Confederated Umatilla Journal 02-2020

It’s an Old Oregon beat down as hoop playoffs near.

2020 Census

information effort begins

Where will Nixyáawii Golden Eagles play football next fall?

More on Page 2A.

More on Page 1B.

More on Page 1B.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

2 Sections, 48 pages Publish date Feb. 6, 2020

The monthly newspaper of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation ~ Pendleton, Oregon February 2020

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Volume 28, Issue 2

Constitutional amendment election Feb. 26 MISSION – Voters will be asked in a special election Feb. 26 if they want the Umatilla Indian Reservation boundary to be defined by the Treaty of 1855.

A yes vote would amend the 1947 Constitution for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, adding nine words to the current verbiage of Article VI, Section 2: “as defined in Article 1 of the Treaty of 1855.”

The boundary defined by the Treaty of 1855 would include parts of Pendleton, Adams and Athena that are outside the current or “diminished boundary.”

The issue has been debated over the last two years. It was the crux of the matter that led to the controversial removal last year of Sally Kosey from her position on the Board of Trustees. The “diminished boundary” issue also was the driving force behind the election of five new members of the BOT last November.

The CTUIR Election Commission has two official notices in this paper. A Notice of Tribal Special Election with voter information is on Page 4A. A question-and-answer explanation of the proposed constitutional amendment with a map is on Page 5A.

Big

Gobbler standoff

Despite the frosty morning Feb. 3, this pair of toms was inspired by sunny skies and squared off as if their spring honor was at stake. Athena photographer Robert McLean captured this image near Thornhollow. He said one tom from a group of three and another from a pair locked up and pushed each other through the weeds and then around in circles in an open field. Finally, one fell and the other jumped on top of his foe. At that point, the remaining three attacked the loser. The fight lasted almost 10 minutes.

Contributed Photo/Robert McLean

BAAD hoop bash trimmed to two days

By Wil Phinney of the CUJ MISSION – The 33rd annual BAAD Tournament, Mission’s March Madness hoopfest that draws teams from Oregon, Washington and Idaho during school’s

spring vacation, is being reduced from eight days to two this year.

The changes were announced Jan. 29 in an official news release posted on the website of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Young CTUIR members as well as former players, coaches and volunteers are disappointed that organizers are shortening the youth basketball tournament and eliminating the popular 15-18-year-old boys’ and girls’ brackets.

“It may be one small little week, but kids from Warm Springs, Lapwai, Yakama come here to our reservation, because ours is the safest, and we’re one big family,” said Keyen Singer, 16, a sophomore BAAD on Page 14A

The beat goes on...

Fred Hill, far left, is passing the tradition of teaching the big drum and tribal songs down to Kelsey Burns, at Nixyaawii Community School. See the story on Page 9B.

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation 46411 Timine Way Pendleton, OR 97801 CUJ photo/Megan Van Pelt

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‘It can be frustrating when people won’t respond because they think the government is up to something...’ - Toni Minthorn, CTUIR Enrollment Office

U.S. Census aims to enumerate everybody

By Wil Phinney of the CUJ MISSION – Toni Minthorn hopes everybody will respond online to the 2020 Census by the time the official count begins April 1 on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

That way maybe Census enumerators – counters – can avoid those untrusting Tribal members who answer their door with a gun in their hands.

“Some people have zero trust in anyone showing up at their door and have threatened to shoot people if they don’t leave. There’s usually two or three during each count,” said Minthorn, manager of the Enrollment Program for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).

The Enrollment Program takes the lead every 10 years for the official U.S. Census and attempts to count every man, woman and child – everyone, Indian and non-Indian – living on the Reservation.

This will be Minthorn’s third Census.

“We actually started preparing about two years ago and will have another year or so of follow up,” she said.

The effort began in earnest Feb. 6 when the Tribal Complete Count Committee (TCCC) met for the first time to start planning its public awareness campaign.

The CTUIR Board of Trustees on Jan. 15 authorized the formation of the TCCC as a formal ad hoc committee to advocate and educate the community and reservation residents about the Census. An approved resolution calls for bi-monthly meetings and event presentations.

CTUIR member Shana Radford, a Tribal Partnership Specialist representing Oregon and Idaho for the U.S. Census Bureau, was scheduled to be here for the TCCC meeting and was also expected to make a presentation at the Tribes’ Feb. 20 General Council meeting.

Radford will be on the road this spring “engaging tribes in education and empowering tribal communities to participate” in the Census to “make sure there is an accurate account of tribal people.”

That wasn’t done 10 years ago.

In fact, it is estimated that there was a 4.9 percent undercount of Native Americans in 2000, Radford said.

It is important to have an accurate count because federal funding is based on population, as is the national election process that determines the number of Congressmen representing each state.

When Tribal people aren’t counted, there are fewer dollars allocated to things like Indian education as well as federal housing, Indian block grants, school lunch programs, foster care, Head Start, and the Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA) in Portland, among other things.

Those services not only go to reservations but to urban areas where it is estimated half of the country’s Native American population lives.

Specifically on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Radford said, Census data is vital for calculating fed-

“... In every tribal community the people want to look after each other. They want to take care of the elders and the youth, and the Census is a tool to do that ... The Census is a way for our nations to survive.’

- Shana Radford, U. S. Census Bureau Tribal Partnership Specialist representing Oregon and Idaho

eral funding and grants for Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, many programs of the Department of Children and Family Services, even projects that require building infrastructure.

“The Census paints a picture of the community, of who we are and who we want to be,” Radford said.

Radford said the Census is a way for Tribes to be independent.

“In every tribal community the people want to look after each other. They want to take care of the elders and the youth and the Census is a tool to do that. We want to act like nations and participate as modern governments.

The Census, through the data it provides, is a way for our nations to survive,” Radford said.

U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham counted the first person and household in the 2020 Census Jan. 21 in Toksook Bay, Alaska, one of approximately 220 remote Alaska villages. Following a four-day 2020 Census awareness trip in Anchorage and Bethel, Dillingham traveled to Toksook Bay where he met local census takers, village leaders and residents.

He delivered the first 2020 Census questionnaire to the first household selected by village leaders.

The questionnaire will be mailed out March 12 on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The Census asks basic questions about renting or owning a home, plus the

Confederated Umatilla Journal

46411 Timine Way Pendleton, OR 97801 Phone 541-429-7005

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Fax 541-429-7005 Email cuj@ctuir.org www.ctuir.org

name and sex and age of residents.

It also asks about the number of people living or staying in a home, including grandparents and babies, which can sometimes make people nervous, Radford said.

“People might be afraid to be truthful if they are over occupancy in a HUD house,” Radford said, “but they need to know we don’t share information. It’s all aggregated and they should feel comfortable sharing the numbers.”

Essentially, Radford said, there are lots of reasons why people are reluctant to participate.

“People fear the government, confidentiality, apathy.

‘Why does it matter to me? Why are you asking me for information? I don’t see the money or I don’t receive the money so why should I care?’ There’s just a lot of distrust. People don’t understand why it’s important or what’s at stake. It’s my job to engage tribes to help people understand,” Radford said.

The questionnaire will include instructions on how to participate.

“We realize that not everyone has computer access,” Minthorn said. “That’s where the Complete Count Committee comes in. Through their efforts we hope to find people without computer access and either send someone with a laptop to assist them and/or let them know where there are computers that they can use.”

Minthorn said the Census work can be gratifying, but it also can be exasperating.

“It’s rewarding when I feel like all of our Tribal members, and other reservation residents have been included in the counts,” she said. “It can be frustrating when people won’t respond because they think the government is up to somethings because they want information.”

All the information, though, is kept “extremely confidential” and only statistical information is released until 70 years have passed, Minthorn said.

If residents on the reservation don’t respond online by May they will receive a reminder. If they don’t respond after that they will get a knock on the door.

“We will go above and beyond,” Radford said.

But it will “only be when people don’t respond electronically,” Minthorn said.

And if someone gets a visit from a Census Bureau employee, they should have a laptop in their hands to assist with the response.

Census jobs available There are about 200 Census jobs available in Umatilla County, according to Minthorn.

“It’s a great opportunity for people who are retired or going to school to earn extra money. The schedules are flexible and they get paid for going through the training,” she said.

Minthorn made it clear the CTUIR does not hire people to work on the Reservation; the Census Bureau does.

Apply online at 2020Census.gov.

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

February 2020

CUJ News Community input sought on climate adaptation plan

By Casey Brown of the CUJ MISSION - “This plan is the most recent step in a millennia-long adaptation process,” said Colleen Sanders, Climate Adaptation Planner for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).

Sanders is writing a Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the Tribes with the help of the community. It is a multi-year project that she will to wrap up by the end of the year.

Sanders will host four community meetings and present the adaptation plan to the CTUIR Board of Trustees and several Tribal committees and commissions throughout the year.

The purpose is to solicit feedback from as many voices as possible.

Community meetings will examine seven areas impacted by climate change: water (surface and groundwater), First Foods availability and access, infrastructure and built systems, human health and happiness, economics and community, energy (independence), and Tribal Sovereignty and Treaty Rights.

The first meeting’s in March (the Wheat and other crops grown on the Umatilla Indian Reservation and throughout this region will be impacted by changes in climate, and so will First Foods that grow naturally. The Tribal community is being asked to help develop a Climate Adaptation Plan that will take an indigenous approach to the process. date will be announced) and include an 2018 File Photo/Miranda Vega Rector overview of the plan and climate science.

The discussion topic will be water and ment, and take an indigenous approach “To Be Determined” blank spaces leave been done. fisheries. to planning, rather than a Western one. room the voice of the people. Sanders “Adaptation is so ingrained in tribal Meetings will start with a blessing “It’s not going to be 300 pages. I want wants others – tribal members, staff, el- culture – in stories, in tribal practices, in and telling of the CTUIR creation story. people to be excited, not overwhelmed,” ders, youth, community members — to the way of life.”

Next, an expert in the given topic will she said. fill in those blanks.

The plan will show that the Tribes are give a short presentation.

“One thing that “Community members are going to be in the middle of an existing process.

The bulk of the meeting, makes me feel better in able to see what I can’t, what I may have “This is not starting from scratch. however, will be dis- ‘Indigenous overwhelming dark- missed,” she said. “We are building this We’ve already been doing this. We are cussion and storytelling is small actions I together. This isn’t about any one person, more re-labeling this and putting a new peoples have been ness from the audience. can take,” she said. this is about all of us coming together in focus on it.”

“The goal is to make adapting to climate She explains that a the face of climate change.”

Ultimately, Sanders is building a plan climate change relevant lot of Western planTribes are uniquely positioned to lead that works for everyone, which is in line to every person, staff change since time ning focuses on pri- the way in climate change adaptation, with what the community has told her member, community immemorial.’ orities rather than she says, and are not new to adaptation. about connectedness. It also defies the people, and people in connectedness. The “Indigenous peoples have been adapt- incorrect assumption that people are the far-flung corners of community has told ing to climate change since time imme- separate from each other and separate - Colleen Sanders, CTUIR the reservation,” Sandher that priority-fomorial.” from the land, which Sanders says is the Climate Adaptation Planner ers said. cused planning does Furthermore, a full chapter in the plan root of climate change.

She is quick to point not work in a tribal “celebrates” climate change adaptation “I want everyone to see themselves in out how this plan will be usable. She context, and she’s taken that into account. that has already taken place. this plan. This plan is to build a vision of says it will include accessible (rather than It is evident that the plan is a work in “It is important to me for a big part of a better future that makes people excited technical) language, be a “living” docu- progress, but that’s intentional. Lots of this plan to be celebrating what’s already to get this work done.”

Valentine’s Gathering for community planned Feb. 12 MISSION – A Valentine’s Gathering is planned Wednesday, Feb. 12 when the Cay-Uma-Wa Community Youth Culture Group meets at the Mission Longhouse.

A community spaghetti dinner is planned at 5:30 p.m. with a grand entry at 6 p.m. and dancing for all ages to take place until about 8.

This will be the ninth year for the Valentine’s Gathering, which will take place during the Youth Culture Night that each week draws children and parents to the Longhouse to participate in cultural activities.

Families are asked to bring rolls, salads, desserts and cake for the dinner.

Dancing will include inter-tribal for girls and boys, an owl dance, rabbit dance, inter-tribal for adults, and finally a round dance (cake dance) for the community.

The Community Youth Culture Group routinely draws as many as 60 children each Wednesday to the

February 2020

Longhouse where a core group of adults, plus parents, facilitate a variety of activities. Most of the students are grade-schoolers from Washington Elementary with a few from Sunridge Middle School. Older young people, up through high school, are invited to participate.

In early January, more than 100 people attended a Culture Night when five boys performed in a first Washat drumming ceremony. On another Wednesday in January there was a rejoining ceremony for several young people who had lost grandparents during the previous year.

“We’re trying to keep the kids involved with their culture and dancing,” said Babette Cowapoo, one of a group of adults who regularly assist with activities on Wednesday evenings.

Other members of that core group include Rachel Matamoros, Sally Kosey, Linda Jones, Trinette Minthorn, Katherine Minthorn, Shelly Morrison, Randall Minthorn and Caleb Minthorn.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

“There are different people helping all the time,” Cowapoo said. “We want to keep our kids dancing, keep it going.”

Matamoros said the Wednesday evening gatherings, which take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m., always include dinner followed by cultural dancing. Sometimes the children do crafts such as creating necklaces.

“There are more girls than boys,” Matamoros said.

“We need some boys.”

Other activities have included skating at the Pendleton Skate Center and dodgeball in the Community Center Gym. A family activity involving parents takes place at the end of each month.

The Youth Culture Nights start on the first Wednesday in October and go through the middle of April when spring activities, like Little League baseball, begin to take over evening schedules.

For more information, contact Cowapoo at 541-9693303 or Matamoros at 541-429-7485.

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CUJ News Oregon’s new hate crimes law sparks local conversation

By Casey Brown of the CUJ MISSION – A hate hotline has been implemented as a result of Oregon’s new Hate and Bias Crimes Law that went into effect Jan. 1.

The Oregon Department of Justice’s (DOJ) new “Report and Support System” could help officials react to hate and bias crimes on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, but people on the front lines of the Tribes’ Family Violence Services Program wonder if the effort could be stronger.

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The new Oregon law creates the hotline phone number through the Oregon DOJ for victims to reach trained staff, adds gender identity to the list of protected classes, and sets up a new reporting system for the state to better track data on hate and bias incidents, according to a Jan. 28 Oregon DOJ press release.

On the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Department of Family Violence Services frequently deals with crimes, including hate and bias crimes, and the consequences that victims face.

Desiree Coyote and Enola Dick regularly work with

Confederated Umatilla Journal

victims and said the subject of hate and bias causes a mixture of emotions and reactions.

“This is a hard topic for a lot of people. They don’t want to talk about it for a variety of reasons,” Coyote said. “But if we don’t address these topics for our people then who will?”

“Racism is trauma also, but we’ve dealt with hatred for so long that we’ve gotten accustomed to letting it bypass us, yet we still deal with that physical, emotional, and spiritual trauma,” said Coyote, a CTUIR tribal member.

She estimates that hate and bias incidents are under reported, and she wonders if mistrust toward the government and law enforcement due the prior missteps and failures of those entities plays a role in that lack of reporting.

“For me, collecting that data on hatred and racism – I bet it’s happened quite a bit out here, but the victims might not have known they could report, or if they could report to the police, would they feel comfortable to do so?” She asked: “How come? What makes it unsafe to report it?”

Oregon DOJ’s Director of Civil Rights Fay StetzWaters is aware that there is existing mistrust to overcome.

“We understand that mistrust is an issue. We have a diverse group of community leaders on our steering committee, including law enforcement, that understand the reason for the mistrust and who are working diligently to earn the trust of those who experience hate and bias.

“The person recruited for this position will have extensive experience working with diverse populations, communicating in a trauma-informed and cultural respectful and competent manner,” she said in an email to the CUJ. Coyote said that she and her children have dealt with racism all their lives. Her daughter was kicked and spit on regularly in school.

“When our students face racism in school, I’m hoping this new law will help,” Coyote said.

Coyote and Dick both wondered how effective it would be in an area like Umatilla County.

“I think it will succeed more in the cities than rural areas because in rural areas, what’s the umbrella of protection you can have?” Coyote said.

“It’s hard. Like when you know that you aren’t going to get an apartment because of your last name or the color of your skin. If you report it, you know that landlord is going to tell all the other landlords that you filed a report against them.”

Stetz-Waters understands there are different challenges in rural areas.

“Challenges in rural areas involve a limited number of referral resources to help support their neighbor who has experienced a hate or bias incident. We know there are people who are supporting their fellow friends and neighbors without recognition or support. We would like to help them with that work,” she said.

Dick hopes that things will start to change with this new avenue.

“It could help catch it before it gets out of hand,” she said. “It’s scary because you never know how far hate will go.”

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum in January rolled out a statewide public service announcement campaign about the new law and its hotline.

“We want all Oregonians in every corner of the state to know our new law protects them. For the first time, victims have a statewide hotline number to call when they have experienced hate or bias incidents in their own community.

“The number is 1-844-924-BIAS (2427). The hotline has trained staff available Monday-Friday, who will help victims connect with resources best suited to their needs,” she said in the press release.

The website is www.StandAgainstHate.oregon.gov.

February 2020

Special CTUIR Election – Feb. 26, 2020 This information about the PROPOSED CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT is provided by the Election Commission for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation The 1949 CTUIR Constitution (Article VI, Section 2) requires that members of the Board of Trustees be residents of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The Constitution does not define the Reservation boundary a Board member must reside within.

The Reservation residency and boundary issue has been the subject of recent Election Code amendments by the Board of Trustees.

The purpose of the proposed Constitutional amendment is to define which Reservation boundary a member of the Board of Trustees must reside within to be eligible to serve on the Board.

The proposed amendment does not affect Tribal sovereignty, Treaty-reserved fishing, hunting and gathering rights nor individual Tribal member rights.

Question: What is the current language in Article VI, Section 2 of the CTUIR Constitution that requires Board of Trustees members to be residents of the Umatilla Indian Reservation?

Answer: “No member shall be qualified to act as a member of the Board of Trustees who is a nonresident of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.”

Question: How would the proposed Constitutional amendment change Article VI, Section 2?

Answer: The above sentence would be amended by adding the underlined language: “No member shall be qualified to act as a member of the Board of Trustees who is a non-resident of the Umatilla Indian Reservation as defined in Article I of the Treaty of 1855.”

Question: What happens if the proposed amendment is approved by the General Council?

Answer: Board members would be required to live within the boundary of the Umatilla Indian Reservation as defined in Article I of the Treaty of 1855, which area is shown on the map. This Treaty boundary includes parts of Pendleton, Adams and Athena that are outside of the current Reservation boundary.

Question: What happens if the proposed amendment is not approved by the General Council?

Answer: The language in Article VI, Section 2 of the CTUIR Constitution would remain unchanged, and the Board members would be required to be residents of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, but the Constitution would not define the Reservation boundary that applied. If the Constitution does not define the Reservation boundary, then the Board of Trustees could use its’ authority to pass laws to define the reservation boundary wherein the Board members must reside. The Board has amended the Election Code 4 times (1993, 2018, 2019, 2020) to define the Reservation boundary for eligibility to serve on the Board of Trustees.

