawii Community School
Website: Home | Nixya’awii Community School (nixyaawii.k12.or.us)
First day of school: Aug. 27
Back-to-school list: School-SupplyLists-24-25-ac.pdf (pendleton.k12.or.us)
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wpcontent/uploads/2024/07/SchoolSupply-Lists-24-25-ac.pdf
Pendleton School District
Website: Pendleton School District (https://pendleton.k12.or.us)
First day of school: Aug. 27
Back-to-school list: School-SupplyLists-24-25-ac.pdf (pendleton.k12.or.us)
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wpcontent/uploads/2024/07/SchoolSupply-Lists-24-25-ac.pdf
Athena-Weston School District
Pilot Rock School District
Website: Pilot Rock School District (https://www.pilotrock.k12.or.us)
First day of school: Aug. 26
Back-to-school list: https://www. pilotrock.k12.or.us
Pilot Rock Elementary School Supply List 2018-2019.pdf (core-docs. s3.amazonaws.com)
Helix School District
Website: Home | Helix School District (https://www.helix.k12.or.us)
First day of school: Aug. 26
Back-to-school list: Helix Charter School Supplies 2024-25 | Helix School District
https://www.helix.k12.or.us/ article/1639887
Website: Athena-Weston School District (athwest.k12.or.us)
First day of school: Sept. 3
Back-to-school list: 2024 - 2025 Weston Middle School Supply and Fee Lists | Weston Middle School (athwest.k12.or.us) https://wms.athwest.k12.or.us/o/wms/article/1648126
Grey Orna
Calliope Simpson
Morrison Wood
Átaw Miyánašma Learning Center
Scan for Nixyáawi Community School Lists
Scan for Pendleton Lists Scan for Athena-Weston Lists
Scan for Pilot Rock Lists Scan for Helix Lists
BIRTHDAYS
1st: Nikki Minthorn and Cristina Ferea
3rd: Nika Kash Kash
5th: Melissa Van Pelt and Zephaniah Jefferies
6th: Loretta Cook
7th: Avary McKay
10th: Tracy Viegener
16th: Jordan Barrett
18th: Reannon Jones Morris
22nd: Robert Brigham and Sara Jones
23rd: LaShawn Tinsley
24th: Aggie Kash Kash and Soren Anderson
25th: Nate Anderson
27th: Jon Morrison, Andrew Van Pelt, Symon Picard and Reina Nelson
28th: Tiff Rodriguez, Shirley Harrison and Fabby Jones
29th: Mika Asher and Eric Kash Kash
30th: Ryan McLaughlin
31st: Mitzi Rodriguez and Alyssa Anderson
ANNIVERSARIES
4th: Reannon Jones & Dan Morris
12th: Tiona & Jon Morrison
13th: Lisa Watson & Peter Shanky
14th: Juanita & Mike Hussey -and- Phyllis & Alan Simmons, Jr.
28th: Samuel & Sereya Lueders Jones
31st: Lanae Rogers & LaShawn Tinsley
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Land Protection Planning Commission of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) will hold the following public hearing: Conditional Use File #CU-24-001 – Applicant, Ashley Winn, 136 W. Northshore Dr. Moses Lake, WA 98837, seeks approval from the Land Protection Planning Commission to construct a homesite with a residential dwelling, well, and septic. The subject property is identified as Umatilla County Tax Lot 1N3400000-0118, which is located south of the Deadman’s Pass rest area with access from Evergreen Lane, within the boundaries of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The subject property is zoned G-1, Big Game Grazing Forest, where a residential home is listed as a Conditional Use. Conditional Use approvals are subject to the CTUIR Land Development Code Chapters 6 and 13.
The hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 beginning at 9:00 a.m. Individuals may attend the meeting in the Walúula and Wanaqit conference rooms at the Nixyáawii Governance Center, virtually, or by phone. Information on joining the meeting online is available at https:// ctuir.org/events/lppc-public-hearing-cu-24-002/. Participation in the hearing will also be available by phone at 872-242-7793 starting at 9:00 a.m. on the day of the hearing. The conference ID will be 489 280 313#. Staff reports and other materials pertaining to the hearing are available for review at the link above, or can be requested from the Tribal Planning Office by calling 541-276-3099.
