CUJ_MARCH_2025 by Confederated Umatilla Journal

BOT passes alcohol sales referendum

“[T]he Board of Trustees shall determine whether to permit Arrowhead alcohol sales based on the results of the referendum vote,” the resolution said.

CHRIS AADLAND

The CUJ

MISSION – Tribal members will be asked to vote on potentially extending alcohol sales on the Umatilla Indian Reservation (UIR) to the tribally owned truck stop and convenience store after leaders agreed to hold a referendum later this year.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Board of Trustees (BOT) unanimously voted on March 3 to hold a referendum during the November General Council election to ask tribal members

items while management waits for guidance from tribal leadership. LISA SNELL | THE CUJ

Ancestrial remains found in Walla Walla

The city says it will use the incident as a “lessons learned” opportunity to improve how it handles such finds in the future.

CHRIS AADLAND

The CUJ

WALLA WALLA, Wash. –Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) officials hope the recent inadvertent discovery of an ancestor’s remains in a city within the CTUIR homelands leads to better policies for addressing those situations and protecting remains.

In December, construction workers in Walla Walla accidentally dug up what appeared to be human bones.

The remains were eventually determined to be of tribal origin, which brought the CTUIR and Yakama Nation into the process of determining what to do with them.

Although the CTUIR, Yakama Nation, Walla Walla and Washington State archaeologists

have settled on a plan to repatriate the remains, the process raised concerns among tribal officials about how the city handled the process, including publishing pictures of the burial site and publicizing the location.

Fish & Wildlife Code update to benefit disabled tribal members

The CUJ

MISSION – Changes to Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) fish and wildlife regulations will make it easier for disabled tribal members to exercise their hunting rights.

On March 3, the Board of Trustees (BOT) voted unanimously to adopt a resolution amending the CTUIR’s Fish & Wildlife Code to address accessibility concerns after hearing from tribal officials about how current policies can make it challenging for disabled tribal members to go hunting.

“The Law & Order Committee and Fish & Wildlife Commission had gotten requests from tribal members to look into creating some exceptions for disabled tribal members,” CTUIR Office of Legal Counsel attorney Garrett Brown told tribal leaders during a Feb. 27 work session. “There are some restrictions, especially about hunting – how you go about hunting – and some tribal members felt like this was restricting disabled family members from exercising their rights.”

The changes mean that a tribal member who can demonstrate having a disability would be able to obtain a special permit from the CTUIR allowing them to hunt from a parked vehicle, which is otherwise prohibited.

Those tribal members won’t be allowed to shoot from a moving vehicle or fire across a road, states the resolution.

CODE CONTINUED PAGE 13

Although cooler space inside Arrowhead Travel Plaza is marked for beer and wine, the shelves are stocked with a collection of non-alcoholic

Yellow tape and orange cones mark off the site in Walla Walla where construction workers accidentally dug up the remains of a tribal ancestor. COURTESY

CHRIS AADLAND

Casino expansion may need more funds due to possible tariffs

CHRIS AADLAND

The

CUJ

MISSION – With potential tariffs on products from Canada looming, Wildhorse Resort & Casino officials asked Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) leaders in February to potentially spend millions more for a versatile new event center that will be part of a massive expansion of the casino.

To reassure CTUIR leaders, Wildhorse shared the findings of a feasibility study that showed the expansion’s event center, which will include an innovative flooring and seating system, will lead to more profit from a greater number of events.

On Feb. 24, after a work session days before, a divided Board of Trustees (BOT) voted 3-2, with one abstention, to approve an approximately $19.5 million contract with Canadian company, Gala Systems, for a new Wildhorse event center.

The BOT had previously voted 4-3-1 in November to spend $187 million on a Wildhorse expansion, which includes a 10-story hotel, kitchen facilities, restaurant and event center, and directed Wildhorse to sign a contract with Gala Systems for the event space.

But with President Donald Trump threatening tariffs on Canadian and Mexican products, Wildhorse CEO Gary George said he wanted to have tribal leaders reconsider that part of the project because tariffs would likely lead to an increase in costs.

The amended contract raised the price of the event center by $3 million to account for expected tariffs. Under the contract, the tribe and Gala Systems would evenly split an

Museum Store

increase in construction costs.

BOT members who voted against the contract – Corinne Sams and Lisa Ganuelas –have expressed concerns about the project’s cost and impacts it could have on tribal services and other priorities.

Wildhorse officials, however, said the new floor system would give the casino a competitive advantage by allowing it to increase the size and frequency of the gatherings it hosts and further grow casino profits.

The event center, George said, would have “unique features” that no one else would have such as setting up a flat floor to host a large gathering and then transform the space into a raised stage and stadium-style seating for 1,000 people later in the day.

Event center construction is expected to begin next spring, tribal officials said in February. Work on the entire expansion project is expected to be completed in March 2027

Return on investment

Wildhorse leaders have previously said the expansion would lead to revenue jumping to nearly $200 million by 2032, which would come with a 28% increase in revenue shared with the CTUIR, though tribal leaders said they are expecting a few years of declining or flat budgets due to decreased casino revenue during construction and other costs associated with the project.

“The intent of the expansion is to generate more revenue for the tribe,” George said during a Feb. 19 work session adding that, “We’re going to have two tough years of lean years during construction.”

A new feasibility study, paid for by Gala Systems and shared with the BOT during the Feb. 19 work session, shows the new event center with a profit margin of about 12% and adding revenue increases from the Wildhorse expansion.

Currently, the Wildhorse’s Rivers Event Center is limited in the size and frequency it can host gatherings, such as concerts and conventions.

For example, George said Wildhorse recently had to close its Rivers Event Center for two days to prepare for a concert with 500 attendees.

In addition to larger concerts, the multi-

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Métis Life in the Walla Walla Valley

View historic family mementos of the Métis (mixed Indigenous and French Canadian) population of the Umatilla Indian Reservation at the turn of the 20th century accompanied by contemporary art made and collected by descendants of these same families at the turn of the 21st century. Through monumental projection, family stories, historical documents and works of art, Picturing Family o ers an immersive and emotional introduction to this important collection.

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CASINO CONTINUED PAGE 14

Wildhorse Resort & Casino officials have ammended the construction contract for a new event center by raising the price $3 million to account for expected tariffs on Canadian materials. CUJ ARCHIVE PHOTO

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

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.

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

First Nations Veterinary to hold spay-neuter clinic

MISSION – First Nations Veterinary (FNV) is set to launch its first-ever high-volume spay and neuter clinic on the Umatilla Indian Reservation (UIR).

A grant from the Wildhorse Foundation will help maintain medical equipment and purchase supplies, states a FNV release.

Scheduled for May 31 and June 1 at the Umatilla Tribal Fire Department, the clinic plans to offer free surgeries for 100 dogs and cats, along with vaccinations, microchips, and flea and tick treatments.

“We are honored to have the support of The Wildhorse Foundation and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in bringing this essential

care to our community,” Gina Clemmer, founder and director of FNV, said.

Kendyl DeJong, Umatilla Animal Control Officer, highlighted the challenges faced by the community.

“The rising cost of veterinary care is a signif-

icant challenge for our community, and with the nearest veterinarian located off the reservation, getting pets spayed and neutered is especially difficult,” she said.

FNV’s mission is to support healthier circumstances for pets

living on tribal lands. The Wildhorse Foundation has been supporting nonprofit, government, and tribal organizations within the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla regions since 2001. It has awarded more than $18 million in grant funding.

First Nations Veterinary will host a free spay and neuter clinic on May 31 and June 1 at the Umatilla Tribal Fire Department in Mission. FIRST NATIONS VETERINARY | COURTESY

CTUIR to get $3.6M for Birch Creek Watershed work

TRAVIS SNELL CTUIR Communications

MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) recently received notice it will get $3.6 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation (NFWF) for improving the Birch Creek Watershed.

Rebecca Schwartz, CTUIR Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Habitat biologist, said improvements will consist of restoring fish habitat and a floodplain as well as decommissioning a 26-acre concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO).

The project site is upstream from its convergence with the Umatilla River and is a 60.5acre parcel, including half a mile of Birch Creek. Located on private property, the site will be under a non-development and restoration easement on 943 acres, including water rights to be left instream in perpetuity among the landowner, Blue Mountain Land Trust and Bonneville Power Administration.

“Birch Creek is a primary tributary to the Umatilla River and provides important habitat for salmonids and other aquatic species. It produces roughly 50% of the Umatilla River Endangered

Species Act-listed MidColumbia summer steelhead,” Schwartz said. “The Birch Creek Watershed has been part of the homeland for the three tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation – Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla – since time immemorial.” Birch Creek provided a travel conduit for the tribes, and the watershed’s diverse resources were available for subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering. Over the years reductions in habitat quality and quantity have negatively impacted fish species,

including the extirpation of spring Chinook and coho salmon.

Schwartz said floodplain restoration will consist of creating a primary channel, side channel habitat, floodplain benching, ponds, wetland complexes, large wood structures and a secondary high-flow bridge. This work is expected to address the lack of floodplain connectivity and habitat complexity for Endangered Species Act-listed steelhead and bull trout, Coho salmon, spring and fall Chinook salmon, Pacific lamprey and freshwater mussels.

“The area has become entrenched and largely disconnected from the floodplain from past land use practices, and the lack of large wood and riparian vegetation has led to the loss of appropriate spawning and rearing habitat for salmonids,” she said. “Full floodplain connectivity will reduce summer stream temperatures, improve rearing conditions for juvenile steelhead and native species and improve the overall survivability for CTUIR First Foods.”

The CTUIR will receive the funds this year, and the project will be implemented over multiple years due to its complexity and CAFO decommissioning requirements by the state.

The secondary high flow bridge is anticipated to be installed in this spring, followed by the CAFO decommissioning in 2026 and the floodplain restoration in 2027.

“This is a tremendous feat, not only in securing the significant amount of restoration funding, but also in ensuring the continuation of the UmaBirch Project that will continue to improve conditions for First Foods and community values related to the natural resources of the Umatilla Basin,” said DNR Fisheries Program Manager Jerimiah Bonifer.

Birch Creek is a primary tributary to the Umatilla River which provides important habitat for salmonids, producing roughly 50% of the Umatilla River's MidColumbia summer steelhead. WESTERN RIVERS CONSERVANCY | COURTESY

Take down the dams: Study says it can be done

CHRIS AADLAND

The CUJ

MISSION – Tribal leaders have endorsed a recent study that examined how Snake River dam breaching could affect water supplies in the Columbia River basin and identified ways to ensure users aren’t negatively affected as the tribe continues to work to restore salmon populations there.

The study is one of four the federal government agreed to conduct when it signed the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA) with the “Six Sovereigns” – the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), three other Columbia River treaty tribes and the states of Oregon and Washington – in December 2023 in exchange for a pause to longstanding litigation over the operation of the basin’s hydroelectric dam system.

Under the agreement, the federal government agreed to adopt the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, a triballydeveloped salmon recovery plan, and spend more than $1 billion to help recover dwindling salmon populations and figure out how to replace the power, transportation and other benefits that would be lost with the breaching of four dams on the lower Snake should Congress agree to tear them down.

A draft of the water supply study was released in December with a call for public comment.