Question: How did the proposed Constitutional amendment get on the Special Election Ballot?

Answer: A motion to place the proposed Constitutional amendment to Article VI, Section 2 was approved at the General Council meeting on August 29, 2019. The Board of Trustees, by Resolution 19-057 (September 6, 2019) directed the Tribal Election Commission to schedule and conduct a Special Election for a vote on the amendment.

Argument in Favor of Proposed Constitutional Amendment – YES vote Establishing the 1855 Treaty Reservation boundary for Board of Trustees member resi-

dency purposes honors the Treaty of 1855.

Defining the Reservation boundary for Board member residency purposes would eliminate the need to define the Reservation boundary in the Election Code and would preclude the Board of Trustees from amending the Election Code to change the Reservation boundary for Board member residency purposes in a manner that conflicts with the Constitution.

Housing availability on the current Umatilla Indian Reservation is limited and that is why some Tribal members are forced to live outside the current Reservation. If the proposed amendment does not pass, many Tribal members may not be eligible to serve on the Board of Trustees.

Argument Against the Proposed Amendment – NO vote Using the 1855 Treaty boundary would allow persons to serve on the Board of Trustees that do not live in the Tribal community and within the current boundary of the Umatilla Indian Reservation where CTUIR laws apply.

Requiring elected Tribal government officials to live within the current Reservation boundaries is followed by almost all Tribes – even those that have had their Reservation boundaries changed.

THIS INFORMATION WAS COMPILED AND THE SPACE PAID FOR BY THE CTUIR ELECTION COMMISSION February 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Holding the hillside

A few hundred head of elk in bunches up and down the Umatilla River, mostly on the north side, had moved to lower country when snow fell in January.

Springlike weather sent the mercury into the mid-60s before another cold snap arrived with wet snow on Feb. 4.

CUJ photo/Phinney

CUJ Opinion If there’s time, bring BAAD back

I

f you read the long story about BAAD that starts on Page 1 you know that the basketball community of players, former players, volunteers and coaches, along with the people who advocate for healthy lifestyles, are pretty upset that the older brackets for girls and boys ages 15-18 years old have been eliminated.

As planned next month, the Basketball Against Alcohol and Drugs tournament, in its 33rd year, is being reduced from eight days to two.

If there’s time, BAAD should be revived to include the older teams for the full week in March.

There needs to be just one reason: The kids deserve to play.

BAAD has been an annual Mission event at the Community Center Gym longer than two members of the recently elected Board of Trustees have been alive.

The new Board has expressed its concern for this BAAD situation ever since a news release was issued in late January announcing the changes to the tournament.

The Board is stymied to an extent because they are policy makers and their authority is, in fact, limited.

What is happening with the BAAD tournament is an Educaiton Department operational decision, with the approval of the CTUIR Executive Director’s office.

The BOT would be micro-managing if it got into those weeds.

And because Tribal government doesn’t provide actual cash funding, as in an earmarked line item, the Board’s authority over the budget isn’t at issue.

But it could be.

What better program to toss a few thousand bucks at than one that brings together hundreds of girls and boys in a positive, structured, controlled environment with an overriding theme of healthy living?

What’s to stop the CTUIR from turning BAAD into bigger and better?

CUJ Confederated Umatilla Journal

Chris Minthorn, playing for the Cayuse Young Chiefs, would be playing in the 15-18-year-old division this year.

CUJ File Photo

Why be satisfied with just adding the older brackets back in?

What’s stopping the Board and the community from reinventing BAAD and making it a premier tournament, especially now that the Eagles Nest is such a fine facility for hosting our basketball neighbors?

Why couldn’t we feed every kid breakfast before their game at 8 in the morning or give them a sack

46411 Timine Way Pendleton, OR 97801 541-429-7005 FAX 541-429-7005 e-mail: cuj@ctuir.org www.ctuir.org

Publisher:

Chuck Sams CUJ staff: Wil Phinney, Editor Casey Brown, Reporter/Photographer Dallas Dick, Freelance Photographer Megan Van Pelt, Intern

lunch before they go to their prevention classes with their presenters from Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center?

Why couldn’t a schedule be worked out to include a spaghetti feed or a chili feed at the community center gym or at the Longhouse for players and fans?

BAAD has routinely taken place during Oregon’s spring vacation, the third week in March, Saturday through Saturday.

This year young players from age 6 to 14 will play in three divisions over two days – March 23 and 24 – using the Community Center Gym at the July Grounds and the double side-by-side gym at the new Nixyaawii Community School.

It draws literally hundreds of players from teams in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The yearly boilerplate numbers are 64 teams, 600 players and more than 100 games.

Families schedule vacations around the BAAD tournament.

Some schools, including Lapwai, have actually changed their spring vacation schedules because so many kids were leaving school to compete on teams playing in the BAAD tournament on the Umatilla Rez. Yeah. It will be a lot of work and it’s easy to say for the guys typing the words here.

But if the community commentary is any indication, the BAAD support is available.

This is a basketball community. Basketball is in this community’s blood.

This basketball community should get this year’s BAAD boy going again and start the ball rolling to make BAAD 2021 the beginning of a legendary tournament that will last another 30 years.

It may take an official directive and organization, but certainly this Tribe can put on a basketball tournament. ~ CUJ

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

16 awards in 2018, including first places for best feature story, feature photo, environmental coverage.

Next CUJ: March 5 Ad deadline: Feb. 18 News deadline: Feb. 25

February 2020

CUJ Op-Eds & Columns New Board up for the challenge of a new decade

T

he first two months as Board of Trustees Chair has been a rewarding challenge.

It is nice to see a BOT that wants to work together to make positive changes. We all have different views, but at the same time we are listening and challenging each other as Board members should.

We are not perfect, but we are not afraid to look at the future for our Tribal members.

That means looking closely at the things that make us a community, from the environment and housing to education and enterprises.

It means considering our history and tradition as much as we consider our needs for today and into the next seven generations.

With five new BOT members a lot of questions are being asked. Those questions and probing comments help everyone understand issues in different ways.

I believe this Board will look and consider matters from the various viewpoints we all bring to the table, and I expect we all will bring with us the viewpoints of the people we hear from in the community. Those

Kathryn Brigham, Board of Trustees Chair

‘With five new BOT members a lot of questions are being asked. Those questions and probing comments help everyone understand issues in different ways.’

voices will include the informed staff who work for us in Tribal government.

At the end of January, after eight weeks in office, we attended our first Board retreat. Before the retreat the BOT asked for input from General Council, Tribal Commissions, Committees and Boards. We reviewed

that input and discussed how best to bring everyone together to work on identified issues.

It was good for us to work through early personality issues. It was good to listen to each other. It was good to hear from staff and I hope it was good for staff to hear from us.

By the conclusion of the retreat, it was unmistakably clear that we all want to work together.

Not one Board member, not one staff member, not one Tribal department or a single program can identify a solution to address an issue or fix a problem.

It is going to take all of us working together to explore options, short and long-term, and find solutions.

I am more confident than ever that this new Board is up for the challenge.

This Board is dedicated to working together, working for the people of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

It’s 2020, a new decade.

Thanks! Kat

Citizenship means responsibility, civic engagement

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y the time you read this, your recently elected tribal council will have returned from three and a half long days of discussing, developing and planning the necessary action steps to identify and address urgent CTUIR priorities and commitments over the next two years, 2020-21.

As shared in the past, “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction … is the first and only object of good government.” To which I add, that a good traditional Native person is one who continually displays respect and gratitude to his/ her ancestors … and whom is willing to take on the responsibility to care for those living today and those yet to come. Often referred to as “citizenship” – it’s that sense of belonging to a community for which one bears some responsibility. In short, it is everyone’s responsibility to help make their community be safe, healthy and prosperous.

General Council and the Board has chosen to focus on increasing tribal member ‘civic engagement’ during our term … as we clearly recognize that every tribal member has valuable contributions regarding the direction our Tribes are heading. We are a Nation of over 3,100 strong … with approximately 2,133 members aged 18 and older. It will take all of us to help chart our path, and then we’ll journey it together.

Toward that end, the BOT and Executive Management Team decided to seek ‘additional’ recommendations from GC members, CTUIR staff, and Commissions and Committees. This may be the first time such

General Council Chair’s Corner Lindsey X. Watchman

an approach was taken to gather your voices before the retreat, and we thank everyone who has contributed their ideas for our consideration.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

In that spirit, I take a moment here to especially commend the brave Tribal Members who have voiced – and continued to voice – their concerns for justice and fairness in our public forums.

To resolve these GC concerns, work sessions were scheduled and recommendations for policy changes forwarded regarding Wildhorse property expulsions (and its range of reach) and the housing tenant and eviction code. These policy changes will become effective in a few months. The final matter (reservation

boundary) goes to the People to decide on Feb 26th … so make sure to cast your vote.

If you’d like to participate more with our tribal government, also consider applying for a commission or committee as we recently filled five vacancies.

Meetings usually occur twice monthly on Tuesday morning or afternoon. Some (not all) provide a $100 stipend per meeting. You can also follow the various CTUIR Facebook pages to keep up-to-date. For example, GC gave away two Trailblazer tickets just for submitting three ideas in the comment section.

And finally, you are welcome to attend Monday BOT meetings and work sessions. The calendar can be found @ www.CTUIR.org in the ‘Most Popular’ links.

In closing, please continue to use your voice to share your ideas and concerns. Let us all never forget that CTUIR tribal government, is ourselves … not a foreign power over us. This is sovereignty in action.

The ultimate managers of our Nixyaawii Nation is not a Chairman or the Board of Trustees, but rather you … each and every individual tribal member, whom sit atop the organizational chart. The more you participate, the stronger our government, community, and relatives … will be.

Oh, and don’t forget to tell your cicyukis timine (sweetheart) and loved ones…‘eeysnin heetewitnim leeheyn (Happy Valentine’s day!).

Yox kalo Lindsey X. Watchman

CUJ Letters to the Editor Letter writer critical of legal ‘free speech’ campaign ad To the editor, I have been involved in and around CTUIR government and politics for over fifty years, and this recent 2019 election campaign is the first one that, in my experience, had some very inappropriate campaigning.

Specifically, I am referring to the CUJ ad that was submitted by the “Committee to get rid of the Six Clowns.”

The committee must be recognized by the CTUIR government as the CUJ is the official CTUIR newspaper and the CUJ obviously recognizes this committee.

February 2020

Thus, this committee must have a chairperson, a vicechairperson, treasurer, secretary, and so on, right? It only follows this committee also has by-laws.

Therefore, the CTUIR should be able to provide the tribal constituency a list of the names of the committee members, just as it does for all other CTUIR committees/ commissions. The Secretary of the Board of Trustees coordinates the committees/commissions so she should be able to provide such a listing.

While the ad is protected by free speech and free expression legal rights, that does not make it right, nor appropriate for our community. Just because something is technically legal does not make it the right thing to do.

For example, slavery was the law for almost the entire

Confederated Umatilla Journal

country at one time, but that did not make it right.

The committee obviously did not have the courage to sign their names to their ad, nor did they include a contact number. Thus, I call upon them to come out from the shadows and identify themselves. After all, they put the ad in a tribal public forum, so they should be able to publicly stand by it.

Bob Shippentower Editor’s note: For background, the letter writer is referring to a campaign ad placed and paid for by an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. For reference, the ad appeared on Page 5B of the November 2019 Confederated Umatilla Journal.

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CUJ Almanac Obituaries CHARLES F. “BUTCH” SAMS March 24, 1947 - Dec. 30, 2019 Charles F. “Butch” Sams Jr. passed away on Dec. 30, 2019, surrounded by his family.

Butch was born on March 24, 1947 to Charles F. Sams Sr. and Ruby (Whitright) Sams in Pendleton, Oregon. His parents raised him and his nine siblings in Weston, Oregon. He attended grade school through high school in Weston where he played football, basketball and baseball.

Upon graduation from high school, he went to Haskell University in Lawrence, Kansas, where he earned his associate degree and played college football.

After college graduation, Charles F. he was drafted into the “Butch” Sams U.S. Army. He served with the 999th Signal Company, attached to the First Special Forces Group in Okinawa, Japan from 1967-1969.

Upon discharge from active service, he married his college sweetheart and love of his life Sarah L. (Jim) Sams on Dec. 1, 1969. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Butch and Sarah raised their family on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, where he was an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. He was Walla Walla, Cayuse and Yankton Sioux.

He worked for over 30 years as a journeyman lineman and retired from Pacific Power and Light. He volunteered as a baseball, basketball and boxing coach both on the reservation and in Pendleton. He worked with and developed athletic skills with hundreds of youth in his community. He loved to fish, hunt and camp in the Blue Mountains.

Butch was preceded in death by his father, mother, and brothers Donald Sams, John Sams and Jack Sams.He is survived by his wife, Sarah Sams; his children Chuck (Lori) Sams, Ryan (Nikki) Sams, Corinne (Natasha) Sams and Aaron Noisey; his grandchildren Rosevelie, Chauncey, Dakota, Beto, Ava, Clara, Greyson, Ella, Teegan, Quincey, Ruby, Sarah and Kellen; plus numerous nephews and nieces. Catholic services took place at Saint Andrew’s Church on Jan. 4.

Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is in charge of arrangements. Sign the online guest book at www.burnsmortuary.com.

RUSSELL J. CARTER Oct. 7, 1932 - Oct. 24, 2019 Our father, grandfather, uncle, husband and friend to many, Russell J. Carter passed away quietly on Oct. 24, 2019, two days prior to his 67th wedding anniversary. His generosity to family and friends will remain in our memories forever. He was raised on his grandmother’s farm in Pendleton, Oregon during the Depression, which gave him lifelong character, showing stability, nonjudgmental, reserved personality and a big heart.

He became a member of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla by his mother’s bloodline and made lifelong friends with tribal members he hunted with up until his age limited his hiking days.

He joined the Navy after high school and was stationed in Hawaii, where he decided to marry his high school sweetheart, Noma Jean Ripplinger and had his first daughter. During the four years in the Navy, he became a sharp shooter and traveled to many competitions even after he was honorably discharged.

He left Hawaii and earned a B.S. degree at Oregon State University, taking his now growing family of three kids, Peggy, Ken and Julie, to live in Corvallis, Oregon. After graduation, he became a Resident Planner for Okanogan County, then a Senior Planner at Yakima and finally a Planning Director in Boise, Idaho. Here he initiated the City’s capital improvement program and budget and coordinated with the county, state and federal agencies on the City’s behalf. This led him into the position as Regional Planning Director overseeing a professional staff of planners for five cities in Ada County.

During time away from his work, he continued to enjoy outdoor activities including, motorcycle riding, skeet shooting, hunting, snowmobiling, off road driving in his homebuilt dune buggy and family camping trips.

After three decades of working in Planning and Zoning, he and Noma Jean moved back to Pendleton where he worked for the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation as an Enterprise Manager in economic development.

His final move was to Western Washington where he joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Everett, Washington as a Real Property and Estate Planner. Working with multiple Tribes in Western Washington supporting Estate Transactions involving land owned by tribal members on reservations requiring Federal review and approval.

He leaves behind his wife, Noma Jean; children, Peggy, Ken and Julie; grandchildren, John and Rachael, who were all able to enjoy his last Seahawk game together in his hospital room, four days before he passed. His final resting place will be back in Pendleton, OR in the family plot, for a memorial service at a later date.

Invitation to Bid Owner: City of Irrigon, City Hall, 500 NE Main Ave., Irrigon, Oregon 97844 Project: WWTP and M1 Lift Station Upgrades Sealed bids for the WWTP and M1 Lift Station Upgrades will be received by The City of Irrigon until 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020 at which time bids will be publicly read aloud. Proposals shall be clearly marked “WWTP and M1 Lift Station Upgrades” showing the date and time of the bid opening, and shall be delivered to the City of Irrigon, City Hall on or before the above bid time. No faxed or electronically submitted bids will be considered.

Within 2 working hours after the date and time designated for bid opening, the apparent low bidder shall submit to the City the First Tier Subcontractors Disclosure form. If a First Tier Subcontractor Disclosure form is not received within two hours after an apparent low bidder is announced the bid will be considered NonResponsive.

A voluntary Pre-Bid Conference will be convened Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at Irrigon City Hall. Statements made by the Contracting Owner’s representatives at the Pre-Bid Conference are not binding upon the Contracting Owner unless confirmed by written addendum.

Bid approval by City Council is scheduled for the subsequent City Council meeting that occurs on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, beginning Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.

A pre-construction conference will be scheduled following council approval.

Work will include: Variable Frequency Drive installation and programming at the municipal sewer M1 lift station. Work at municipal wastewater treatment plant includes CMU building, methanol injection piping, wastewater pump, yard piping, flow meter upgrades, and electrical/ controls upgrades.

Bid Procedures and Conditions, Bid Forms, Drawings, Specifications, and other Documents collectively referred to as Bid Documents may be examined at the following locations: 1.

City of Irrigon, City Hall, 500 NE Main Ave., Irrigon, Oregon 97844 2.

J-U-B ENGINEERS, Inc., 1201 Adams Avenue, La Grande, OR 97850.

3.

J-U-B ENGINEERS, Inc., 2810 W Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, WA 99336.

4.

QuestCDN Electronic copies of the bidding documents

are available for purchase at http://www. questcdn.com upon payment of $25. QuestCDN Project #6701762. All addenda will be issued electronically and available for no extra cost at QuestCDN. Contract Documents must be purchased through QuestCDN to be on the planholders list and submitted in completion in order to be considered a Responsive Offer as Defined by OAR 137-046-0110(33).

The project is funded through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and as such, the higher of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Wage Rates and the Federal Davis Bacon Wage Rates must be paid on this project.

Each bid must contain a statement as to whether the bidder is a resident bidder, as defined in ORS 279.120. In determining the lowest responsible bidder, City of Irrigon will, for the purpose of awarding the Contract, add a percentage increase on the bid of a nonresident bidder equal to the percentage, if any, of the preference given to that bidder in the state in which the bidder resides.

Each proposal must be submitted on the prescribed form and accompanied by a bid bond payable to City of Irrigon in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the amount bid.

The successful Bidder will be required to furnish separate Performance and Payment Bonds of one hundred percent (100%) submitted on the prescribed forms for faithful performance of the Contract in the full amount of the Contract price. The Surety issuing the bond must have an attorney-in-fact or a principal doing business in the State of Oregon. This information must be included on the bond statement.

The City of Irrigon reserves the right to reject any or all proposals not in compliance with all prescribed Public Contracting procures and requirements. The City of Irrigon may also reject any or all proposals for good cause, or any or all bids upon a finding of the Owner that it is in the public interest to do so, to postpone the award of the Contract for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days, and to accept that proposal which is to the best interests of City of Irrigon.

For information regarding this project, contact the consulting engineers, J-U-B ENGINEERS, Inc. phone (509) 783-2144, Ben Haws, P.E. Dated this 5th day of February 2020

City of Irrigon

Aaron Palmquist, City Manager

Corrections In the January edition of the CUJ, Lizzy Enriquez’s name was misspelled in a story about TERO that appeared on Page 4A. In December, information about the service population for the warming station needs to be clarified. According to Liza Guzman, Yellowhawk CEO, “The funding for the warming station are limited and specific to our Native American service population. However, if an individual not from the community needed access to services we would ensure to identify local services and other resources for the individual.”

