Feds move closer to approving off-reservation casino
Approval of the Coquille’s Medford casino could set a worrisome precedent as the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation try to persuade the federal government to deny a similar request made by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
By CHRIS AADLAND
The CUJ
MISSION – Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) leaders worried about potential off-reservation casino competition in the Tri-Cities have
responded to the federal government after it signaled approval of the Coquille Indian Tribe’s proposed offreservation casino in the southern part of the state.
In the days after the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Nov. 20 announcement informing Oregon
Happy Canyon Princesses named
PENDLETON – The Happy Canyon Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Avery Quaempts and Korie Spencer as the 2025 Happy Canyon Princesses. The two young women will serve as the official ambassadors for the Happy Canyon Night Show, held every evening during Pendleton RoundUp week in September.
“We’re excited to welcome Avery and Korie as the 2025 Happy Canyon Princesses,” said Happy Canyon President Kipp Curtis. “They both have strong ties to Happy Canyon and we are proud to have them as our representatives for this historic tradition.”
officials that it would issue a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) supporting a proposed Coquille casino in Medford, the CTUIR Board of Trustees (BOT) approved sending a letter to the White House “regarding the need for consultation prior to approving off-
reservation casinos in other tribes’ homelands or treaty territories” and met with federal officials to discuss the issue.
For more than a decade, the Coquille Tribe has sought to
Kotek wraps up statewide tribal tours, consultations
By CHRIS AADLAND
The CUJ
CONTINUED PAGE 11
Princess Avery Quaempts Quaempts, whose Indian name is Hánnit wa tumult (Cayuse, meaning "Generous Heart"), is a 17-year-old enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). A junior at Pendleton High School, she is the daughter of Justin Quaempts and Carrie Sampson, and the sister of Fallyn and Hayden Plume, and Symone Samuels. Her paternal grandparents are Bill Quaempts and Stevie Minthorn-Quaempts, while her maternal grandparents are Atwaí Curtis and Trisha Sampson. Her great-grandfather is Atwaí Chief Carl Sampson of the Walla Walla tribe, her greatgrandmother is Atwaí Carrie Sampson, a 1932 Pendleton Round-Up Princess, and uncle Donald Sampson is a hereditary chief of the Walúulapam (‘Walla Walla people’). She is also a direct descendant of Walla Walla Chief Peo-Peo-Mox-Mox “Yellow Bird,” a signer of the Treaty of 1855, and of Chief Yellowhawk and Anna Minthorn Wannassay, who co-authored the original Happy Canyon script with Roy Raley in 1917 – a script still used today. Her family history includes many relatives who have served as Happy Canyon royalty, such as Patty Crane (1965), Sis Moses (1968), Eloise Baptiste (1969), Cathy Sampson (1970), Tito Moses (1971), Michelle Spencer (1987), Anna Minthorn (1992), Jamie and RaeAnn Crane (1995),
SALEM – Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has finished visiting all of the nine federally recognized tribal nations in the state in an effort to develop better partnerships between governments. Kotek, a Democrat, hosted a press conference Nov. 20, where she and elected leaders from most of Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes
spoke about the visits, how they will affect tribal-state relationships going forward, and answered questions.
After she took office in 2023, Kotek began fulfilling a promise to visit the lands of all Oregon’s tribal nations to improve relationships between tribes and the state.
“This year, I completed a commitment that I made early in
KOTEK CONTINUED PAGE 10
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wraps up her April visit to the Umatilla Indian Reservation with a few words to community members and government employees in front of the Nixyáawii Governance Center. CUJ | ARCHIVE
Nixyaawii, Awkú Čáwpam Áḱaatta!“
Nixyaawii,
Don’t Throw it Away!”
Project Project Updates
Thanks everyone for making this a great month!
First Foods Policy Program wants to thank CTUIR Public Works and Tribal Planning for working with us to place a utility shed at the Longhouse, keep an eye out for it in December!
We also made it to Culture Night in November, and hosted our Abalone Shell Earring Workshop -- thanks to everyone who made it out to those events
Heading into the holiday season, keep in mind the things we throw away
Keeping food from being thrown away can be done in many ways. This Food Recovery Heirarchy shows the different opportunities for cooking scraps and leftover food to be kept out of landfills. Food makes up 15% of things thrown away in the U.S. We can reduce food waste through sharing our extra food, giving scraps to pets and animals, and by composting
Longhouse Cooks & Chefs Training
We had an amazing day learning with our community, thanks to everyone who came out. We plan to host a short lunch on Thurs Dec 19th and a full training again in the spring. Let us know you are interested!
We’ll also be at the Yellowhawk New Years Eve Sobriety Powwow on December 31st, come by and make a pledge to reduce food and single use plastic waste!
If you want to get on the email list, volunteer, or connect with the project, please contact First Foods Policy Program at FirstFoods@CTUIR.org or (541) 429-7247
Chronically truant students may face tribal court
of Nixyáawii Community School students are considered chronically absent
By CHRIS AADLAND The CUJ
MISSION – More than half of Nixyáawii Community School (NCS) students are considered chronically absent and risk potentially facing truancy proceedings in Tribal Court.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) charter school’s principal, Ryan Heinrich, shared the information with its School Board and the Pendleton School District School Board during meetings Nov. 18.
Heinrich told leaders that 51% of the school’s students were considered chronically absent, meaning they had missed 10% or more of school days. That was about an 8% increase from the previous year’s rate.
“So not great,” he told Pendleton School Board members.
The attendance rate information also came around the same time the Oregon Department of Education released last year’s attendance data, which showed a statewide chronic absence rate of 34.3% and 40.2% rate across the Pendleton School District.
The statewide data showed an improvement from previous years, though Oregon student chronic absenteeism rates are still far above national averages.
“While these gains signal progress, they also remind us of the work ahead to meet the needs of each and every scholar,” said Oregon Department of Education
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director Charlene Williams during a conference call with journalists after the release of the data.
NCS operates as a charter school on the Umatilla Indian Reservation and serves primarily Native American students.
As of the Nov. 18 school board meeting, 83 students in grades 9-12 attend the school.
While the school has many students with stellar attendance habits, the higher chronic absence rates are dragged down by a group of students with “incredibly low” attendance rates, Heinrich said.
Some of those chronically absent students may soon find themselves in Tribal Court to try and force them to improve their attendance.
“We do use tribal truancy to try and curtail that a little bit,” he said. “We will have kids go in front of the judge to take care of some truancy issues.”
Tribal members under the age of 18 are subject to the CTUIR’s Juvenile Code and are required to attend school through the 12th grade. Tribal members between the ages of 16 and 18 are not required to attend school if they are employed full or part-time or involved in “equivalent activities,” according to the Juvenile Code.
Students deemed truant may be compelled by a Tribal Court judge to improve their school attendance and could also be ordered to fulfill other requirements, such as drug, alcohol or psychological evaluations, and to adhere to resulting recommendations or seek services from the Department of Children and Family Services.
Parents or guardians may also be held responsible for a student’s truancy, cited and fined by the Tribal Court, according to the compulsory school attendance section of the CTUIR Juvenile Code.
Out of 34 states with data available for the 20222023 school year, half had absenteeism rates for Native American and Alaska Native students that were at least 9 percentage points higher than the state average. See related story on Page 8.
Tamástslikt Cultural Institute will be closed December
and January 1.
VANPORT
How Oregon's Second Largest City Vanished In A Day Through December 31
The Vanport traveling exhibit tells the story of the City of Vanport, the largest wartime housing development in the nation and the most racially diverse city in Oregon at the time. Before it was destroyed by floodwater in 1948, Vanport was the second largest city in Oregon. Today, the area where Vanport was located is occupied by a golf course, a public park, and the Portland International Raceway.
FREE admission all day at Tamástslikt Cultural Institute.
December 6 10am-5pm
View the current exhibits. Enjoy Indian Tacos, Frybread, Smoked Salmon Corn Chowder, and Elk Stew on the menu from 11am-2pm at Kinship Cafe. Shop the Museum Store and get ready for the holidays!
Ryan Heinrich, school principal
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 cuj@ctuir.org
Contributors:
Kathy Aney
Dallas Dick
Annie Fowler
Lee Gavin
Sammantha McCloud Wil Phinney
Travis Snell
Aaron Worden
CONTACT US
Confederated Umatilla Journal 46411 Timine Way Pendleton, OR 97801
Email: CUJ@ctuir.org
Phone: 541-429-7005
EMAIL ADVERTISING, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR & OTHER SUBMISSIONS TO: CUJ@ctuir.org
DEADLINE: 20th of the month prior to publication
The CUJ prints on the first Wednesday of each month and is distributed the first Thursday.
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
Warming pods now open near Longhouse
By TRAVIS SNELL CTUIR Communications
MISSION – Native Americans looking for a warm shelter on cold nights can use the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) two warming pods located near the Mission Longhouse.
James Halfmoon-FastHorse, Department of Children & Family Services Community Resource case worker, said the warming pods are small, temporary shelters available for enrolled CTUIR members or members of federally recognized tribes to escape winter weather if they have no other option available.
Situated by the Family Engagement Program Building at the July Grounds, the warming pods’ interiors are 7 feet by 7 feet. Because of their modest size, the pods are set up for one person at a time and come equipped with a cot, table, chair and microwave.
“We have plans to also install a minifridge in each unit as well,” Halfmoon-FastHorse said. “Each occupant will also be issued a sleeping bag, comforter, pillow and sleeping pad. We also have personal hygiene items available, such as body wash, shampoo and conditioner, shaving cream and razors, toothbrush and paste, deodorant, feminine hygiene
products as well. We also provide washcloths and towels.”
Halfmoon-FastHorse said the pods are made available when temperatures reach 45 degrees or lower and that people using them must adhere to some rules.
“Our warming pods are drug and alcohol free, so occupants must refrain from engaging in substance abuse while occupying our pods,” he said. “The pods must be kept in a neat and orderly manner, and free from items that might attract pests.”
The Umatilla Tribal Police Department will also monitor the pods by patrolling regularly and using a camera system, according to a DCFS document.
The CTUIR Housing Department built the pods this past summer using tribal funds to combat the homelessness that some people suffer during the winter months, Halfmoon-FastHorse said.
“If there are additional funds out there that could augment our warming pods, it would certainly be helpful,” he said. “Currently we operate two pods. I think it would be wise to look into developing more options.”
If the CTUIR warming pods are occupied, people in need can also visit the Pendleton Warming Station at 715 S.E. Court Ave. According to its website, it operates when the risk of hypothermia is elevated –
Shown is one of two Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) warming pods located near the Mission Longhouse. The temporary shelters are available for enrolled CTUIR members or members of federally recognized tribes to escape winter weather if they have no other option available. DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES | COURTESY PHOTO
providing a clean environment, relative comfort and security for up to 26 guests. For more information about the CTUIR warming pods, call 541429-7316 or email jameshalfmoonfasthorse@ctuir.org. For information about Pendleton’s Warming Station, visit www.n2npendleton.org or call 458-300-3199.
Court lifts restrictions on Siletz hunting, fishing rights
LINCOLN CITY, Ore. (AP) – Drumming made the floor vibrate and singing filled the conference room of the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, on the Oregon coast, as hundreds in tribal regalia danced in a circle.
For the last 47 years, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians have held an annual powwow to celebrate regaining federal recognition. This month’s event, however, was especially significant: It came just two weeks after a federal court lifted restrictions on the tribe’s rights to hunt, fish and gather – restrictions tribal leaders had opposed for decades.
“We’re back to the way we were before,” Siletz Chairman Delores Pigsley said. “It feels really good.”
The Siletz is a confederation of over two dozen bands and tribes whose traditional homelands spanned a large swath of what is now western Oregon. The federal government in the 1850s forced them onto a reservation on the Oregon coast, where they were confederated together as a single, federally recognized tribe despite their different backgrounds and languages.
In the 1950s and ‘60s, Congress revoked recognition of over 100 tribes, including the Siletz, under a policy known as “termination.” Affected tribes lost millions of acres of land as well as federal funding and services.
“The goal was to try and assimilate Native people, get them moved into cities,” said Matthew Campbell, deputy director of the Native American Rights Fund. “But also I think there was certainly a financial aspect to it. I think the United States was trying to see how it could limit its costs in terms of providing for tribal nations.”
Losing their lands and self-governance was painful, and the tribes fought for decades to regain
federal recognition. In 1977, the Siletz became the second tribe to succeed, following the restoration of the Menominee Tribe in Wisconsin in 1973.
But to get a fraction of its land back – roughly 3,600 acres (1,457 hectares) of the 1.1-million-acre (445,000-hectare) reservation established for the tribe in 1855 – the Siletz tribe had to agree to a federal court order that restricted their hunting, fishing and gathering rights. It was only one of two tribes in the country, along with Oregon’s Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, compelled to do so to regain tribal land.