In the comment letter to the federal government that the Board of Trustees (BOT) approved in February, the CTUIR said it supported the draft study’s findings and recommended minor changes – like including

tribal land boundaries in maps included in the final report – to the final version.

“The draft report, along with the pending energy, transportation and recreation replacement reports serves as an important milestone for the RCBA and will inform the vital future analysis and next steps,” the letter signed by Chairman Gary I. Burke, stated. “We look forward to continuing to work towards fulfilling the commitments in the RCBA and achieving a sustainable long-term solution for the lower Snake River and all Columbia River communities.”

The study looked at the potential impact to water supplies and levels if the four lower Snake River dams were breached – as some tribes and environmental groups have said is essential to help salmon populations rebound – and solutions to minimize impacts to water users if that occurred, as well as implementation challenges.

“[What] this study is looking at, [is] could this be done? It’s not should we do it,” said CTUIR Department of Natural Resources Director Eric Quaempts during a Feb. 19 work session to review the letter.

If the four Snake River dams were taken down, according to the draft study, there would still be an adequate water supply to meet the needs of farmers, municipalities and industrial interests.

But dam breaching would require major infrastructure investments because the elevation at which the river’s water could be accessed would drop by as much as 100 feet in some spots and the current means of getting water to users, like pump stations, were built with present water levels and elevation in mind, tribal officials told the BOT.

It will also be expensive, costing between $2 billion and $4 billion for the infrastructure that would be needed to pull water from the river.

Moving forward

Tribal officials said they were impressed with the speed that the Bureau of Reclamation, partnered with the Washington Department of Ecology, worked to complete and publish the draft study. It was “remarkable” Quaempts said noting that the draft is the only one of the four required under the RCBA to have met completion deadlines and made it to the public comment period.

The federal government also must complete studies examining dam breaching impacts to transportation, energy, recreation and how

DAMS CONTINUED PAGE 8

Umatilla-Morrow Head Start • Advocating for Children in Foster Care

Members of the Tribal Youth Council circulated a petition in 2021 calling on President Joe Biden to remove the four lower Snake River dams. CTUIR | ARCHIVE

CTUIR formalizes position on 'Greater Idaho' movement

House Bill 3488, the legislation that led to the tribe’s recent statement, counts area lawmaker Bobby Levy, R-Echo, as one of its sponsors.

CHRIS AADLAND

The CUJ

MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) said in February that it opposes a longshot effort to change Oregon’s borders and have Idaho absorb much of the state’s eastern flank.

Supporters of the “Greater Idaho” movement want Idaho to annex much of eastern Oregon, arguing that its residents are ignored by policymakers in Salem and that their political views and values align more with Idaho.

And although the movement’s desired outcome remains highly unlikely, organizers have renewed public pressure this winter through a billboard campaign targeting state lawmakers in Salem and by appealing to President Donald Trump for help.

A recent legislative proposal that would inch the movement

forward prompted the CTUIR to formalize its position – that the tribe does not support changing Oregon’s borders – on the movement.

The Umatilla Indian Reservation (UIR) would become part of Idaho, according to maps offered by the movement’s organizers.

while a few other counties have voted in favor of questions that asked residents about whether they wanted to join Idaho.

Umatilla County, which encompasses most of the UIR, is not among those counties.

"Greater Idaho" movement leaders will need state lawmakers to act, however.

Both state Legislatures, and Congress, would have to approve eastern Oregon’s merger with Idaho. It would also require compacts between the two states after complex negotiations over matters like the transfer and sale of state-owned property.

“With the CTUIR’s reservation located in Northeastern Oregon and reserved treaty lands in Southeastern Washington, the CTUIR already faces the challenge of protecting its interests across two states,” the tribe said in a statement on its position. “The Greater Idaho Movement would further complicate our governance and community relationships without proper consideration of our rights and concerns as a sovereign tribal nation."

The tribe says financial and legal obligations, like state debt redistribution, the different tax structures in each state and land purchase price formulations are considerations that contributed to its stance.

In addition, organizers have also failed to consider the sovereignty of the CTUIR and other tribes, according to tribal leaders. Changing Oregon’s borders as the "Greater Idaho" movement organizers have envisioned would require the “revision of many hard-fought government-to-government arrangements regarding tribal-state relations, existing funding agreements across various sectors, negotiation of tribal-state gaming compacts and other intergovernmental collaborations,” the tribe said.

Voters in 13 eastern Oregon counties have passed local ballot questions regarding the issue. Most have voted on questions asking county elected leaders to begin holding public discussions on moving the Oregon border,

House Bill 3488, the legislation that led to the tribe’s recent statement, counts area lawmaker Bobby Levy, R-Echo, as one of its sponsors. The proposal calls for the state to form a task force to study the issues, like potential impacts and the legal and legislative processes that would have to occur, relating to redrawing the Oregon-Idaho border.

That proposal was referred to the House Committee on Rules, which hasn’t scheduled further meetings to consider the bill.

Another proposal introduced, Senate Memorial 7, would urge Oregon leaders to convene discussions with Idaho about potentially redrawing the two states’ borders. That measure has also been stalled.

“The people of Eastern Oregon have made clear they want to explore moving the border and joining Idaho,” said Mike McCarter, executive director of the group leading the "Greater Idaho" movement, in a February press release applauding the legislative proposals. “If the Oregon Legislature truly believes in democracy, they will honor those voters' wishes and move forward on making a border change happen."

As supporters of the movement continue to press lawmakers to address their wishes, CTUIR leaders say it is important that tribal nations be included in discussions.

“Our members are also deeply rooted in the communities near our lands, with strong ties to local institutions, including schools where our children are educated,” the CTUIR said in a statement. “We urge all parties involved to recognize the importance of tribal consultation and to consider the far-reaching implications of such a proposal on Indigenous communities in the region.”

DAMS

to replace lost benefits.

However, there are also questions about whether those studies will be completed and about the federal government’s commitment to the larger restoration initiative agreement with the tribes and two states, tribal officials told the BOT in February.

“We’re not sure what’s going to happen to the other studies under the current administration,” said Brent Hall, an attorney who has worked for the CTUIR on the issue.

But tribal officials said they were encouraged that the Trump administration hasn’t signaled a position on the issue amid a flurry of other actions taken during Trump’s first weeks in office.

They also said they were hopeful that the federal government would abide by the agreement because conditions imposed by it on the dam system’s operations and the Bonneville Power Administration are more financially favorable than a previous court-ordered operations plan.

Still, tribal officials said critics of the agreement, and potential dam breaching, have been pressing their case to the federal government, while others,

like environmental advocacy groups that say the dams must be breached for salmon populations to recover, have expressed concern that the new administration could be hostile towards those efforts.

In addition, some Republican congressmen from the region, such as Cliff Bentz and Dan Newhouse, have introduced legislation since Trump’s election designed to protect the four Snake River dams from breaching efforts. They’ve said the dams are an important source of clean energy for the region, that the hydropower system is essential to the agriculture and transportation sectors, and that replacing the system’s benefits would be too expensive.

Hall told the BOT that representatives of the Six Sovereigns plan to travel to Washington, D.C., in March to counter some of the opposition’s arguments to the restoration initiative.

If the federal government pulls out of the agreement, or fails to meet its obligations under the plan, the tribes or states could choose to resume the lawsuit, tribal officials said.

“There’s the possibility that the federal government decides to pull out of the agreement,” Hall said. “We don’t think that will happen.”

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) recently received a rebate check for completing energy efficiency improvements to existing irrigation systems.

Umatilla Electric Cooperative is proud to invest in our membership and in meaningful projects to improve energy consumption in our region.

It appears that the city will use the incident as a “lessons learned” opportunity to improve how it handles situations involving the inadvertent discovery of descendants or tribal artifacts, said CTUIR Cultural Resources Protection Program Manager Teara Farrow Ferman. The program is part of the CTUIR’s Department of Natural Resources and is responsible for protection of cultural resources and spearheads issues such as the repatriation of ancestral remains or cultural objects.

“We’re hoping that this is an opportunity for us to really work on … our relationship with the city of Walla Walla,” she said.

No artifacts were found with the remains, which have been determined to belong to an adult female, Farrow Ferman said.

They were expected to be reburied in a repatriation ceremony where they were discovered, Farrow Ferman said. Typically, the tribe’s goal is to rebury ancestors where they were originally buried.

Details about the ancestor and why she was buried there are unclear, she said, adding that further testing of the remains to gain more clues would be disrespectful and too disruptive.

But Farrow Ferman said it is likely additional remains are nearby and that it isn’t surprising tribal remains would be found in Walla Walla given the valley was Cayuse territory and a “culturally rich area for the tribe.”

When that happens, she said Walla Walla officials have promised to develop a plan, in coordination with the tribe, to ensure the burial site remains undisturbed and protected. It is especially important to protect the site, Farrow Ferman said, because the location of the find has been so well publicized and might attract people who might be tempted to disturb the reburial and surrounding area in search of artifacts.

“The City and DAHP (Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation) are working closely with the tribes to respectfully bring closure to this unfortunate disturbance of their ancestor’s resting place,” the city said in a Jan. 24 Facebook post updating the public on what had happened since the remains were discovered and saying that the site had been closed to the public.

Accidental discovery

The remains were discovered on Dec. 6, when construction crews doing excavation work for a road improvement project in a residential area uncovered bones but continued working because workers didn’t think they were human.

But when pictures taken by curious citizens began

circulating on social media, the Walla Walla Police Department began investigating on Dec. 8 and identified the bones as human.

The next day, police said they were investigating and that it appeared the remains were “not recent.”

The CTUIR was informed of the inadvertent find of what was likely an ancestor on Dec. 9. State archaeologist confirmed the remains were Indigenous later in December.

The area where the remains were found was fenced off and closed to the public after state archaeologists finished investigating, the city said in its Facebook post.

After learning the remains were likely tribal, Farrow Ferman said the city contacted the CTUIR and Yakama Nation.

That led to a January meeting between the CTUIR, Yakama Nation, city officials and DAHP to discuss what to do with the remains, the city said on Jan. 24.

But Farrow Ferman said how the city handled the discovery upset the CTUIR and exposed the need for the city to implement better procedures for when it inadvertently discovers ancestorial remains.

The Board of Trustees approved sending a letter with its concerns to Walla Walla and state officials at its Feb. 3 meeting.

Farrow Ferman said the CTUIR has raised concerns about construction contractors continuing to work after uncovering the bones and didn’t report finding what looked like human remains despite having plans in place for the inadvertent discovery of remains.

The DAHP faulted the contractor, which was doing work on behalf of Walla Walla, for failing to follow that plan and for ignoring the state’s recommendation to have an archaeologist monitor the project, said CTUIR officials.

Walla Walla will also be conducting a search using ground penetrating radar, and maybe even dogs that are trained to detect buried human remains, to identify what surrounding areas need to be included in a protection plan, Farrow Ferman said.

And since the construction site is now considered an archaeological site, she said the CTUIR has been working with the city and contractor to ensure the rest of the project is completed under proper permits and finished in ways to avoid disturbing any other remains or artifacts.

Hopefully the incident serves as an “eye opener” for the city, which recently developed a historic preservation plan that included policies and procedures for inadvertent discovery with state funding, but hadn’t implemented the plan, and will lead them to “take these resources more seriously,” Farrow Ferman said.