Pendleton Pioneer Chapel received three prestigious awards in 2009

w The Oregon Funeral Directors Association Award of Funeral Service Excellence w The Best Of Eastern Oregon Award as voted by the readers of the East Oregonian w Pendleton Chamber of Commerce 2009 Business of the Year

Our experienced family provides caring, compassionate care including:

Burial Services ~ Military Services Cremation ~ Monuments

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

February 2020

Jobs COLUMBIA RIVER INTER-TRIBAL FISH COMMISSION EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Job Title: Fishery Technician III (Fisheries) Department: Fishery Science Classification: Full-time, regular, non-exempt Salary Range: $41,893 - $44,685 (DOQ) Location: Portland, OR Closing Date: March 20, 2020 Job Summary: CRITFC assists four tribes in the co-management of their treaty rights within the Columbia River Basin.

The position offered is associated with the Commission’s Fishery Science Department. This research group is engaged in several investigations of stock composition, identification, and structure, as well as development and evaluation of restoration strategies for Pacific salmonids.

Job Title: Police Officer Department: Law Enforcement Department Classification: Full-time, regular, non-exempt Salary Range: $50,506 - $55,157 (DOE) Location: Hood River or Boardman, OR Closing Date: Feb. 7, 2020 Job Summary: Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Enforcement (CRITFE) Police Officers are directly responsible for carrying out all enforcement and protective patrols by foot, vehicle and boat on the main stem Columbia River (Oregon and Washington shores) and its environs and its environs and also patrol at the In-lieu and Treaty Fishing Access sites (TFAS).

Job Title: Sergeant Department: Enforcement Classification: Full-time, regular, non-exempt Salary Range: $65,545 - $72,185 (DOQ) Location: Hood River, OR Closing Date: Feb. 14, 2020 Job Summary: The Sergeants serve as a first line supervisor over the patrol division. The Sergeants are responsible for the deployment of enforcement and protective services initiated, associated records and reports, training, disciplinary actions, and keeping the chain of command informed of patrol related matters as they affect the agency.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered. Send a complete application materials include a cover letter, CV/resume, completed job application with signature, electronic or typed in signature is accepted (available on our website at www.critfc.org “employment opportunities” on the bottom left corner or by calling 503.238.0667, a copy of relevant certifications and a list of at

February 2020

CTUIR

least three professional references.

Submit to: Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Attn: Human Resources 700 NE Multnomah Street, Suite 1200 Portland, Oregon 97232 Email: hr@critfc.org Fax: 503.235.4228 To view more career opportunities or to learn more about Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, please visit https://www.critfc.org/ critfc-employment-opportunities/.

Career Opportunities

Board of Trustees Chair Kathryn Brigham

Chair Lindsey X. Watchman

Vice Chair Jeremy Wolf

Vice Chair Michael Ray Johnson

Treasurer Sandra Sampson

Secretary Shawna Gavin

Secretary Sally Kosey 1. Public Transit Bus Driver (part time) (revised) 2. Archaeologist I/II (2 positions) (Revised) 3. Hydrologist 4. Electrical Inspector (1 position) (Revised) 5. Child/Youth Advocate (Re-Advertised) 6. Male Re-Education/ Intervention Facilitator (Revised) 7. Tribal Roads Construction & Maintenance Foreman (Re-Advertised) 8. Forester (Fuels) 9. Communications Officer - Dispatcher 10. Deputy Prosecutor 11. Technician I - Hatchery (Facility Watch Operator) (UMA) (Re-Advertised) 12. Environmental Toxicologist 13. Oral History/NAGPRA Technician I or II (1 position) (Re-Advertised) 14. Public Safety Director 15. Indian Education Coordinator 16. Air Quality Technical Lead 17. Police Officers (2 positions) 18. Education Coordinator 19. Administration Assistant - Human Resrouces 27. Surveillance Operator 21. Language Program Manager (open to existing employees & CTUIR members only) 22. Tribal Attorney 23. Secretary II - Office of the Executive Director 24. Technician I - Hatchery (Facility Watch Operator) 25. Paid Legal Aid Attorney, Intimate Partner Violence Survivors (IPVS) 26. Assistant Planner 27. Fisheries Technician I - Grande Ronde Research, Monitoring & Evaluation Project

General Council

Interpreter Thomas Morning Owl

At-large BOT Members: Jill-Marie Gavin General Council contact Info Office: 541-429-7378 Armand Minthorn Email: GeneralCouncil@ctuir.org Boots Pond Meeting updates and information on: www.ctuir.org/government/general-council Corinne Sams Executive Director :

Ted Wright, Ph.D.

General Council Meeting Nixyaawii Governance Center, 2 p.m. - Feb. 20, 2020 Draft agenda:

BOT Treasurer Report Circles of Hope 5 year Grant Report Special Election Information Open Mic

For more information visit: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Att: Office of Human Resources Online 46411 Timine Way Pendleton, OR 97801 http://ctuir.org

CTUIR Express Phone Directory

Tribal Court 541-276-2046

Human Resources 541-429-7180

Department of Children and Family Services 541-429-7300

Science & Engineering/Air Quality Burnline 541-429-7080

Enrollment Office 541-429-7035

Senior Center 541-276-0296

Finance Office 541-429-7150

TERF 541-276-4040

Finance – Credit Program 541-429-7155

Confederated Umatilla Journal 541-429-7399

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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CUJ News Cayuse Technologies ‘demystifies’ during Board tour

By Casey Brown of the CUJ MISSION - The new Board of Trustees (BOT) had a lot of questions and Billy Nerenberg had a lot of answers during a tour of Cayuse Technologies Jan. 23.

Nerenberg is the Executive Director of Cayuse Holdings, the umbrella company for several subsidiaries, including Cayuse Technologies, which are owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).

“I want to be very open. This is your company,” Nerenberg to the BOT members as he led them through the 40,300-square-foot building located in Coyote Business Park on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Out of 333 employees, 10 are CTUIR tribal members, 14 are from other tribes, 6 are Native Hawaiian, and 3 are descendant for a total of 9% of employees being indigenous.

The building houses multiple teams of employees that work on government or commercial contracts to provide some mundane-sounding services like information technology reports, answering Help Desk emails and phone calls.

But Nerenberg and his team have also been working on demystifying what they are up to in their mysterious, tightly secured building, hence the Board tour.

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From left, Boots Pond, Lindsey Watchman, Kat Brigham, Armand Minthorn, Deb Croswell, Sandy Sampson, and Billy Nerenberg during a tour of Cayuse Technologies, a CTUIRowned entity located on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

CUJ Photo/Casey Brown

What the Board found was a sea of cubicles organized into several teams. Each one was working on a specific project like the executive assistants who book travel reservations for executives flying all over the world or the team recruiting for Cayuse positions and other contracts.

David Filkins, CTUIR tribal member, said they are currently looking for an HVAC person in the United Arab Emirates, “if you know of any,” he joked when the Board members stopped to chat with him.

Another CTUIR tribal member, Preston Eagleheart, serves as the chief of staff

and heads up the SalesForce computer programming team.

Next, the group met the HR team, which consists of two on-site members, and two remote members who live in Florida. From there, they are on East Coast time and can serve clients along the Eastern seaboard that they meet with physically or with remotely.

Since Cayuse Holdings acquired Native Hawaiian Veterans, Cayuse has had to merge policy manuals. Clancy Byerly took a break from that ongoing project to meet with the tour group.

The Information Technology team,

Confederated Umatilla Journal

which serves Cayuse and outside contracts, has taken over one end of the building.

“I asked IT to relocate to this side of the building. I left for the weekend, and when I came back there was this IT castle,” Nerenberg joked.

Three unique areas of the building are “the cave,” shipping and receiving room, and wellness center. For more on the wellness center, see Page 11B for a story on their staff and programs.

The GEFEBS team provides help desk support for military financial software, so they are required to hold secret clearance through the U.S. State Department.

To comply with regulations, the room is so tightly sealed that “not even a mouse could get in there.”

The shipping and receiving area “looks like a typical receiving area,” but it holds potential to house large batteries.

Those batteries would be used by rural first responders in emergency situations.

After Nerenberg has showed most of the nooks and crannies of the building, including the leaky roof, he spent the remaining 45 minutes answering questions.

Topics ranged from low tribal member employee satisfaction to a run-down of the pay and minimum qualifications of some of the teams.

Watch for that part of the story in the March CUJ.

February 2020

Cayuse Holdings elects officers of 8-member Board MISSION - Chuck Sams was re-elected as chair of the eight-member Board of Directors for Cayuse Holdings, LLC, with Shlomo Bibas elected vice chair, Sandra Sampson treasurer and Cisco Minthorn secretary.

Other members of the Board are Koko Hufford, Monte Hong and Chief Executive Officer Billy Nerenberg.

Sams is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and also served in 2019 as the Board’s chair. He works as the Communications Director for CTUIR and just completed his first year on the Cayuse Board.

Bibas served in 2019 as the Board vicechair. He works for Celestica, serving as Senior Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer.

February 2020

Chuck Sams

Shlomo Bibas

The new Board treasurer is Sandra Sampson, who also serves as treasurer of the CTUIR Board of Trustees, to which she was elected in late 2019. This will be the first year on the Cayuse Board for Sampson, who is a CTUIR enrolled member.

Cisco Minthorn

Sandra Sampson

Also new to the Cayuse Board is the elected Minthorn, who currently works for Intel Corporation as its Senior Director of Government Relations and Senior Counsel, Global Public Policy. Minthorn is a CTUIR enrolled member.

The Cayuse Board of Directors, which

Confederated Umatilla Journal

is appointed by the CTUIR Board of Trustees, is charged with overseeing management and setting direction for Cayuse Holdings.

For more information about the company go to www.cayuseholdings.com.

Cayuse Technologies started in 2006 as a strategic alliance between the CTUIR and Accenture to create a US-based alternative to offshore delivery centers.

Cayuse Holdings was created in 2018 and consists of 10 subsidiary companies, including Cayuse Technologies. Cayuse Holdings is headquartered on the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton and has a regional office in Honolulu, Hawaii. Cayuse is wholly owned by the CTUIR and is a foremost provider of certified solutions for both commercial and government customers.

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46314 Timine Way Pendleton, Oregon 9 541- 966-9830 www.yellowhawk.org

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BAAD eliminates older brackets then go back to work on Monday. On top of that they have no time for families unless they have kids playing in the tournament.”

Continued from page 1A

at Nixyaawii Community School (NCS) and a member of the Youth Council for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).

Games will be played in three divisions – 6-8-year-old co-eds, 9-11 boys and girls, and 12-14 boys and girls on Monday and Tuesday, March 23 and 24, using the old Community Gym at the July Grounds and side-by-side courts in the new Eagles Nest at Nixyaawii Community School.

The tournament routinely draws as many as 64 teams with more than 600 players competing in more than 100 games. This year, because the youngest co-ed bracket will be limited to eight teams, the tournament could draw up to 40 teams and as many as 400 players.

The mandatory prevention component provided by Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center will continue for the younger players competing in BAAD, which stands for Basketball Against Alcohol and Drugs.

The older divisions are being cut because it’s become harder in recent years to fill those brackets, according to organizer Modesta Minthorn, director of the CTUIR Education Department, which is responsible for the tournament this year.

The tournament is being shortened so Education staff can get back to work or have some time off for themselves during spring vacation.

Singer and other members of the CTUIR Youth Council think the adults in charge should find a way to make things work.

“It’s more than a tournament,” said Lindsey Littlesky-Pasena, 15, chair of the Youth Council. “Ball brings people together. So many of my friends come here from other tribes that I play against or with. Or I go to watch my friends play or they watch me play. Don’t take this away.”

Latis Nowland, a 16-year-old NCS sophomore and vice-chair of the Youth Council, said “basketball is life” on all reservations, and the BAAD tournament keeps young people alive.

“Basketball is on our reservation in all the kids’ hearts,” Nowland said.

“It brings the youth together from all the rural reservations – Lapwai, Warm Springs, Yakama and us. This right here is more than a basketball tournament. It’s a big family cherishing these moments as our older generations choose the right path and the younger seeing the right example. Let the parents take a break from drugs and alcohol and prevent their own kids from doing it.”

To Nowland, the 15-18-year-olds are the “older generation.”

“The younger generation are not the ones struggling with the loss of control from drugs, it’s the older ones,” she said.

“That’s why I’m so upset. The younger generation has no idea. Somebody from the older generation lays in a hospital bed dying from an overdose or I’m on the wash after a 16-year-old girl has committed suicide.

“Let the kids play basketball,” Nowland said. “That’s what basketball is for.

That’s what BAAD is for, to keep kids from doing drugs and alcohol.”

Singer readily agrees about this “older generation,” of which she is now a part.

“The older generation is who needs

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A pair of 15-18-year-old players battle along the baseline in this undated photo from a BAAD tournament. The older division always draws big crowds.

CUJ File Photo

this to heal themselves,” she said. “They are the ones suffering. Yes, the young ones need support, but our older definitely need the most support. Rather than staying on their rez the whole week with their parents that use, the parents stop using and come here and see their own kids be successful even if they win or lose. It’s about family, love and coming together with all tribes,” Singer said.

The other “older generation” – those that once played in BAAD, some who have or have had children who play in the tournament – share the Youth Council sentiments.

Justin Quaempts, who started playing as a 5-year-old and now has a daughter who plays, is among those disheartened by the changes.

“The older kids are the highlight of the whole week,” Quaempts said. “It’s like the Super Bowl on our home turf. It’s known nationwide. People don’t realize how big it really is. A lot of hearts will be heavy.”

THERE’S A LONG HISTORY behind the BAAD tournament that includes a lot of CTUIR departments, programs and people. Of course Yellowhawk has been a key partner throughout the years with its alcohol-and-drug-free effort.

BAAD started with the Tribes’ Prevention Program in the late 1980’s with Videll Bronson, Kathy Sampson, Arlita Sampson and Judy Scott. Later, atway Lou Farrow, who was Education Department director at the time, and an ambitious group of women kept BAAD moving with an active community committee.

As time went on, the coordination of BAAD moved into the Recreation Program, which was part of the Tribes’ Education Department. Julie Taylor ran it for several years and more recently

Lloyd Commander was in charge with help from other CTUIR departments like Public Works and Tribal Police.

Now BAAD is being run by the Education Department under the direction of Modesta Minthorn.

And running this tournament, she said, is no easy task.

The Education Department has to project revenues in advance, based on expected team entry fees and hoped-for gate receipts to cover costs, including referees who come from a Tri-Cities officiating association. Other than the education staff and the use of the gyms, the CTUIR government does not contribute any money to the tournament.

Besides the financial costs of running the tournament, it can be a logistical nightmare just organizing volunteers for duties ranging from checking birth certificates to checking toilet paper dispensers and from taking photos of winning teams to taking money from a mother with a kid on her hip and three more in tow.

Hoping the all-or-nothing Education Department plan will streamline the two-day tournament, Minthorn is assigning education staff to certain tasks, such as clean-up, scorebooks, referees and brackets.

Paradoxically, the Education Department is not asking the community to volunteer en masse. Rather, Minthorn is asking each of her task leaders to seek out their own set of volunteers.

A week of BAAD was just too much for her staff, Minthorn said.

“A lot of these people (Education staff) would have spring break off if they weren’t working BAAD,” Minthorn said.

“It’s their normal time to sanitize their rooms. These guys get Sunday if they go Saturday-to-Saturday for BAAD and

Confederated Umatilla Journal

MINTHORN SAID PART OF THE reason why the older players aren’t showing up for BAAD could be because of other Northwest tournaments going on at the same time in Tulalip, Washington, and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Some think the cost of the team entry fee - $200 for the older squads – is prohibitive.

And those who are upset about the elimination of the upper brackets don’t necessarily have answers for how to recruit older squads, particularly more from this area.

“I think it should be a week long and should include high school,” said Julie Taylor, director of the Tribes’ Department of Children and Family Services.

“They said they don’t have enough interest and that other tournaments are going on,” she said. “We’ve tried to leave spots for four local teams and four out of town teams, but lately it’s all outof-town teams. The locals haven’t been participating.”

Taylor, who played in BAAD as a youngster and was a standout high school and college player, believes the prevention aspect is as important as the basketball for the older competitors.

Taylor said BAAD is established as a tribal best practice activity through the Oregon Health Authority.

“It’s part of our community providing information about alcohol and drugs, suicide prevention, tobacco prevention,” Taylor said. “Over the last 10 years it’s been mandatory and we think it contributes to success in school.”

Dionne Bronson, a player as a kid and now a mother and coach, agreed that the tournament has gotten away from the “local community” a little, but she still thinks BAAD is an important “healthy” activity during spring vacation.

Bronson thinks the BAAD tournament as a whole has problems because the people who run it are “burning out.”

“The spirit of basketball and respect for the game needs to be brought back by basketball people,” she said.

Bronson said BAAD isn’t the same as it used to be.

“It’s where kids make relationships and see their cousins. It’s important when it unites people in a healthy way, but anytime you give power against something like alcohol and drugs … after 20 or 30 years toward a cause, have we brought too much energy in a negative way?”

Bronson, who coaches middle school basketball in Weston, started coaching when her children were playing in BAAD. “I coached last year and I will again this year if I’m asked,” she said.

KELLY GEORGE HAS BEEN a volunteer for at least the last 10 years and coached several teams. She coached her boys, Dillon and Quincy, to a first place trophy in the 15-18-year-old division a couple of years ago.

George said she was working with a BAAD on Page 15A

February 2020

Tribal website expanding for community transparency

Paisley McLaughlin, a fourth-grader in Mr. Hancock’s class, was Johnny Cash, an American singer, songwriter, actor, and author who is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He recorded music from 1954-2003.

Ryan Coy, a fourth-grader in Mrs. Deutz’ class, was Sacagawea, an American Indian from the Lemhi Shoshone tribe who made contributions to natural history and established relationships with tribal nations during the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806.

CUJ photos/Dallas Dick

Waxing silently Every year, the fourth grade classes at McKay Creek Elementary School in Pendleton become pieces in a wax museum.

Students choose a historical figure to research, write a presentation about, and become (for a day) as part of their fourth grade curriculum.

The students of Mrs. Deutz and Mr. Hancock’s classes chose who they want ed to portray, and then showed off their work to family members and younger McKay students Feb. 3.

Dylan Star, CTUIR tribal member in Mr. Hancock’s class, was Dominique Wilkins, a basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks from 1982-1999.

Demetri Brockie, CTUIR tribal member in Mrs. Deutz’ class, was Michael Jordan, one of the most famous athletes of all time who played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984-1998.

MISSION – The website for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, which was launched in 2014, is being updated to allow greater access to information for tribal members and the community.

“Imagine logging into CTUIR.org and accessing government documents and services online,” said Ted Wright, Executive Director for the Tribes. “That’s the plan for 2021 in a partnership between the Communication and Information Technology (IT) departments.”

The two department are seeking input and recommendations as they develop a “stronger and more responsive” web site.

Ken Burcham is manager for what’s being called the CTUIR.org migration and expansion project.

“We want to offer access to government information and services like documents, applications, and even financial information on our website, just like you might have with your bank or educational institution,” said Burcham, who works in the IT Department.

Currently, an IT team is conducting a needs assessment, asking CTUIR leaders as well as tribal members and reservation residents what kinds of information and features they’d like access to on a website.