The settlement limited where tribal members could fish, hunt and gather for ceremonial and subsistence purposes, and it imposed caps on how many salmon, elk and deer could be harvested in a year. It was devastating, tribal chair Pigsley recalled: The tribe was forced to buy salmon for ceremonies because it couldn’t provide for itself and people were arrested for hunting and fishing violations.
“Giving up those rights was a terrible thing,” Pigsley, who has led the tribe for 36 years, told The Associated Press earlier this year. “It was unfair at the time, and we’ve lived with it all these years.”
Decades later, Oregon and the U.S. came to recognize that the agreement subjecting the tribe to state hunting and fishing rules was biased, and
they agreed to join the tribe in recommending to the court that the restrictions be lifted.
“The Governor of Oregon and Oregon’s congressional representatives have since acknowledged that the 1980 Agreement and Consent Decree were a product of their times and represented a biased and distorted position on tribal sovereignty, tribal traditions, and the Siletz Tribe’s ability and authority to manage and sustain wildlife populations it traditionally used for tribal ceremonial and subsistence purposes,” attorneys for the U.S., state and tribe wrote in a joint court filing.
Late last month, the tribe finally succeeded in having the court order vacated by a federal judge. A separate agreement with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has given the tribe a greater role in regulating tribal hunting and fishing.
As Pigsley reflected on those who passed away before seeing the tribe regain its rights, she expressed hope about the next generation carrying on essential traditions.
“There’s a lot of youth out there that are learning tribal ways and culture,” she said. “It’s important today because we are trying to raise healthy families, meaning we need to get back to our natural foods.”
Among those celebrating and praying at the powwow was Tiffany Stuart, donning a basket cap her ancestors were known for weaving, and her 3-year-old daughter Kwestaani Chuski, whose name means “six butterflies” in the regional Athabaskan language from southwestern Oregon and northwestern California.
Given the restoration of rights, Stuart said, it was “very powerful for my kids to dance.”
“You dance for the people that can’t dance anymore,” she said.
Siletz Chair Delores Pigsley
Trump victory called 'big win for dams'
By CHRIS AADLAND
The CUJ
SALEM – As a new White House administration prepares to take over, some are bracing for changes to the previous administration’s approach to salmon recovery efforts and agreements with tribes in the Snake and Columbia River basins.
President Joe Biden has prioritized supporting initiatives, especially tribally led ones, to help threatened or endangered salmon species in the region. His administration acknowledged what tribes and conservation groups had been saying for years, that dams inflicted harm on tribal communities and that the best way to help salmon recover was to breach the dams.
For example, the federal government last year signed an agreement with four Columbia River basin tribes – including the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) – and the states of Oregon and Washington that committed the federal government to the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, a salmon recovery plan developed by the tribes.
In exchange for pausing salmon and dam lawsuits, the federal government agreed to help the four tribes develop renewable energy projects in the region and study how to best replace the irrigation and other services provided by the river’s dams, while committing hundreds of millions of dollars to salmon recovery projects.
Some are now worried that a Donald Trump administration will roll back those efforts, or even pull out of the agreement and abandon salmon restoration and renewable energy efforts laid out in the recovery plan entirely.
After the agreement was signed, supporters of the Columbia and Snake rivers’ hydroelectric dam system – which includes some of the region’s Congressional Republicans, such as Washington’s Rep. Dan Newhouse and Oregon’s Rep. Cliff Bentz, criticized the agreement as a thinly-veiled plan
to breach the region’s dams at the expense of the low-carbon energy and other services produced by the hydroelectric system.
In a statement, Newhouse said Trump winning a second term was “a big win for the lower Snake River dams.”
“This administration is coming in focused on energy dominance, and hydropower plays a huge role in boosting domestic production and keeping prices low for ratepayers,” he said. “This is something we have been working on in depth, and I am looking forward to putting policies in place that keep our dams safe and strong.”
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, in a Nov. 20 press conference where she talked about the state’s work with tribes, said she will be closely watching how the new federal administration will view the agreement the Biden Administration inked with the “Six Sovereigns.”
She said Oregon remained committed to the agreement and hoped the new administration would continue to build on the strong relationship initiated with the Biden White House “to restore fish runs in the Columbia as well as meet our hydraulic, our renewable energy goals.”
“My hope is that we will see respect and cooperation from the federal administration to work with our tribes,” Kotek said. “That is a significant commitment that has been made, and if that commitment is not followed, we will back in legal jeopardy.”
In the weeks after the election, conservation and environmental advocacy groups said they were bracing for the Trump administration to reverse the previous administration’s work on salmon recovery.
Pulling out of the deal would also likely result in a resumption of lawsuits paused by the agreement, Amanda Goodin, an attorney with an environmental law group, Earthjustice, which supports dam breaching, told the Idaho Statesman.
“We expect the incoming Administration to pursue dramatic
changes starting next year regarding the federal government’s approach to salmon and orca conservation, and to environmental, energy and other policies and priorities across the country,” Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition said in an email to supporters after the election.
Still, groups and tribes working to restore salmon populations or breach dams say they’ll keep working to save the fish regardless of the new administration’s decisions.
“When the election results came in a couple weeks ago, my first thought was the timeline of the salmon has not changed and therefore we cannot slow down or change our trajectory to ensure that we don’t lose this critical species,” said Kayeloni Scott, executive director of the Columbia-Snake River Campaign, during a recent virtual meeting hosted by the Nez Perce Tribe-led Salmon Orca Project.
During the meeting, Scott and Nez Perce tribal Chairman Shannon Wheeler said it was important to not be discouraged by the election’s results and to work harder to build relationships to ensure the survival of endangered salmon runs.
Regardless of how the Trump administration handles the agreement with the four tribes and two states, Wheeler said that the federal government would still have “an obligation under treaties,” to work with tribes to protect salmon.
“We’ll continue to push and we’ll continue to hold our position until we see this through,” he said. “It’s for those future generations.”
It was especially important, Wheeler said, to continue to educate community groups, leaders and to get the youth involved because how the Columbia basin’s hydroelectric system is operated needs to be changed to protect salmon while ensuring continued access to the dams’ benefits, like cheap power and water for agriculture.
“We know that that there’s still work ahead of us,” he said. “I don’t fear what we’re up against because I know what I’m fighting for is true and correct.”
COLUMBIA RIVER INTERTRIBAL FISH COMMISSION NOTICE OF ABANDONED PROPERTY
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the titled properties listed below have been tagged as abandoned and are not authorized to remain on the fishing sites. If these items are not claimed and moved by the date indicated on the tag, the BIA will dispose of the abandoned property, all risks and liabilities to the owner. If you are the owner of any of these properties or know who is, please call CRITFC Fishing Site Maintenance at (503) 881-3376 or (541) 2966010.
WYETH TREATY FISHING ACCESS SITE
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President-elect Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center Nov. 6. EVAN VUCCI | ASSOCIATED PRESS
In new term, Trump set to go after measures that are doing the most to fight climate change
WASHINGTON (AP) — The election of Donald Trump as president for a second time and the Republican takeback of the U.S. Senate could undo many of the national climate policies that are most reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, according to climate solutions experts. When they list measures that are making the most difference, it lines up with policies Trump has said he'll target.
Here are some of the measures.
The Inflation Reduction Act, the nation's landmark climate law
This law is significant because it is expected to reduce U.S. emissions by about 40% by 2030, if it unfolds as planned in the coming years.
It funnels money to measures that substitute clean energy for dirty. One major way it does so is by giving credits to businesses/people who build new solar and wind farms.
But it's not limited to that. It encourages developers of geothermal energy and businesses that separate the carbon dioxide from their smokestacks and bury it underground. It incentivizes the next generation of nuclear power. It gives a $7,500 tax credit to people who buy electric cars. People who buy their cars used can get a credit too, as long as they don't earn too much to qualify.
Trump, by contrast, has summed up his energy policy as "drill, baby, drill" and pledged to dismantle what he calls Democrats' "green new scam" in favor of boosting production of fossil
fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal, the main causes of climate change.
He vows to end subsidies for wind power that were included in the landmark 2022 climate law.
If Trump does target the climate law, there are provisions that are likely safe. One is a credit for companies in advanced manufacturing, because it is perceived as "America first and pro-U.S. business," said David Shepheard, partner and energy expert at the global consultant Baringa. Incentives for electric vehicles are likely most at risk, he added.
Pollution from electric power plants
The main U.S. rule aimed at reducing the climate change that comes from making electricity at power plants that burn coal is also considered vulnerable. This rule from the Environmental Protection Agency, announced in April, would force many coal-fired plants to capture 90% of their carbon emissions or shut down within eight years, Shepheard said.
It was projected to reduce roughly 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide through 2047, along with tens of thousands of tons of other harmful air pollutants.
Industry groups and Republican-controlled states have filed legal challenges to a host of EPA rules including this one and Trump's victory means the Justice Department is unlikely to defend it.
Under a Trump presidency, it is unlikely to survive, Shepheard said.
The United States has been reducing carbon dioxide emissions primarily by replacing coal-
fired power plants with clean, renewable power, said Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson, who chairs the Global Carbon Project, a group of scientists that tracks countries' carbon dioxide emissions.
"I hope that we don't lose sight of the benefits of clean energy," he said. "It's not just about the climate. It's about our lives and our health."
Fuel-efficient vehicles
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued its strongest rules on tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks under the Biden administration.
Under Trump, the EPA is considered likely to begin a lengthy process to repeal and replace a host of standards including the one on tailpipe emissions, which Trump falsely calls an electric vehicle "mandate." Trump rolled back more than 100 environmental laws as president and that number is likely to grow in a second term.
Trump has said EV manufacturing will destroy jobs in the auto industry and has falsely claimed that battery-powered cars don't work in cold weather and aren't able to travel long distances.
Drilling in Alaska refuge
Trump is almost certain to reinstate oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, continuing a partisan battle that has persisted for decades. Biden and other Democratic presidents have blocked drilling in the sprawling refuge, which is home to polar bears, caribou and other wildlife. Trump opened the area to drilling in a 2017 tax cut law enacted by congressional Republicans.
Indigenous students missing school at higher rates
SAN CARLOS, Ariz. (AP) — Years after COVID-19 disrupted American schools, nearly every state is still struggling with attendance. But attendance has been worse for Native American students — a disparity that existed before the pandemic and has since grown, according to data collected by The Associated Press.
Out of 34 states with data available for the 2022-2023 school year, half had absenteeism rates for Native American and Alaska Native students that were at least 9 percentage points higher than the state average.
Many schools serving Native students have been working to strengthen connections with families, who often struggle with higher rates of illness and poverty. Schools also must navigate distrust dating back to the U.S. government’s campaign to break up Native American culture, language and identity by forcing children into abusive boarding schools.
History “may cause them to not see the investment in a public school education as a good use of their time,” said Dallas Pettigrew, director of Oklahoma University’s Center for Tribal Social Work and a member of the Cherokee Nation.
On-site health, trauma care helped bring students back
The San Carlos school system recently introduced care centers that partner with hospitals, dentists and food banks to provide services
to students at multiple schools. The work is guided by cultural success coaches — school employees who help families address challenges that keep students from coming to school.
Nearly 100% of students in the district are Native and more than half of families have incomes below the federal poverty level. Many students come from homes that deal with alcoholism and drug abuse, Superintendent Deborah Dennison said.
Students miss school for reasons ranging from anxiety to unstable living conditions, said Jason Jones, a cultural success coach at San Carlos High School and an enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache tribe. Acknowledging their fears, grief and trauma helps him connect with students, he said.
“You feel better, you do better,” Jones said. “That’s our job here in the care center is to help the students feel better.”
In the 2023-2024 school year, the chronic absenteeism rate in the district fell from 76% to 59% — an improvement Dennison attributes partly to efforts to address their communities’ needs.
“All these connections with the community and the tribe are what’s making a difference for us and making the school a system that fits them rather than something that has been forced upon them, like it has been for over a century of education
in Indian Country,” said Dennison, a member of the Navajo Nation.
In three states — Alaska, Nebraska, and South Dakota — the majority of Native American and Alaska Native students were chronically absent. In some states, it has continued to worsen, even while improving slightly for other students, as in Arizona, where chronic absenteeism for Native students rose from 22% in 2018-2019 to 45% in 2022-2023.
AP’s analysis does not include data on schools managed by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education, which are not run by traditional districts. Less than 10% of Native American students attend BIE schools.
Schools close on days of Native ceremonial gatherings
At Algodones Elementary School, which serves a handful of Native American pueblos along New Mexico’s Upper Rio Grande, about two-thirds of students are chronically absent.
The communities were hit hard by COVID-19, with devastating impacts on elders. Since schools reopened, students have been slow to return. Excused absences for sick days are still piling up — in some cases, Principal Rosangela Montoya suspects, students are stressed about falling behind academically.
Staff and tribal liaisons have been analyzing every absence and emphasizing connections with parents. By 10 a.m., telephone
calls go out to the homes of absent students. Next steps include inperson meetings with those students’ parents.