The public is entitled and encouraged to participate in the hearing and submit testimony regarding the request. Written comments may be sent to tpo@ctuir.org or to the Tribal Planning Office at 46411 Timíne Way Pendleton, OR 97801 for receipt by 4:00 p.m. August 12, 2024.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Leasing of Indian Trust Land for Grazing
Sealed bids for pasture grazing leases on the Umatilla Indian Reservation for not more than a 10 year term beginning January 1, 2025 and expiring December 31, 2034, unless otherwise specified and determined by the Umatilla Agency, will be received at the office of the Superintendent, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Umatilla Agency, P.O. Box 520 or 46807 B Street, Pendleton, OR 97801 until 10:00 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, September 18, 2024. There will be a public opening and reading of the bids. Following the opening and evaluation of all bids, those items attracting two or more bids will be contacted for oral auction by persons submitting sealed bids only. Bid forms and other pertinent information regarding bidding are available at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Range, Ag & Forestry Program Office, Telephone: (541)429-7224.
WRC JULY Employees of the Month
Supervisor: Steven James – Bowling/Arcade Lead Maintenance Tech
“On June 21st, 2021, Steven joined the Wildhorse family. During this time, he has excelled at his job and any tasks that are asked of him, not just in the Bowling Alley, but at times he has gone to Birch Creek to help fix items out there. In the past year that I have worked with Steven, I have seen his good communication with guests and coworkers, the ability to think outside the box for problem solving, leadership qualities, as well as his outstanding work ethic. Steven has the work ethic, compassion for others, and the dedication to Wildhorse that many employees have, and many more employees strive to achieve. Steven has experience and knowledge in many areas of QAL and can help with most things that guests and coworkers need assistance with. He is always very polite and professional at work, and I have no doubt that he is the same in his personal life as he continues to represent Wildhorse even when away from work. He sets a very good example for all of us who have the pleasure of getting to know him and work with him. Steven will spend the time explaining things if there are any questions and is very respectful to all.” - Nominated by Jeremy Moore, QAL Supervisor
“Nelson has worked as a Plateau Busser for 4 years. He is a truly dedicated and loyal team member, making sure our guest’s needs are met. Nelson is very attentive to everyone who depends on him, making him a very valuable Support Staff member. He stays focused until all of his tasks are complete. We are fortunate to have Nelson on Team Plateau!” - Nominated by Diana Dumitru, Plateau
Support: Wendy Bill – Warehouse Inventory Control
“I would like to nominate Wendy Bill for support employee of the month. Wendy fills a very crucial role within the warehouse that is not easily replaced. She handles and manages the databases for all F&B and warehouse inventories. She is vital to warehouse operations. When I am gone or not available, Wendy is the person that WRC staff call to get answers. She always goes out of her way to help other departments with questions about inventory and EATEC (our inventory system). She has given many ideas to help other departments become more eefficient when it comes to reporting inventory. She is constantly willing to take on new challenges and has increased her knowledge and expertise in all things relating to our inventory and purchasing. As a support employee, many of her contributions and helpfulness often goes unnoticed. I firmly believe she deserves the recognition for all her hard work for the past 17+ years.” - Nominated by Mike Enger, Warehouse
Frontline: Nelson Summerfield - Plateau Busser
Sexual Assault Specialist
Salary: $42,278.16–$53,870.04 DOE/ DOQ
Department: Public Safety
Location: Nixyaawii Governance Center, Mission, Oregon
Employment Status: Full Time with benefits package • Covered Status Background check required Non-Exempt
(This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon grant funding)
Supervised By: Family Violence Services Program Manager
Closing Date: Until Filled https://ctuir.org/career-opportunities
Scan the QR with your smartphone for information and how to apply:
JOIN THE CAYUSE HOLDINGS TEAM!
We have dozens of jobs open each month. Work on the Reservation, remotely from your home, across the US or overseas.
TribalHiringPreferenceand EqualOpportunityEmployer.
Current Cayuse Holdings job opportunities include: Chief Finance Officer (Remote), Business Intelligence Analyst (Remote), Translator (CA/ AZ), Interpreters (CA/AZ), American Sign Language Interpreter (CA, AZ), Senior Network and Computer Admin (LA), Tier 1.0 Helpdesk Specialist (OR).
See the complete list of job openings at www.cayuseholdings.com