At the same time, the team is working with the Tribes’ Office of Legal Counsel and the Board of Trustees to craft a policy to guide the security and privacy of information while providing transparency in government.

All tribal members or reservation residents who are interested in participating in the needs assessment can take the survey online here: https://ctuir.org/websitesurvey or call 541-429-7444 to ask for a paper survey to be mailed to your home address.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is made up of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes, formed under the Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Valley. In 1949, the Tribes adopted a constitutional form of government to protect, preserve and enhance the treaty rights guaranteed under federal statute.

BAAD eliminates older brackets Continued from page 14A

friend to bring an NBA player to talk to the older players this year about respect, but with the tournament lasting just two days she wasn’t sure if that would happen now.

Respect is a big deal for George, who like Taylor was an exceptional player in high school and has played on many successful all-Indian teams.

In fact, George would like to change the name from BAAD to “Respect the Game.”

“Too many kids have no idea what respect means,” George said. “You see it on the court. Back in old school you just played ball. They don’t know what that means. You learn more than the game.

You learn sportsmanship, team effort, more than making two points. You learn

February 2020

how to react under pressure. It’s so much more than a game and a lot of kids don’t understand that yet.”

KIM MINTHORN, MODESTA’S sister, said “nobody is happy” about the BAAD situation.

“We’re taking a lot of guff. It’s going to be a long day for the little guys, especially if they have to go through the back door (consolation bracket) and play four to six games in one day,” said Minthorn, a longtime tournament coach and volunteer.

She’s caught political heat over the years, at times accused of being “too involved” in BAAD. But it’s hard to say her heart’s not in the right place. Minthorn has coached as many as eight teams, one in each bracket, during a single BAAD tournament.

She often coaches the kids who don’t

get picked up on other teams.

“I coach the kids from Timbuktu who are sitting in the crowd that didn’t know they could play when they came to the tournament,” she said. “It gets kind of crazy because I practice them all together, boys against girls, 12 on the floor. I coach basics for everybody.”

STILL REMINISCING, JUSTIN Quaempts remembers playing in BAAD until he started throwing baseballs in high school.

He was part of the Mission Magicians coached by his father, Billy Quaempts.

The team included the likes of Bryson Bronson, Brandon Boltz, Micah Johnson, Art Van Pelt, Adam Minthorn, Jesse Bevis, Kellen Joseph, Van Sohappy, atway Pat Johnson and atway Al Minthorn.

“The older teams were always the

Confederated Umatilla Journal

last weekend, always the big show. You couldn’t even get in the gym it was so packed,” Quaempts remembers. “It was standing room only outside the gym. I wasn’t able to play because I was pitching for PHS, but it was still fun to watch Damon Flagg, Ryan Sams, Ty Haguewood, Louie Quaempts, all those guys.

Casey Picard and his buzz saw crew from Lapwai were killing people. It was crazy.

It was a sight to see such athletic teams come together and gel in the late 90s.”

For Quaempts, BAAD is Mission’s hoop Round-Up. “It brings that vibe and unison and essence of what BAAD means – an alcoholand-drug-free environment for kids. I don’t know if two days can bring what’s been brought to the community over the last 32 other seasons.”

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“It’s been a decade and there’s nothing on it.”

New BOT ponders ... What to do with the empty ‘shovel ready’ acres at Coyote Business Park

By Wil Phinney of the CUJ MISSION – The new Board of Trustees wanted to talk about big box stores and housing development when it received the latest report about Coyote Business Park, particularly when the discussion focused on the 130 empty acres of industrial land on the south side of the freeway.

Toward the end of a nearly two-hour work session Jan. 23, Armand Minthorn, an at-large member of the BOT, told the others to “look at the bigger picture.”

He said, “We have a housing shortage. We have to do have something. Coyote Business Park South is on the table.”

That wasn’t the message relayed early on in the meeting to the new Board by Bill Tovey, director of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), and Ryan DeGrofft, DECD Planner, who has since taken a job as Regional Development Officer for Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency.

The report listed the current tenants of Coyote Business Park North and East, including Arrowhead Travel Plaza and McDonald’s, Cayuse Technologies, Dairy Queen and Subway, DaVita Dialysis Clinic, Kenworth Sales, and the U.S. Forest Service. Soon Ben’s Truck Shop is expected to build a truck repair facility adjacent to Kenworth’s in the East park.

Tovey talked about the initial costs of Coyote Business Park infrastructure, which totaled about $5 million, and where that money came from. The CTUIR’s investment was just a little over 10 percent at $550,000, while the lion’s share came from federal and state grants and loans. The $5M investment included all development costs for Coyote North and South.

He told the BOT about how each business came to be. For example, he talked about how the DaVita Dialysis Center building was constructed and leased to the company. DaVita was originally planning to build near Wal-Mart in Pendleton, but instead signed a 10year lease for the building on the Reservation with three five-year lease renewals.

Between lease payments and CTUIR taxes, Coyote Business Park has built up $2.5M in capital reserves (money in the bank). Coyote Business Park, Cayuse Holdings and other tenants assets exceed $18M with liabilities including loan debt of about $3M, Tovey said.

It wasn’t long before BOT members started ask- a decade and there’s nothing on it.”

That prompted a discussion that swung back and ing about Coyote Business Park South, which is the “shovel ready” land waiting for tenants to start shov- forth between the need for housing and an explanation for why businesses aren’t coming to eling on the backthe business park. side of the Tribal BOT Secretary Sally Kosey brought E n v i r o n m e n t a l ‘It’s all about the market. Costco up Costco, a business that has been Recovery Facility looked at a Walla Walla survey rumored for years to have been toy(TERF). Grant and that asked if they built a store ing with the idea of siting a store in Tribal funds were the area. used about a dozen here would they [Walla Walla At one time, DeGrofft said, Costco years ago on inwas looking at sites in Pendleton and frastructure that shoppers] travel to Pendleton. out here at Coyote Business Park. But included streets, Most said they would continue a change in management also changed water, sewer, Costco’s philosophy from smaller power and fiber for to go to Kennewick because stores back to larger facilities. communications.

When that happened, neither site The land has been they also go to Target and other made financial sense to the big box certified by the places.’ store. state as ready for “It’s all about the market,” DeGrofft development and ~ Ryan DeGrofft, CTUIR Economic Planner said. “They looked at a Walla Walla economic planners survey that asked if they built a store consider it an Interstate-84 hub between Portland, Seattle, Spokane here would they [Walla Walla shoppers] travel to Pendleton. Most said they would continue to go to Kennewick and Boise.

But as BOT member Jill-Marie Gavin said, “It’s been because they also go to Target and other places.”

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DeGrofft said DECD talked to Costco about growing patterns at Wildhorse and the people it draws from the region.

“We tried different approaches. We were creative, but they didn’t bite so far,” he said.

Treasurer Sandy Sampson asked, “What can we do?”

DeGrofft answered, “The challenge is finding a tenant willing to accept what we have. You can’t grow the population or the car traffic.”

Starbucks is always one of the establishments mentioned when people think of businesses that would be nice to have on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, but it doesn’t pencil out.

DeGrofft noted that Starbucks wants traffic of 20,000 cars a day. Somewhere around 10,000 to 11,000 cars come off the freeway at Exit 216 each day. By comparison, DeGrofft said, around 22,000 cars go up and down Southgate in Pendleton each day.

Population isn’t the only drawback, however.

Over the years, DECD has been close to landing other businesses, including Ostrom Mushrooms from Lacey, Wash.; a solar panel assembly company that wanted to work specifically on an Indian reservation because of its cultural values; and was in talks with a data center.

Big box stores on Page 22A

February 2020

Corps says new turbines at Ice Harbor improve fish passage survival By the CUJ BURBANK, Wash. – Tribal leaders are optimistic, but not quite ready to give a full thumbs up to new fixed-blade hydroelectric turbines that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says improve fish-passage survival.

The Corps’ newly designed turbine at Ice Harbor Lock and Dam in southeast Washington on the Snake River is the first of its kind specifically designed for safe fish passage. It also increases turbine efficiency by 4 percent, which will benefit electricity distributors and consumers, according to a Corps news release.

Results last fall showed a survival rate of 98.25 percent for 1,424 “balloontagged juvenile Chinook salmon” across the new turbine unit. That compares to the same testing methods conducted in 2007 at Ice Harbor Dam on the turbine style that was replaced. Survival averaged approximately 96 percent in that study.

Kat Brigham, chair of the Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), had a simple reaction to the Corps’ turbine announcement.

“CTUIR is always looking for ways to improve salmon survival on the Columbia River dams,” she wrote in an email.

Jeremy Wolf, Chair of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, remembers research analysis on a new and advanced hydro turbine system concept back in 2005 at Wanapum Dam on the Columbia River. Like this newest effort, those tests 15 years ago compared the survival of Chinook salmon smolts passing through a newly installed turbine with that of an existing turbine.

Technology, by definition, evolves.

“More research needs to be done, but the initial analysis shows limited intended success,” said Wolf, who also serves as vice-chair for the CTUIR Board of Trustees and chair of the CTUIR Fish and Wildlife Commission. “New turbines are generally always better than old ones, but this new design needs more research in realized fish benefits and cost analysis.”

The Corps’ news release says the numbers look good.

In addition to biological testing, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed “sensor fish” that were released into turbines, spillways, fish bypass systems, etc., to evaluate pressure changes and whether the sensor fish struck something hard or a turbine blade struck the sensor fish. Using the same release system, balloon tags and turbine operating conditions employed for the juvenile Chinook salmon testing, the Corps released 720 sensor fish into the new Ice Harbor turbine and recaptured them below the

February 2020

dam. They compared the pressure and acceleration data to baseline data collected on the former turbine design in 2014. According to the data, the Corps met goals to minimize potential for fish injury “to the best of our ability.”

“Significant reductions in strike, exposure to shear, turbulence and low pressure zones, coupled with the high direct survival numbers put the turbine passage route at the same level or better than spillway passage,” said Corps Hydraulic Engineer Martin Ahmann, the project technical lead.

Corps Hydraulics and Hydrology Branch Chief Shawn Nelson said in the news release that the direct survival results and efficiency improvements of the new turbine exceed expectations and “open the door for further testing and potential rebalancing of operations at the project, improving total project survival and maximizing the stewardship of this precious resource in the Pacific Northwest.”

The Unit 3 turbine installation is currently underway and scheduled to be completed in 2021, followed by Unit 1 turbine installation scheduled to be completed in late 2023.

Last year the Corps awarded a contract and efforts are underway for a similar turbine design and replacement process for all 14 turbines at McNary Lock and Dam on the Columbia River.

Contributed Photo/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Workers inspect a new fixed-blade hydroelectric turbine prior to installation at Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River. The Corps of Engineers says the new turbines improve fish passage survival and increase energy efficiency.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Board addresses Housing eviction process

By Wil Phinney of the CUJ MISSION – The new Board of Trustees heard from the Housing Department about its Eviction Process at a work session Jan. 13.

And then the Housing Department heard about its Eviction Process from the new Board of Trustees.

It wasn’t exactly a give-and-take conversation.

Housing Director Marcus Luke and Residential Services Compliance Officer Kenny Mitchell outlined the process whereby residents find themselves if they get behind on their rent payments.

And then they listened as the Board relayed questions and comments they’ve received over time from angry and frustrated tenants.

Luke and Mitchell tried to explain how an eviction might occur for one resident who is behind on their rent by a couple of hundred dollars and for another who is $7,000 in arrears.

The arithmetic did not always add up.

According to Mitchell, the amount of money somebody might owe could snowball late fees and monthly payments stacked up. He added the first late fee of $30 to the second late fee of $25, then the first four weeks in court followed by notifications that could take 30 days, plus more time for the Tribal judge to deliberate before setting a hearing date. At the hearing, the judge listens to the resident’s reasons and may decide the resident deserves a little more time to work things out. In some cases, this process could take three to four months. But even if the resident starts out two months behind on a $600-a-month rent he or she couldn’t get much further behind than $3,600.

18A

BOT Chair Kat Brigham tried to do BOT member Boots Pond added to the the math. conversation.

“I’m behind three months. Ninety “I worked in Summer Rec with high days. I’m in court for 14 days, then 14 to school freshmen and sophomores. I said 21 days for a hearing. The judge says 90 ‘Why are you here? Why aren’t you to 120 days to pay. Okay, I don’t do it. working?’ They said their parents didn’t The process starts up. How do I get to want them to work because housing $7,000? How often do I get a $25 late fee? would jack up the rent. That was mind Two times?” boggling to me,” Pond said.

BOT members Mitchell said asked about the BOT members had number of evictions ‘This is in no way an the wrong idea. last year. They said He tried to exattack, but there is a they’d heard there plain how income were 28, including lack of response to the is counted and dis15 in December perception of an abuse of counts are made. alone.

He talked about N o t s o , s a i d authority and rudeness. I percentages and hear it time and again ...

Luke. sizes of families He wasn’t sure It’s not hearsay. People and the amount of of the number, but money per child if it was that high think Housing abuses its reduced from the it included people authority and is mean.’ gross income of evicted because parents that is used - Jill-Marie Gavin, member of the to calculate rents. their houses had tested positive for BOT member CTUIR Board of Trustees methamphetamine.

Corrine Sams BOT Secretary wasn’t the only one Sally Kosey asked Mitchell about billing to ask if there were ways that Housing practices. policies could be modified and made “I’ve been told by a woman she started easier to understand. General Council with rent of $350 living with a man who Chair Lindsey Watchman said some was working. She got a job and the rent visual aids might help in the explanation. when up to $750. They couldn’t afford Luke said the Housing Department that so the Housing people told her follows policies written by attorneys. she should quit her job,” Kosey said. “I “We’ve been consistent since 2013,” would hope someone in Housing didn’t he said. tell them that.”

BOT member Armand Minthorn came Kosey asked if Housing counts “18 to Luke’s defense. He noted the number money” as income when computing of Housing directors that have come and rent prices. gone in the last 20 years, while Luke has “Or if a kid goes to work in the sum- had staying power. mer do you jack the rent up?” she asked.

“The housing here is a model compared to either Yakama or Nez Perce.

Ours is better in part because we’ve towed the line. You have to follow the federal guidelines. It’s cut and dry,” Minthorn said.

And Minthorn had a message for his fellow Board members about their critical comments.

“It can’t be said enough,” Minthorn said. “Hearsay and talk only makes it much worse. We know from experience how hearsay and talk is. Overall Marcus … I give Housing a lot of credit for the work that’s been done. We need to support that.”

Board member Jill-Marie Gavin, who was a member of the Housing Commission before she was elected to the BOT last November, took umbrage to Minthorn’s “hearsay” comment.

“I agree, Armand, that we should not repeat hearsay, but I think we should address concerns. This is in no way an attack, but there is a lack of response to the perception of an abuse of authority and rudeness. I hear it time and again.

It’s a perception that is repeated. It’s not hearsay. People think Housing abuses its authority and is mean.”

Luke said Housing staff takes customer training every year.

“But it’s not easy telling people you’re late on your rent. It’s embarrassing. I’ve got gray hair and arrows in my back,” Luke said.

Still, “compliance is everything. And we’re always striving to improve,” he said.

Chair Brigham told Luke that whether it’s right or not, people in the community

Confederated Umatilla Journal

do not have a favorable attitude about the Housing Department.

“We hear about it a lot,” she said, letting Luke know the Board needs data so it can address specific issues.

“The impression is that people are being targeted; that is the impression people have,” Brigham said. “Right now we have questions. We need you to respond so we can defend you. We need to know if we have flexibility or not so that we can make good positive changes.”

Two members of the Housing Commission attended the work session and made comments.

Melinda Alexander questioned the role of the Commission since the Umatilla Reservation Housing Authority became a department under Tribal government two years ago.

“When we receive complaints in writing there’s nothing we can do about it,” Alexander said. “We can’t have Marcus look into it because the person that’s complaining can’t say anything. Marcus says it’s an administrative thing that’s confidential. Why are we here then?”

BOT Vice-Chair Jeremy Wolf said he understood the confidentiality issue to a degree, but he told Luke that if tenants expose that confidentiality to the Commission at the very least the Housing Department should be able to let the Commission know how the issue is being resolved.

“There can be communication with sidewalls and direction,” Wolf said. “The Commission feels hand-cuffed.”

Wolf suggested some positive interaction between the Housing Department and tenants to assuage any bad feelings – real or perceived.

If tenants attend a financial class and receive a certificate maybe they could be rewarded with a discount on their rent, Wolf said.

Other tribal departments throw barbecues.

“Interact with the tenants when it’s not heated,” Wolf said. “And if the Commission feels hand-cuffed then change the policy.”

Luke reminded this new Board that over the years there have been two driveby shootings and nearly a dozen meth busts. As a result, Housing has been proactive with cameras and electric bikes for community police.

“We don’t go by drama,” Luke said.

“And we’re open to improvements.

We’ve talked about incentives … if somebody pays on time for 11 months maybe they get half off in December and January. That’s a great idea but I’m not sure if Finance would agree with that. I’m not here to get anyone. I know it’s embarrassing when you can’t pay the rent.”

Alexander, the Housing Commissioner, said certain Housing Department staff need to be a little nicer.

“We’re approached by people who tell us names. They say staff think they’re being funny, but it’s not funny to the tenants. They aren’t God. The tenants are upset because they don’t understand a complicated statement.”

Cor Sams said the people want to be “treated like human beings.”

Chair Brigham said “people want to be treated with respect.”

Another work session will be scheduled, Brigham said.

February 2020

Students attending Financial Reality Fair learn that

‘Life’s expensive’

Kim Hughes, right, is the resident service coordinator for the Tribes’ Housing Department. She talks to students from Weston-McEwen High School and their Title VI coordinator, Stephanie Jones. From left, Weston-McEwen students are Drake Burke Picard, standing; Alex Williams in red, then Auralia Heay, and Shayla Nix. More than 50 students attended the Financial Reality Fair at Nixyaawii Community School on the Umatilla Indian Reservation Jan. 31.

CUJ photos/Phinney

By Wil Phinney of the CUJ

A

es, evaluate their options and plan for their future.

A quick survey of half a dozen students, four from Weston-McEwen and two from Nixyaawii Community School, indicated a curious surprise at the lessons learned.

Mari Mills, who graduated last year at NCS, learned she shouldn’t drink and drive. Her spin on the wheel of consequences – a driving-whileintoxicated ticket – cost her $500. With a budget that included rent, groceries, car registration, insurance and clothing, Mills had $58 left in her budget. Maybe she shouldn’t have spent that extra $20 on admission to the zoo.

She had fewer dollars than it takes for a full tank of gas but, she said, “I think I got it.”

Chelsea Farrow, a senior at Nixyaawii, also learned how much things might cost. She had no idea an ambulance ride might be $500 and a Lifeflight might be $1,000 and if she’d be even more surprised if she only knew how conservative those numbers really are.

The students were given one of three entry-level jobs, the received a paycheck stub showing wages and deductions, a check registry, and a budget template to complete along their way around the NCS commons filled with booths designed to give them an idea of what might arise as they navigated their financial lives.

The first stop was the payroll booth where talked about gross and net salaries. They were told about deductions and how those would change with their marital status and number of children.

The next booth was a bank or credit union where the students could deposit their checks. They were required to open a savings account, but none of the seven students at the booth included savings in their budgets.