“There’s illness. There’s trauma,” Montoya said. “A lot of our grandparents are the ones raising the children so that the parents can be working.”
About 95% of Algodones’ students are Native American, and the school strives to affirm their identity. It doesn’t open on four days set aside for Native American ceremonial gatherings, and students are excused for absences on other cultural days as designated by the nearby pueblos.
For Jennifer Tenorio, it makes a difference that the school offers classes in the family’s native language of Keres. She speaks Keres at home, but says that’s not always enough to instill fluency.
Tenorio said her two oldest children, now in their 20s, were discouraged from speaking Keres when enrolled in the federal Head Start educational program — a system that now promotes native language preservation — and they struggled academically.
“It was sad to see with my own eyes,” said Tenorio, a single parent and administrative assistant who has used the school’s food bank. “In Algodones, I saw a big difference to where the teachers were really there for the students, and for all the kids, to help them learn.”
Gratitude and Appreciation
On behalf of Family Violence Services, we extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for the active involvement in raising awareness and bringing attention to the various forms of violence that impact our community. In the last few months, your kind participation gave us the opportunity to bring attention to Sexual Assault, Missing Murdered Indigenous People, Elder Abuse and Intimate partner Violence. The time you invested, the resources you provided, and the efforts you made encouraged survivors, supported those facing violence and contributed to awareness within the community. We deeply appreciate your partnership in building a stronger community and a future free from violence. Community members for your continued curiosity about and recommendations in how Family Violence Services addresses intimate partner violence, sexual assault, missing and trafficked. Your strength and hopes continue to guide our steps! All Family Violence Services staff and advisory members are in awe regarding your tenacity and fluidity!
On behalf of Family Violence Services, we extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for the active in raising awareness and bringing attention various forms that impact our community. In the last few months, your kind participation gave us the to bring Assault, Indigenous People, Elder Abuse and Intimate partner Violence. The time you invested, the resources and the efforts you made supported those facing awareness within the community. We deeply appreciate your partnership in building a stronger community and a future free from violence. Community members for your continued curiosity about and recommendations in how Family Violence Services addresses intimate partner violence, sexual assault, missing and trafficked. Your strength hopes guide our All Family Violence Services and advisory members are in awe regarding your tenacity and fluidity!
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Inaugural culinary code, kitchen safety class deemed a success
By CTUIR Environmental Health & Safety Department
MISSION – Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Brian Fullen, alongside other food and public health partners and dedicated team member Megan George, with the support of the Tribal Planning office team, successfully hosted the inaugural Culinary Practices Code and Kitchen Safety Food Handlers Class at Tamástslikt Cultural Institute Nov. 6-7. This event highlighted a comprehensive approach to food safety, focusing on kitchen practices and essential issues surrounding food growers and farmers in the region, including the importance of first foods.
The class began with Fullen welcoming participants and introducing concepts related to Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) domestic kitchen codes, often known as cottage kitchen codes. His presentation emphasized the importance of food safety within home-based culinary operations while discussing relevant safety guidelines under the CTUIR Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) codes.
During the event, contributions from various partners enriched the curriculum. West Lambert, representing the Tiichám Conservation District, along with the Produce Safety Alliance and the Indigenous Food and Agriculture initiative, presented
insights into produce and grower safety. Topics such as water quality, soil management and irrigation safety were thoroughly examined in the context of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which aims to improve food safety protocols to protect the food supply.
Attendees were also introduced to Master Food Preserver courses with Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center and introduced by Chelsey Minthorn. The course taught canning techniques and skills for safe food handling and preservation. Minthorn’s insights were particularly valuable for those looking to improve modern culinary practices while remaining culturally relevant, specifically regarding the cultivation and preparation of First Foods that hold significant importance in local traditions.
Buck Jones from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission spoke about fish processing codes and highlighted the need to update local fish processing codes and practices with contemporary food safety measures. His briefing emphasized the importance of adapting protocols in ways that respect CTUIR traditions alongside modern needs, especially when it comes to the harvesting and handling of First Foods like salmon.
Another notable aspect of the program was the innovative mobile food truck park initiative introduced by Jacob Wallis and Dani Wilgus of Nixyáawii Community Financial Services. This project aims to create
a platform for local food vendors, focusing on economic growth and ensuring adherence to safety regulations.
The training concluded with a comprehensive session led by Shawn Blackshear from the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, who focused on kitchen safety and CTUIR health codes. The class concluded with a food handlers training session, allowing attendees, including bolster crews, to be tested for their food handler’s safety card, ensuring they are equipped to serve food safely to the CTUIR community and surrounding areas.
Approximately 30 community members participated, either attending the full program or specific
segments that piqued their interest. Organizers believe that overall, the Culinary Practices Code and Kitchen Safety Class not only marked a significant step in advancing food safety education but also showcased the collaborative efforts of various organizations dedicated to promoting health and safety. By intertwining food safety education with local needs, including the significance of First Foods, the event emphasized the importance of these initiatives in supporting community health and well-being. Looking ahead, plans for future classes are already in the works, reflecting a shared dedication to maintaining high safety standards in culinary practices.
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my administration to visit each of the sovereign tribal nations in Oregon,” she said during the press conference. “The goal there was to go beyond a short, formal meeting. The goal was to lean into having genuine partnerships and in-depth conversations with each of our tribal nations across Oregon.”
During her visits, Kotek said she learned about tribal natural resource management goals, economic development projects, tribal successes and plans for the future, as well as challenges the state could help address while touring locations like health and wellness clinics, early learning centers and language programs.
She said it was especially inspiring to meet with youth leaders and hearing about how the next generation is working to improve their communities.
The initiative wouldn’t have been successful without the support of her staff, especially Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) member Shana McConville Radford, Oregon’s first tribal affairs director, Kotek added.
“With her support, I’ve been able to foster positive relationships [and] will continue to maintain and sustain and strengthen those relationships with each of our tribal governments,” Kotek said. “Because that is what is important, not only for the citizens of those tribal nations, but for the people of Oregon.”
Kotek visited the Umatilla Indian Reservation to meet with CTUIR leaders in April.
Tribal leaders showed Kotek and other state officials around the reservation to learn about initiatives and projects, like the Thorn Hollow Bridge replacement,
that are important to the tribe. The tour concluded with the ceremonial signing of a bill aimed at improving natural resource management in the Walla Walla River Basin between the state and tribe.
Kotek also visited the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute and shared a meal with tribal leaders.
“She visited several sites on the reservation,” CTUIR Board of Trustees Treasurer Raymond Huesties said during the Nov. 20 press conference. “We got to feed her our First Foods and we wanted to thank her and the first lady, and her staff, for taking the time to learn
more about the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla.”
Other tribal leaders in Oregon also spoke about how Kotek spent her day on their lands, learning about the diverse culture, history and needs of the state’s different tribal nations. Many said the visits show that the state is committed to mutually beneficial relationships and that Kotek understands that each of Oregon’s tribes have complex governments and diverse opinions and experiences.
Although Oregon still has “a lot of work to do” to “create a better place to us to exercise our aboriginal rights,” Kotek’s July visit to the Klamath Tribes will help “build some form of a better relationship than what we’ve had in the past with the state of Oregon,” said Klamath Tribes Chairman William Ray, Jr.
For the CTUIR, Huesties said clear communication between the state, federal government and tribes, is key – especially when the government is seeking to do something within the tribe’s ceded territory or aboriginal use areas. Kotek’s visit, he added, demonstrated that “we have a seat at the table.”
“This relationship needs to continue,” Huesties said. “And I really do believe that Governor Kotek is letting that happen.”
West Lambert, representing Tiichám Conservation District, presents insights into producer and grower safety during the inaugural food safety class Nov. 6 at Tamástslikt Cultural Institute. CTUIR EHS | COURTESY
Eric Quaempts discusses the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservations' environmental priorities with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek during her April tour of the reservation. CUJ | ARCHIVE
Sydelle Harrison (2001), Talia Minthorn (2003), Shanna Treloar (2009), and Jory Spencer (2014). Her aunt, Iona Quaempts, was the first winner of the Junior American Indian Beauty Pageant in 1962, and Princess Quaempts herself won the Junior American Indian Beauty Pageant in 2021. Both her grandfather, Curtis Sampson, and great-grandfather, Chief Carl Sampson, had long-standing roles in the Happy Canyon show, and many other family members have participated throughout the years.
In addition to her academic pursuits, she is a dedicated softball player, competing with Pendleton High School and the Northwest Bullets, a nationally recognized travel team. She is passionate about outdoor activities, including horseback riding, fishing, hunting, and boating, and enjoys spending time with her family at their property in Joseph.
Quaempts plans to pursue a nursing career with a focus on pediatric care and looks forward to continuing her education and playing softball at the collegiate level.
“My roots are here in the Umatilla Reservation,” she said. “I plan to return home after finishing my education to give back to my community.”
Ruth (Nilchee) Spencer and Atwaí Chester “Sparky” Spencer. Her greatgrandfather was Atwaí John Lester Spencer and her great-grandmother was Matilda Sampson-Spencer, who won the American Indian Beauty Pageant in 1933. Princess Korie is a direct descendant of Tah pa Shah Spencer, also known as “Sharp Shooter,” who was Yakama Chief of the Klickitats. Her maternal lineage is from the Chief Big Bow family of the Kiowa Tribe in Oklahoma, with her grandfather Garrell Moore and grandmother Kevin (Tartsah) Moore.
Her family has deep ties to Happy Canyon, with her relatives Michelle Spencer (1987) and Jory Spencer (2014) both having served as Happy Canyon royalty. Recently, she has participated in the Happy Canyon Show, riding in both the traveling and mourning scenes and carrying a travois. The horse she will ride is generously provided by Kayla Fossek (Happy Canyon Princess in 2019, Round-Up Princess in 2020-21, and Round-Up Queen in 2024).
Princess Korie Spencer
Spencer is a 23-year-old CTUIR tribal member and a graduate of Pendleton High School and Treasure Valley Community College. She is the daughter of Atwaí Brandon Spencer and Rochelle and Trevor Helfrecht, and the sister of Aubry Booth-Spencer, Katlyn Spencer, Chaynne Spencer, Janie Helfrecht, Jillian Helfrecht, and Tiydan Moore. Her paternal grandparents are
A passionate advocate for the outdoors, Spencer enjoys horseback riding, hunting and berry picking. She also plays recreational softball and tried out rugby during her time at Pendleton High School. In recent years, she has dedicated her time to volunteering with Pendleton RoundUp and Happy Canyon, helping wherever needed.
She is currently employed at Lil Turtle Retreat Daycare and plans to further her education in early childhood education at Oregon State University and said she is committed to returning to Eastern Oregon to work with children and support families in her community.
“I’m excited about setting both simple and ambitious goals for myself in the coming years,” Spencer said. “I’m passionate about helping children and am excited to continue working towards a future where I can make a positive impact on my community.”
The 2025 Happy Canyon Night Show will run nightly Sept. 10-13 in the Happy Canyon arena adjacent to the Round-Up rodeo grounds.
A formal introduction of both princesses will take place at the annual Princess Brunch, beginning at 10 a.m. Dec. 15 inside the Pendleton Convention Center. The event is open to the public and all are invited to celebrate the new princesses.
Former tribal police officer sentenced for possessing child pornography, child abuse
By CHRIS AADLAND The CUJ
PORTLAND – A former Umatilla Tribal Police Department (UTPD) officer has been sentenced to more than 7 years in prison after admitting to possessing child pornography and repeatedly sexually abusing a child beginning in the 1990s.
Cameron Jacob Sheoships, 57, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release on Nov. 8 by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon after Sheoships pleaded guilty in April to one count of possessing child sexual abuse images.
Sheoships had previously worked as a tribal police officer until he was convicted for an unrelated crime involving a firearm in 2015.
Federal prosecutors asked for an enhanced sentence due to repeated sexual abuse of a minor, according to a September sentencing memo from Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Cassady A. Adams. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 15 years after he is released from prison.
“The government believes that this sentence will keep the community safe, hold Sheoships accountable for his conduct, and allow him to receive the treatment he needs,” Adams wrote in her sentencing memo.
The case dates to 2022, when the FBI received online tips that suspected child pornography had been downloaded on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Additional tips tied Sheoships’ social media and online accounts to the illegal material.
Authorities then searched Sheoships’ home and found photos and videos of child sexual abuse on his cellphone in May 2023. Sheoships, according to prosecutors, admitted to purchasing the images in 2022 in an interview after the search warrant was executed.
A federal grand jury indicted Sheoships for posting the images of child sexual abuse the following month.
After learning that Sheoships had been charged with a child pornography offense, a person reported to the FBI that Sheoships had repeatedly sexually abused her as a child starting around 1996 and that Sheoships had threatened her if she ever told anyone about the abuse. According to court documents, she also said FBI agents during a 2001 interview didn’t believe her and told her “she should not lie about police officers.”