Thomas Morning Owl

FUNDING

General Council interpreter Thomas Morning Owl said the General Council’s wishes should be honored and the BOT should proceed with alcohol sales at Arrowhead only if voters endorse it.

“For too many years, the General Council has been pushed aside,” he said.

whether the tribe should move forward with selling alcohol at Arrowhead Travel Plaza, as the BOT voted to permit in 2023.

The BOT made the decision after the General Council last year requested a referendum on the issue.

“It’s good to finally have this come to some kind of fruition,” said General Council Chairman Alan Crawford during a Feb. 26 work session. “I’m happy for the follow-up on the General Council motion.”

The BOT discussed how to address the General Council’s request in January and finalized the ballot question language on Feb. 26.

When voting in November, according to the ballot question phrasing shared at the work session, tribal members will be presented with a yes-or-no question asking whether they “support alcohol sales at the Arrowhead Travel Plaza, which alcohol sales would be limited to beer, wine, hard seltzer and hard cider” that would be for off-site consumption only.

While Arrowhead paused plans to sell alcohol after learning about concerns among community members, the BOT directed Arrowhead to continue holding those plans until given further instructions after the referendum, according to the resolution.

BOT members, though not part of the resolution, also asked officials to prepare information, such as a voter guide, about the issue to help tribal members decide how they want to vote.

More access

The reservation was opened to alcohol sales, limited to Wildhorse, in 2006 after tribal members narrowly voted in favor of the idea in a 2005 referendum. Alcohol sales were also cleared by the BOT for businesses that lease at Coyote Business Park.

In June 2023, the BOT voted 5-2 to allow the sale of alcohol – limited to beer, wine and boozy seltzers and ciders – at Arrowhead, which is managed by Wildhorse Resort & Casino. The resolution also directed that a 5% tax on those sales be put in a fund to pay for tribal alcohol abuse treatment and prevention efforts. Arrowhead and Wildhorse leaders have said adding alcohol to Arrowhead’s offerings would

increase the enterprise’s profits. Such sales were expected to generate about $938,000 in revenue for a profit of about $281,000 in 2024 had Arrowhead begun selling the drinks as planned.

The BOT’s 2023 decision was also informed by a fall 2022 survey that asked tribal members about potentially expanding on-reservation alcohol sales to Arrowhead, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute and Mission Market.

A majority – 53% – of the 350 respondents said they favored alcohol sales at Arrowhead, with a majority rejecting the idea of further expansion to TCI or Mission Market.

But lingering concerns about how the decision was made and complaints from some about access to the survey led to a special General Council meeting in January 2024. At that meeting, attendees passed a motion calling on the BOT to rescind the resolution allowing Arrowhead to sell alcohol and holding a referendum.

In addition, critics of expanding alcohol sales on the UIR have said the decision was made without the input of tribal health, law enforcement and social service providers, or that increased availability of alcohol would worsen substance abuse problems among tribal members.

Discussions in January and February about how to address the General Council’s motion also raised questions about the role, and authority, that body has in setting tribal policy.

The CTUIR’s Constitution vests the power to make legislative decisions, such as determining where alcohol can be sold on the reservation, with the BOT.

But General Council interpreter Thomas Morning Owl said the General Council’s wishes should be honored and the BOT should proceed with alcohol sales at Arrowhead only if voters endorse it.

Too often, he said General Council actions have been treated as just “advisory.”

“We can’t have that,” Morning Owl said at the Feb. 26 work session. “For too many years, the General Council has been pushed aside.”

In this case, at least, BOT members say tribal members will have the final word.

“[T]he Board of Trustees shall determine whether to permit Arrowhead alcohol sales based on the results of the referendum vote,” the resolution said.

Digital INCLUSION PROGRAM

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Devices are available to all residents of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. There are no income requirements. No tribal enrollment requirements. You will be asked to complete a short intake form. Our Digital Navigator will ask a few questions to assess your needs and determine the type of assistance we can provide to support (such as how to use the device, navigate the internet, or other specific support).

We want to hear about your experience with our program and how it has impacted your life. Your story will help us understand the difference we’re making and inspire others to join our mission of digital inclusion. Please take a few minutes to answer a few questions on our website!

All those who complete the survey will be entered to win a Fit VII Health & Fitness Tracker Smart Watch!

Deadline to complete survey is April 4, 2025.

& 3rd Thursday NOON - 3:00 PM

LETTER

Dear CTUIR Members,

Since President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, we at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) – along with our lobbyist teams in Oregon, Washington State and Washington, D.C. –have been keeping an eye on the executive orders emanating from the White House and their impacts.

Many executive orders are Trump’s attempts to consolidate power into the executive branch. Others have dealt with cutting spending, including the infamous Jan. 27 memo that temporarily suspended federal grants and loans and raised concerns about cuts to critical programs. Although this memo was later rescinded, it initially caused great confusion for tribal governments, nonprofit entities, state agencies and city governments.

It is important to remember that many of those tribal funds that were targeted are tied to federal obligations under the trust responsibilities of the federal government. Under the U.S. Constitution, treaties are considered the supreme law of the land, and the federal government has a fiduciary and

trust responsibility to the CTUIR under the Treaty of 1855.

Please be assured the CTUIR Board of Trustees, Executive Management Team, Office of Legal Counsel and lobbyist teams are committed to protecting any funds obligated to the CTUIR under the Treaty of 1855 and other congressional acts. We will purse every legal and political avenue available to safeguard these funds.

Given the rapid and sometimes unpredictable nature of the executive orders coming from the Trump administration, we track and assess but cannot respond to every executive order or action. We remain confident that public scrutiny, federal courts, and the rule of law will address much of what is proposed.

Many of the president’s actions also do not allow for proper public notice and input such as seen in legislation and go against the spirit of the separation of powers in the Constitution. Because of this we encourage our congressional representatives and senators to assert Congress’s powers and ensure that presidential powers are not overreached.

The well-being and peace of mind of our CTUIR members are our top priority.

J.D. Tovey, Executive Director

Thank you for your patience and trust as we navigate uncertain times. We truly appreciate your understanding and will keep informed of any important developments as they arise.

Respectfully,

J.D. Tovey Executive Director

Letters are published on a space available basis, in order of receipt.

Information found to be inaccurate/ libelous will not be published. Email letters to CUJ@ctuir.org

Weaskus named Work Force Director

MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) has found its new Workforce Development (WFD) director in tribal member Brandie Weaskus.

As WFD director, Weaskus will oversee the Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation program manager, the 477 Workforce Development Program, Building Our Life Skills Training and Employment Readiness (BOLSTER) Program, Summer Youth program and internships as well as the training coordinator housed currently within the Tribal Employment Rights Office.

“I'm excited to be in the role. There are many goals, but the main one is to consolidate programs, with approval from the Board of Trustees, from the Department of Children and Family Services, Education and Human Resources into one department to better serve tribal membership and community. The department will eventually move into the former administration building after construction is completed," Weaskus said.

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In addition, a non-disabled tribal member hunting companion would be allowed to kill an animal that had been wounded by a permitted disabled hunter because in many cases, that hunter’s disability may prevent them from being able to venture beyond their vehicle or road.

A tribal member who wishes to take advantage of the exemptions will have to provide documentation of a disability from a medical provider to the CTUIR Department of Natural Resources.

According to the resolution, situations that would qualify members for the special permit include being unable to walk, or having to walk with assistance from a cane, prosthetic device, wheelchair or similar implement; a permanent physical impairment that prevents a person from holding or shooting a firearm or bow, or from holding fishing gear; other undefined physical or mental impairments; or poor vision in the “better eye” that meets the threshold for being considered legally blind.

Those who have a limitation, such as a missing limb, that limits the ability to hunt and is easily recognized by others would be exempt from having to provide other documentation when seeking a permit.

Enrolled member military veterans would also be able to provide certification or records from their service branch or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that show they are at least 65% disabled.

The Fish & Wildlife Commission and Law & Order Committee endorsed those changes, said CTUIR officials.

“These resolutions have been kind of discussed by staff and the Fish & Wildlife Commission for probably a couple years now,” Brown said. “We spent a good amount of time in 2024 working on this.”

The CTUIR Fish & Wildlife Code, which took effect in 1978, was last amended in 2019. It regulates fishing, hunting and gathering on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, other tribal lands

and where tribal members have treaty hunting rights.

Other regulatory changes

The BOT also approved a significant revision relating to the penalties for poaching.

The change mandates minimum fine amounts for illegally killing certain species, eliminating the ability for a tribal court judge to decline imposing a civil fine for the offense or to otherwise craft a punishment that doesn’t include the minimum fine.

“This is another big change,” Brown said. “As it is right now, these civil fines are basically up to the tribal court’s discretion.” Judges, however, could still decide to issue a higher fine. While the minimum fine for taking a Branch Bull Elk during a closed season that violates any part of the tribe’s code increased from $1,500 to $4,000, the fines for illegally killing other species listed in that part of the code remained unchanged: $4,000 for buffalo and $5,000 for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats or any protected species.

The minimum fine amounts match or are like ones set by nearby states such as Montana, Idaho and Wyoming that have hunting seasons for those animals, said CTUIR Wildlife Program Manager Andrew Wildbill.

The changes also removed the tribal court’s ability to substitute community service requirements for criminal and civil penalties when determining punishments.

As a penalty for poaching, the tribal court may still require tribal members to complete a certain number of community service hours, but those would be in addition to civil fines and any other criminal punishments imposed because of the infraction, according to the resolution.

Other code changes included adding language to state that drones and night or thermal imaging devices cannot be used to harass wildlife.

Tribal staff, with the assistance of relevant committees and commissions, will begin working to turn the code amendments into more detailed regulations, notifying the community of the changes and setting a process for the special permitting process.

Changes to Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation fish and wildlife regulations will make it easier for disabled tribal members to exercise their hunting rights. CUJ STOCK PHOTO

purpose event center would allow Wildhorse to host gatherings – ranging from boxing and mixed martial arts matches to weddings, tiered banquet events and large poker tournaments –of up to 1,500 people, tailored to each event, according to the feasibility study.

Wildhorse officials said they expected to see an increase in the number and size of conferences and seminar events because the event center will give them more flexibility and allow for separate breakout meeting spaces.

And Wildhorse will be able to more quickly transform the space, even raising and lowering different parts of the floor, for different types of gathering. That would allow it to host multiple different events a day while also needing few staff to make the changes since much of it will be automated.

Over the first five years, the feasibility study projected the number of events Wildhorse hosts to go from 119 in the event center’s first year to 212.

In that time, events would generate about $10 million in net revenue, and about $11.3 million when including an expected increase in gaming profits that would come from more event

attendees spending money on the gambling floor, the study found.

“That’s really the advantage, time and efficiency,” James Stewart, Gala’s director of business development, told the BOT in February. “You’re able to maximize that square footage of your property to keep the events rolling through and get that revenue from them.”

The event center would also give Wildhorse space to expand its gaming floor and increase the number of slot machines in the casino by moving Rivers Event Center space that would become available, though George said there are currently no plans to add slot machines.

The event center will have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years and is projected to pay for itself within seven or eight years, said Wildhorse’s controller, Nicole McLouth, during the work session.