At the rest of the booths the students made decisions and purchases that adults have to make, such as housing, transportation, insurance, paying utilities, medical expenses, etc. Representatives at each booth provided education on whey their products or services were important and/or required.

The students we talked to had one of two jobs. They either were a slot-floor worker at the casino taking home $1,266 or a Cineplex usher with a net income of $1,112 a month.

They were encouraged to save 10 percent of their salaries and were advised to take advantage of the optional 401K investment, the

uralia Heay ended the month $140 in debt when an unexpected funeral required her to fly off to another state.

It didn’t help that she was spending $418 living by herself in an apartment or spending $208 a month on “luxury” furnishings.

She may have to find a roommate or move to a smaller place to make ends meet.

She’ll certainly have to keep riding her bicycle.

There’s no room for a car payment in her budget.

Thank goodness her job as a slot-floor worker, where she brings home $1,266 a month, pays for her health insurance, in the “reality check” exercise she completed at the Financial Reality Fair Jan. 26.

“Life’s expensive. I didn’t think it would be like that,” said Heay, a senior at WestonMcEwen High School in Athena.

She was one of about 50 students who received a dose of life Jan. 31 at the Financial Reality Fair sponsored by the Business Development Services (BDS) at Wildhorse Resort & Casino. The fair took place at Nixyaawii Community School with the help of guest speakers and representatives from several programs of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation government.

The financial fair was designed to help young adults think about their future, to help visualize and prepare for how their career choices will affect their economic well-being, according to Raven Manta, BDS Sisters Celia, left, and Chelsea Farrow, middle, talk to two members of Yellowhawk director. The purpose of the fair, she said, Tribal Health Center’s Purchased Referred Care team, Laurie Alexander, left, and Talia was to help students learn about their choic- McLaughlin, about billing and insurance, at the Financial Reality Fair.

February 2020

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Life’s Expensive on Page 21A

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Members of the Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation along with several partner organizations and supporters braved the rain to break ground Jan. 10 at the long-awaited Walla Walla Hatchery on the South Fork of the Walla Walla River. The hatchery is located about 10 miles east of Milton-Freewater and is the first hatchery soley owned by CTUIR. CUJ photos/Dallas Dick

Construction begins at Walla Walla hatchery

By John Harrison, Information Officer for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council Huddled together against a mid-January squall of cold wind, rain, and wet snow, a crowd of partners in a long-promised salmon hatchery on the South Fork Walla Walla River posed for a group photo, some clutching ceremonial gold-painted shovels to signify the beginning of construction of a facility that has been in the planning stages for more than 30 years.

The hatchery is being built by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to restore spring Chinook to a portion of their historic range for the benefit of present and future generations. Spring Chinook were extirpated from the Walla Walla River Basin in the early to mid-1900s.

A Walla Walla Hatchery was first proposed in the Northwest Power Planning Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program in 1987.

The hatchery was scheduled to begin construction in 2018 until permitting requirements waylaid the process. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) wanted oxygen issues resolved before construction could be re-scheduled.

“It’s a cool day, not just outside, but inside here, too, simply because the Tribe has been working on this for a long time,” said Kat Brigham, chair of the Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). “To rebuild our salmon runs, it’s been a long battle, but well worth it.”

She spoke inside the Tribes’ adult salmon holding and spawning facility on the river about 10 miles east of Milton-Freewater, Oregon. The holding and spawning facility is a satellite of the Umatilla Hatchery on the Umatilla River, which the Tribes operate in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The

new hatchery will be built next to the existing satel- Construction starts now and will be completed in 2021. lite facility, taking advantage of the South Fork’s high The first smolt release is planned for 2023, and the first water quality. adult returns are expected in 2025. The Walla Walla Brigham emphasized the collaborative nature of the Hatchery is funded by the Bonneville Power Adminlong process. istration through the Council’s Columbia River Basin “We did not do this alone. We did this by working Fish and Wildlife Program. with everybody – states, feds, stakeholders, everybody.

The new hatchery is important to the Tribes for culSo now it is actually going to happen. We are gotural and communication purposes, as well as ing to have a hatchery. This will be the first for producing more fish, said Jeremy Red hatchery operated fully as a whole by the Star Wolf, vice chair of the CTUIR Board Umatilla Tribe,” she said to applause. of Trustees and chair of the Tribes’ “This is about the With the new hatchery, salmon smolt fish and wildlife commission. resiliency of our production in the Walla Walla basin is By producing more spring Chifoods, and resilient expected to double, from the current nook, the hatchery will help restore means they survive 250,000 to about a half-million annuone of the tribe’s First Foods, salmon their own. This is ally. The majority of the smolts will be on.

This is an important concept to important to us as acclimated and released into the South communicate to non-Indians, who Indian people.”

Fork Walla Walla, with approximately might only see the hatchery as a fish - Jeremy Wolf, 20 percent going to the Touchet River, producer. It’s about that, certainly, BOT Vice Chair a Walla Walla River tributary, and some but the purpose of the hatchery is also others into Mill Creek, also a tributary. The about culture and providing for future goal is to re-establish a self-sustaining, naturally generations, Wolf said. spawning population to provide harvest for treaty and “This is about the resiliency of our foods, and non-treaty fisheries. The hatchery is part of a larger resilient means they survive on their own,” he said. project that also includes improvements to spawning “This is important to us as Indian people, what we hold habitat and fish passage. true as Indian people, and if we can communicate that, I The new hatchery will include egg incubation and think we are doing something right. We want to be sure smolt-rearing facilities, and also residences for hatchery that we look at the future generations that we will not workers. Currently, the 250,000 eggs are incubated and see, because they will be looking back and finding out, the resulting smolts are raised elsewhere before being and realizing the things that we provided for them - and released into the South Fork. It is important to the Tribes in this facility, the things we built for them.” that salmon raised in the new hatchery will imprint on the local waters in which they are raised and released John Harrison is the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s (NPCC) information officer. He helps edit and write so they will return to those waters to spawn.

Council publications, speeches, and news releases and answers Over the long term, the Tribes hope some 5,000 adult background questions from the news media and the public. This salmon will return to the Walla Walla Basin each year. article from Jan. 15 appears on his NPCC blog. www.melonheadzillustrating.blogspot.com

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

February 2020

‘Life’s expensive’ Continued from page 19A

employer-match program, but didn’t.

Students were told their housing decisions should be based on the number in the family, the number of bedrooms necessary, and the payment amount best suited for them.

Our survey found that the young people would be living at home for free with their parents, including Sennia Pacheco, a freshman at Nixyaawii, who was on a waiting list for tribal housing.

Others were paying $329 for an apartment.

Remember Auralia Heay, she was paying for the nice $418 apartment, and Shayla Nix, a freshman at Nixyaawii, was paying $300 to rent a room in her parents’ house.

In the utilities booth, costs were based on the type of housing they’d selected. The bill included gas, electric and water, plus phone service, cable TV and internet service. Most had a budget of $125 for utilities, plus $40 for a cell phone. Pacheco’s budget included the cost for a new phone.

Some of the teens had cars, which required insurance, and some had bikes.

There was no specific booth for clothing or entertainment, but those items were part of the budget some students.

Living at home, Pacheco didn’t need to spend money on rent, furniture or utilities so she set aside $245 – more than a quarter of her paycheck – for fun, plus money for clothes and insurance to cover her braces.

“I had all the money I need to afford anything,” she said. However, she was aware that it “won’t be as easy” if she has to pay for her own apartment at college and when she finishes school.

Alex Williams, a sophomore at Weston-McEwen had $97 to spend on clothes because he was living sparsely otherwise. He had money for rent, utilities, a phone, furniture and groceries plus a hundred bucks for clothes, and still had $247.12 left over.

The last booth was insurance and many of the students received health coverage through their employer. However, Nix, who was paying her parents $300 to live at home was paying an equal amount for insurance. Good thing her unexpected consequence happened to a positive. She received $50 as a birthday gift from her grandparents.

Her clothing budget was $98 and she spent another $20 on pizza.

“I’d better get a better job if I want to live by myself,” she said. And because she wants to be a lawyer she’d better start saving for college.

Drake Burke Picard, a junior at

Weston-McEwen, realized at the end of the day that his costs were “more than I anticipated.” But he felt like he’d made good choices, including extra health insurance to cover the cost of his eye glasses.

Nevertheless, like three of the seven students we talked to, he used the same two words to describe what he’d learned: “Life’s expensive.”

Adilia Hart talks to Pam Ranslam from CTUIR Housing about the cost of utilities at the Financial Reality Fair at Nixyaawii

Mari Mills uses her calculator for her “reality check” exercise. She’s talking to Raven Manta who put on the event as the program coordinator for Business Development Services.

Nixyáawii Governance Center CLOSED Monday, Feb. 17 in observance of a Federal holiday February 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Big box stores, housing or industrial development at Coyote Business Park?

Continued from page 16A

But for different reasons all three stepped away. The mushroom company and the solar panel company wanted or needed to own the land under the building they would construct and the Tribes’ can only lease the land, albeit for up to 99 years.

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The data center needed more power and water than what is currently available in this area.

How about a hotel? Oxford Suites was interested, but Wildhorse Resort management understandably didn’t want the competition.

So what about houses.

BOT members thought out loud: If you build houses, maybe it could serve more than one purpose. Could it give people a place to live and provide more customers to entice businesses to come to Coyote Business Park?

Said DeGrofft, more housing would provide homes for tribal members, many of whom would likely be workers on the reservation, but even 100 new houses probably wouldn’t be enough potential shoppers to entice a big box store to come here. New houses would more than likely accommodate the people already here that need homes rather than bring new potential customers in, and even if new people moved here it wouldn’t be thousands like the feasibility studies require.

General Council Chair Lindsey Watchman questioned the “community” part of the Department of Economic and Community Development.

“We need economic development but I’m not satisfied with the ‘community’ development part,” Watchman said.

“We have assets we’re sitting on and no community development.”

Tovey explained his theory behind “Economic and Community Development.”

“We see and do community development as Yellowhawk, the Education Building, and housing projects, but we don’t see ourselves as having management of them. Our job is to work with a team to plan and construct the community facilities,” Tovey said.

Fifty years from now Tovey said, he sees DECD efforts on the Umatilla Indian Reservation through the same prism as he sees today’s Port of Morrow at Boardman, where industrial growth has boomed along the Columbia River.

“They were starting up 50 years ago and that’s where we are now. Today it’s awesome. They don’t even have to market now. That’s what we want to look like in 50 years with our market plan,” Tovey said.

Tovey and DeGrofft went through a list of five goals developed in a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy and outlined DECD’s marketing plan, which calls for actively recruiting new businesses to CTUIR’s industrial/commercial properties in the target industries of distribution and logistics, value-added agriculture, and light manufacturing; and to maximize the Tribes’ ability to pursue non-target industry recruitment opportunities when they arise.

Marketing strategies include digital efforts like a website, email, and social media, plus off-line marketing like direct mail and phone calls, then outbound marketing including trade shows, industry conferences and other city-specific trips with prescheduled meetings with site selectors, prospects, real estate professionals, etc.

The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy lists strengths and weaknesses for Coyote Business Park and for Wanapa Industrial Site, that large parcel of land along the Columbia River northeast of the town of Umatilla. (See sidebar.)

The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy also lists two ideas that could promote more economic and community growth, but each of these has pros and cons as well.

The first is “spec” or speculative

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Coyote Business Park Strengths

Proximity to Interstate 84, Interstate 82, Columbia River, etc.

Certified shovel read sites (Coyote Business Park now. Wanapa in the future) Proximity to major markets of the Northwest (Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Boise) No system development charges, planning assistance fees, etc.

Unique tax incentives on tribal land Low development costs Flexible lease terms Community livability CTUIR’s track record

Weaknesses Workforce availability Workforce skills Utility limitations Transportation limitations No vacant buildings Competing tax and other incentives Retail restaurant specific issues: low traffic counts, small market (population), demographics (income and education), site characteristics TERO and Cultural Resource Survey fees – expenses not incurred in other communities These strengths and weaknesses were identified in a feasibility study conducted in 2019.

building. The idea is to develop a shellonly industrial building of say 40,000 to 60,000 square feet to attract new tenants, and then complete interior finishes to tenant specifications. A flexible design could be subdivided or expanded easily.

Development would be in the ball park of $60 per square foot, so that building shell – without anything inside – could cost between $2.5M and $3.5M. The idea was presented to the Economic and Community Development Commission, which requested a feasibility study that was completed in spring of 2019. The study concluded that regional industrial growth is slow and that it may take years to fill a spec building, but that if the CTUIR had goals other than returnon-investment (such as job creation) it could be a worthwhile investment.

The other idea, which the BOT took a greater interest in, is a business incubator.

Both the BOT and the Tribes’ Executive Director have requested that DECD research options for funding a business incubator, which would be shared office and/or retail space, providing lower costs to entrepreneurs depending on subsidies. Such a facility often includes staff to provide technical assistance and advisory services, again at lower costs than hiring outside accounting, legal, marketing and other business related services.

There would be an expectation that businesses grow, graduate from the program, and move to another facility, creating space with the incubator for the next entrepreneur. This could be done, plans envision, with the new Community Development Financial Institution currently under consideration on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Some grants may be available but most of these kinds of incubator facilities are almost always subsidized by government.

February 2020

According to us, we’re resilient...

...when we participate in the 2020 Census.

The census is our voice to show others how our communities have grown and what we need.

When we participate, the census provides us information that we use for programs and grants to help shape the future for generations to come.

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2020CENSUS.GOV Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau

February 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

February 2020

Sports & News

Section

The monthly newspaper of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation ~ Pendleton, Oregon

B

February 2020

NCS taking Old Oregon trail to Baker Oregon coaches rank NCS number 2

By Wil Phinney of the CUJ

MISSION – With the Old Oregon League conference all but wrapped up and the district tournament expected to follow the same course, is it too early for the Nixyaawii Community School Golden Eagles to start looking ahead to the Class 1A State Tournament in Baker City in March?

Junior Tyasin Burns scored 38 points in an 83-72 win over Powder Valley Feb. 4.

It was closest OOL battle of the year, but left Nixyaawii standing unbeaten with a 7-0 record (16-4 overall).

The squad, ranked number 2 in the Oregon Coaches Poll and number 5 in the OSAA poll on Feb. 4, had three more league games on their schedule the week the CUJ went to press, with two more games before the district tournament in Baker City Feb. 20-22.

Their toughest test would be number 8-ranked Joseph, the final conference game to be played Feb. 15 in Enterprise because of the fire that burned down Joseph’s gym in January. (Nixyaawii Community School and the Nixyaawii Booster Club donated $750 to Joseph School in a check and the Booster Club conducted an additional blanket dance at the home game against Joseph that raised another $267 in cash.)

Nixyaawii boys on page 5B

Tyasin Burns dropped 36 points in three quarters against Wallowa Feb. 1. He scored 15 in the first period, eight in the second and 13 in the third. He joined Shane Rivera and Aaron Barkley with five assists each. Rivera had nine rebounds and Magi Moses had six boards.

CUJ photo/Phinney

Where will Nixyaawii play football next year?

OSAA ruling means Pilot Rock will dissolve Class 1A 8-man co-op By the CUJ

MISSION – Right now there does not appear to be a lot of choices for Nixyaawii Community School (NCS) when it comes to football next fall.

Barring some crazy change in the thinking of the OSAA Executive Board on Feb. 10, the co-op between Pilot Rock and NCS will be dissolved based on a for-

mula that involves the enrollment numbers, winning percentages and playoff appearances.

A Football Ad Hoc Advisory Committee for the Oregon School Activities Association determined in January that if Pilot Rock and Nixyaawii want to remain as a cooperative sponsorship, they would be required to play at the 2A level for the next two-year time block.

The Pilot Rock School Board decided to dissolve

Three members of the McBean family talk to Shoshoni Walker from Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center at the First Foods and Food Systems Forum Jan. 9 at the Longhouse on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. For more turn to Page 19B.

February 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

the co-op. By doing so, the Pilot Rock enrollment will stay within the Class 1A threshold and the Rockets can continue to play 8-man football. Nixyaawii’s additional 85 students would put the total enrollment well into the Class 2A category, which would force the Rockets to play in the 11-man conference with the likes of state champion Heppner.

Nixyaawii football on page 4B

Alanah Eagleheart and a Hermiston foe look to the referee to settle their dispute over the basketball in the championship game at the Class at the Border AAU basketball tournament in Pendleton in January. For about the Pendleton squad, turn to Page 2B.

1B

FEBRUARY SPORTS Nixyaawii Community School

Boys Basketball Feb. 7 vs. Griswold at 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 8 at Imbler at 5 p.m.

Feb. 14 vs. Elgin at 6:45 p.m.

Feb. 15 at Joseph at 5:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball Feb. 7 vs. Griswold at 6 p.m.

Feb. 8 at Imbler at 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 13 vs. McLoughlin at 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 vs. Elgin at 5:15 p.m.

Feb. 15 at Joseph at 4 p.m.

Coaches reminded of BAAD registration rules for March basketball tournament MISSION – The 33rd annual BAAD – Basketball Against Alcohol and Drugs – will be played over two days, March 23 and 24, on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

The older 15-18-year-old brackets have been eliminated this year so the tournament will feature competition for players from age 6-14 in three divisions.

Age brackets will be limited to eight teams. If all three brackets are filled, the tournament should draw 40 teams and more than 400 players. There is a 10-player maximum for each team.

The games will be played March 23 at the Community Gym at the July Grounds and March 24 in the side-byside split gym at the Eagles Nest gym in

the new Nixyaawii Community School.

Here’s how the games will be played: 6-8 co-eds (8 total teams) will play Monday, March 23, at the old Community Center gym.

9-11 boys (8 teams) and girls (8 teams) will play Tuesday, March 24, at the NCS Eagles Nest.

12-14 boys (8 teams) and girls (8 teams) will play Tuesday, March 24, at the NCS Eagles Nest.

The Tournament Committee reminds all coaches and players that full payment must be received to secure your team’s spot. Please have all team information accompany your money order, including the name of your team, address and a contact phone number and email

address.

All money orders should be paid to CTUIR Recreation Program, Attn: BAAD Tournament, 46411 Timine Way, Pendleton, OR 97801 (personal checks will be not be accepted).

Proof of age must be submitted for each player. The following ID will be accepted: birth certificate, tribal enrollment card, or state driver’s license/permit.

They can be emailed to BAADTourney@ ctuir.org or faxed to 541-429-7845. No player will be allowed to play in older age brackets due to safety of the younger players.

For more information, contact the CTUIR Recreation Program at BAADTourney@ctuir.org.

Pilot Rock High School

Pendleton Buck’ets take titles

Boys Basketball Feb. 7 at Grant Union at 7:30 pm Feb. 11 at Weston-McEwen at 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 vs. Enterprise at 7:30 p.m.

The fifth-grade Pendleton Buck’ets won a pair of basketball championships in January. The girls won the Pepsi Subway Tourney Jan. 11-12 in La Grande and a week later took the Clash at the Border Tourney Jan. 18-19 on courts in Pendleton and Mission. At each tournament the girls won four games and lost one. They defeated Baker 27-8 to win the Pepsi Subway title and they held off Hermiston 2421 to take the championship in the big Clash at the Border competition. The team, from left, includes Alanah Eagleheart, Khimora Scott, Lorissa Cook, Marcella Stanger, Ava Jackson and Annalise Watchman.