Prosecutors said they didn’t charge Sheoships for the “hands-on sexual abuse” of a minor due to the challenge of prosecuting a decadesold crime and would instead prove the allegation through sentencing pattern enhancement and Sheoships’ admission to the abuse. Sentencing enhancements are based on the offender's prior convictions and increase the possible penalty the judge can impose for a crime.
Sheoships had worked as an UTPD officer for 15 years prior to being fired and banned for life from being a police officer in Oregon after pleading guilty in 2015 to one count of pointing a firearm at another person. He was sentenced to three-year probation for a Class B misdemeanor.
In that case, which was investigated by the FBI, Sheoships was charged with 16 counts of simple assault and 16 counts of pointing a firearm at another person for a pattern of incidents that occurred between 2013 and 2014.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice. gov/psc.
CASINO
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build a Class II casino, which are typically smaller facilities with fewer gambling offerings compared to a larger Class III casino like Wildhorse, on land it purchased in Medford. The off-reservation casino would be a nearly 170mile drive from the Coquille tribal headquarters and its Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park in North Bend.
The Coquille Tribe has said the Medford casino was within its ancestral homelands and would benefit the area’s economy while allowing the tribe to better serve its enrolled members.
But critics, like several Oregon and northern California tribes that say the Medford casino would negatively impact profits at their own gaming enterprises, have argued that the Coquille Tribe’s ancestral claims to the Medford area are flimsy.
Additionally, opponents, including Oregon’s two U.S. senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, have called on the federal government to deny the Coquille Tribe’s bid by saying that allowing the Coquille Tribe to open a second casino on off-reservation lands would spark an off-reservation casino development arms race among tribal nations in Oregon and across Indian Country
“I am disappointed by the Biden administration’s decision to move the Coquille Indian Tribe’s Medford casino application forward,” Merkley said in a statement. “Sen. Wyden and I have opposed the application for years out of deep concern for the new and likely damaging gaming precedent it would set in the state. I also remain concerned about the opposition voiced about this application by several of Oregon’s federally recognized tribes. During the coming 30-day comment period, I encourage everyone to share their views.”
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and her predecessors have also opposed the Coquille Tribe’s proposal, in addition to trying to limit tribes to operating only one casino per tribe in the state.
In Oregon, where the state relies on revenue from the Oregon Lottery – it is state’s second-largest funding source after personal income tax and has brought more than $15 billion into Oregon’s coffers since 1985 – to pay for services and programs, Gov. Tina Kotek and her predecessors have also opposed the Coquille Tribe’s proposal and historically have tried to limit tribes’ casino operations.
“My stance has not changed,” Kotek said when asked about her position on tribal gaming expansion in the state during a Nov. 20 press conference where she spoke about her experiences visiting all nine of Oregon’s federally recognized tribes.
The result of approving an
off-reservation Medford casino, Merkley and Wyden wrote in a 2023 letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, would be “a harmful explosion of gaming in Oregon and across the region” that “would pit some of our country’s most marginalized communities against each other, forcing them to compete in a ‘race to the bottom’ and setting back progress in state-tribal relations by decades.”
While a second Coquille Tribe casino, due to its Medford location, may not pose a serious financial threat to the CTUIR’s Wildhorse Resort & Casino, another one near the Umatilla Indian Reservation could – such as the proposed offreservation casino located in the nearby Tri-Cities that tribal leaders are working to derail.
Approval of the Coquille’s Medford casino could set a worrisome precedent as the CTUIR tries to persuade the federal government to deny a similar request made by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
In April, the federal government initiated the multi-step review process for a casino and resort the Colville Reservation Tribes want to build on land purchased near the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco. If approved, it will be the tribe’s fourth casino and a nearly three-hour drive from the tribe’s Nespelem, Washington headquarters. It will also be in direct competition with Wildhorse Resort & Casino and the Yakama Nation’s Legends Casino in Toppenish.
Colville has said the casino would restore a connection to a part of its historical homelands and allow the tribe to provide better services to its enrolled members while also improving the Tri-Cities economy.
But the CTUIR, alongside the Yakama Nation, has urged the federal government to reject the proposal, saying that the proposed casino would be within treatyprotected land or within traditional use and ancestral lands of the two tribes. They’ve also said that the Colville Tribe’s argument that the Tri-Cities is part of its homelands is incorrect.
Kotek or another Oregon governor would also be powerless to stop the casino since it would be in Washington, where state leaders don’t have a policy of trying to limit tribes to one casino.
For months, CTUIR leaders have said that a casino in the Tri-Cities area – where Wildhorse draws a significant number of its patrons – would potentially devastate the tribe’s finances, just as the CTUIR embarks on a nearly $190 million Wildhorse expansion project.
That proposal is in the early federal review phases, though the BIA has said that a draft EIS could be available for public comments this winter.
For more information about the Colville Tribes proposal, visit colvilleeis.com.
Honoring CTUIR employee veterans
My name is James HalfmoonFastHorse. I served in the US Army during the invasion of Iraq. I am now employed with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. I am an enrolled member here. My grandparents are Alphonse and Florence Halfmoon, as well as Manfred Sr and Norma FastHorse. My parents are Manfred FastHorse Jr and Susan Halfmoon.
November 11, we commemorate the valor of the veterans who continue to serve by working for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation. We honor and respect those who answered a call to duty to our nation, our land, and our people and carry that duty here in the form of honorable service to our Tribe. I offer these words as tribute to the noble cause of serving others.
In my family's oral history, we have tales of our warrior's exploits. We have a tale of our Lootewas (Warriors) joining Kamiakin's forces in the Battle of Spokane Plains, where we fought against Colonel Wright's forces in burning grass. We have a tale of a handful of our Lootewa taking war to the Lakota during a bison hunt and winning. We have tales of warriors taking wounds and returning home, and we have tales of warriors falling in battle. We have tales of fighting all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond to the plains. We had forays into the lands of our enemies in southern Oregon, Idaho, and even into California. We fought our enemies in Montana, in Washington, and into Nevada. Due to these Martial endeavors, we have earned names such as Two Wounds, Three Times Around The Enemy, and Strapped Lip. The main reason for such fighting was to secure a place to raise their children, so that perhaps one day we could enjoy life and a certain way of being. They fought for their children, their families, and their elders. They fought to ensure the continuity of their culture and their spirit and for the future of their way of life.
Here on Liksiyu lands and abroad, our Liksiyu ancestors were the military arm of the plateau peoples. We fought in battles in the Cayuse War, the Yakama War, the Puget Sound War, the Coeur d'Alene War, and the Shoshone Bannock War. Before that, we defended the lands and the people of the plateau from outside invaders. From this history, it would be easy to think that a Lootewas role was that of combat and warfare; that would be a mistake, though, as the role of Lootewa was that of a provider, leader, hunter, teacher, and holder of our culture and our ways. Lootewas were called on to provide honorable service for their families, their people, and their tribe as a whole. Selfless service, sacrifice, and the care of others are principles that are deeply rooted in our ancestral ways. That same way
of being is still present here on Liksiyu land. Since we ceded our land and formed the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, we have stood forth with courage and dedication; we have levied the love of our land and our families into resolve. We have presented action when called to do so. We have raised our hand in oath to defend, and we have honored that oath to our people. The call to be Lootewa is now answered not just by our men but our women as well. Courage knows the hearts of men and women alike, and all of our families here have given our people warriors and veterans. As employees of CTUIR we still uphold our duty to serve a higher cause, we uphold our oath to defend that which is sacred to us. Though we may draw wage and salary, we are offered something far greater than monetary compensation, and we are offered the chance to serve our ancestors' goals, we serve our land that has been fought over, and we honor the sacrifices of those who signed our treaty, we honor those that will walk on long after we see our last days. We participate in the legacy of our families and our land. 1855 is long gone, and 2025 is right around the corner. As we carry our service into another year, it is prudent to recognize that we have new families here, enrolled and not enrolled. Both enrolled and not enrolled have given honorable service to this land and our people and have taken the cause of representing our people here today working in this building.
To our veterans, I would say your courage and selflessness are seen and witnessed, and you should continue to carry yourself thusly, stand as a role model, and carry yourself with a standard of conduct befitting our people. And to our people, I would say, continue to call on us for service and sacrifice, and we will continue to answer that call. Continue to hold us to a standard, continue to ask more of us, and we will be there. We will stand present and defend our families, and we will serve our families; we will carry our legacy of culture and spirit into the future so that our descendants will have something to defend. There can be no greater cause.
James Halfmoon-FastHorse
Letters are published on a space available basis, in order of receipt.
• Information found to be inaccurate/ libelous will not be published.
• Letters containing profanity will not be published.
• Author’s full name, address and phone number must be listed for verification purposes.
James Halfmoon-FastHorse
CTUIR TERO program anticipates a busy 2025
By JOHN BARKLEY CTUIR TERO Program Manager
MISSION – Construction season in 2025 will be very busy for the Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) and its referrals and certified Indianowned businesses.
Wildhorse Resort & Casino began expansion Aug. 22 with the demolition of the old hotel. Lydig Construction, who completed the previous expansion that included the bowling alley, food court and arcade, is the prime contractor.
This multi-million-dollar, two-year expansion involves a new 10-story tower hotel, like the current tower. A 1,500-seat event center is also planned. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Board of Trustees (BOT) approved the expansion project Nov. 4 by a vote of four approving, three against and one abstention.
TERO staff met with Lydig officials Nov. 19 to discuss the expansion project and secure jobs for enrolled tribal members and subcontracts for Indian-owned businesses.
TERO is inviting all enrolled tribal members to register with them in January to be eligible for dispatch to TERO construction projects, both tribal and those of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Registrants are required to check in weekly for dispatching and all TERO referrals are required to pass drug testing to qualify for work in construction. If testing is failed, TERO requires referrals to independently obtain and pass another test and provide it to TERO before being eligible for dispatch.
Besides the expansion of the casino/hotel, three other major projects are planned.
The CTUIR Wastewater Treatment Plant is
scheduled to begin construction in the spring. It will be located across the Mustangers rodeo grounds and cost $44.5 million. The plant will take wastewater from the tribal sewer system, treat it, and re-use for landscaping. It will conserve at least 250 acre-feet of water, plus more, that can be held for future economic needs of the tribes.
Cairn Springs of Portland will build a 12-silo flour mill for around $30 million in South Coyote Business Park. McCormack Construction of Pendleton is the prime contractor for this project which expects to go to bid soon.
Kenworth plans to build a new service center
at South Coyote Business Park too. The 31,217 square foot facility will double capacity to eight truck service bays and increase staffing.
TERO will also be involved in several ODOT projects next year that offer prevailing wages. Most projects involve Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramp improvements throughout northeast Oregon and will ramp up in the spring. If you’re an enrolled tribal member interested in construction work, contact the TERO office at 541-429-7506. Plenty of work and opportunities are coming up in the new year.
Law Enick, owner of Enick Trucking, a TERO-certified Indian-owned business, begins work on the Wildhorse Resort & Casino hotel demolition prior to the expansion project Aug. 20. JOHN BARKLEY | COURTESY PHOTO
IHS to cover water, sewer lines in new Nixyáawii neighborhood
MISSION – For people wanting to build homes in the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Nixyàawii Neighborhood, the Indian Health Service (IHS) will pay to install water and sewer lines thanks to a recently approved agreement.
The CTUIR Board of Trustees in November approved a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that allows IHS Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction funds to pay for water and sewer line installations for houses built in a subdivision near the Nixyàawii Governance Center campus.
“Overall, there are 49 residential lots within the Nixyàawii subdivision that would be eligible for the funds for connection fees and lines,” Holly Anderson, CTUIR Planning Department associate planner, said. “The program reduces the overall construction costs that must be financed for a home.”
The lessee of each lot will need to complete an application before funds are allocated. Money for the installation will be paid to the contractor based on a bid approved prior to the work. Contractors will be chosen according to IHS requirements and tribal procurement procedures.
IHS requirements include
Flags suggesting that people build homes in the Nixyàawii Neighborhood flap in the wind. IHS funds will pay for water and sewer line installations for homes built in the subdivision near the Nixyàawii Governance Center campus in Mission. CTUIR PHOTO
contractors pay Davis-Bacon wage rates to employees working on the install. Davis-Bacon rates are a standard minimum contractors must pay workers for public works projects in their locality, consisting of the hourly prevailing wage plus fringe benefits.
Along with installing service lines, the funds will also cover water and sewer service connection fees required by CTUIR Public Works.
“The funding is anticipated to be sufficient to cover the complete cost of the connections, although one typical cost, temporary water for the construction process, is not covered,” Anderson said.
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees
OCTOBER 7, 2024
Ascertainment of Quorum.