While the increase in frequency and size of events will require Wildhorse to develop marketing and operation plans, George said the casino’s staff is up to the task and already planning for the changes.

“We’re pretty excited about the opportunity and the functionality and the personality of the system,” he said. “I think it’s going to bring us to another level.”

CTUIR HOUSING STATUTES REMINDER

13.052 VICIOUS DOGS

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, own or maintain a *Vicious Dog, as defined in section 13.010(7) of the CTUIR statutes in the Mission Dog Control Area. Any Vicious Dog found in the Mission Dog Control Area shall be immediately seized and destroyed.

It is not reasonable for Housing Department to allow an unlawful breed of dog to reside within its residential units, which is within the Mission Dog Control Area.

No unlawful breeds are allowed, for any reason.

Housing will enforce its lease agreement and policies, as well as the CTUIR Code, if a tenant is suspected of or is known to have a “vicious breed” dog, by contacting the tenant informing the owner to rehome the dog. This includes any dogs on a previous lease agreement addendum for pets or service animals.

*Vicious Dogs means a pure bred or any degree mixed breed Pit Bull, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Wolf hybrids.

It is the sole responsibility of the dog owner to take the most effective and humane action to rehome a dog.

Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter (PAWS): 541-276-0818

Humane Society of Eastern Oregon Hermiston: 541-564-6222

Fuzzball Animal Rescue Hermiston: 541-371-2007

New Hope for Eastern Oregon Animals Baker City: 541-403-2710

Blue Mountain Humane Society Walla Walla: 509-525-2452

Benton Franklin Humane Society Kennewick: 509-374-4235

This shelter information is not a referral, and does not indicate the ability to assist anyone.

For more information contact the Housing Office at 541-429-7920 or housing@ctuir.org

CTUIR Weather Report: February 2025

February 2025

Weather information summarizes data taken at the Pendleton Weather Station Lat 45 40 N and Lon -118 51 W from February 1 to February 28. Temperature is reported in degrees Fahrenheit and Pacific Standard Time.

Pendleton Weather Station Lat 45 40 N and Lon -118 51 W from February 1 to February 28. Temperature is reported in degrees Fahrenheit and Pacific Standard Time.

The average daily temperature was 42.3 degrees, with a high of 69 degrees on February 24. With a low of 4 degrees on February 11th and 12th. With a departure from normal of -3.7 degrees. 13 days below Freezing temps.

Total precipitation to date in February was 1.85, with the greatest 24-hour average of 0.58 on February 3. Thirteen days out of the month had precipitation levels greater than .01 inches, with Nine days greater than 0.10 inches and the with zero days greater than 0.50”. There was a departure of +0.74” from the average for the month of February.

The average wind speed was 6.8 mph, with a sustained max speed of 45.0 mph from the West on February 24. A peak speed of 55 mph occurred from the West on February 24. The dominant wind direction was from the West.

There were 0 Thunderstorms, 21 days out of 28 in which some rain fell, Nine snow events/days, and seventeen Fog/Mist. Air Quality Index Values Fluctuated from Green/ Healthy to Yellow/Moderate on the EPA’s website AirNow. gov.

–Submitted by Caleb

Minthorn,

CTUIR Air Quality Technician

–Submitted by Caleb Minthorn, CTUIR Air Quality Technician

ND reservation welcomes recently released Peltier home

JACK DURA and STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press

BELCOURT, N.D. (AP) — Native American activist Leonard Peltier was defiant toward the government but grateful for his supporters as they welcomed him home to North Dakota on Feb. 19, a day after his release from a Florida prison where he had been serving a life sentence in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. Peltier, 80, grew emotional as he addressed about 500 people who gathered at the festive event that included food, a drum circle and dancers at a center in Belcourt. The small town is just south of the Canadian border on the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians' reservation.

"I'm so proud of the showing and support you've given me," Peltier said. "I've got a hard time keeping myself from crying. A strong warrior can't be up crying in front of his people."

Then-President Joe Biden commuted Peltier's life sentence to home confinement, leading to his release Tuesday from the Coleman penitentiary. Peltier was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and given two consecutive life sentences stemming from a 1975 confrontation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were killed, and while Peltier acknowledged firing shots during the confrontation, he denied being the person whose shots killed the men. Native Americans widely believe he was a political prisoner who was wrongly convicted because he fought for Indigenous rights as a member of the American Indian Movement.

For years, many in law enforcement argued against freeing Peltier. Current and former FBI agents disputed his claims of innocence. As Biden considered his options as his term ended, former FBI Director Christopher Wray sent the president a letter in which he called Peltier "a remorseless killer" who should remain in prison.

In a statement about the commutation, Biden said numerous individuals and groups supported releasing Peltier due to the time he spent in prison, his age and his leadership role among Native Americans.

For decades, Peltier has maintained he was innocent of the murder charges, and he said Wednesday: "I spent 49 years straight in prison for something I didn't do."

Peltier said he went into prison a young man and emerged far older at age 80. During all that time, Peltier said he tried to keep Native American issues in the forefront of his activism, and he thanked tribes across the nation for their decades of support.

"From day one, from the first hour I was arrested, Indian people came to my rescue, from all over the country," Peltier said.

Tribal leaders presented Peltier with an eagle feather staff that supporters had carried to Washington, D.C., and other places as they campaigned for his release, and a traditional star quilt that Peltier draped over his shoulder.

Nick Tilsen, an Oglala Lakota and founder of the NDN Collective, an Indigenous-led advocacy group, paid tribute to Peltier and his generation of American Indian Movement leaders for standing up "against the most powerful government in the world. And they instilled that pride back into our people. They instilled that fight back into our people."

"All around the world, Leonard Peltier's name will be remembered as a warrior, as a warrior who outlasted one of the strongest governments in the world, and came out victorious."

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Tribal Chair Jamie Azure said the welcome shown by hundreds of people at the event was a testament to what he means to the tribe and other Native Americans.

"What I think you can see from the turnout here today, it means a lot to a lot of people on a lot of different levels to see Mr. Peltier come back to his homeland, to just be home," Azure said.

In this photo released by NDN Collective, Native American activist Leonard Peltier poses for pictures as he was released from a Florida prison on Feb. 18, weeks after then-President Joe Biden angered law enforcement officials by commuting his life sentence to home confinement in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. ANGEL WHITE EYES | NDN COLLECTIVE

TERO announces successful job education grant awards

MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) program recently announced success procuring two two-year grants from the Higher Education Coordinating Commission – one for servicelearning education and the other for on-the-job training.

“Both grants will be able to contribute, respectively, to the continued development of individuals who need employment-related certifications, in addition to giving opportunities for paid job skills training, up to five weeks,” said CTUIR TERO Program Manager John Barkley. “Participants will get a view to what opportunities are available to them to make informed decisions about what will be best for their future and families.”

According to Barkley, TERO

plans on braiding the two grants together to complement each other by initially focusing on the service-learning education and then threading participants through on-the-job training to put the newly learned skills into action.

“TERO will continue to target tribal members, descendants and spouses for training, and offer unique resources encompassing all facets of employment,” Barkley said. “TERO is working to provide well-rounded training opportunities for those who are interested and are wanting to use training opportunities to fight against historical trauma, alcohol/drug abuse, domestic violence and neglect. If you want to work, you should get to work.”

For more information about TERO programs and services, call 541-429-7506 or email terostaff@ ctuir.org.

Local Toastmasters sponsoring annual youth speech contest

ROY JONES

Pendleton Toastmasters Club

PENDLETON – The Pendleton Toastmasters and the Cay-UmaWa Toastmasters are jointly sponsoring the third annual Gary L. Hildebrand Memorial Youth Speech Contest on April 8 at 6 p.m. in the Birch meeting room at Wildhorse Resort & Casino. This contest is open to anyone ages 12 to 18 years who is willing to compete with an original speech of three to six minutes in length. Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers.

The Pendleton Toastmasters club meets an hour every Tuesday beginning at 6:45 a.m. at the Pendleton Salvation Army Church. The Cay-Uma-Wa Toastmasters Club meets every Wednesday from 12-1 p.m. in the Nixyáawii Governance Center's Waluula and Wanaqit conference room L202-A.

In January 1940, the Pendleton Toastmasters Club was chartered as the 154th club in an organization that now boasts over 14,000 clubs.

World War II was brewing in Europe but the United States had not yet directly joined the conflict. In this environment, Pendleton Toastmasters began to help men develop such important professional skills as public speaking, conducting meetings, planning programs, and committee work.

Like many other fraternal

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation 46411 Timíne Way | Pendleton, OR 97801

General Council www.ctuir.org

email: generalcouncil@ctuir.org Phone & Fax: 541-429-7378

General Council Draft Agenda

March 20, 2024 @ 2:00 PM

Hybrid: In-person & Virtual via Zoom

1. Call to Order 2. Invocation 3. Ascertainment of Quorum a. General Council Officers b. Board of Trustees

c. General Council Members

4. Approval of Agenda

5. Approval of Executive Summary - Jan. 23 and Feb. 20, 2025

6. Old Business

7. New Business

a. Board of Trustees Member at Large Annual Report

Lisa Ganuelas, BOT Member at Large

b. Election Commission Annual Report

Kat Brigham, EC Chair

c. Law & Order Committee

Patty Hall, LOC Chair (tentative)

8. Announcements/Notes

9. Adjournment

Only enrolled CTUIR Tribal Members permitted to attend. Email Shawna Gavin, ShawnaGavin@ctuir.org, for zoom meeting ID & passcode.

organizations of the era, Toastmasters clubs were for men only until the 1970s when membership also became available to women.

Within a decade of admitting women, membership in Toastmasters clubs doubled.

Today, Toastmasters is a truly international organization, with clubs in over 148 countries and territories with members of all races, cultures and ethnicities.

Throughout its 85 year history, the Pendleton Toastmasters Club has helped countless individuals to become better speakers and leaders.

In 2007, members of the Pendleton Club consulted with the leadership at Wildhorse Resort & Casino and the CayUma-Wa Toastmasters club was born.

Additional information for both clubs and their events can be found online at https://154.toastmastersclubs. org/ and https://1089523. toastmastersclubs.org/ or scan the QR below with your smart phone for the Cay-Uma-Wa page.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Land Protection Planning Commission of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) will hold the following public hearing:

Land Development Code Amendment #ZC-25-002 – Applicants, Tribal Planning Office, 46411 Timine Way, Pendleton, OR 97801 seek a recommendation from the Land Protection Planning Commission to the CTUIR Board of Trustees to amend the Land Development Code to incorporate changes as required by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Endangered Species Act. Land Development Code Amendments are subject to the CTUIR Land Development Code Chapters 9 and 13.

This hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 beginning at 9:00 a.m. Individuals may attend the meeting in the Walúula and Wanaqit conference rooms at the Nixyáawii Governance Center, virtually, or by phone. Information on joining the meeting online is available at https://ctuir.org/events/lppc-public-hearing-zc-25-002/ or you can scan the QR code with your smart phone for direct access. Participation in the hearing will also be available by phone at 872-242-7793 starting at 9:00 a.m. on the day of the hearing. The conference ID will be 637 753 409#.