Coaches are Preston Eagleheart, Kurtis Scott and Jeremy Cook.

Girls Basketball Feb. 7 at Grant Union at 6 p.m.

Feb. 11 at Weston-McEwen at 6 p.m.

Feb. 14 vs. Enterprise at 6 p.m.

Weston-McEwen High School

Boys Basketball Feb. 8 vs. Grant Union at 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 11 vs. Pilot Rock at 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 at Heppner at 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 21 at Pendleton Convention Center Feb. 22 at Pendleton Convention Center

CUJ Photos/Phinney

Girls Basketball Feb. 8 vs. Grant Union at 4 p.m.

Feb. 11 vs. Pilot Rock at 6 p.m.

Feb. 14 at Heppner at 6 p.m.

Feb. 21 at Pendleton Convention Center Feb. 22 at Pendleton Convention Center

Ava Jackson leads her team down the court during a game in Pendleton in January during the Clash at the Border tournament. The team won the championship with a 24-21 victory over Hemiston.

Pendleton High School

Boys Basketball Feb. 7 vs. Ridgeview at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 11 vs. Crook County at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 at Hood River Valley at 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 18 vs. Redmond at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 21 at Dalles at 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 25 at Ridgeview at 6:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball Feb. 7 at Ridgeview at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 11 at Crook County at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 vs. Hood River Valley at 7 p.m.

Feb. 18 at Redmond at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 21 at Dalles at 7 p.m.

Feb. 25 vs. Ridgeview at 6:30 p.m.

Wrestling Feb. 22 at Ridgeview at 8 a.m.

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CUJ photos/Megan Van Pelt

Chip, Wildhorse Golf Course dog, finishes final round

MISSION – Brooker Jones reports that Chip, the original Wildhorse Golf Course dog, has died.

The Golden Lab was euthanized in late Janu-

Confederated Umatilla Journal

ary, Jones said, at the age of 141/2 years old.

Jones called Chip a Wildhorse legend and said there would be more to report for the March CUJ.

February 2020

CUJ Sports

Stockton Hoffman is averaging 12.5 points in Intermountain Conference games for the Pendleton Buckaroos. He drives here against a defender from The Dalles where he scored 10.

Dakota Sams takes the ball to the hoop against The Dalles in Pendleton’s 83-59 win on Jan. 31.

Sams is leading the Bucks with an average of 21 points in his four conference games.

Dakota Sams leads Buckaroos to number 8 ranking By the CUJ

Pendleton High School’s Buckaroo boys’ basketball team defeated Redmond, 68-57, on the road, Feb. 4 for their last game before the CUJ went to press.

It gave the Native-led Bucks a 3-1 Intermountain Conference record and an overall mark of 14-4.

The team was ranked number 8 by the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) and number 9 in the Oregon Coaches Poll.

At Redmond, Dakota Sams led Pendleton with 23 points while native teammates Stockton Hoffman and Jonathan Begay each had a dozen.

Pendleton Coach Zach Dong told the East Oregonian, “Dakota shot the ball well. He couldn’t miss, especially at the start of the game.” Sams had nine points in the first quarter.

Dong said Hoffman had some “timely buckets for us down the stretch to stifle any runs that Redmond tried to make.”

It was the second game in a row that Begay made a significant scoring contribution. Against The Dalles on Jan. 31 Begah came of the bench in the second half and hit three from outside the stripe for nine points.

In that 83-59 win on Warberg Court, Sams had 18 points and 14 assists. Hoffman had 10 points. Chauncey Sams had considerable floor time at point guard and Coach Dong praised his defensive work against Jacob Hernandez, the Riverhawk’s top shooter.

“Chauncey did a great job contain-

February 2020

Chauncey Sams took over point guard duties when teammate Kason Broncheau was injured in January. Here he sends a pass down the left sideline in a game against The Dalles. Sams and his cousin Grayson each scored 11 points in Pendleton’s non-league win over La Grande Jan. 28 when he went 8-for-12 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.

CUJ photos/Phinney

ing him and making everything he did uncomfortable,” Dong told the EO. Another Native hoopster, Kason Broncheau, was back in the lineup at point guard against Redmond after being sidelined with an injury.

In other January games, Pendleton opened the Intermountain Conference with a 78-61 win over Hood River Valley.

Dakota Sams led the Bucks with 25 points while Hoffman added 10. Tanner Sweek scored 18.

The boys lost by two points, 67-65, Jan. 24 on the road at Crook County.

Canning five three-pointers, Dakota Sams led the Bucks with 18 points.

Hoffman had 14.

In their non-league win, 64-57, over La Grande Jan. 28, native cousins Greyson and Chauncey Sams each scored 11 points and were responsible for late free throws that iced the win. Chauncey Sams was 8-for-12 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.

Pendleton took over a share of first

Confederated Umatilla Journal

place in the league with Crook County with their win over Redmond. If they win the league, they host a play-off game March 6 or 7 to get to state March 11-13 at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

If the Bucks finish second or third in the IMC, they still can get to Corvallis if they win a play-off game on the road, according to assistant coach Ryan Sams, also a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

3B

Hoisington leads Buckaroo girls It was too little too late, but Muriel Hoisington led Pendleton High School’s desperate fourth quarter rally against The Dalles Jan. 31 at Warberg Court.

The 37-32 loss was Pendleton’s first conference setback of the year. The girls beat Redmond, 74-25 on Feb. 4 to take their record to 3-1 (11-5 overall) and had six league games left when the CUJ went to press.

Against The Dalles, the Lady Bucks trailed 33-13 but outscored the Riverhawks 19-4 in the final frame, cutting the lead to 33-28 on a Hoisington three-pointer with 1:43 to go. A Hoisington assist to Daisy Jenness cut it to four with a minute to go. Pendleton would add one more bucket when Sami Spriet scored inside, but then had to foul to stop the clock and the Riverhawks made their free throws down the stretch.

Pendleton was ranked number 17 in the OSAA Poll on Feb. 4.

CUJ photos/Phinney

Nixyaawii football Continued from page 1B

NCS Principal Ryan Heinrich on Jan. 27 told the School Board that the best options at this point appear to be total opposites.

One would be to request a co-op to play 11-man football with Class 5A Pendleton.

The other would be to start a 6-man team and try to scrabble together a schedule with other little schools.

He said meetings with the community will be held this winter and spring to help decide what to do.

Like Pilot Rock and Nixyaawii, Adrian/Jordan was allowed a two-year co-op for Class 1A 8-man football.

In January, the OSAA Football Committee conducted its 13th public meeting in Wilsonville and considered more than two dozen pieces of correspondence and testimony from 14 individuals representing 10 schools. Nixyaawii was part of that testimony.

The ad hoc committee then put together recommendations for the OSAA Executive Board, which will meet Feb.

4B

10 for review and an expected adoption of changes.

The Committee considered requests from both PR/NCS and Adrian/Jordan to continue in 1A. However, according to an OSAA Committee update, Pilot Rock/Nixyaawii had a two-year 1A winning percentage of 68.75 percent and advanced to the state championship bracket this year.

Likewise, Adrian/Jordan had a two-year winning percentage of 83.33 percent and won the state title.

According to the OSAA report, “The group recognizes the extenuating circumstances related to both situations.

Specifically, the geographic challenges for Jordan Valley and the limited options they have available to continue offering football and the impact of dissolving the Nixyaawii co-op with Pilot Rock and the issues associated with retaining coops in other sports with them moving forward.”

However, the report states, the group reached consensus that “while limited options are available in both

situations it is incumbent upon those schools involved to exhaust those options before the Committee would consider creating an exception to their adopted criteria.”

Brad Garrett, OSAA assistant executive director, said in a story produced by OSAAtoday online, the schools’ appeals “didn’t hold muster. I mean, they’re good. That’s a tough sell to make an exception for that. We’re sticking with what our criteria says.”

Heinrich told the School Board, “It’s not a good situation.”

He suggested School Board members call members of the OSAA Executive Board and “try to convince them why we should be able to stay with Pilot Rock.”

Heinrich wasn’t optimistic.

He said co-op’ing with Pendleton is more realistic.

Weston-McEwen at Athena already denied Helix because it would push them from 2A to 3A. McLaughlin Union (MacHi) is already playing down so they won’t want more numbers.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Echo is Class 1A 6-man. If NCS joined them it would create a 2A team.

And if Nixyaawii created its own 6-man team the Golden Eagles would want Echo as competition.

“The last option may be our best option,” Heinrich said. “The field down there is feasible. You only need 80 yards for 6 man but you’d have to play your games in daylight.”

Heinrich said there would have to be a commitment of at least 10 players.

“That’s the rule,” he said, “but I’d like to see the double what you need on the field. When we had everybody eligible at Pilot Rock we had nine.”

There are reasons the community wanted to go with Pilot Rock, Heinrich said. Not the least of those was the opportunity it gave Nixyaawii players. In particular, Tyasin Burns, a junior running back, is on track to set state records as a ball carrier and receiver.

“We’ll ask the community what they want to do,” Heinrich said. “We don’t have to make a decision right away.”

February 2020

CUJ Sports

Jace Ashley goes up for a rebound against Cove opponents in a January game in the Eagles Nest at Nixyaawii Community School.

Saint Schimmel is at right. Nixyaawii boys were ranked number 2 by Oregon coaches and number 3 by the OSAA as of Feb. 4, two weeks before the Old Oregon League district tournament was scheduled in Baker City.

Nixyaawii boys Continued from page 1B

Burns, who is averaging 24 points a game, scored 17 in the fourth quarter to lead the Golden Eagles past the Badgers on the road. In the previous six games he’s had scoring nights of over 20 four times with a 36-point game against Wallowa on Feb. 1.

The biggest bucket for Burns didn’t mean so much on the scoreboard, but it should have made an ESPN highlight reel. Against Powder Valley Jan. 10, Burns took an inbounds pass with 1.2 seconds left in the half and threw a floor-length football pass that went “hmpffp” through the basket at the buzzer. Announcer Randall Minthorn said it “snapped the net.” You can still watch it on KCUW’s Facebook page.

Senior Mick Schimmel is averaging 17 points a contest with two games of 24. Against Powder Valley Feb. 4 he scored two dozen points, including 15 in the second quarter.

The Golden Eagles’ toughest competition came in pre-season when they didn’t play a single game against a Class 1A opponent. They lost four games including their two in overtime on the new gym floor, but they also knocked off a couple of 3A squads, including Nyssa, which has wins over La Grande and Baker City.

There’s no question Coach Shane Rivera’s defending state champion team is poised to be in the running for another state title.

“Anytime you have Tyasin and Mick on your team… there’s no distraction with those guys,” Rivera said.

“They come prepared for practice and games, ready to go. You know what you’re going to get. They are probably two of the best five players in the state so it’s hard not to be confident with those two.”

Burns, who also leads the teams in assists, has the benefit of players ready to receive the ball. Magi Moses (averaging 12 points a game in January) knows to stay around the basket and freshman Shane Rivera (averaging 10 in January) is figuring out that he will be put in a position to score if he’s ready. Burns had a pair of nifty long skip passes into the key to each of those big men in the fourth quarter against White Swan Jan. 23. That highly anticipated game with familiar Native players in

Shane Rivera (above), a freshman post,drives to the hoop against White Swan defenders in a non-conference game Jan. 22. Rivera scored 15 points, including eight in the first quarter as the Golden Eagles raced out to a 20-11 lead.

White Swan’s number 11 is Kupkana Leavitt.

At left, Reuben Bronson drives down the left side of the key toward Cove’s Patrick Frisch. With six players in double figures, the Golden Eagles whipped Cove, 103-28.

Nixyaawii led 35-11 after the first quarter and 57-27 at halftime. It was 84-39 heading into the final frame.

Below, Mick Schimmel leads a fastbreak against Cove.

From left to right, Nixyaawii players are Tyasin Burns (23), Moses Moses (22) and Magi Moses (32). The Cove boys are, from left, Bo Ledbetter (23), Israel O’Reilly (5), Braden Dickenson (2), and Quinn Dobbs (34).

CUJ photos/Phinney

Nixyaawii boys on page 7B

February 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

5B

Kyella Picard, left, controls the ball against a pair of Cove players in Nixyaawii’s 60-31 win Jan. 17. In their last home game against Wallowa, Picard had a career high 12 rebounds to go with 8 points. Cove’s number 10 is Taylor Fett.

Kylie Mountainchief looks back over her shoulder for the ball coming off the rim after a free throw in a game against the Wallowa Cougars in a game at the Eagles Nest Feb. 1 The Nixyaawii girls beat Wallowa 54-42.

Below, Adilia Hart throws up a defense against Cove’s Austin Kendall during their Old Oregon League game Jan. 17. The Golden Eagles won the game 60-31.

CUJ photos/Phinney

NCS girls battling for third spot to make district tournament Golden Eagles are two games back with five games to go By the CUJ

MISSION – With five games left in the Old Oregon League, the girls from Nixyaawii Community School are fighting for that third spot to get to the district tournament in Baker City Feb. 20-22.

After a 45-36 loss at Powder Valley Feb. 4, the Golden Eagles were sitting in fourth, two games behind Wallowa on the west side of the OOL. Three teams from each side of the league will get to the district tournament.

Right now Joseph at 7-0, Elgin at 7-1 and Wallowa at 5-4 have the upper hand on Nixyaawii at 3-4. Helix is fifth.

If they were on the other side of the league, the Golden Eagles would be sitting second behind Powder Valley, which is 7-2. The other three teams on that side are Imbler, Cove and Pine Eagle.

The team, which beat Wallowa 54-42, on Feb. 1, has games left with Pine Eagle, Helix and Imbler, which are very potential wins. But the final two games are with Elgin here Feb. 14 and on the road Feb. 15 at Joseph.

Overall, NCS girls are 7-11 and are ranked 28th

by OSAA. Joseph is ranked fourth, Wallowa is 14th and Elgin is 15th.

Coach Jeremy Maddern called their victory over Wallowa a “must win.”

He rotated 10 girls through three quarters and

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finished the fourth quarter moving seven girls in and out and it made a difference.

“Our legs were fresher. They (Wallowa) were gassed,” Maddern said.

Wallowa took a 14-12 lead after one quarter, but Nixyaawii, with seven girls scoring a total of 15 points, grabbed a 27-22 lead at the half.

The NCS girls kept the lead in the third stanza and then stretched in the fourth as the Cougars wore down. Lark Moses hit a pair of threes and Kyella Picard had six more points in the fourth quarter as Nixyaawii outscored Wallowa 17-11.

Picard finished with eight points and a career high 12 rebounds.

Nine girls scored in the game with Moses leading the way. She had 16, including four three-pointers, while Sophie Bronson scored a dozen. Others included Tristalynn Melton with 7, McKenzie Kiona with 4, Adilia Hart, Allyson Maddern, Tyanna Van Pelt with two each, and Kylie Mountainchief with 1.

In their 52-28 loss to Joseph, Nixyaawii was led

by Bronson with 8 and Kiona with 7. Six other girls shared a total of 13 points.

In their 66-56 loss to Elgin, the Golden Eagles were led by Melton with 14 and Moses with 12.

Kiona had 8, Hart had 6, then Maddern, Van Pelt and Picard each had 5 points, and Bronson pitched in 3.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

February 2020

Broncheau Blue

CUJ photo/Megan Van Pelt

Shaw Broncheau, a descendent of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, plays basketball for Blue Mountain Community College this winter.

Nixyaawii boys Continued from page 6B

the Eagles Nest ended with NCS on top 72-59. White Swan was missing its best player, Teal Soaring Eagle, who happens to be the brother of Lyle Soaring Eagle, the freshman guard who plays Nixyaawii JV but often suits up for varsity.

Nixyaawii hasn’t played with full strength for weeks and won’t.

Senior Quanah Picard is out for the rest of the season due to academic ineligibility. Moses Moses, suspended for disciplinary reasons, should be back in game shape by the final conference game against Joseph. Schimmel sat out the Feb. 4 game against Wallowa with a sore leg, but was back against Powder Valley so it appears he’s okay.

Senior Reuben Bronson and freshman Aaron Barkley have been picking up the slack as starters for the Golden Eagles and the team hasn’t missed a beat.

Before all that stuff took place, however, Picard was on the floor for four of the team’s final four wins in January. He had a 19-point game against Wallowa and averaged nine points a game in the three others.

In the five games he played in January, Moses Moses averaged almost 13 points a game with a high of 17 against Wallowa.

Everybody was in on the action Jan. 17 when the Golden Eagles eclipsed the century mark with a 103-28 drubbing of Echo. Burns had 21, Schimmel 19, Magi Moses 18, Moses Moses and Shane Rivera had 14 each, Quanah Picard had 10, with Bronson, Dylan Abrahamson and William Sigo sharing the other seven points.

You’d think the team would have gone crazy from behind the stripe, but of the 38

February 2020

field goals only eight were three-pointers.

Following district tournaments, the first round of the state play-in games begin Feb. 25 with the second and third rounds played Feb. 28 and 29. Those rounds will determine the top eight teams that will advance to Baker City for the finals.

OSAA freezes the rankings Feb. 22 and those rankings will be used to determine second- and third-round playoff matchups. Usually, a number 1 ranked team will play a number 16, a number 2 will play a number 15 and so forth to whittle the list to eight.

However there can be some “weird twists,” Coach Rivera said.

If the match-ups result in teams from the same league then OSAA will come up with a different configuration.

And even though each district winner is supposed to be a top seed that hosts a play-in game, that only happens if the league winner is ranked in the top 16.

Mohawk (14-6), for instance, may win the Mountain West League, but they are ranked number 21 so they would have to travel. And two of the teams currently ranked among the top five in the state won’t be hosting a game because they are from the same leagues.

Oregon Coaches Poll – Feb. 4 1 - Triad 19-2 (Mountain Valley League, Klamath Falls) 2 - Nixyaawii 16-4 (Old Oregon League, Pendleton) 3 - Trinity 17-4 (Mountain Valley League, Klamath Falls) 4 - Damascus Christian 19-1 (Valley 10 League, Portland) 5 - Life Christian 16-1 (Valley 10 League, Portland)

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Blue Mountain Community College connects to legislators PENDLETON, Ore. – In an effort to stay connected with local legislators, Blue Mountain Community College will host weekly videoconferences with Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Athena) and Rep. Greg Barreto (R-Cove) throughout the 2020 Oregon Legislative “short” Session.

The videoconferences will take place each Tuesday from 7-8 a.m. from Feb. 4 through March 3 in the BMCC Boardroom in Pioneer Hall on the Pendleton campus.

BMCC center locations in Baker City, Boardman, Hermiston and MiltonFreewater will also have access to the videoconferences.

This is the fourth year that BMCC has hosted these public videoconferences with Sen. Hansell and Rep. Barreto. Sen. Hansell and Rep. Barreto join the videoconference from Salem, where they’re representing the region in the Legislative Session. The sessions are open to the public, and are an opportunity for citizens

to express concerns, address proposed bills, and gain feedback directly from Sen. Hansell and Rep. Barreto.

“Legislators are inundated with many different issues over the course of the Legislative Session, so these videoconferences are a valuable opportunity to let our local legislators know what’s important to us in eastern Oregon,” said Casey White-Zollman, Vice President of College Relations & Advancement at BMCC. “BMCC appreciates the time Sen. Hansell and Rep. Barreto give to the College and the public each week to stay in tune with what impacts us.”