BOT Present: Gary I. Burke, BOT Chairman; Aaron Ashley, Vice-Chair; Raymond Huesties, Treasurer; Roberta Wilson, Secretary; Lisa Ganuelas, BOT Member; Toby Patrick, Member, Michael Ray Johnson, General Council Vice Chairman sitting in for Alan Crawford, General Council Chairman; Corinne Sams, Member; Steve Hart, BOT Member. Alan Crawford, General Council Chairman on travel. Quorum present.
Agenda Review. MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to approve agenda. Toby Patrick seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
Old Business:
No. 24-007: Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center letter.MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to ratify Polled Motion 24-007. Toby Patrick seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
No. 24-008: Approve Talking Points for RCBA Meeting.
MOTION: Toby Patrick moves to ratify Polled Motion 24-008. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
New Business: Resolution 24079: NCAI Renewal of CTUIR Membership. RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees, which is the official governing body
of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Confederated Tribes), hereby authorizes Gary I. Burke, who is the official principal tribal official, to take the necessary action to place the Confederated Tribes in Membership with the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI); AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that tribal funds in the amount of $30,000, based on the Tribal Membership dues schedule of the NCAI By-Laws, Article III Members, Section C(2) are authorized to be paid for such Tribal Membership in NCAI; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that based on the Confederated Tribes' enrolled membership of 3,188 persons, the Confederated Tribes shall have 130 votes, in accordance with Article III - Members, Section B(l )(d); AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that pursuant to Article III - Members, Section B(l)(b) of the NCAI Constitution and ByLaws, the Confederated Tribes designates the following persons as Delegate and Alternate Delegates, and instructs them to become Individual Members in Good Standing in NCAI to fulfill their responsibilities as Official Delegates to the NCAI Annual Session, Mid-Year Session and Executive Council Sessions: Delegate Gary I. Burke, Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman. Aaron Ashley, BOT Vice Chairman, Raymond Huesties, BOT Treasurer, Roberta Wilson, BOT Secretary. Corinne Sams, Toby Patrick, Lisa Ganuelas,
Nixyáawii Governance Center 46411 Timíne Way Pendleton, OR 97801 541-276-3165 bot@ctuir.org l ctuir.org
Steven Hart, (BOT Members at Large). Alan Crawford, BOT General Council Chairman. Term expiration for all is 12/3/2025.
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.
MOTION: Toby Patrick moves to adopt Resolution 24-079. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
Commission/Committee
Update by Roberta Wilson, BOT Secretary. Economic & Community Development (ECDC), 1 vacancy with two applications from Michael R. Johnson and Mariah Watchman. ACTION: by secret ballot Michael R. Johnson was appointed to ECDC for a two- year term expiring October 4, 2026.
Tiicham Conservation District, 1 vacancy with 1 application from Mary Halfmoon. MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to appoint Mary Halfmoon to Tiicham Conservation District for remaining term, expiring September 5, 2025. Toby Patrick seconds. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.Toby Patrick said Joann Malamaleumu is still on Tiicham Conservation District. Roberta Wilson said she will be placed back on the CC list.
Lisa Ganuelas asked about Farm Committee and if there are two vacancies. Roberta Wilson will check number of vacancies.
Terms expiring: Rebecca Burke, Member of Gaming Commission, term expires 11/02/24. Katherine Minthorn, Member
of Tiicham Conservation District, term expires 11/06/24. Katherine Minthorn, Member of Farm Committee, term expires 11/06/24.
Resignations: Jeff and Vernita Van Pelt, both from Election Commission. Removed: none. Advertise vacancies:
1 for CTUIR Culture Coalition, 3-year term.
2 for Election Commission (positions #3 & #4), General Council appoints #3 and BOT appoints #4 both for 4-year terms.
2 for Farm Committee, for 3-year term. (TBD)
1 for Gaming Commission, 4-year term.
1 for Tiicham Conservation District, 2-year term. MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to advertise for the vacant positions on Commission and Committees. Toby Patrick Seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
BOT Travel or External Meeting Reports. Toby Patrick, 9/22-24 to Madras to attend Willamette Calls Board retreat. MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to approve travel report. Roberta Wilson seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0
BOT Leave and Travel or Outside Meeting Requests. Lisa Ganuelas, 2 requests: Polled travel, 10/4 to Kennewick to attend School introductory meeting with School District Superintendent. Travel, 10/78 to Moscow, ID to attend U ofl
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
President's Native American Advisory Council Fall meeting.
Roberta Wilson polled personal leave for 10/4 from 2 to 4 pm. Roberta Wilson, personal leave all day 10/11 and 4.5 hours on 10/15.
Lisa Ganuelas, travel Dec. 9-13 to Las Vegas to attend Tribal Ag Council. MOTION: Roberta Wilson moves to approve leave requests. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 6-0-0.
OCTOBER 21, 2024
Ascertainment of Quorum.
BOT Present: Gary I. Burke, BOT Chairman; Aaron Ashley, Vice-Chair; Raymond Huesties, Treasurer; Roberta Wilson, Secretary; Toby Patrick, Member; Lisa Ganuelas, Member; Corinne Sams, Member; Steve Hart, Member and Alan Crawford General Council Chairman. Full quorum present.
Agenda Review. Lisa Ganuelas, BOT Member emailed BOT this morning asking about BOT meeting with Health Commission regarding Yellowhawk's four-day work week and budget increase. This was discussed during the BOT work session last Friday, October
18. Raymond Huesties, BOT Treasurer recommends adding to BOT Agenda under other BOT Action as an amendment because it is not on the current agenda. MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to approve agenda as amended to add discussion of Yellowhawk work week plus budget request and also add action item of Corinne Sams transferring her remaining travel budget to Aaron Ashley's travel budget. Corinne Sams seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 7 for - 0 against - 1 abstaining (Steven Hart).
Polled Resolution No. 24080 Rainwater Wildlife Area Mitigation. WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees conducted a work session on October 16, 2024 to review this Resolution and the Memorandum of Agreement attached to this Resolution as Exhibit 1; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the attached Memorandum of Agreement Among the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department
of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Regarding Redevelopment of the Campground at Lyons Ferry State Park, Franklin County, Washington, 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 Memorandum of Agreement and this Resolution; MOTION: Corinne Sams moves to ratify Polled Resolution 24080. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 7-0-0. [Toby Patrick not present for vote]
Resolution number 24-081: USACE Walla Walla District & WA State Parks Redevelopment of Lyons Ferry Campground Project. WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees conducted a work session on October 16, 2024 to review this Resolution and the Memorandum of Agreement attached to this Resolution as Exhibit 1; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the attached Memorandum of Agreement
Among the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Regarding Redevelopment of the Campground at Lyons Ferry State Park, Franklin County. Washington, 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 Memorandum of Agreement and this Resolution; MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to adopt Resolution 24-081. Alan Crawford seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 7-00. [Toby Patrick not present for vote]
Resolution 24-082 Umatilla County Ordnance Pipeline Project Confidential Mitigation Agreement. WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees conducted a work session on October 17, 2024, to review this Resolution and the Confidential Mitigation Agreement attached to this
Resolution as Exhibit 1C; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the attached Confidential Mitigation Agreement attached to this Resolution as Exhibit 1C 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 Confidential Mitigation Agreement and this Resolution; MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to adopt Resolution 24-082. Alan Crawford seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 7-00. [Toby Patrick not present for vote]
Resolution 24-08 IHS Wastewater MOA WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees conducted a work session on October 16, 2024 to review this Resolution, the proposed MOA Amendment No. I and the Project Summary attached as Exhibits IC and 2C, respectively; NOW, THEREFORE,BEIT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the Memorandum of Agreement Amendment No.I between the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation entered and the Indian Health Service and Project Summary for the Mission Community Wastewater System Upgrades Project attached to this Resolution as Exhibits 1C and 2C, respectively, AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees authorizes its Chairman to execute the attached Memorandum of Agreement Amendment No.I, or a document containing substantially similar terms, to receive Indian Health Service funding for the Mission Community Wastewater System upgrades; AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby authorizes its Chairman and Executive Director to take further action and execute documents within the approved project budget necessary to carry out the purpose of this Resolution. MOTION: Corinne Sams moves to adopt Resolution 24-083. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion: Roberta Wilson requested to see the redline version of the MOA and Joe Pitt will make corrections and route to BOT EA. Question. Motion carries 7-0-0. [Toby Patrick not present for vote]
Other Board Action Items: Two items added to agenda by Lisa Ganuelas, BOT Member. During the Friday, October 18, work session with Paul Rabb regarding 2024 Budget and Annual Work Plans the BOT present discussed a motion to be considered today, to have the Health Commission meet with the BOT regarding the 4 daywork week and their proposed budget increase of $2,658,869 for 2025 Salaries and Fringe. BOT took no action.
Second item added to the agenda is Corinne Sams, BOT Member request to donate her remaining travel budget to Aaron Ashley, BOT ViceChairman. MOTION: Corinne Sams moves to transfer $2,000 from her travel budget to Aaron Ashley's budget. Raymond Huesties seconds. 6 for - 0 against - 1 abstaining (Aaron Ashley). [Toby Patrick not present for vote]
BOT Travel or External Meeting Reports. Corinne Sams (5): 9/29-10/1 to Washington, DC re: Columbia River Restoration Basin. 10/6-7 to Portland for event by OR History Makers Award honoring Chuck Sams. 9/22-23 to Stevenson, WA as panelist at Environmental Grantmakers Conference. 9/5 at Richland, WA as panelist for 6 Sovereign Agreement CBR Agreement. 9/18-20 at Portland attending CRITFC /Fish Co. meeting.
Raymond Huesties, 10/16 dinner at The Plateau with OR National Guard. Raymond Huesties, 9/29 at Pendleton to attend OR Gold star families Hwy dedication. MOTION: Roberta Wilson moves to approve travel reports. Steven Hart seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 8-0-0.
BOT Leave and Travel or Outside Meeting Requests. Corinne Sams, 10/16-18 travel to CRITFC meeting, CRTIFC funded.
Lisa Ganuelas (3): Polled, 10/11 from 1 to 4 pm, Polled 10/15 all day. Travel request, 11/4 to Seattle, WA to attend U of W NAAB meeting.
Steven Hart, polled travel 10/16-17 to Portland to attend EcoTrust award presented to Corinne Sams.
Toby Patrick, 10/10-11 to Corvallis to attend NAGPRA event. MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to approve leave requests. Corinne Sams seconds. Motion carries 8-0-0.
Nixyáawii,
Don’t
Throw it Away! Program introduces cooks and community to biodigester, food waste reduction project
By CHRIS AADLAND
The CUJ
MISSION – During a recent shared meal of salmon, elk stew, frybread and salad at the Mission Longhouse, the leftover food, packaging and bottles and cans –instead of being given away or sent to a landfill – was sorted into labeled bins at the direction of feast hosts.
While it was only a practice run, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) First Foods Policy Program hopes the procedure becomes instinct at future feasts and other Longhouse events.
The feast was one of two sessions hosted by the program in November to train cooks and introduce community members to a food waste reduction project that includes an initiative to use leftover food to power the Longhouse kitchen via gas collected from a nearby anerobic
Student blanket contest now accepting entries
DENVER – The American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills are currently accepting submissions for their Tribal College Blanket Design Contest. American Indian and Alaska Native students attending a tribal college or university are eligible to submit up to two designs. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 15, 2025.
Now in its fifth year, the Tribal College Blanket Design Contest elevates the work of promising artists attending tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). Competition winners will have their designs distributed on products internationally and receive scholarships and cash prizes. Winning designs are featured on wool blankets in Pendleton’s American Indian College Fund collection.
Submission guidelines and applications are available on the College Fund’s website at https:// collegefund.org/pendletoncontest.
Any American Indian or Alaska Native student attending a TCU can submit up to two designs. Formal artistic study and textile design experience are not required.
a
run” Nov. 23 at the Mission Longhouse, community
prepare a feast for participants, eat, then practice sorting the leftover waste from food and packaging as part of a new project aimed at reducing waste and creating green energy for the
digester. The digester, also known as a biodigester, will be housed inside a 10-foot-by-10-foot shed and located
just to the north of the Longhouse. The digester will break down leftover food without releasing the
greenhouse gases decomposing organic matter typically emits.
The food digester is just part of a larger food waste reduction campaign called “Nixyáawii, Awkú Čáwpam Á aatta!” or “Nixyáawii, Don’t Throw it Away!” that is aimed at reducing how much food the community sends to landfills and educating community members about food waste management issues. The project will also produce data and generate a report to better understand the volumes and types of food waste created in the community.
“We want to think more about what we’re throwing away,” said Colleen Sanders, CTUIR climate adaptation planner. “We’re asking people to do something very different.”