Staff reports and other materials pertaining to the hearing will be available for review at the link above or can be requested from the Tribal Planning Office by calling 541-276-3099.

The public is entitled and encouraged to participate in the hearing and submit testimony regarding the request. Written comments may be sent to tpo@ctuir.org or to the Tribal Planning Office at 46411 Timíne Way Pendleton, OR 97801 for receipt by 4:00 p.m. April 7, 2025.

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees

JANUARY 6, 2024

Ascertainment of Quorum.

BOT Present: Gary Burke, BOT Chairman; Aaron Ashley, Vice-Chair; Raymond Huesties, Treasurer; Roberta Wilson, Secretary; Lisa Ganuelas, Member; Corinne Sams, Member; Steve Hart, BOT Member and Alan Crawford General Council Chairman. Toby Patrick, BOT Member on personal leave. Quorum present.

Agenda Review: Action items only, due to death of elder tribal member and per BOT Procedure Code. BOT Treasurer Report deferred to February and will send current report to BOT. MOTION: Raymond

Huesties moves to approve agenda with action items only. Steven Hart seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 7-0-0.

Nixyáawii Governance Center 46411 Timíne Way Pendleton, OR 97801 541-276-3165 bot@ctuir.org l ctuir.org

Other Board Action Items: None.

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.

Old Business: None.

New Business: Resolution 25-001: Pasco Pump Lateral MOA Amendment. RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the attached Memorandum of Agreement Among the United States Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Officer, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, regarding the Construction of Pasco Pump Lateral 5.8 Wasteway and Post-Construction Modification, and authorizes its Chairman to execute it on behalf of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation 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 adopt Resolution 25-001. Raymond Huesties seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 7-0-0.

BOT Travel or External Meeting Reports: None.

BOT Leave and Travel or Outside Meeting Requests:

Roberta Wilson, travel 1/26 – 1/30 at Porland to attend meeting with USACE and ATNI.

MOTION: Raymond Huesties moves to approve outside meeting request. Steven Hart seconds. Discussion. Question. Motion carries 7-0-0.

CEREMONIAL & SUBSISTENCE FISHING

WHAT: Interested in Ceremonial and Subsistence Fishing WHEN: April thru May 2025 or until allocation

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

Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge toll to close April 1

HOOD RIVER – The Port of Hood River will permanently close the tollbooth on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge on April 1 transitioning to fully electronic tolling.

The Port expects to save about $100,000 annually with the full closure. These savings will support ongoing bridge maintenance and repairs, including $1.6 million in capital repairs planned for the coming year. The move to electronic tolling aligns with plans for a new bridge to operate only with electronic tolling.

Commuters are encouraged to sign up for BreezeBy, which offers discounted toll rates for the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge and the Bridge of the Gods. To learn more about the upcoming tollbooth closure and your payment options, including the ability to prepay tolls online, visit www. portofhoodriver.com.

To ensure tribal members can cross the bridge without paying a toll, they must:

• Complete an online registration form at portofhoodriver. com/tribal-member-breezeby-account-registration. If you already have a BreezeBy pass, do not complete this form. Instead, call the Port office at 541-386-1645 or email frontdesk@portofhoodriver.com to update your account. The Port will waive the account setup fees for eligible individuals.

• Provide Proof of Eligibility. Present documentation to the Port to confirm your eligibility for toll-free passage.

• If you prefer to complete the application in person, you can pick up a paper application at the Port office located at 1000 E Port Marina Drive, Hood River, OR 97031.

What type of proof is required to confirm eligibility?

• A current tribal enrollment card (for tribal members).

• A tribal government employee badge (for tribal employees).

• A Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission employee badge (for CRITFC employees).

Where and how can I submit my proof of eligibility?

Proof can be submitted to the Port using the online registration form, or via email to frontdesk@ portofhoodriver.com if you already have an account. Be sure to include your BreezeBy account details when submitting documentation.

What happens if I don’t open a BreezeBy account?

Vehicles not associated with a

BreezeBy account will be charged the standard toll. If the toll is not paid, enforcement measures may apply. However, you can dispute the charge by providing proof of tribal membership.

What is the deadline to open a BreezeBy account?

While the Port has not announced a specific deadline, it is recommended to sign up and provide proof as soon as possible to ensure uninterrupted toll-free passage.

Who is eligible for toll-free passage under this policy?

Toll-free passage is available to members and employees of federally recognized tribes and employees of CRITFC.

Is this policy applicable only to certain tribes?

The policy applies to members and employees of all federally recognized tribes and CRITFC employees.

What if I already have a BreezeBy account?

If you already have a BreezeBy account, submit your proof of eligibility to the Port, and they will update your account to reflect toll-free passage.

Is the toll waived at the Bridge of the Gods for tribal members?

If you plan to use your pass at the Bridge of the Gods, please contact the Port office first for clarification, as some exceptions may apply.

The Port of Hood River will close its tollbooth on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge on April 1 for electronic tolling only. KPTV | COURTESY PHOTO

CTUIR Notice to Purchase

Umatilla Enrolled Members: Listed in the tables below are (2) two estates, CTUIR will exercise its Option to Purchase, pursuant to the CTUIR Inheritance Code. Below the tables, is the Inheritance Code Section 1.05(e) Tribal Member Right to Purchase.

In the Matter of the Estate of: Gerald W. Corbet

Probate No: T000150561

Allotment:

Identification No: 182U000280

In the Matter of the Estate of: Jason E Daniels

Probate No: T000156716 Identification No: 182U002923

CTUIR Inheritance Code* Section 1.05(E) – Tribal Member Right to Purchase Eligibility Requirements: Any member of the Confederated Tribes owning an interest in a trust land parcel where the Confederated Tribes has filed a Notice of Purchase pursuant to Sections 1.05(D)(2), (3) and/or (5) of this code may purchase such lands in the place of the Confederated Tribes if:

a. The member of the Confederated Tribes owns an interest in the subject trust parcel on the date of death of the decedent;

b. The eligible member of the Confederated Tribes files his/her notice of intent to purchase the interest in the subject trust parcel with the Secretary of the Board of Trustees within 30 days after publication of the purchase by the Confederated Tribes in the Tribal newspaper; and

c. The eligible member of the Confederated Tribes’ right to purchase under this subsection shall be subject to the requirements that the fair market value of the interest in trust lands as determined by the Secretary [of the Interior] must be paid as set forth in section 1.05(C)(4) of this code, and shall be subject to the rights of the surviving spouse and Indian lineal descendant set forth in section 1.05(C)(2), (3) and (7).

d. The eligible member of the Confederated Tribes deposits payment in the amount equal to the fair market value of the subject trust parcel, of interest therein, with the BIA Umatilla Agency Superintendent which payment shall be accompanied by the identification of the decedent, the probate case number and trust parcel in question. The eligible member must make the full payment for the subject trust parcel, or interest therein, within 60 days of filing its notice of intent to purchase. In such an event, the eligible member shall be authorized to acquire the interest in the subject parcel in the place of the Confederated Tribes.

Two Cultures - One Community Powwow packs convention center

Plume crowned Jr. Miss Oregon Rodeo

PENDLETON – Tribal descendant and Cayuse resident Fallyn Plume was crowned Junior Miss Oregon Rodeo Feb. 15 at Hamley’s Slickfork Saloon in Pendleton.

The 12-year-old student says she has always loved horses, rodeo and the western lifestyle, while also practicing her tribes’ traditions and culture.

Golden Eagles win 7th consecutive district title

ANNIE FOWLER

The CUJ

BAKER CITY — Sun Schimmel had 21 points and six rebounds, and Nixyáawii won its seventh consecutive Old Oregon League district tournament title with a 77-54 victory over Union at Baker High School Feb. 22.

“We started out a little slow and it took us a while to get going,” Nixyáawii coach Aaron Noisey said. “That’s two games in a row we have had a slow start, but the boys are continuing to get better.”

Union came out of the gate on fire, taking a 16-15 lead after the first quarter. It was all Nixyáawii from there.

Schimmel and Marcellus Scott each had six points in the second quarter as the Golden Eagles went on a 22-11 run for a 37-27 lead at the half.

“Sun and MJ did really well today,” Noisey said. “I liked the way they picked up the slack

today. The thing I like about MJ is he gets in there and rebounds. He’s accepted that role and does it well. His 3s today were big for us. It helped change the game for us. It forced them to come out and guard him and that opened up the offense a little more.”

Symon Picard scored six of his 13 points in the third to give Nixyáawii a 53-42 advantage.

The fourth quarter was a dagger in the heart of the Bobcats. The Golden Eagles went on a 24-12 run, helped by 11 points from Weptas Brockie, to pull away for good and add another trinket to the trophy case.

“I try to do my best so that we aren’t being unsportsmanlike, but I can’t tell them not to score,” Noisey said of his players. “Our starting five were either first or second team All League.”

Rylen Bronson added 11 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and five steals for Nixyáawii, while Scott had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Nixyáawii’s Rylen Bronson puts a shot up against Union’s KJ Klebaum Feb. 22 during an Old Oregon League district game in Baker. LINDSAY MURDOCK | COURTESY

Fallyn Plume

More than 500 dancers and drummers competed over three days at the Two Cultures - One Community Powwow in Pendleton Feb. 28-March 2. Find related story and contest results on pages 3 - 5. KATHY ANEY | CUJ

Are you an artist?! Show your art in a real gallery setting, win awards, and be the guest of honor at the Artists Reception!

Create your best worka drawing, a painting, a sculpture, blown glass, traditional handworkall forms are accepted. Win a $500 Gift Certiﬁcate for your school!

Open to tribal and non-tribal youth

Age categories: 10 & Under 11-14 and15-18

No entry fee Lots of prizes!

www.tamástslikt.org

Submissions accepted: Through May 3, 2025

Public Showing: May 16 - July 5, 2025

Artists Reception Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 1 pm

VERY IMPORTANT RULES and entry forms available at Tamástslikt Cultural Institute or online at www.tamastslikt.org

TCOC Powwow introduces unique new contests

WIL PHINNEY

TCOC Committee

PENDLETON – More than 500 dancers and drummers competed over three days at the Two Cultures - One Community Powwow (TCOC) in Pendleton Feb. 28 - March 2.

Dancers and drummers came mostly from the Western states –Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Montana, but also from as far away as Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada and Window Rock, Arizona.

Attendance for all three days was estimated to exceed 10,000.

The four-session event boasted 32 winners ranging from Tiny Tots under age 6 to Golden Age men and women, many in their 80s. In addition to prize money for the top four in each category, winners received custom-made silver buckles engraved with the TCOC logo.

The powwow featured three unique contests, including a Boot-and-Hat dance won by Hiyuum Black Eagle, a student at Nixyáawii Community School (NCS) on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and a men’s fancy Calcutta won by Liam Beebe from Toppenish. Those two dances, plus a couples western swing, were crowd favorites.

Dancin’ Dougie Hall, an Indian cowboy, social media influencer and entrepreneur, highlighted the boot-and-hat dance contest, and stayed in town to speak with

NCS students on March 2.

The Shooters won the drum contest among nine competing groups. This year’s host drum, Wild Rose, was not part of the contest.

Pendleton Mayor McKennon McDonald and several Pendleton City Council members welcomed participants on opening night. The Happy Canyon and Pendleton Round-Up Courts, as well as members of the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Boards of Directors, also attended the powwow.