The videoconferences are typically held weekly during the short sessions in even numbered years, which run for just 35 days, and bi-weekly during regular sessions in odd numbered years.

For more information, contact WhiteZollman at 541-278-5839 or cwhitezollman@bluecc.edu.

Parks and Rec plays cornhole in doubles league

Carmelo Anthony, forward for the Portland Tailblazers, comes out the tunnel at the beginning of the game. Aaron Worden caputured this shot of Cole Sauzo (in the Lillard jersey in the bottom right of the screen) and Summer Smartlawit (in the braids at the bottom right corner of the screen). They were chosen as “Court Kids” by the Blazer’s Stunt Team.

Contributed Photo/Aaron Worden

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PENDLETON- A doubles cornhole league begins Jan. 23 at Pendleton Parks and Recreation.

Teams play two matches per night, best of three games.

The cost is $40 per two-player team.

One alternate can be on each team’s roster. Participants much be 16 years or older. Registration is due to Pendleton

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Parks and Rec by Jan. 15.

According to Pendleton Parks and Rec, “Cornhole is a game in which players take turns throwing bags of corn at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. A bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point.

Play continues until a team reaches (or exceeds) the score of 21.”

February 2020

CUJ Community News ‘... You take care of the drum, it takes care of you.’

CUJ photos/Megan Van Pelt

Students of the Native Drum and Dance History class at Nixyaawii Community School play with Fred Hill Sr., left, and Kelsey Burns, purple shirt.

Hill has taught the class since Nixyaawii opened in 2004, and Kelsey is now taking over as the new teacher. Sistine Moses sits in the middle and to her left are Owen Ancheta, and Alyric Redcrane.

And the beat goes on...

By Megan Van Pelt of the CUJ

MISSION - Fred Hill passed the drum stick to Kelsey Burns.

Burns is the new drumming instructor at Nixyaawii Community School (NCS), succeeding Hill, who is stepping down after guiding drummers and singers at NCS for 16 years.

Burns is teaching Native Drum and Dance History, an elective that this semester boasts 14 students.

Hill, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), has taught the class since charter school opened its doors on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in 2004.

“It’s been a great ride,” Hill said. “You know if we could go over the years of all the kids, all the lists of kids that enrolled and wonder what they set out to accomplish.”

The class started with a gift.

“We were presented a drum from our late chief Carl Sampson and he gifted the school a drum and he set it real simple,” Hill recalled. “He said ‘I want you to teach these kids how to drum and how to sing.’”

Annie Tester, the school’s first principal, included drumming as an elective for NCS students.

Since then, Nixyaawii has seen drummers come and go.

Over the years, Hill and the students attended events and colleges for presentations. Whether it be part of Native American Heritage Month or an event such as Flag Day or the Scalp Dance, an opening ceremony at the new school facility last September, a Nixyaawii drum class has been involved in commu-

February 2020

Dorothy Boyd, left, drums with Fred Hill Sr., in red, the outgoing Native Drum and Dance History teacher. The class is an elective offering at Nixyaawii Community School that has been available since the school opened in 2004.

nity activities.

The drum class has participated in events at Lewis and Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, and at surrounding elementary, middle- and high school.

Hill said he now is focused on preserving the Umatilla language and being a community elder, and he is optimistic that Burns will establish himself as the Tribes’ drumming instructor.

Burns, an enrolled CTUIR member who is Cayuse and Cree, said Hill has played an influential role in his life.

“Ever since I picked drumming up, he’s been one

Confederated Umatilla Journal

of them who have kept me going,” Burns said, adding that his grandfather, Ron Burns, gave him his first drum.

Despite attending and graduating from Pendleton High School in 2016, Burns has a strong connection with NCS and the community. Burns’ involvement ranges from drumming at Nixyaawii basketball games along with students or at Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, working as an Indian Prevention Coordinator.

Burns started to take drumming seriously during high school and has associated himself with drum groups such as the Nation Boys.

Burns emphasized being sober around the drum.

“It’s kept me on the right path, kept me sober.

Like I said I’m 21 years old and going to be 22 and I haven’t touched alcohol or drugs all my life and it’s mainly because of that drum. I was always taught when you’re around the drum you can’t be under the influence. So like I said keep with it, because you take care of the drum, it takes care of you,” said Burns.

While Hill is not the head anymore, he’s been guiding Burns for the first couple classes of the semester.

“I know Kelsey will have the opportunity to be able to continue on,” said Hill. “I’m glad he’s establishing himself as a young community singer not only on the big drum, but also on the Longhouse drum.”

Students currently enrolled in the drumming class include Alyric Redcrane, Bryson Spino, Diamond Greene, Dorothy Boyd, Dylan Abrahamson, Eva Oatman, Isaiah Pacheco, Keyen Singer, Kirk Houle, Latis Nowland, Owen Ancheta, Sistine Moses, Sophie Bronson, and Tyasin Burns.

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We’re pleased to present the ...

Achiever of the Month Hanna Zohn, a 17-year-old senior at Nixyaawii Community School, moved here last year with her family from Mississippi.

She has excelled at NCS, especially as an artist, and currently is on the honor roll with a 4.0 grade point average.

But that’s not all. Hanna is meeting all the requirements for Nixyaawii’s new Honor’s Diploma.

Hanna isn’t sure about her college future, but she knows it will have something to do with art.

Spreading Christmas Celebration cheer Isaiah Welch, Jesse Bevis Sr., Leon Totus, and Mikey Allen sing and play hand drums during the Chrismas Celebration Pow Wow at the Longhouse on the Umatilla Indian Reservation Jan. 4. Drum groups, pow wow dancers, and vendors travelled from around the region to participate in this annual event. The 2020 Happy Canyon Court was announced to the CTUIR community, and directors from the Happy Canyon and Pendleton Round-Up boards joined them to meet with the community. For more photos from the celebration check out the CUJ Facebook page.

CUJ photos/Megan Van Pelt

DID YOU KNOW? The salmon is the first food to appear in early spring. Families bands gathered along the Columbia River at their favorite or traditional fishing sites to catch and dry enough salmon to use for the year ahead. During the salmon runs, the fish traveled up every creek and river that emptied into the Columbia. There were so many that it was said that you could walk across a creek on the backs of salmon. The men hooked, netted, trapped and speared huge quantities of fish. A very common net was the long handled dipnet which is still used today. Platforms made of wood were suspended from rocks or bluffs. Fishermen stood on these platforms and used their dipnets. The women cleaned the salmon and hung them on long racks to dry in the sun.

When enough salmon was dried and stored away in caches, the bands would prepare to move to the foothills of the Blue Mountains to dig roots.

Gathered from the CTUIR website ctuir.org

10B

Confederated Umatilla Journal

First Native American supreme court justice sworn in for duty By the Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Supreme Court on Monday swore in a new chief justice as well as its first Native American justice ever.

The Spokesman-Review reports that Justice Debra Stephens became the court’s 57th chief justice. A former Appeals Court judge and adjunct professor of law at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, she called it “the greatest privilege I can imagine.”

Raquel Montoya-Lewis, a former Whatcom County Superior Court judge who is a member of the Pueblo Iselta tribe of New Mexico, was sworn in at the same ceremony. Montoya-Lewis is the first Native American to serve on Washington’s highest court, and only the second to serve on any state supreme court in the nation. Stephens called it a historic day.

Stephens was elected chief justice by other members of the court after former Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst announced she was resigning to concentrate on fighting cancer. Gov. Jay Inslee last month named Montoya-Lewis, a Whatcom County Superior Court judge, to fill the open seat on the court.

Inslee said Monday was a day when “a daughter of Spokane ascends to chief justice,” and the court gets LewisMontoya, a “judicial superstar” who is a good listener, decisive, caring and compassionate.

February 2020

‘Forward thinking’ clinic saves employees time and money

By Casey Brown of the CUJ

MISSION – Rising insurance costs could have bankrupt Cayuse Technologies, so they opened a free wellness center, staffed it with a Registered Nurse, and created s wellness program that puts money back in employees’ pockets.

Weltrio wellness center serves about 280 out of 333 employees each year and is completely free. Services offered include the First Stop Help telemedicine app, an individualized wellness program where employees earn credits toward their insurance premiums, access to a Registered Nurse (RN) who can draw blood, a snack bar with low-cost healthful snacks, and a database of books, videos, and audio books.

Thanks to the Cayuse on-site health Technologies center, Cayuse has employees Technologies gone from the earn a lot of brink of being uninsurable to, in incentives five years, saving toward their an “unheard of” 70% in insurance insurance rates. In 2015, each employee premiums was claiming over $1,000 per -- $16,655 month, but that in January has gone down year after year to alone. an all-time low of $440 in 2019, which also includes telemed, the wellness program, and more, not just claims. And they pass the savings on to employees who also have lower out-of-pocket costs than in the past.

It isn’t just the health insurance numbers that have improved. In five years, Cayuse employees have lost about 2,500 pounds. Overall their good cholesterol is going up, bad cholesterol is going down, A1c numbers (how blood sugar levels are measured) are going down. Cases of diabetes and cancer have been discovered.

Rhonda Nerenberg founded the center and its chief operating officer. She says the key to its “unheard of” successes is their approach.

“It’s individualized. It is not a cookie cutter program,” she said.

“What we have to do is find people where they are and give them hope that they don’t have to be stuck, and when

February 2020

they begin to feel a little movement, we take them by the hand and show them the way out.”

Monique Maletich joined Weltrio in 2018 as the wellness program administrator. She’s the woman behind the one-onone appointments that give the wellness program a personal touch.

With her a background in fitness training, nutrition planning, and pre-nursing, she’s just the person to assist employees get where they want to go.

“I have been through my own physical and mental health and I now believe the reason for that was so I could help others and have the empathy to know what they’re going through,” Monique said.

Monique works with people like Jacki Linsey and Shaunna Towns who both use the center regularly and participate in the wellness program, which earns them up to $125 in credits toward their insurance premiums.

The first $75 is earned just by “crossing the threshold of the center,” Rhonda said, and she encourages more employees to take advantage of the benefit. But not everyone is eager to walk through the door.

In January 2020, employees collectively earned $16,655.

In fact, Shaunna didn’t trust the program to stick around for long, especially since it was the first one. She’s been with Cayuse for over eight years, so she’s seen multiple programs come and go. Plus, she hasn’t always had the best experience with doctors following through.

“Well, at first I wasn’t going to, honestly. I was really hesitant,” she said.

“The more I started coming in, though, it was very helpful. Rhonda has done a lot of investigating for me; Monique has done a lot of investigating. I’ve got a few issues going on, and I utilize these guys more now than when I started.”

She agrees that the center is there for employees to take advantage of.

“Anybody that doesn’t use them, I recommend them to do so,” she said.

She’s been going to the center for so long that’s got the routine down. She does her own investigating to and runs her discoveries by Monique and Rhonda.

“It’s nice because some of the things that I bring into these guys they can eliminate a lot of time to where if I have to go to a doctor’s office, then I can. If not, they provide what I need, and then we just go from there. I don’t take any of my PTO. I save it in case of an emergency.”

Rhonda Nerenberg, a Registered Nurse and CEO of the Weltrio wellness center, draws blood from Jacki Lindsey, executive assistant at Cayuse Technologies. Lindsey used the wellness program to CUJ photo/Casey Brown set goals and as a result no longer needs to take diabetes medications.

Part of the process is the amount of time that Monique and Rhonda get to spend with each person.

“We have the time to sit down and look at the whole picture, not just their labs or just what they are telling us in a 15 minute appointment,” Monique said.

Rhonda enjoys working with people, and her favorite part is when people like

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Jacki Lindsey start asking questions.

“Jacki was very resistant to anything. I didn’t think I would ever break through to her. Then something changed and she became ready to listen,” Nerenberg said.

Jacki is an Executive Assistant who has been meeting going to the wellness center for over a year.

Wellness Center on 19B

11B

February is

46314 Timine Way 541- 966-9830

Pendleton, Oregon 97801 www.yellowhawk.org

‘Our Tribal Community achieves optimal health through a culture of wellness.’

To celebrate National Children Health Month, the Yellowhawk De will be visiting our community Hea Daycare classrooms to educate c proper Dental care in a fun and exc For many years our staff has enj ing the classrooms for topical fluo cations and we love seeing the kid with happy healthy smiles! This ye gathering special Valentines for the and we’re planning a fun project fo

YELLOWH

Tribal Health Cen

For more information visit y contact Lorasa Joseph - H 541-240-8713 or lorasajos

Nixyaawii Senior C

New Phone Numb 541-240-8700 12B

Confederated Umatilla Journal

February 2020

s Children’s Dental Health Month

n’s Dental ental team adstart and children on citing way. joyed visitoride applids greet us ear we are e students or us to do

as a group. Our goal is to make the children’s Dental experiences happy ones and provide helpful ideas for home care, nutrition and prevention.

In the United States, tooth decay is the most common childhood disease and is nearly entirely preventable.

At home, parents and family members can help the children develop healthy habits at an early age by: Limiting sugary snacks & drinks such as soda pop

and fruit juices Helping with brushing & flossing until the child is at least 8-9 years old Encouraging the 2X2 method ... brushing for 2 minutes, at least 2 times a day Scheduling regular dental visits every 6 months for the entire family

Remember ... 1st TOOTH = 1st VISIT

Need an appointment?

Call Yellowhawk Dental at 541- 240-8698

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nter is now hiring.

yellowhawk.org/careers or HR Staff Recruiter seph@yellowhawk.org

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February 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

13B

CTUIR renames McCoy Meadows

Looking for a new you?

By the CUJ

LA GRANDE – McCoy Meadows Ranch, some 2,600 acres in the Starkey area of Union County given by private landowners to the Confederated Tribes last spring, has been renamed Yáaka?išpa, which is described as “at the black bears” in an excerpt from Čáw Pawá Láakn, the Sahaptian Place Names Atlas of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla.

According to the atlas excerpt, Yáaka?išpa described a meadow along a tributary to the Grande Ronde River that was a “hunting settlement for bear, deer and elk.”

By resolution on Dec. 16, the Board of Trustees (BOT) for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) dissolved the Oregon-charted McCoy Meadows Ranch LLC and created a tribally chartered limited liability company (LLC) under the CTUIR LLC Code to hold title for the ranch as an exercise of the Tribes’ sovereign authority and its sovereign immunity.

Now four Union County tax lots will

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be transferred from McCoy Meadows Ranch LLC to Yáaka?išpa LLC and recorded, with the new name, at the Union County Records Office.

As part of the resolution, the BOT wants to see a management plan for Yáaka?išpa “as soon as practicable.”

The property, about 22 miles west of La Grande and 29 miles east of Ukiah, abuts State Highway 244 in the Starkey unit of Union County.

Some 400 acres of riparian and wetlands habitat are protected under a permanent Natural Resource Conservation Easement and the entire property is subject to a conservation easement with Blue Mountain Land Trust.

Easements on the land prohibit destruction of fish and wildlife habitat, building additional structures, roads or utilities, and protects all fish and wildlife with the exception of treaty reserved hunting and fishing.

The land was donated, with the easements, to the Tribes by Mark Tipperman and Lorna Williamson in a ceremony at the Nixyaawii Governance Center in April of 2019.

When it was purchased in 1991, Tipperman said, McCoy Meadows was a beautiful property in the early stages of restoration under the auspices of Allen Childs in the Fisheries Program for the CTUIR Department of Natural Resources.

Tipperman learned about the history of the Cayuse Indians at McCoy Meadows, noting one historical reference to 100 lodges and more than 1,000 ponies in the meadows.

Tipperman and Williamson began in 1990 working with tribal staff who helped facilitate discussions with representatives from the Bonneville Power Administration, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife in a united effort to restore the land to its former pristine state.

Later the Grande Ronde Model Watershed group was added to the list of contributors.

“Over the years there was no question that the people with the most connection and the most love for the land ... was the Tribes,” Tipperman said.

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Language Lesson

Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Umatilla

Ɨmatálam Sɨnwit Míšnam tq̓ íx̣ša _______________?

Do you want_________________?

Language Lesson

Yamašmi Nɨkʷít

Waptú

potato

huq̓ húq̓ mi nɨkʷɨ ́t

I want______________.

nacóʔx̣

salmon

ʔiméešnim núkt

deer meat

cemíitx

huckleberries

Lapatáat

potato

Píins

beans

tašq̓ íin ʔipéex

fry bread

hoq̓ hóoq̓

pork

deer meat

huckleberries

ilac̓xi ipáax

wéwluqše___________?

salmon

Wiwnu

Píins

14B

Wéet wéwluqše________?

Íi, ̓ ix̣šáaš__________. tq

Núsux

Weyiiletputímt

beans

fry bread

pork

Confederated Umatilla Journal

February 2020

CUJ News NCS graduation rates up, drop-out rate down New school, new teachers get credit for improvements By the CUJ

MISSION – Nixyaawii Community School (NCS) received good marks in January from the Oregon Department of Education when it released graduation rates for the 2018-19 school year, but Principal Ryan Heinrich said he expects even better results when this year’s numbers are analyzed.

When the new semester started in late January, NCS had an enrollment of 85 students with 19 seniors.

The graduation rate for Native American students at NCS increased by 14 points to 71.4 percent last year, bettering the state’s Native American graduation rate of 67.7 percent.

The drop-out rate at NCS was cut in half from 5 percent in 2017-18 to 2.56 percent last year. By comparison, the NCS drop-out rate was 13.7 percent in the 2016-17 school year and 10.9 percent in 2015-16 school year.

Heinrich told the Nixyaawii School Board at its meeting Jan. 27 that the new

school and staff continuity are contributing factors in better graduation rates.

Increased enrollment and additional state school funding has resulted in the hiring of more teachers with more elective classes, which has created a more vibrant learning environment. Over the last couple of years, NCS has added courses in construction, foods, computer science, drama, and physical education such as weight lifting.

“We’re not losing and replacing staff.

We’re adding staff,” Heinrich told the school board. “It’s improved the climate of the school. It’s making students want to be here.”

Additionally, NCS, which has a regular four-day school week, has been able to use a school improvement grant to pay teachers – two for an hour before school and two for an hour after school – to help students who want extra help to keep up with classwork.

Looking further down the road, Heinrich and teachers are targeting freshmen that may be falling behind.

“We won’t know about this for a while.

We’re hoping to catch freshmen early and keep them going,” he said. “We’re redoing schedules right now, targeting freshmen that failed a class and put them in credit retrieval. They won’t have an elective; they’ll have study hall to keep

up on daily work and have extra time to dents who regularly attended nine out of get back on track with a credit recovery 10 days of school was 62 percent. For all students in the Pendleton School District program.”

Heinrich said the numbers are better, that number was 80 percent.

The American Inbut staff isn’t satisdian graduation rate fied. was one of the high“The gradualights in the Pendleton tion rates are up but School District. there’s still room for Matt Yoshioka, the improvement,” he district’s director of said. curriculum, instrucThe state’s report tion and assessment, card also looked at pointed out in the 11th grade benchEast Oregonian that marks for English the Native American and math as well as and Latino graduaattendance. tion rates at PHS were The number of both above the state NCS students who were juniors last year average last year.