Sanders, who co-directs the project with First Foods Policy
New CTUIR Youth Leadership Councils elected
MISSION – The newest members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Senior and Junior Youth Leadership Councils were elected Nov. 23-24 at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino. The Senior Youth Leadership Council (grades 9-12) consists
of Chair Weptas Brockie; Vice Chair Miracle Edmiston; Treasurer Brooklyn Jones; Cultural Ambassador Abraham Shippentower; Secretary Eagle Edmiston; Publicist Ayanna Star; Pendleton High School Members-at-Large Dymond Say and Mateni Hutchings; Nixyáawii
Community School Members-atLarge Layla Wallahee and Malaeloa Malumaleumu; Athena-Weston Members-at-Large Addison Carey and Sydney Carey; Members-atLarge Demetri Brockie, Devon Hall Spencer, June Johnson, Garian
During
“practice
cooks
longhouse kitchen. CHRIS AADLAND | THE CUJ
Newly elected Senior Youth Council members are, front row, left to right: Miracle Edmiston, Meadow Morris, and Eagle Edmiston; middle row: Garian McDonald, Dymond Say, Brooklyn Jones, Johnny Goodrider, Addison Carey, Emma Star-Nez, Ayanna Star, Devon Hall Spencer; and back row: Weptas Brockie, Abraham Shippentower, Mateni Hutchings, Sydney Carey, Layla Wallahee, Demetri Brockie, Kymani Van Pelt and Malaeloa Malumaleumu. JULIE TAYLOR | COURTESY PHOTO
COUNCILS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
McDonald, Emma Star-Nez and Hiyuum Nowland; and Members Meadow Morris, Kymani Van Pelt and Johnny Goodrider.
The Junior Youth Leadership Council (grades 6-8) consists of Chair Abigayle McIntosh; Vice Chair Luka Worden; Treasurer Grant Sheoships; Cultural Ambassador Gabriella Calvillo; Secretary Dazha Joseph; Publicist Sophia Ferman; Members-at-Large Savannah Clark, Nakai Gavin, Kateri Jones, Kelsey Jones, Loren Sampson and Brees Van Pelt; and Members Poppy DeMilo, Braylen Frost, Violet Jim, Cayuse Jones, Solomon Malumaleumu, Lisa McIntosh, Savaya Minthorn, Awna’ee Najera, Desmond Nez, David Ramirez and Simon Shippentower.
“The youth councils’ elections mark a significant step in fostering leadership and community engagement among the tribal youth,” CTUIR Department of Children & Family Services Director Julie Taylor said.
As part of the DCFS, the Youth Leadership Councils were created in 2015 to teach area CTUIR youth about tribal governance, give them a voice in the CTUIR government, network with their peers and develop leadership skills. They meet regularly and travel to conferences and events and participate in
various leadership development opportunities.
DCFS officials had scheduled a swearing-in ceremony for the councils on Dec. 3 but had to cancel it after HVAC heating issues affected the Nixyáawii Governance Center on Dec. 2, forcing it to close and putting the ceremony in limbo. The ceremony has been rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. Dec. 23.
During the two days of elections, candidates heard from guest speakers and performers such as Chance Rush, a Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizen, who serves a consultant to tribes, youth and organizations; CTUIR member Acosia Red Elk, a
jingle dress dancer who has won 10 world championships at Gathering of Nations; and CTUIR member and rapper Alyric Redcrane.
Luka Worden, Miracle Edmiston and Dazha Joseph prepare campaign posters promoting their respective bids for Youth Council office. CHRIS AADLAND | CUJ
Weptas Brockie campaigns for the Senior Youth Council Chair position Nov. 23. LEE GAVIN | THE CUJ
Chance Rush addresses students during Youth Council elections.
Abigayle McIntosh makes her case to be elected Junior Youth Leadership Chair. LEE GAVIN | THE CUJ
CTUIR celebrates Native American Heritage Month
Drummers and dancers pose for a photo after performing a demonstration at Pilot Rock High School Nov. 25. Seated left to right are: Julian “Wus” Gone; Emery Bronson; Kelsey Burns; Fred Hill; and Marcus Looney. Standing left to right are: Thomas MorningOwl; Shylee Broncheau;; Wynema Thurman; Láatis Nowland; Hiyuum Nowland; Jae Looney; EllaMae Looney; and Cashis Alverez-Bevis. DALLAS DICK | THE CUJ
Washington Elementary student Samuel Shippentower and Weston-McEwen student Lawrence Johnson dance at Weston-McEwen Nov. 15.
Kola Shippentower dances at WestonMcEwen Nov. 15.
Láatis Nowland dances at Sunridge Middle School Nov. 25.
Wynema Thurman does a dance demonstration at Blue Mountain Community College.
Board of Trustees Member at Large Corinne Sams joins other tribal leaders on the court during the Portland Trail Blazers Nov. 10 Native American Heritage Night festivities. LEE GAVIN | PORTLAND BLAZERS COURTESY
A young dancer gets some help preparing to perform during the Portland Trail Blazers Nov. 10 Native American Heritage Night festivities. LEE GAVIN | PORTLAND BLAZERS COURTESY
Sunhawk Thomas named Yakama Powwow Warrior
Sunhawk (l’liklik) Thomas, enrolled Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), was awarded the title of Yakima Veterans Day Celebration Powwow Warrior during the tribe’s annual dances the weekend of Nov. 9. Thomas is currently a freshman at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas where he is majoring in Indigenous Studies and minoring in business with the intention of returning to the CTUIR to establish a bison ranch and meat processing business. He said he is interested in becoming a certified butcher and teaching Native youth how to process meat, tan hides and use the whole animal.
When not studying, Thomas is active on Haskell’s track team where he competes in the discus throw and shotput. After completing his degree at Haskell, he plans to transfer to Oregon State University and enroll in its agriculture program.
WASTE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Program Manager Althea HuestiesWolf, wants to teach people to be deliberate about disposing of waste to minimize environmental impact and pollution. Organic, biodegradable material such as fruit and vegetables will be separated from other waste and deposited into the digester. Papers and plastics will also be sorted and collected for recycling or reuse.
Ideally, the best way to reduce food waste is to take or grow only what will be eaten, Sanders said. A second option is to give leftovers to community members who can use them, or feed animals, like chickens and goats, that will eat vegetable and food scraps. She included composting as a third “preferred” method of reusing leftover food and added, “the tribes will now have a fourth preference for food waste: the anerobic digester.”
Instead of Llonghouse food scraps and other organic matter being dumped in a landfill where the waste will decompose and create methane, a potent greenhouse gas, it will soon be placed in the digester, where it will decompose with the help of bacteria.
The methane produced will be captured and converted into a clean-burning gas that will be used to cook Longhouse feasts, helping reduce carbon emissions.
The digester will also create compost that can be used in local gardens.
“We’re just taking something that’s known as garbage and putting it into use,” said tribal member Dearcie Abraham, the project operator and owner of Biowaste Technologies. “We have to change
our thought process when it comes to this.”
The project’s two November events at the Longhouse were meant to educate attendees – especially those who often use the Longhouse’s kitchen facilities – about the food waste reduction project and how to sort food waste and other garbage so it can be disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way or used in the digester.
Project facilitators also used the educational sessions to collect data about community member knowledge of recycling, waste management, their food waste habits and to seek their input.
If the project has the community’s support after its grant cycle concludes, project leaders say they hope to eventually expand to offering to collect food waste from families on the reservation and to someday collect it from Wildhorse Resort & Casino, though that would require a larger facility and digester.
But first, Sanders and Abraham said they hope to begin breaking down Longhouse food waste in the biodigester and use the converted methane for cooking gas in the coming weeks.
“I’m excited,” Abraham said. “I can’t wait to see it operate and cook a meal off the gas.”
In February, the CTUIR announced that it had been awarded a $172,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the biodigester project. Amazon has also provided funding for the initiative.
The Board of Trustees adopted a resolution supporting the project in October and the project is currently going through the permitting process.
Sunhawk Thomas
Schimmel sets NCS record, places in top 20 at state meet
By ANNIE FOWLER
The CUJ
EUGENE — Nixyáawii’s Sun Schimmel finished 20th in the field of 95 runners, clocking a 17:50 for the best finish in school history at the 2A/1A state cross country championships Nov. 9 at Lane Community College.
“We are very proud of him for his performance today,” Nixyáawii coach Weyekin Wildbill said. “He went out strong today. He raced against some of the other individual qualifiers from our district which was fun to see.”
Schimmel’s time was just 10 seconds off his personal best, which he set at district.
“I think he had a little higher expectations,” Wildbill said. “The state course is not the easiest course. Top 20 is a good way to end the season. I think he had a blast, for sure. He is going to figure out a little more how to strategize future state appearances.
Schimmel had his own cheering section at the meet as his family and others were there to support him.
“Pretty much the whole family was there,” Wildbill said. “It’s awesome when you have a fan section and he had a big one.”
Weston-McEwen’s Arden Shaul
was 26th with a time of 17:58.9.
Curtiss Heier of Illinois Valley won the race with a time of 16:31.3, with Wyatt Jacobson of Knappa second with a 16:35.1.
Union/Cove won the team title with 41 points, just edging Knappa, which had 44. Bandon was a distant third with 122, and Stanfield/Echo was fourth with 142, just one point in front of Southwest Christian.
Umatilla-Morrow Head Start • Advocating
Sun Schimmel stands with coaches Sammantha McCloud and Weyekin Wildbill after he clocked the best state finish in Nixyáawii school history Nov. 9 in Eugene. COURTESY PHOTO
Pendleton seventh grade CBYF team finishes second
By ANNIE FOWLER, The CUJ
HERMISTON — The Kamiakin Braves beat Pendleton 42-27 in
the seventh grade Columbia Basin Youth Football Super Bowl on Nov. 9 at Kennison Field. Pendleton finished its season 9-1.
“Kamiakin is a really good program with really big athletes and a great quarterback,” Pendleton coach Mike Somnis said.
The CBYF includes teams from Pendleton, the Tri-Cities, Hermiston, Yakima, Baker, Walla Walla and Milton-Freewater.
Pendleton’s Brown named GOL MVP
By ANNIE FOWLER
The CUJ
PENDLETON — Pendleton had four players named to the Greater Oregon League first team for volleyball, including player of the year Avery Brown, a junior middle blocker.
The honors, voted on by the league coaches, also saw three La Grande players land on the first team.
Pendleton’s Jodi Primus was named coach of the year along with Ontario’s Peter Hamilton.
The Bucks, who won the GOL title for the second year in a row, finished the season with a 6-0 record in league play and 19-7 overall. They advanced to the 4A state quarterfinals, but went 0-2 at the tournament.
Also named to the first team for Pendleton were setter Josie Jenness, sophomore libero Finley Evans and senior outside hitter Nicole Somnis.
Brown finished the season with 247 kills, 108 blocks, 70 digs and 29 service aces.
“Avery is a fierce competitor who pushes herself and her teammates and proved to be tough for our opponents to defend this season,” Primus said.
Somnis also added power at the net with 215 kills, 72 digs, 27 blocks and 43 aces.
“Nicole came to practice every day ready to work hard, and was
determined to make this a great season,” Primus said. “She hit the ball so hard it was intimidating.”
Jenness, the 2023 GOL player of the year, ran the offense on the floor. She handed out 704 assists, had 71 kills, 27 blocks, 139 digs and 49 aces.
“Josie led our offense with hard work and hustle,” Primus said.
“Having such a good athlete as your setter, who touches the ball more than anyone else, was a huge asset for our team.”
Evans, who also was a first-team pick last year, had 401 digs for the Bucks, along with 27 aces, and she serve received at 1.9/3.
“Finley is a quick, enthusiastic competitor who loves the challenge of libero,” Primus said. “She passed well and kept so many balls alive, which frustrated other teams and helped provide opportunities for our strong offense to shine.”
La Grande’s first-team players are senior outside hitter Aubrey Bisenius, senior outside hitter Kayle Collman and senior libero Rilley Robinson. Baker senior libero Lilly Wilson and senior middle blocker/ outside hitter Sydney Penning round out the first team.
Second-team honors for the Bucks went to junior middle blocker Sophie Nelson, senior outside hitter Lexie Willman and senior defensive specialist/outside hitter Nessa Neveau.
VanPelt named to GOL first, second teams
Landon VanPelt was named to the Greater Oregon League 4A high school football first team offensive line and to the GOL second team as a defensive lineman after voting concluded Nov. 20.
He’ll be joined by Pendleton teammate and Offensive Player of the Year, running back Tugg McQuinn, as well as fellow Bucks Mason Strong, Deacon Pace, Vance Nelson, Kaleb Lillie and Kaden Moore on the first team.
GOL football all-league selections and individual awards are determined by a vote of the league’s coaches.