More than three dozen vendors came, hailing from as far away as Minnesota, North Dakota and New Mexico to sell everything from antique horse riggings to T-shirts to beef jerky. The vendors filled two big rooms at the Pendleton Convention Center. Guests were also treated to food trucks outside and a concession stand inside for an array of refreshments.

This was the second annual TCOC Powwow, the brainchild of Pat Beard, manager of the Pendleton Convention Center and Fred Hill Sr., a traditional leader for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). The mission of the committee-based powwow is to promote tradition while bringing the cowboy-andIndian community together.

The TCOC Committee is made up of volunteers that represent the CTUIR as well as the city of

Pendleton. Committee members included Co-Chairs Beard and Hill, plus Terri Carnes, Melinda Broncheau, Kara Woolsey, Daisy Minthorn, Sherri Round, Lisa Ganuelas, Kaeleen McGuire and Wil Phinney.

Powwow Head Staff included host drum Wild Rose, announcers Ruben Little Head and Mike Sanchez, arena director Alex Meninick, judges Acosia Red Elk and Colin Chief, drum judge Jesse Redsky Bevis and special guest Hall.

Nixyáawii Community Financial Services partnered as a fiduciary agent with TCOC on the event with several other sponsors, including AWS, Marathon Oil, Travel Oregon, City of Pendleton, CTUIR, Lydig, Wildhorse Resort & Casino, McCormack Construction, Ulrich Investments, Pacific Northwest Iron Workers, Umatilla County, Wenaha Group, Pendleton

Round-Up, Port of Kennewick and Tri-City Development Corporation.

Hiyuum Black Eagle wins the inaugural Boots-and-Hat dance during the second annual Two Cultures - One Community Powwow. CHRIS AADLAND | CUJ

More than 500 dancers and drummers competed over three days at the Two Cultures - One Community Powwow in Pendleton Feb. 28 - March 2. KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

The second annual Two Cultures -One Community Powwow welcomed the return of host drum Wild Rose along with nine other drums who competed for prizes.

CONTEST RESULTS

4th,

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1st,

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1st,

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1st,

4th,

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2nd,

1st,

4th,

3rd,

2nd,

1st,

Tiny Tot Boys

Ely Black Weasel, Tacoma, WA

Thunder Bad Warrior, Pendleton, OR

Rodger Beson, Granger, WA

Timinah Ellenwood, Pendleton, OR

Tiny Tot Girls

Sarah-Rose Olney, Wapato, WA

Waptasu Heemsah, Toppenish, WA

Humble Coby, Fort Hall, ID

Jonii Walsey, Toppenish, WA

Women Golden Ages

Thomiscita Mountain Sheep, Pocatello, ID

Cece Walsey-Begay, Granger, WA

Leah McGurk-Brown, Lakeside, CA

Melinda Goodwill, SK Canada

Men Golden Age

Gary Greene, Lapwai, ID

Terry Heemsah Sr., Harrah, WA

Peter J. Olney, White Swan, WA

Jeff Downing, Regina, SK Canada

Jr Girls Fancy

4th, Chanah Blackhorn, Eugene, OR 3rd, Dazha Joseph, Pendleton, OR 2nd, Cambri Buckskin, Blackfoot, ID 1st, Jocelynn Phoenix, Rosemead, CA

Jr Girls Jingle

Ramona Whiteplume, Lapwai, ID

Makayla Ferguson, Lapwai, ID

Paisely Buckskin, Blackfoot, ID

Lilyana Johnson, Salem, OR

PHOTOS BY KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

4th,

3rd,

2nd,

1st,

4th,

3rd,

2nd,

1st,

4th,

3rd,

2nd,

1st,

4th,

3rd,

2nd,

1st,

4th,

3rd,

2nd,

1st,

Teen

4th,

3rd,

2nd,

1st,

PHOTOS BY KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

Jr Girls Traditional

EveAnna Morning Owl, Beverly, WA

Katerra Jackson, White Swan, WA

Aria Irene Olney, Wapato, WA

Aliesse Whitegrass, Browning, MT

Boys Fancy

Keon Fasthorse Besan, Granger, WA

Harold George, Toppenish, WA

Jacob Scabbyrobe, Worley, ID

Nabahe Shebala, Coeur d’Alene, ID

Boys Grass

Senata Meninick, Toppenish, WA

Jayden Walsey, Toppenish, WA

James Tewawina, Lapwai, ID

Jonathon Casper, Yakima, WA

Boys Traditional

John Adams, Wapato, WA

Dravus Coin, Seattle, WA

Hunter Whiteplume, Lapwai, ID

Rocky Lloyd, Toppenish, WA

Teen Girls Fancy

Virgilena Walsey-Begay, Granger, WA

Jade McInstosh, Boise, ID

Acozjah Dion, Boise, ID

Valerie Scabbyrobe, White Swan, WA

Girls Jingle

Alimae Jackson, White Swan, WA

Vera Johnson, Salem, OR

Junee Picard, Lapwai, ID

Tosha McCloud, Harrah, WA

Teen Girls Traditional

4th, Annie Payer, Goldendale, WA 3rd, Askewin Tom, Lapwai, ID 2nd, Candace Whiteplume, Lapwai, ID 1st, Willena Whitegrass, Star School, MT

Teen Boys Fancy

4th, Donnatello Rowan, Antelope, CA 3rd, Sonny Walsey, Toppenish, WA 2nd, Julius Phoenix, Rosemead, CA 1st, Liam Beebe, Toppenish, WA

Teen Boys Grass

4th, Ian Mitchell, Toppenish, WA 3rd, Robert Tewawina, Lapwai, ID 2nd, Sisnce BrownEagle, Usk, WA 1st, Christopher Beebe, Toppenish, WA

Teen Boys Traditional

4th, Darryl Whiteplume, Lapwai, ID 3rd, Blake Lloyd, Toppenish, WA 2nd, Hiyuum BlackEagle, Mission, OR 1st, Bergson Wallahee, White Swan, WA

Sr Women Traditional

4th, Stephanie Townsend, Auburn, WA 3rd, Bacon Lacey, Cheney, WA 2nd, Violet Olney, White Swan, WA 1st, Marie Jackson, White Swan, WA

Sr Women Basket Hat

4th, Ramona Whiteplume, Lapwai, ID 3rd, Stacia Morfin, Lewiston, ID 2nd, Rebekah Adolph, Coulee Dam, WA 1st, Katrina Miller, Pendleton, OR

Sr Women Jingle

4th, Julie Johnson, Salem, OR 3rd, Clarissa Thickness Antone, Seattle, WA

2nd, Jovi Schuyler, Sacramento, CA 1st, Bridget EagleSpeaker, Yelm, WA

Sr Women Fancy

4th, Michelle Kipp, Missoula, MT 3rd, Kristyna Night, Harrah, WA 2nd, Denelle Stanley, Seattle, WA 1st, Sally Anne Thomas, Blackfoot, ID

Sr Men Traditional 4th, George Meninick Jr., Toppenish, WA 3rd, Buck Wallahee, Toppenish, WA 2nd, Russell McCloud, Harrah, WA 1st, Sheldon Shebala, Coeur d’Alene, ID

Sr Chicken/Round Bustle

4th, Kenneth Brown Sr., Window Rock, AZ 3rd, Acorn Holds the Enemy, Wellpinit, WA 2nd, Eric Broncheau, Pendleton, OR 1st, Cecil Jackson, White Swan, WA

Sr Men Grass

4th, Robert Tewawina Sr, Lapwai, ID 3rd, Ron Kicking Woman Sr., Browning, MT 2nd, Kyle Mountain Sheep, Poccatello, ID 1st, Joseph Baldwin, Blackfoot, ID

Sr Men Fancy

4th, Kenny Pratt Jr., Yakima, WA 3rd, Gary Olney, White Swan, WA 2nd, Douglas Scholfield, Redding, CA 1st, Nigel Schuyler, Sacramento, CA

PHOTOS BY KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

Jr Women Traditional

4th, Leah Brisbois, Grand Ronde, OR 3rd, Mariah Beebe, Wapato, WA 2nd, Janze Nomee, Worley, ID 1st, Leela Abrahamson, Fort Hall, ID

Jr Women Basket Hat

4th, Teata Ellenwood, Pendleton, OR 3rd, Layla Sohappy, Pendleton, OR 2nd, Katrina Blackwolf, Yakima, WA 1st, Loreal Ellenwood, Lapwai, ID

Jr Women Jingle

4th, Kia McCloud, Yakima, WA

3rd, Analynn Olney, White Swan, WA 2nd, Baby Clarissa Morning Owl 1st, Prairie Rose Jack, White Cone, AZ

Jr Women Fancy

4th, Amanda Anderson, Merritt BC

3rd, Miriam Walsey, Toppenish, WA

2nd, Shandiin Shebala, Coeur d’Alene, ID 1st, Oketwsha Roberts, Browning, MT

Jr Men Traditional

4th, Hahots Shebala, Walla Walla, WA

3rd, Nataos Beebe, Wapato, WA

2nd, Raymond Scott Jr, Window Rock, AZ 1st, Malcolm Murphy, Gallup, NM

Jr Chicken/Round Bustle

4th, Dillan Besan, Granger, WA

3rd, Cortez Osborne, Browning, MT

2nd, Jordan Yazzie, Tacoma, WA 1st, Tyus Beebe, Wapato, WA

Jr Men Grass

4th, Tokala American Bear, San Francisco, CA

3rd, Louie Medina, Gilroy, CA

2nd, Mannty Hawley, Fife, WA

1st, Dakota Madera, Spokane, WA

Jr Men Fancy

4th, Daniel Scholfield, Redding, CA

3rd, Keevin Brown, Lakeside, CA

2nd, Xavier Littlehead, Lame Deer, MT

1st, Jonathan Nomee, Worley, ID

Western Swing Couples

3rd, Cece & Rod Begay, Status, WA

2nd, Marie & Cecil Jackson, White Swan, WA 1st, Bryon & Ida Adams, Wapato, WA

Boot & Hat

2nd, Kellen Trenal, Spokane, WA 1st, Hiyuum Black Eagle, Mission, OR

Men Fancy Calcutta

3rd, Xavier Littlehead, Lame Deer, MT

2nd, Dasan Scholfield, Redding, CA

1st, Liam Beebe, Toppenish, WA

Drum

1st: The Shooters

2nd: Red Hawk Express

3rd: Spring Creek

4th: Bad Soul

Consolation: Dancing Eagle

Consolation: Buffalo Trail

Consolation: 4 Bands

Consolation: NDN Nation

Consolation: Hawtmi

PHOTOS BY CHRIS AADLAND | THE CUJ

Westin-McEwen girls headed to state hoops tourney

ANNIE FOWLER

The CUJ

COLTON – The TigerScots are headed to the 2A state tournament in Pendleton for the first time since 2017 after beating the Colton Vikings 47-28 in the 2A state playoffs Feb. 28.

“Great win,” W-M coach Jeremy Wolf said. “Proud of our girls’

defense, battle for the boards and especially their toughness when things didn’t go their way. No matter what, they kept their heads up against a Colton team that didn’t quit. Looking forward to Pendleton.”