- Ryan Heinrich, The state’s report improved dramatiNCS Principal card showed Native cally in English, with American students at an increase from 36 PHS had a graduation percent to 67 percent that met the state’s benchmark. rate of 80 percent, well ahead of the state’s However, math continued to be a big 67 percent rate. However, last year’s rate issue – for all Oregon students not just was the lowest in the last five years. In Native Americans. Only 17 percent of 2016-17, PHS boasted a Native American NCS students, about half the 33 percent graduation rate of 90 percent.

Pendleton’s graduation rate for all of all Oregon students, met the state’s students was 89.3 percent, well above the math benchmark last year.

Attendance at NCS wasn’t as good as state’s average of 80 percent. The dropit’s been. Last year the number of stu- out rate at PHS was 1.6 percent.

‘We’re not losing and replacing staff. We’re adding staff. It’s improved the climate of the school. It’s making students want to be here.’

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH!

Support Staff Emile Bill Warehouse Food Buyer

I am continuously impressed by the knowledge Emile brings to his position and his dedication to staying on top of the latest trends in his field. With his sharp analysis and strong intuition, we can rely on him to meet deadlines and exceed expectations.

Front Line Tina Marsh Custodial Tech

Tina works extremely hard and takes so much pride in her work.

She is very detailed in even the little things. She keeps Wildhorse looking it’s best and always friendly and smiling.

Supervisor Valarie Smith Slot Shift Manager

Val has been in the Slot Department for almost 25 years and does so many things for the department. Val has demonstrated what it is to truly be a dedicated Wildhorse employee. I enjoyed my time learning and growing from her.

C a s i n o • H o t e l • G o l f • C i n e p l e x • R V • M u s e u m • D i n i n g • Tra v e l P l a za 800.654.9453 \\ Pendleton, OR \\ I-84, Exit 216 \\ wildhorseresort.com

February 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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CUJ Briefs Pendleton Parks and Rec hosts volleyball open gym

PENDLETON – Open gym volleyball for ages 16 and up takes place on Thursday nights from 6:30-8:30 now through May 28 in the Helen McCune Gym. This drop-in offering from Pendleton Parks and Rec costs $2 per night and is open to everyone. For more info, contact Pendleton Parks and Rec at 541-276-8100.

Indoor soccer starts Feb. 24; registration now open

PENDLETON – The indoor youth soccer league for children ages 5-7 by Pendleton Parks and Rec is back for a third year. The cost is $30 per child and covers six weeks of soccer and includes a t-shirt.

The first two weeks are for practices and the last four weeks are for games. The focus is on skill development, teamwork, sportsmanship, and relationship building. Volunteer coaches are needed. For more information or to volunteer, call Jon Bullard at 541-966-0228.

CTUIR youth to address climate change at forum

PENDLETON - CTUIR and other youth will share their perspective on climate change on Tuesday, March 10 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Blue Mountain Community College. The Eastern Oregon Forum is sponsored by the “East

Oregon” newspaper and EOC3: Eastern Oregon Climate Change Coalition. This session, “Climate Change from a Youth Perspective,” is free for students and $5 for non-students.

Scholarships available for young entrepreneurs camp

BEND – Scholarships may be available for students who want to attend a Young Entrepreneurs Business Week (YEBW) Summer Camp at the Oregon State University Cascades Campus in Bend July 26-Aug. 1.

Students will learn about leadership, teamwork, networking, public speaking and more. During each program, YEBW incorporates inspirational speakers, interactive learning exercises and other professional growth activities, according to camp information.

For more information call Raven Manta, program manager, Business Development Services at 541-966-1920 or raven.manta@wildhorseresort.com.

Yellowhawk offering February cooking classes

MISSION - The February Healthy Cooking Class is on Feb. 12 from 3-5:30 p.m., and the family cooking class is on Feb. 26 from 4:30-6 p.m. Both classes are offered for free by Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center. For more information, call Yellowhawk at 541-966-9830.

EASTERN OREGON CENTER FOR

INDEPENDENT LIVING A Global Disability Resource and Advocacy Center EOCIL is a proud supporter of the CTUIR community and other communities and programs that promote and value inclusion, equality and opportunities for people with disabilities. EOCIL is a global disability resource and advocacy center that provides an array of services for people with disabilities.

EOCIL is operated by people with disabilities.

Services Available:

- Informational and Referral - Independent Living Skills Training (budgeting and financial management, cooking, application assistance, etc.)

- Peer Counseling - Individual Advocacy - Life Transitions (school to employment, home to home, corrections to community, etc.)

- LGBTQ and two spirit resources

- Support Groups - Youth Mentoring Project - Representative Payee Project - Emergency Financial Assistance - Accessibility Assistance - HIV/AIDS Independent Living Project - And many other services

Locations: EOCIL has three locations: 322 SW 3rd St., Pendleton, Ore. webpage: www.eocil.org Email: eocil@eocil.org 541-276-1037 711 Relay Toll free: 1-877-711-1037 1021 SW 5th Avenue, Ontario, Ore. 541-889-3119 Voice 711 Relay Toll free 1-844-489-3119

The Dalles Office 400 East Scenic Drive Building 2, Third Floor, Suite 2 The Dalles, Oregon 541-370-2810 Toll free: 1-844-370-2810 Providing services in Harney, Malheur, Baker, Union, Grant, Wallowa, Umatilla, Morrow, Wheeler and Gilliam, Wasco, Sherman and Hood River counties.

EOCIL is a supporter of:

aocil.org • endhivoregon.org • adrcoforegon.org 16B

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February 2020

Anglers encouraged to ‘catch and release’ bull trout MISSION – Even though bull trout are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, fishers on the Umatilla Indian Reservation still are allowed to harvest them.

However, staff from the Department of Natural Resources is requesting that fishers “catch and release” bull trout in the Umatilla River basin.

“We just want to make sure fishermen who are out trying to catch a steelhead or trout know that bull trout need to be protected,” said Andrew Wildbill, who along with Jeremiah Bonifer, are concerned about the native fish.

Despite all the federal and state protections and monitoring efforts, bull trout haven’t been seen in Meacham Creek since in more than 20 years, Wildbill said.

To protect and preserve the continued success of this fishery in the Umatilla Basin, anglers are advised to handle these fish with care and return them to the river when caught.

Bull trout have very specific habitat requirements, primarily clean and cold water, complex stream habitats with side channels, large pools, clean substrate, and connectivity well connected to the main channel for migrations.

In their early years (bull trout less than 10 inches), they primarily eat insects, but as they grow bull trout become apex fish predators often preying on sculpin, whitefish, and other salmonids.

In the Umatilla River, biologists see two life histories of bull trout: residents, which are non-migrating and smaller in size, and fluvial populations. The fluvial population leaves the upper headwaters to consume exclusively fish and grow much larger than 10 inches, then return to upper head waters to spawn. Fluvial populations can live up to 12 years.

When the larger fluvial bull trout are not migrating during the winter months, they are taking refuge in the North Fork, Buck Creek, Thomas Creek and South Fork of the Umatilla Basin, Wildbill said. These upper headwaters meet the cold-and-clear water requirement for them to thrive. Their upper most water temperature threshold is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

During the winter months, bull trout are in their downstream feeding migration, usually consuming just about any fish it can fit in its gape, Wildbill said.

As the Tribes’ Fisheries Program continues to repopulate the Umatilla with

ESA listed steelhead and Spring Chinook, and provides better habitat for their use, it also hopes to preserve the resident fish populations.

“Bull trout, eels, whitefish, and suckers are just as important to our river ecosystem as the salmon and steelhead we harvest,” Wildhorse said. “If we don’t educate each other, we won’t share the values of our people. These fish are not only good indicators of a healthy and diverse river, but also a reflection of our culture and values as Indian people.”

Staff in the Department of Natural Resources is requesting fishers “catch and release” bull trout rather than keeping them. Bull trout are on the Endangered Species Act, and DNR wants to make sure fishers know that bull trout need to be protected.

Spokane Tribe elders luncheon set for May 7

The annual Spokane elders luncheon will is on May 7 at 9 a.m. in Wellpinit, Washington. There will be door prices, raffle drawings, and entertainment. Vendors are welcome but must call to reserve a space and provide their own tables.

To discuss transportation options, contact Alan Crawford, CTUIR senior activities coordinator, at 541-4297388. For more information about the luncheon, call the Spokane Tribe at 509-258-7129 or angiec@spokanetribe. com.

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Indian Country Briefs Miss Oklahoma USA is Native SHAWNEE, Okla. – Miss Oklahoma USA 2020 is an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation. Mariah Davis is a graduate of The University of Oklahoma and founders of the #LiftUpYourSister movement, which shares information that promotes confidence over competitiveness.

There are no readily available statistics on the number of Miss USA contestants who are indigenous, but Davis is among contestants such as Miss Indiana USA 2014 Mikayla Diehl who is Ojibwe, a member of the Ontario-based Zhiibaahaasing First Nation.

Takota Iron Eyes to be featured as superhero

PINE RIDGE, South Dakota – Tokata Iron Eye is a 16-year-old superhero, and she appears in an episode of Marvel’s Hero Project on Disney+. The episode features Iron Eye’s work as an activist. According to the Rapid City Journal, “Marvel Entertainment, the powerhouse behind superhero movies and comics, launched this new non-scripted reality series to showcase ordinary kids accomplishing extraordinary things.”

Shoshone-Bannock Fighter Pilot

BOISE, Idaho – The first woman to fly an F-35B in for the U.S. Marine Corps, Anneliese Satz of Boise, is a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. She was honored

by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo for her achievements, according to the Idaho State Journal. To read the full article, “First female F-35B pilot is member of ShoshoneBannock Tribes, visit their website or use this link https://bit.ly/2uVVnjO.

Indians protest in South Dakota

RAPID CITY, S.D. – American Indians in South Dakota protested against the Department of Social Services in January. The claims of people like Roberta Shoulders, according to an ABC television station KOTA, is that the department is not following the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) because they are taking Indian children into the foster care system and not always returning them to Indian families, as mandated by ICWA. Commenters on the “Digital Smoke Signals” Facebook page, which shared this article with their followers, are reporting similar circumstances in other states. To read the full story, “Native American protest against Department of Social Services,” visit KOTA’s website or use this link https://bit.ly/36RA1B6.

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February 2020

Wellness Center Continued from page 11B

“She started asking questions, and then magic happened,” Rhonda said.

Jacki suffers from a number of health problems that she monitors with the help of Monique and Rhonda and has even made improvements in some areas.

“For me, the biggest thing was the diabetes,” Jacki said. “I can’t take diabetes medication. It doesn’t gel with me. It makes me way to sick or I have low blood sugar bouts all the time.”

“Rhonda was trying to work with me and trying to get my A1c down before it actually went to the stage where I need medication, and I thought ‘whatever.’”

Her outlook changed when her A1c levels got so high that she was diagnosed with diabetes.

“When it went into medication stage, I learned what was involved with having to take medication. I had no idea how little control you have when you have to be on medication. I put up with that for almost a year, and then I came to Rhonda and said, ‘I’m ready.’’

Together they came up with a plan, which happened to be a low-carb, high-fat diet. She said that within six months she was completely off diabetes medication and within a year she lost 40 pounds.

Jacki says that Rhonda and Monique “stars” who make “all the difference.”

“I think this clinic is the best thing that’s happened at Cayuse, for the people anyways.

I think without it, there would be a lot more people going to the doctor and a lot more of us on more medications.”

NCS list honor roll MISSION – Nixyaawii Community School has released its second quarter honor roll.

Students who earned 4.0 grade point averages include Sophie Bronson, Joycelene Denny, Diamond Green, Isabelle Lecornu, Alexis Maddern, Cloe McMichael, Ada Samoyoa, Mick Schimmel, Keyen Singer, and Hanna Zohn.

Students achieving GPAs of 3.5 or higher were Jace Ashley, Zoe Bevis, Tyasin Burns, Celia Farrow, Chelsea Farrow, Adilia Hart, Ivory Herrera, Shelby Joseph, Allyson Maddern, Latis Nowland, D’Andre Rodriguez, Saint Schimmel, Isabelle Sigo, William Sigo, Malaya Stanger, Lilly Star, Nizhonia Toledo, Tyanna VanPelt, and Jerad Wildbill.

Fifteen other students earned 3.0 or higher.

Hanna Zohn was chosen by staff as the most outstanding student for the first two quarters of the school year.

Forum examines food sovereignty Big hit; future forums scheduled MISSION - A First Foods and Food Systems Forum was held by the Department of Natural Resources and Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center Feb. 9 in the Longhouse on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

It was open to the public and free to attend. One session was held during the day and a second in the evening to allow for as many people to participate as possible. Attendance and interest were so high that future events are already planned, and the next forum will take place on March 3.

Each session included a meal, guest speakers, question and answer time, and feedback session in multiple forms.

Participants filled out a food sovereignty assessment, answered questions posed on board to think about, and provided feedback in real time to the presenters.

For more information on the food sovereignty assessment, which is still collecting responses, contact Adrienne Berry at Yellowhawk at 541-966-9830.

Rhonda Scott shares her thoughts about what food systems she wants to see on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. She listed a First Foods Market and a trading post to trade with other treaty tribes along former trade routes.

Dani Schulte, CTUIR assistant planner, said she is eager to learn more about the First Foods and Food Systems. She was responding to a question directed at non-Indians in the room who chose to attend.

Iosefa Taula, wildlife technician, shared his firsthand knowledge about excursions. He said it was an honor to see the work that Wenix Red Elk is doing when she takes groups out to gather roots and berries.

He has witnessed tribal members who had never gathered before “their faces lit up” and tribal members who had never been on a ridge went to Kanine Ridge.

Tulalip Tribes win WA lawsuit OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A Washington state Native American tribal group reached an agreement to end a federal lawsuit and begin sharing millions of dollars in sales tax receipts generated at a mall bordering its reservation.

The Tulalip Tribes would receive a portion of the state’s sales tax collections this year under a Jan. 8 agreement with the state and Snohomish County, the Everett Herald reports.

The revenue could grow up to $30.2 million in 2025, officials said.

The dispute between the tribe and the county focused on who could rightfully collect sales tax at Quil Ceda Village shopping center near Marysville, officials said.

The state House and Senate are expected to begin hearings Thursday on bills empowering the governor to act.

February 2020

Visitors from Whitman Mission National historic Site in Walla Walla, Washington made the trip to Mission to learn more about the Tribes. Emily Devereaux, middle, Michaelle Hanson, right, and Claire Casey, not pictured, are park rangers.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Maurissa Baumgartner from Yellowhawk solicits direct feedback from the audience during the last hour of the event. She asked a broad range of questions to include most of the audience members in the discussion.

CUJ photo/Casey Brown

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Symphony to play work of Chickasaw composer PENDLETON – Emmy-award winner Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate’s, Chickasaw Nation, ballet suite “Winter Moons” will be performed by the Oregon East Symphony (OES) during two performances in March. They will also perform the original version of Aaron Copeland’s “Appalachian Spring” ballet suite. Neither Tate nor Copeland will be in attendance at the performances.

Dr. Beau Benson, OES conductor and artistic director, will lead Jerod Tate both performances. The first is on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Clapp Theater on the Blue Mountain Community College Pendleton campus, 2411 NW Carden Ave. The second is on March 15 at 2 p.m. at the Hermiston High School Auditorium, 600 S 1st St, Hermiston.

These concerts will support the Stewards of the Umatilla River Environment (SURE) and their annual Umatilla River Spring Cleanup Day, which will take place Saturday, April 18 at 9 a.m.

“Winter Moons” is a ballet based upon American Indian legends from the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountains. The title of the ballet is derived from the idea that American Indian stories are best told during the full moons of the wintertime.

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Winter Moons was Tate’s first composition, commissioned and choreographed

by Tate’s mother, Dr. Patricia Tate, in 1992, for University of Wyoming Dance Theater.

Tate’s middle name, Impichchaachaaha’, means “his high corncrib” and is his inherited traditional Chickasaw house name. A corncrib is a small hut used for the storage of corn and other vegetables.

In traditional Chickasaw culture, the corncrib was built high off of the ground on stilts to keep its contents safe from foraging animals.

Praised and honored for “his ability to effectively infuse classical music with American Indian nationalism” (Washington Post), Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, born in Norman, Oklahoma, is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and is dedicated to the development of American Indian classical composition.

In 2017, he served as Composer-inResidence with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra’s Lakota Music Project.

He is a 2011 Emmy Award recipient for his work on the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority documentary, The Science of Composing.

Advance tickets for Winter Moons may be purchased at Pendleton Art & Frame, 25 SW Court Ave, the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce, 1055 S Hwy 395 Ste. 111, Hermiston, the OES Office or online at OregonEastSymphony.org.

February 2020

Wear red for heart disease National Wear Red Day, which is Feb. 7, celebrates National Heart Health Month and employees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation are encouraged to participate to highlight support of those who suffer from heart disease.

According to statistics, in the United States ischemia (loss of blood flow to vital organs like the heart) is the first disease from which people in the country die. To draw attention to this problem, as well as to raise awareness of heart health, the National Institute of Heart, Lung, and Blood suggested celebrating the National Wear Red Day annually starting in 2002.

The first Friday in February is designated as National Wear Red Day. Last year the employees pictured above gathered to support the fight against heart disease and stroke.

Tribal employees will gather for this year’s photo around 3:30 p.m. Feb. 7 in the rotunda of the Nixyaawii Governance Center. For more information, visit cdc.gov/heartdisease/docs/ consumered_heartdisease.pdf.

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CUJ photos/Phinney

Just play it

Aaron Luke was okay with the Superman shirt but the mask was too much. He played the saxophone in the Pendleton High School pep band at the Buckaroo basketball game against The Dalles in January.

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

February 2020

Thank you letter

February 2020

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53091

THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICE at Wildhorse Resort & Casino would like to thank the businesses and volunteers who contributed to the Financial Reality Fair held at Nixyaawii Community School Jan. 31.

Volunteers, listed with their department and the financial booth they represented, included Althea Wolf, Education, evaluation; Pam Ranslam, Housing, utilities; Virginia Conner, Tamastslikt, clothing; Annie Smith, Education, education; Tami Rochelle, Economic and Community Development, Life’s Unexpected Consequences Wheel; Cassie Hall, Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, insurance; Kathleen Peterson, Children and Family Services, furniture; Cassie Hall, Talia McLaughlin and Laurie Alexander from Yellowhawk, Purchased Referred Care, medical billing and insurance; Leigh Pinkham Johnston, Economic and Community Development, legal; Kim Hughes, Housing, housing; Heather Eckman-Lunny and Jordan Sholts, Banner Bank; Lorene Van Pelt, payroll booth.

Presenters were Brenda Primmer, Wheatland Insurance; Lauren Ludwig, Edward Jones Investments; Crystal Sandoval, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians CDFI; and Dave Tovey, executive director of the Tribes’ new Nixyaawii Community Financial Services (Credit Development Financial Institution).

Businesses and organizations that contributed to the cause included OMG Burger, Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, Wildhorse Resort & Casino, Community First Credit, Nixyaawii Community Financial Services (CDFI), KCUW Radio, CTUIR Education Department, Nixyaawii Community School, and Stephanie Jones for bringing students over from Weston-McEwen High School in Athena.

The Financial Reality Fair was a great success.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

CCB: 197219 • DEQ: 38882 • Licensed-Bonded-Insured

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