Seventh grade team members (in alphabetical order) are Dean Arthur, Lucas Bentley, Landon Bodewig, Bradley Breazeale, Graysen Cain, Nathan Dorman-Browning, Miles Duplantis, Jesus Escamilla, Ryan Farber, Jaxson Givens, Jordan Heath, Meacham Hoisington, Hank Jarvie, Logan Jordan, Zakariya Karhout, Sam Lieuallen, Michael Manta, Wyatt Marquez, Ethan Marsh, Zander Masters, Kacen Red Crane, Cohen Reese, Cooper Rittenbach, Quincy Sams, Harley Schofield, Joshua Selam, Clay Somnis, Preston Steers, Calvin Van Pelt, Austin Woolsey. Coaches — Mike Somnis, Ryan Sams, Karl Farber. COURTESY PHOTO
Golden Eagles return a talented and experienced team
By ANNIE FOWLER, The CUJ
MISSION — On paper, Nixyáawii boys basketball coach Aaron Noisey likes what he sees. He has a nice mix of talent, experience and leadership.
“We are going to depend on our speed and quickness, and do what we know will work for us,” Noisey said. “I tell them all the time we have a lot of talent. We just have to mix in some good work ethic for them to be better.”
The Golden Eagles lost to Crane 65-51 in last year’s 1A state championship game and finished the season with a 23-5 record, which included two losses to Crane before state.
Nixyáawii lost four seniors off last year’s teams, namely Baron Moses, the Old Oregon League player of the year, and the school’s all-time second-leading scorer (1,594) behind Mick Schimmel (1,869).
“Baron is one of those players you can never replace,” Noisey said. “We want to use the players we have and put them in the right places to be successful on the court.”
Senior Rylen Bronson returns to lead the Golden Eagles. He was a firstteam Old Oregon League selection last year after averaging 10.9 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds a game. He has scored 1,029 career points and had a team-leading 151 assists last year.
“He can score from just about anywhere,” Noisey said. “He has a smooth shot and isn’t afraid to take it to the basket.”
Symon Picard returns after a standout junior season that saw him average 16.6 points, 3.3 steals and 2.9 assists. He led the team in steals last year with 93. He was a first-team allleague selection.
Sun Schimmel saw a lot of court time last year as a freshman and should be one of the Golden Eagles’ top players this year.
“I hope Sun will continue to develop, hone his skills and get better,” Noisey said. “The thing about Sun is he isn’t afraid to work hard and will do what it takes to get better.”
Weptas Brockie, who is a threat from the 3-point line, will take on
a different role this season. His leadership is also crucial to the team.
“We know he can shoot the 3,” Noisey said. “What he is willing to do now is add more dimensions to his game. He is developing into a more well-rounded player and will do what it takes to help the team win. He wants to be that player. He is president of the youth council and is very active in the culture. He is a leader, not only for the kids at our school, but in the community.”
Marcellus Scott, a senior, is a rebounding machine, but Noisey would like to see other contributions from him as well.
“He is a blue-collar kid,” Noisey said. “Every coach wants that kid. He wants every rebound, and he is willing to sacrifice points to get the rebounds. He is willing to do all the dirty work.”
Noisey, who coached the girls team last year, will pull double duty this season coaching both teams. He will get help with the boys from Ryan Sams, who coached the boys team last year, and JJ Bell.
“I have a really good coaching staff,” Noisey said. “We all have different things we bring to the game. We are going to be successful on the court, but what I want from the boys is to also be successful in the classroom and in our community. I am really blessed with great assistant coaches who are in it for the kids. Makes my job a lot easier.”
The Golden Eagles will open the season Dec. 6-7, hosting the 17th annual Bounc’n Cancer Tournament.
“Overall, it will help us get ready for league,” Noisey said of the nonleague games. “It gives the kids some quality games before league happens. We are playing some quality 2A teams early like Mannahouse Christian and East Linn. Umatilla and Stanfield will always play us. The relationship we have with them is awesome.”
The cherry on top is a game at Pendleton on Feb. 11.
“Mike (Somnis, Pendleton Athletic Director) and I are looking to see how we can use the money to stay local,” Noisey said. “Mike has been great to work with. Our community is excited about the game and no one has travel very far.”
Sun Schimmel goes to the hoop during a team practice Nov. 21 in Mission.
Weptas Brockie launches a jump shot Nov. 21 in Mission.
Nixyáawii boys and girls head coach Aaron Noisey instructs his boys team during a team practice Nov. 21 in Mission. PHOTOS BY KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ
Nixyáawii’s Symon Picard goes to the hoop during team practice Nov. 21. Rylen Bronson goes up for two during team practice Nov. 21.
Young Golden Eagles will face challenges this year
By ANNIE FOWLER, The CUJ
MISSION — Nixyáawii lost seniors Amariana Willingham and Ella Stewart to graduation, but coach Aaron Noisey said his team still has a lot of promise for the upcoming season.
“In some aspects, we will be young and more improved than what we were last year,” Noisey said. “We only lost two seniors from last year, but they helped lead us and we will miss them both.”
The Golden Eagles finished 10-14 last year and earned a spot in the Old Oregon League district tournament.
“We played two games, which was awesome for the girls,” Noisey said of the district tournament. “For those freshmen to experience going to district was good, and they got to see how much work you have to put in. I think it gives the younger girls something to build on.”
The Golden Eagles have 12 girls out for basketball and Noisey said they are working to put the players in the best positions
“The girls we have coming back, and the new girls, understand we are a different team,” Noisey said. “We will have to play a slightly different style of basketball. We are young, but not as young as we were last year.”
Senior BayBay Matamoros, who did not play last year, returns to the court, as do Lillian Watchman, Emma Star-Nez, Annalise Watchman, Liana Stewart and Neveah Moore.
“BayBay and them will help with the younger girls as someone to look up to,” Noisey said.
Freshmen Brooklyn Jones, Biibyle Thompson and Ayanna Star are expected to contribute.
“Brooklyn is going to help early on,” Noisey said. “She’s been working hard. I think she has some skill level we will be able to tap early
on. Hopefully when we get into league, we will be able to do half of a JV game. That hurt us last year not being able to get the younger girls some playing time.”
Noisey, who also is coaching the Nixyáawii’s boys’ teams this year, has his hands full, but assistants Rayne Spencer and JJ Bell have made things a little easier.
“I didn’t plan to do both, but it is what it is and I will do the best for both teams,” Noisey said. “With both teams, I have great assistant coaches. I feel so blessed to have them.”
The Golden Eagles will open their season Dec. 6-7 with their Bounc’n Cancer Tournament, which is in its 17th year.
Nixyáawii will play Faith Bible and Crosshill Christian at the tournament. The Golden Eagles will also play nonleague games against Crane, Umatilla, Jordan Valley and Pendleton.
Emma Star-Nez participates in a dribbling drill during team practice Nov. 21. PHOTOS BY KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ
Brianah Matamoros looks to pass during a team practice on Nov. 21.
Liana Stewart participates in a dribbling drill during a team practice Nov. 21.
Lillian Watchman passes to a teammate during practice Nov. 21.
Whooping cough cases surge across the Pacific Northwest
By RACHEL SUN Northwest Public Broadcasting
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is on the rise throughout Washington state, Oregon and Idaho this year.
The Oregon Health Authority reported more than 800 cases of pertussis in the state as of Nov.13. The agency expects Oregon will soon surpass its 2012 record of 910 cases.
Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial infection. It poses the highest risk of severe infection or death for infants under one year old and people who are elderly or immunocompromised.
In Oregon, pertussis was reported in 23 counties, and at least one person, an older adult, has died. Lane County has the highest number with 249 cases, followed by Multnomah County with 180, Clackamas County with 109, Washington County with 67 and Deschutes County with 59.
Pertussis usually takes five to 10 days for symptoms to appear following exposure to the bacteria that causes it. Unlike adults, infants with pertussis may not cough as much or at all, but develop apnea, a life-threatening pause in breathing. In its early stages, which may last one to two weeks, pertussis causes cold-like symptoms including a runny or stuffed-up nose, low-grade fever and occasional coughing.
However, Skidmore said, testing for pertussis is available.
“I think everybody should, if they are noticing symptoms, be checking in with a primary care provider to get tested,” Skidmore said.
In its early stages, pertussis can be treated with antibiotics. Early testing and treatment can prevent more severe symptoms that last for weeks.
“After about two weeks, it usually becomes really aggressive, and at that point, it’s no longer treatable with antibiotics,” Skidmore said. “You’re kind of stuck suffering out of the rest of the illness.”
Later stages of pertussis can include severe coughing fits, a “whoop” sound caused by the person gasping for air between coughs, and vomiting and exhaustion after coughing fits. This stage typically lasts one to six weeks but may extend as long as 10 weeks.
After this, a person with pertussis will eventually start coughing less as they recover over the course of two to three weeks.
Early treatment also helps prevent the spread of pertussis. People diagnosed with pertussis are advised to stay home until they have been treated with antibiotics for five days, or until 21 days have passed since symptoms began.
The most effective prevention for pertussis is vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
recommends a five-series DTaP vaccination at the ages of two months, four months, six months, 15 through 18 months, and 4 through 6 years.
Adolescent children and adults who never received a Tdap booster as an adolescent may receive the Tdap vaccination.
Though no additional Tdap vaccines are required for adults, adults do need boosters every 10 years to maintain protection against tetanus and diphtheria. Health care providers may administer either Td or Tdap for such boosters.
Tdap vaccines are specifically recommended for pregnant people and those who are likely to be exposed to an infant under one year old, such as people sharing a household with a baby or childcare workers.
“The best tool that we have is to vaccinate mom during pregnancy, because mom will make antibodies against pertussis, and then push them across the placenta to baby,” said Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division.
Vaccinating pregnant people has been shown to be 78% to 91% effective at lowering the risk of pertussis in babies younger than two months old.
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Cieslak noted one case of an infant who was hospitalized for months in 2012 due to pertussis.
“On a respirator, a million and a half dollars in hospital charges,” he said. “This is the kind of thing we’re trying to prevent.”
With the exception of 2024, Oregon pertussis deaths have been limited to infants — five have occurred since 2003.
Pertussis vaccines typically offer high levels of protection within the first two years after getting the vaccine, and wane over time. In general, DTaP vaccines are 80% to 90% effective, according to Whitman County Public Health.
Though vaccines are not 100% effective in preventing pertussis, vaccinated people who do get sick usually experience milder symptoms, according to the American Lung Association.
In addition to vaccinations, good respiratory virus hygiene can help prevent pertussis. This includes washing hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, using hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable, and covering coughs and sneezes.
If someone is experiencing respiratory symptoms but needs to leave their home, wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of pertussis and other respiratory illnesses.
–Courtesy Northwest News Network
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Fresh guidelines issued for preventing stroke
By KENYA HUNTER Associated Press
The majority of strokes could be prevented, according to new guidelines aimed at helping people and their doctors do just that.
Stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than half a million Americans have a stroke every year. But up to 80% of strokes may be preventable with better nutrition, exercise and identification of risk factors.
The first new guidelines on stroke prevention in 10 years from the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, include recommendations for people and doctors that reflect a better understanding of who gets strokes and why, along with new drugs that can help reduce risk.
The good news is that the best way to reduce your risk for stroke is also the best way to reduce your risk for a whole host of health problems — eat a healthy diet, move your body and don’t smoke. The bad news is that it’s not always so easy to sustain.
Dr. Sean Duke, a stroke doctor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, blames the forces in society that keep people sedentary and eating poorly, like cell phones and cheap, unhealthy food. “Our world is stacked against us,” he said.
Here’s what to know about stroke and the new guidelines:
What is a stroke?
A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or if a blood vessel in the brain bursts. That deprives the brain of oxygen which can cause brain damage that can lead to difficulty thinking, talking and walking, or even death.
How eating healthy can reduce your risk for stroke
Eating healthy can help control several factors that increase your risk for stroke, including high
cholesterol, high blood sugar, and obesity, according to the heart association.
The group recommends foods in the so-called Mediterranean diet such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and olive oil, which can help keep cholesterol levels down. It suggests limiting red meat and other sources of saturated fat. Instead, get your protein from beans, nuts, poultry, fish and seafood.
Limit highly processed foods and foods and drinks with a lot of added sugar. This can also reduce your calorie intake, which helps keep weight in check.
Moving your body can help prevent strokes
Getting up and walking around for at least 10 minutes a day can “drastically” reduce your risk, said Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, a neurologist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine who was part of the group that came up with the new guidelines. Among the many benefits: Regular exercise can help reduce blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke.
Of course, more is better: The heart association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic or 75 minutes of vigorous activity — or some combination — per week. How you do it doesn’t matter so much, experts said: Go to
the gym, take a walk or run in your neighborhood or use treadmills or stepper machines at home.
New tools to reduce obesity, a risk factor for stroke
Diet and exercise can help control weight, another important risk factor for strokes. But a new class of drugs that can drastically reduce weight have been approved by regulators, providing new tools to reduce stroke risk since guidelines were last updated.
The guidelines now recommend that doctors consider prescribing these drugs, including those sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, to people with obesity or diabetes.
But while those drugs can help, people still need to eat well and get exercise, cautions Dr. Fadi Nahab, a stroke expert at Emory University Hospital.