The second-ranked TigerScots (22-6) will play Knappa at 8:15 p.m. March 6 in the first round of the state tournament. The Vikings finished

their season with a 14-12 record.

The teams traded baskets in the first quarter, with W-M taking an 11-9 lead behind seven points from Kelsey Graham. The TigerScots gave themselves a little breathing room with a 13-8 run in the second quarter for a 24-17 lead at the half. Charlotte Hansell had six points in the second to lead the charge. Weston-McEwen

broke the game wide open in the second half going on a 23-11 to pull away for the win.

Hansell led the W-M with 16 points, while Graham had 13, and Lily Langford and Brooklyn Parker each had four.

Addison English led the Vikings with 10 points, while Chayse Smith and Taylor Quintana each had five.

Weston-McEwen head coach Jeremy Red Star Wolf advises his team near the end of a game against Enterprise on Feb. 1 in Athena. KATHY ANEY | CUJ ARCHIVE

Golden Eagles advance to quarterfinals

ANNIE FOWLER

The CUJ

MISSION – Symon Picard surpassed the 1,500-point mark and the Golden Eagles punched their ticket to the 1A state tournament in Baker City March 1 with a 7038 home win over the Southwest Christian Wildcats in the second

round of the 1A state playoffs.

Weptas Brockie scored nine points in the first quarter as Nixyáawii ran out to a 21-10 lead.

The Golden Eagles’ lead ballooned to 44-21 by the half as Brockie scored 10 points and Rylen Bronson had six in the second quarter.

Not to be outdone by his teammates, Marcellus Scott scored

all eight of his points in the third quarter to give Nixyáawii a 61-26 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Wildcats outscored the Golden Eagles 11-9 in the fourth quarter, but it didn’t make a dent in Nixyáawii’s sizable lead.

Brockie led the Golden Eagles with 19 points, while Picard had 15, Bronson 12 and Sun Schimmel nine.

Jaylynn Wachsmuth led the Wildcats with 23 points, while Gabe Cooper and Maguire House each had eight.

Nixyáawii (24-3) will play Country Christian in the quarterfinals at 6:30 p.m. March 6 at Baker High School. The Golden Eagles beat the Cougars 74-52 in a nonleague game in December.

DISTRICT CHAMPS

Nixáawii Golden Eagles closed out their Old Oregon League season with 10-0 record with a 77-30 victory over Imbler on Feb. 13 at Mission. Symon Picard led with 24 points, five assists and four steals. Rylen Bronson added 18 points, six rebounds and six steal while Weptas Brockie scored 16 points. NIXÁAWII COMMUNITY SCHOOL | COURTESY

Nixyáawii boys cruise into second round of 1A state playoffs

ANNIE FOWLER

The CUJ

MISSION — If you thought Nixyáawii’s offense was fun to watch, its defense is right up there too.

The Golden Eagles had 19 steals and shot above 50% from 3-point range in handing Triangle Lake a 117-38 loss Feb. 26 in the first round of the 1A state playoffs.

“I didn’t expect this,” Nixyáawii coach Aaron Noisey said. “It was good for the boys to get a win and we are looking forward to our next game. You want to be able to move on and play again. A lot of teams don’t get the opportunity. We want to make sure we carry this into the next game.”

Nixyáawii (23-3) will host Country Christian at 6:30 p.m. on March 6 at Baker High School.

Triangle Lake, which finished second in the Mountain West League, finished the season 13-13.

The Golden Eagles were flying high in the first quarter, taking a 30-18 lead behind 13 points from Symon Picard.

It continued in the second quarter as Picard had 12 points, Rylen Bronson 10 and Irvin Stewart nine as the Golden Eagles went on a 37-0 scoring spree for a 67-18 lead at half.

Bronson had a string of six points in the quarter and Jeffrey VanPelt closed out the quarter with a basket.

Picard had 11 points in the third quarter. VanPent poured in 14 in the fourth quarter, hitting two 3-pointers from the left baseline, one from the right baseline, one from the top of the key, and had a steal with a layup for good measure.

“We had five kids in double digits and a kid come off the bench and make four 3s,” Noisey said. “When they are playing as a team, they are

fun to watch. They can do some really good things.”

The Golden Eagles held the Lakers to 10 points in each of the third and fourth quarters with tenacious defense, especially from Sacas Wildbill down the stretch.

“He is one of the kids who understands his role,” Noisey said. “He is in there to play defense and he does great.”

Picard finished with 36 points, five rebounds and two steals, while Bronson had a triple double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. He also had seven of Nixyáawii’s steals.

VanPelt added 16 points and Stewart had 15. Weptas Brockie had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.

Sun Schimmel chipped in seven points and seven rebounds.

Steven Hubbard led the Lakers with 11 points.

Irvin Stewart (32) eyes the basket as Jack Eastburn (15), of Triangle Lake, attempts to block in the Golden Eagles 117-38 win. KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

Jeffery VanPelt goes for a layup during a state playoff game against Triangle Lake on Feb. 26 in Mission. KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

Rylen Bronson shoots under pressure from Triangle Lake’s Ezra Pennel. KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

Weptas Brockie controls the tipoff of against Triangle Lake on Feb. 26 in Mission. KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

Symon Picard goes to the hoop during a state playoff game against Triangle Lake. KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

The

CANCELED

Meet our Nixyáawii foodies-in-training

BROOKLYN

JONES, AIYANA THOMPSON-RED ELK & MARCELLA JACK NCS New Media Class

MISSION – Ever wondered how to impress your friends with mouthwatering meals? Dive into our high school foods class and unlock the foodie within you!

Our foods class is an elective here at Nixyáawii Community School, taught by Ms. Harrison. Foods is a class where students obtain their food handlers certification, learn how to cook and learn recipes for foods they have not made before. The reason why is because not many, or few students, know how to prepare or cook meals for themselves and/or others, or they do not have the time to make meals for themselves – especially if they have sports, school, or even work to go to. The class is available for students in grades 9 - 12 for both semesters of the school year.

We interviewed three students from the foods class at our school: Penelope, Malaeloa and Myalyn. Here’s what they had to say about the class:

Question 1: What do you like most about the class?

Nelly: “What I like most about the class is being able to learn new things and hang out with my friends while also learning life skills. That’s why I joined the class.”

Malaeloa: “What I like most about the class is cooking, which is the main reason why I joined the food class.”

Myalyn: “The things that I like the most about this class is that we are able to be creative with picking our recipes and ingredients. I also like being able to cook things that I wouldn’t normally cook at home.”

WAY TO GO!

Question 2: What has been your favorite dish to cook in the class?

Nelly: “My favorite thing that I have cooked in this class has to be the parmesan chicken and pesto.”

Malaeloa: “My favorite thing I cooked in this class was probably Indian rice.”

MyaLyn: “My favorite dish that we have cooked was the burgers that were made in our competition.’’

Question 3: How long have you been in this class?

Penelope: “I have been in this class since last year, so about two years.”

Malaeloa: I’ve been in this class since the first quarter, which is basically August.”

MyaLyn: “I have been in this class for two quarters. I was in last year for a couple of quarters as well.”

NIXYÁAWII

One Tribal Member One Community Member Applications Due: March 20 (available at the school or on the school website)

Election: April 24

Term: July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2029

Eligibility: Employees of a CTUIR entity or Nixyáawii Community School; parents of children currently enrolled in Nixyáawii Community School, a resident within the boundaries of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Lenae Sampson, left, and MyaLyn Mills take a break from food preparation to mug for the camera. NCS | COURTESY

Cayuse donation to support NCS programs

PENDLETON – Cayuse Holdings donated $10,000 to Nixyáawii Community School (NCS) in a presentation during the school’s final home basketball games of the season in February.

According to a company media release, the contribution was made to underscore Cayuse’s commitment to supporting local education and providing students with exceptional learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

“At Cayuse, we believe in the power of community and education, and are dedicated to fostering learning opportunities for the youth in our area,” said Cayuse CEO

these funds will expand their horizons.”

The funds are earmarked for a variety of educational activities that extend beyond the traditional classroom setting. Students from NCS will benefit from experiential learning opportunities, including a trip to TEDx Portland and extended summer programs that will take them to destinations such as Alaska, the east coast, Yellowstone National Park, the Oregon coast and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

“We are incredibly thankful for Cayuse’s generosity,” said NCS Principal Ryan Heinrich. “This donation not only enhances our

Head Start recruiting new students

MISSION – Cay-Uma-Wa Head Start participated in several events, activities and fun excursions during February.

“One learning activity the children really enjoy is using Ignite by Hatch on their tablets,” Preschool Coordinator Lloyd Commander said.

The Ignite program helps prepare early learners for success by creating play-based experiences that engage and instruct children while providing teachers with data and curricular experiences to help each child succeed, according to the early learning developer. “The tablets are standards-based, research-backed technology,” Commander said. “The children really enjoy their time learning on Hatch.”

Students also got a visit from James Simpson and the Pendleton Mobile Library in February.

“James always brings good books and shares stories with both classes,” Commander said. “Having him visit is just one of the many things we like to do for our students to keep them engaged and interested in learning.”

Head Start is a federally funded program designed to promote school readiness for infants, toddlers and preschoolers from families that meet income eligibility requirements. The Cay-Uma-Wa program also supports children with identified needs (such as physical and developmental delays), children in foster care and children experiencing homelessness. The program links children and families to other services and resources in the community as well, such as free medical and dental care services.

Currently, Cay-Uma-Wa Head Start is actively recruiting and accepting new applications. For more information or an application, call Randy Lyles at 541-429-7843 or Lloyd Commander at 541-429-7836 or email RandyLyles@ctuir.org or LloydCommander@ctuir.org. An application can also be emailed to you or you can download a copy from www.ctuir.org.

Bear class students, Ellie, Raiya, Jerry and Thomas use the Hatch learning program on their tablets.

Cayuse Holdings donates $10,000 to Nixyáawii Community School. From left to right, School Board Chair Ashley Picard, Principal Ryan Heinrich, Cayuse Holdings Board Member Leo Stewart and School Board Education and Training Committee Appointee Candice Patrick . CAYUSE HOLDINGS

What to do if confronted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

FROM THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE UMATILLA INDIAN RESERVATION

If ICE agents approach or question you in PUBLIC:

• Ask to verify their identity: Politely request to see the agents’ identification or badge to confirm their legitimacy.

• Do not resist: In the event ICE agents force entry, remain calm and avoid resistance to their actions.

• If you are detained or arrested, clearly state, “I am exercising my right to remain silent. I want to speak to my attorney.”

• Document the encounter: If possible, record the interaction through video or audio and make note of important details such as names, times, and any relevant circumstances.

• Report the encounter: Notify your local American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) affiliate or legal support organization about any raids or checkpoints for proper follow-up assistance.

If ICE agents show up to your HOME:

• Do not open the door: If ICE agents do not present a valid warrant, keep the door securely closed and respectively state, “I do not consent to your entry.”

• Ask for a warrant: Ask to see a warrant signed by a judge before allowing action to proceed.

Tribal Membership Identification Card Information:

• To further protect yourself, carry your CTUIR-issued tribal membership card.

• Tribal identification cards are issued through the CTUIR Enrollment Department.

• Cards are $5. To contact Enrollment, email enrollment@ctuir.org or call 541429-7025, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., no appointment necessary.

2025 NICHT-YOW-WAY ADVISORY GROUP

CTUIR ELDER BIRTHDAYS

An Elder birthday cake will be at every Elder Meeting to recognize Elders on their birthday.

ELDERS AGE

Pick up your pass at the Nixyáawii Governance Center from DCFS or the Veterans Office. If you need your pass mailed or released to another person, call and let us know 541-429-7388.

Please update your contact information with the CTUIR Enrollment Office if any of your information has changed.

2025 Nicht-Yow-Way Elder Advisory Meetings

Meetings will be held at 9 a.m. in the Laxsimwit Conference Room at Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center. *Dates are subject to change.

Mary C. Halfmoon Chair

Malvin Jamison Vice-Chair

Kathleen Elliott Sec/Treasurer

IN REMEMBERANCE

Tammy M. Sams

July 28, 1956 – February 10, 2025

With heavy hearts, the Sams Family announces Tammy Sams has started her journey Home on Monday, February 10, 2025. Tammy was born on July 28, 1956, in Pendleton Oregon to Charles and Ruby Sams, Sr. Tammy grew up in Weston Oregon surrounded by her 8 siblings and parents. Tammy was enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux of the Fort Peck Tribe, and a Walla Walla and Cayuse descendant of CTUIR. Tammy attended grade school at Weston and High school at WestonMcEwen, where she excelled in high school sports, Tammy was an All-Star Athlete, she excelled in Basketball and Track & Field, winning State title, in javelin and disc. Tammy graduated in 1975 and received a full educational scholarship to Blue Mountain College to play basketball, where she still holds the title for 50 years for most steals in a season: 82 steals. Tammy was inducted into the CTUIR Hall of Fame in the early 2000 and Weston- McEwen Hall of Fame in 2022.

Tammy was a very kind and gentle soul who brought joy to everyone. Tammy had wonderful qualities of kindness, generosity and compassion. Tammy had friendships that extended all over the country, she never knew an enemy. She was a friend to all, who would do anything for anybody. Tammy was a devoted Auntie to all her nephews and nieces, including great nephews and nieces, always attending their functions and supporting them in everything

they participated in. Tammy was a person of much social wealth and she did things the way she wanted to do them. Tammy possessed a strong work ethic and worked in the road construction industry for 24 years. Tammy will be deeply missed.

Tammy was preceded in death by her parents Chuck and Ruby Sams, her brothers Butch Sams, John “Sluggo” Sams, Donald Sams, and Jack Sams. Tammy is survived by her daughter Josephine Broncheau of Kamiah ID, lifelong companion Billie Blackeagle of Kamiah ID, sisters Mary Sams Tester of Walla Walla, WA, Margaret Sams and Sally Sams-Kosey of Pendleton, Georgiann Licht of Albany, OR, her brothers Dave Sams of Thornhollow, OR and Kim Sams of Weston, OR. In addition, to numerous extended family and nephews and nieces. Her family will never forget the love she brought to their lives.

A viewing was held Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Burns Mortuary. At Tammy’s request she did not want a formal service. The family will have a Celebration of Life at a later date to be announced.

Cecelia Ee-Yum-Ta-Ta Crawford

November 16, 1995 – February 2, 2025

Cecelia Jewel Crawford was born November 16, 1995, in Pendleton, Oregon and passed away on February 2, 2025, in Pendleton, Oregon. She is the daughter of Robert Crawford, Sr. and Marie Dave Crawford. She leaves behind her son William Everette Crawford, Mother Marie Dave Crawford, Sister Lori Crawford Templin (Jerrad), Brothers Leo Crawford, Robert Crawford, Jr., and Joseph Crawford (Tasha).

Cecelia attended Pendleton High School and was a former employee of Wildhorse Cineplex.

She was preceded in death by her Dad Robert Crawford, Sr., Grandmothers Ernestine Waters and Kathleen Gordon. Grandfathers Leo James Crawford, Leonard Dave, Sr., and Gordon Waters. Her Aunts Carol Crawford Kirk and Marion Crawford.

Cecelia was a treasure. She was our little Jewel. She had a strong faith and always shared her love.

We will always remember Cecelia as our precious Mom, Sister, daughter, Niece and friend, so many wonderful memories. We will love you forever and for always our “Sister” also known as Bomber Man her name given to her by her dad.

Leon Daniel Sheoships

June 5, 1947 – February 7, 2025

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Leon Daniel Sheoships, who left us on February 7, 2025, at the age of 77. Born in Pendleton, OR, on June 5, 1947, to Dorothy (Miles) and John Sheoships, Leon lived a life full of love, laughter, and simple pleasures.

Leon was a man who cherished time spent with family and was often found enjoying the great outdoors, especially fishing, where he found peace and joy.

His love for the outdoors extended to cleaning his guns and polishing his boots – habits that reflected his strength and meticulous nature. Leon was a Marine who fought in the Vietnam War and received a Purple Heart for his service to the country.

An avid reader, Leon found joy in the pages of his favorite books, often immersed in the thrilling tales of Stephen King, the mysterious world of Bigfoot stories, and books about aviation.

Leon is survived by his wife, Nora Sheoships (Bourke); sisters June Sheoships, Anna Sheoships, Elma Sheoships, and Alva Sheoships; daughters Cecelia Sheoships, Shari Sheoships, and Karen Lee; grandchildren Carrisa Close, Lily Sheoships, Paul Sheoships, Wauker Tate, Jonathan Tate, Vincent Sheoships, Jerold Billy, Sean Lee, Frank Lee, and Frankie Lee; greatgrandchildren Nettie Sheoships, Nikko Close, Dalton Dave, and Lucas Frank. He is also survived by extended family members from CTUIR and Whiteriver, AZ.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and John Sheoships; sisters, Bernadine Sheoships, Erma Sheoships, and Harriet Bott; brothers, Orville Sheoships and Emmett Sheoships; his daughter, Misty Sheoships; and his grandson, Dalton McKay.

Frances “Frannie” James July 16, 1998 – February 25, 2025

With a lot of sorrow, we announce the passing of Frances “Frannie” James, who left us on February 25, 2025. Frannie was a loving daughter, sister, granddaughter, auntie, cousin and friend who touched many lives with her strong will, generosity, and unwavering spirit.

She was born on July 16, 1998, in Pendleton, OR to Carmen James and Christopher Wilson. Frannie was raised on the Umatilla Indian Reservation and was a member of the CTUIR. Frannie had a passion for animals, singing, and rock hunting. She attended Nixyáawii Community School and Pendleton High School.

Frannie is survived by her parents; her sisters, Sierra (Logan) Quaempts and Miranda Dixson; her

brothers, Isaiah Shippentower and Justin Dixson; her grandparents, Roberta J. Wilson, Rosenda Shippentower, and JP and Anna Patt; her uncle Jojo Johnson; her niece Hazel Quaempts; her nephew Elton Quaempts; and many uncles, aunties, and cousins. Her legacy will continue to live on through them and through the many lives she touched through her uniqueness. She was preceded in death by her grandfather’s Foy Wilson and Harry James; her grandmother Laura McKay; her uncles, John and Bob Shippentower, Steve Wilson, Allen A. Spencer, Jerry M. Spencer and Jed Johnson; and her cousins Jerry R. Spencer and Nolan E. Spencer. Frances James’ presence in our lives was a beautiful gift, and her memory will always be in our hearts and lives. We will miss her but we will never forget her.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

CITY OF JOHN DAY, OREGON

Project No. WWTP-001

JOHN DAY WWTF UV DISINFECTION EQUIPMENT PRE-PROCUREMENT - 2025

City of John Day, Oregon • 450 East Main Street • John Day, Oregon 97845

The City of John Day, Oregon invites Proposals for the procurement of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection equipment for the John Day Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) Improvements Project. The work for this contract involves the pre-procurement of UV disinfection equipment, associated electrical components and instrumentation, and any other work indicated in the drawings and specifications as part of the UV disinfection equipment package. Work includes submission of shop drawings, equipment fabrication, delivery to the site, testing, startup, and training. The UV disinfection system will be installed in a dedicated building where the contractor will supply and install the interconnecting piping, electrical, and pneumatic connections between system sub-elements.

An electronic copy of the Proposal shall be emailed to laurentetzloff@kennedyjenks.com as a combined PDF by the following date and time for receiving proposals.

Proposals will be received until 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time on March 19th, 2025 at which time the Proposals received will be publicly opened and read.

The original copy of the Proposal with wet signatures shall be delivered to the following address so that it arrives by Friday, 21 March 2025: City of John Day, 450 E Main Street, John Day, Oregon 97845. All questions and communications shall be submitted by e-mail to the e-mail address and attention listed below and shall specifically reference this UV Disinfection Equipment Procurement and the project number: Lauren Tetzloff, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, laurentetzloff@kennedyjenks.com.

Information on the proposal is available at the John Day City website: https://www.cityofjohnday. com/rfps. The digital Proposal Documents may be downloaded for a non-refundable payment of $5.00 by inputting QuestCDN eBidDoc Number 9557817 on the QuestCDN website. Assistance with free QuestCDN membership registration, document downloading, and working with the digital Project information may be obtained at QuestCDN.com, at 952-233-1632, or via e-mail at info@questcdn.com. No paper sets will be provided.

The Owner is an equal opportunity employer. Minority and women-owned businesses are encouraged to propose. Minority and women-owned businesses should indicate they are a minority on the Plan holders List.

Published: March 6, 2025

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL CITY OF JOHN DAY, OREGON

Project No. WWTP-002

JOHN DAY WWTF HEADWORKS SCREEN

City of John Day, Oregon • 450 East Main Street • John Day, Oregon 97845

The City of John Day, Oregon invites Proposals for the procurement of headworks screen equipment for the John Day Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) Improvements Project. The work for this contract involves the pre-procurement of a 6-mm headworks screen, associated electrical components and instrumentation, and any other work indicated in the drawings and specifications as part of the headworks screen package. Work includes submission of shop drawings, equipment fabrication, delivery to the site, testing, startup, and training. The screen will be installed in a concrete channel located outdoors at the new John Day WWTF.

An electronic copy of the Proposal shall be emailed to laurentetzloff@kennedyjenks.com as a combined PDF by the following date and time for receiving proposals.

Proposals will be received until 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time on March 19th, 2025 Proposals received will be publicly opened and read.

The original copy of the Proposal with wet signatures shall be delivered to the following address so that it arrives by Friday, 21 March 2025: City of John Day, 450 E Main Street, John Day, Oregon 97845. All questions and communications shall be submitted by e-mail to the e-mail address and attention listed below and shall specifically reference this Headworks Screen Equipment Procurement and the project number: Lauren Tetzloff, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, laurentetzloff@kennedyjenks.com.

Information on the proposal is available at the John Day City website: https://www.cityofjohnday. com/rfps. The digital Proposal Documents may be downloaded for a non-refundable payment of $5.00 by inputting QuestCDN eBidDoc Number 9557813 with free QuestCDN membership registration, document downloading, and working with the digital Project information may be obtained at QuestCDN.com, at 952-233-1632, or via e-mail at info@questcdn.com. No paper sets will be provided.