New guidelines help doctors identify people who might be at higher risk for stroke
The new guidelines for the first time recommend doctors screen patients for other factors that could increase stroke risk, including sex and gender and non-medical factors such as economic stability, access to health care, discrimination and racism. For example, the risk for having a first stroke is nearly twice
as high for Black adults in the U.S. as it is for white adults, according to the CDC.
“If somebody doesn’t have insurance or they can’t get to a doctor’s office because of transportation issues or they can’t get off work to get health care ... these are all things that can impact the ability to prevent stroke,” Bushnell said.
Doctors may be able to point to resources for low-cost health care or food, and can give ideas about how to be active without breaking the bank for a gym membership.
The guidelines also now recommend doctors should screen for conditions that could increase a woman’s risk for stroke, such as high blood pressure during pregnancy or early menopause.
How do I know if I’m having a stroke and what do I do?
Three of the most common stroke symptoms include face weakness, arm weakness and difficulty speaking. And time is important, because brain damage can happen quickly and damage can be limited if a stroke is treated quickly. Stroke experts have coined an acronym to help you remember: FAST. F for face, A for arm, S for speech, and T for time. If you think you or a loved one could be having a stroke, call 911 right away.
Three of the most common stroke symptoms include face weakness, arm weakness and difficulty speaking. And time is important, because brain damage can happen quickly and damage can be limited if a stroke is treated quickly. Stroke experts have coined an acronym to help you remember: FAST. F for face, A for arm, S for speech, and T for time. If you think you or a loved one could be having a stroke, call 911 right away. CUJ | STOCK PHOTO
Head Start Giving Trees available through Dec. 10
By LLOYD COMMANDER Cay-Uma-Wa Head Start Program
MISSION – Christmas Giving Trees will be available through Dec. 10 at the Nixyáawii Governance Center (NGC) for people to choose and in turn provide a special Christmas gift for a Cay-Uma-Wa Head Start child.
Attached to the tree is a “wish list” from a student (identified by a number) that states what they would like, along with their clothing sizes, favorite colors, foods and other likes.
Participants are not obligated to purchase what is on the children’s wish list, but asked to consider this information for ideas of what the student likes and/or may need.
Gifts must be returned to the NGC
on or before Dec. 12 for the children to receive for their holiday party. A container for gifts will be located next to the reception window in the rotunda. It is important to remember to label your gifts with your student’s number or their wish list so staff can distribute your presents to the correct child.
“We appreciate all NGC personnel that have participated in the past,” said Early Childhood Services Program Manager Lloyd Commander. “Your generosity will bring a great deal of happiness and joy to them and their families.”
For more information, contact Kim Minthorn at 541-215-0425 (kimminthorn@ctuir.org) or call Lloyd Commander at 541-429-7836 (lloydcommander@ctuir.org).
Nina Watchman helps her sons Andre and Tristan decorate their Christmas trees.
CAY-UMA-WA | COURTESY PHOTOS
Mom Jessica and her son Julius put the finishing touches on his tree.
Kamdyn, Alec and Kyan decorate their trees with help from teacher assistant Kariann.
PSD recognizes students during board meeting
MISSION – Twenty-one Native American students from schools affiliated with the Pendleton School District (PSD) were recognized Monday, Nov. 18 as part of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Recognition Night.
“The students are selected based on criteria set by each school. Some are recognized for having great attendance, some for academics and some for being incredible members of the school. In most cases, the students are nominated for recognition by their teachers,” Matt Yoshioka, PSD Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment director, said.
Students were acknowledged with certificates and short speeches from their respective principals who selected them.
Hosted by the PSD School Board and CTUIR Education Department, the event is held annually during the school board’s November meeting in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Monday’s event was held
in the Nixyáawii Education Center commons area.
“The student recognition helps us give more attention to all the amazing students we have attending our schools,” Yoshioka said.
This year’s recognized students are:
• Indie Cox and Abi Coy of McKay Elementary;
• Weptas Brockie, Myalyn Mills and Areas Cowapoo of Nixyáawii Community School;
• Calliope Simpson and Swatas Spencer of Pendleton Early Learning Center;
• Hayden Bonifer, Dakota McLaughlin and Miranda Dixon of Pendleton High School;
• Kahlyssa Brown and Sofia Simpson of Sherwood Elementary;
• Craig Logan, Savaya Cree Medicine Minthorn, Layla Berumen Spino and Aaron Veraga Castillo of Sunridge Middle School; and
• Sunhawk Lopez, Feather Najera, Brayen Marsh, Lelei Taula and Binesii Blair of Washington Elementary.
Receiving certificates were Sun Schimmel, June Johnson, Emma Star Nez, Annalise Watchman and Gracie Wilson.
According to the National Honor Society (NHS), membership has been a mark of student achievement for more than 100 years. NHS provides schools with a values-based framework to elevate a culture of scholarship, service, leadership, and character by “empowering, championing, and recognizing well-rounded students.” Nixyáawii 1st
Quarter Honor Roll Students
Swatas Spencer
Hayden Bonifer Dakota McLaughlin
Kahlyssa Brown Sofia Simpson
Miranda Dixon
Indie Cox Abi Coy
Weptas Brockie
Areas Cowapoo
Calliope Simpson Myalyn Mills
Craig Logan Savaya Cree Medicine Minthorn Layla Berumen Spino
Sunhawk Lopez
Feather Najera
Aaron Veraga Castillo
Brayen Marsh Lelei Taula
Binesii Blair
Nixyáawii Community School inducted five students into the National Honor Society Nov. 14.
Creative arts offer many benefits
By RYAN McCOY Nixyáawii Community School New Media Class
MISSION – If you need a new hobby, it’s never too late to pick up art. There are many possible forms of art to learn, like painting, digital art, sketching, sculpting and other mediums. Art is an awesome hobby to do because there is no right way to do it. Art has infinite possibilities of what people can do. Art is something that stimulates a person’s emotions and turns their thoughts into a physical thing. Music is also a type of art, if you’ve ever been interested, it is also a great way to start. Listening to music while doing a painting or drawing also stimulates what we can do, and we can connect art to music. Locally, you can find opportunities to create art at the Pendleton Center for the Arts (PCA). The PCA provides opportunities to learn about different forms of art – from visual art classes to the annual Rock and Roll Camp for teenagers. PCA offers a wide variety of art classes for adults, teens and youth. Teens ages 13-18 can participate for free through their Art Rocks Teens program. A few of the class offerings include basket weaving, painting, glass mosaics and holiday offerings.
in the Native American Art class and in the New Media class, where the focus is more on graphic design. Art is a great way to boost mental health by helping to reduce stress. Being creative with art is a great activity to create more positivity and be less stressed. It can help people express themselves in creative ways. Art also helps with healing from past trauma. Consistent practice of art gives people a sense of accomplishment and creativity can make us feel better about ourselves too. You can also respond to things
on a
Scholars from our 9 partner communities, as well from any Tribes in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), are encouraged to apply! Learn more and apply at: nnacoe.org/tribal-health-scholars
Teacher Christina Thomas and Anthony Greene work on loom beading during the Native American Art class at Nixyáawii Community School.
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flat beaded earring created by Lauralee Stanger during the Native American Art class at Nixyáawii Community School. NCS | COURTESY PHOTOS
“Miss Purple” Suzanne (Illapitwullicutshunmay) Barnett
December 19, 1931 – November 7, 2024
On November 7, 2024, our community lost one of its brightest stars. Suzanne M. ShowawayBarnett, lovingly known as “Miss Purple,” passed away peacefully at her home on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, surrounded by her family and friends. Her spirit, kindness, and humor will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.
Born on December 19, 1931, to Abraham Showaway and Elsie Thompson in Pendleton, Oregon, Suzanne’s life was one of resilience, service, and love. She grew up in a time of great change but always found a way to thrive, no matter the challenges. From her early years at Chemawa Boarding School in Salem, Oregon, to her later move to Los Angeles under the Relocation Act of 1956, Suzanne proved time and again that she could face any obstacle with grace, determination, and a sense of humor that was all her own.
In Los Angeles, Suzanne was a mother to three young children, and though she had few resources, she was never one to be defeated. Whether she was working as a nurse for a family physician or later in nursing homes, Suzanne found true fulfillment in caring for others. It was there that she discovered her passion for elder care—a calling she would carry with her for the rest of her life.
In 2005, Suzanne returned home to the Umatilla Indian Reservation, where she continued to serve her community in countless ways. Whether it was supporting the Nixyaawii Community School basketball team, attending longhouse ceremonies, or serving on various local commissions, Suzanne’s presence was felt everywhere. She gave her time and heart to the Elder Food Distribution, the Nicht-Yow-Way Elder Advisory, and the Wisdom Warriors. Her dedication to the well-being of her community was unwavering, and her joy in being with family, friends, Bingo, the Casino, and neighbors was contagious.
Suzanne was fiercely independent, often making trips to visit family in California, Arizona, and Washington. Her deep love for her family was evident in every word and every action. Whether it was a birthday, a graduation, or just a quiet moment of connection, Suzanne made sure her family knew how much they meant to her.
Raymond Lee Watchman
July 1, 1946 – November 8, 2024
Raymond Lee Watchman, 78, of Pendleton, Oregon, passed away November 8, 2024. He was born in Pendleton July 1, 1946. Washat was held Nov. 13 at Mission Longhouse. Final Seven was Nov. 14 followed by burial at Agency Cemetery.
“I have a direct line to God,” she would often say, and her prayers were always filled with love and care for those around her.
She had a great sense of humor, and her warmth and honesty were felt by all who knew her. Suzanne was quick to make everyone feel special, whether by offering a comforting word or sharing a story that would have everyone laughing. Her smile was infectious, and her presence lit up any room she entered.
Suzanne is preceded in death by her partners, Michael Stepetin and Elmer Barnett, as well as her sons Larry and Phillip Stepetin. She is survived by her daughters, Mona Halcomb (Bill) and Carion Barnett (Scott), and her son Randy Barnett (Sylvia). Suzanne was a beloved grandmother to Towana Peltier, Tanya Watson, and Jamie Watson (Jon), and a cherished greatgrandmother to Jordan McMann, Maliya Peltier, Adrianna Morales, Issach Morales, Elias Morales, and Olivia Morales. She also leaves behind her great-great-grandchild, Nyelah Englant-McMann, and many extended family members and friends who will miss her dearly.
A viewing was held on November 13, 2024, at Burns Mortuary, and a Celebration of Life followed at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino Cineplex. It was a fitting tribute to Suzanne—she “stole the show” one last time, with a video highlighting her vibrant life, including the unforgettable moment when she danced on stage with rapper Tone Loc in 2018. Suzanne was laid to rest at the Agency Cemetery on November 15, 2024.
As we say goodbye to “Miss Purple,” we remember her for her fierce love, her unwavering strength, and her joyful spirit. Suzanne’s legacy lives on in the many lives she touched, and her honesty, smile, and love will continue to inspire all who knew her.
Rest in peace, Suzanne. You will be missed, but never forgotten.
Robin (Robert) F. Parr
June 29, 1953 - October 25, 2024
Winter comes. Go my heart now at this time of sorrow sharing the passing of Robin F. Parr on October 25 in Pendleton at the age of 71.
Robin was a world traveler, railroader, text book printer, caterer, restaurant worker, chauffeur, gardener and custodian.
He graduated from East High school in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Life-long friends, Fred Cariaso, Kim Davis, John Bujack, NichtYow-Way staff and friends, Mary Half Moon and Delcie Broncheau were dear to him.
He was a grateful and devoted friend. He loved concerts and rock and roll.
He was preceded in passing by brothers, Kevin Parr, Richard Parr and his loving parents, Wallace and El Nora Parr. Surviving him
are brothers and sisters, John Parr, Renee Lone Elk, Beverly Jeanne Carter and Wallace E. Parr; also, many cousins, nieces and nephews. He loved reminiscing, his culture, and fun times. He was a proud Walla Walla Confederated Tribe member as well as Lakota from Standing Rock Reservation. No memorial services are planned at this time. Robin leaves a legacy of love, kindness, and unforgettable memories.
Leslie Ann Tithin
September 4, 1981 – November 2, 2024
Dressing and overnight service was held Nov. 5 at Toppenish Longhouse and followed by Sunrise Burial Nov. 6 at Union Gap Cemetery, Washington.
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Birthdays:
1st: Brandon Treloar
2nd: Reuben Bronson and Linda Schmidt
4th: Connie Jones
5th: Kathryn “Kat” Brigham, Kathryn “Kass” Patrick and Haiden Oar
7th: Kim Brigham Campbell
8th: Chelsea Quaempts and Clifford Shippentower
9th: Sara Hussey and Gene Shippentower
15th: Cheryl Shippentower
18th: Isabel “Bel” Brigham
22nd: Terrie Brigham Price and Sara Patrick 26th: Chris Marsh, Jr.
29th: Rhett Majors and Calvin Van Pelt
Anniversary:
3rd: Kim Brigham Campbell & James Campbell
