CUJ 01-2020

Constitutional Election on reservation boundary issue is Feb. 26

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

SWAT training at old clinic building

Jan. 3 & 4 at CTUIR Longhouse

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Grand entry 7 p.m. each night / Dinner noon Saturday

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

2 Sections, 44 pages Publish date Jan. 2, 2020

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

Section

Board OKs new truck repair lease

Volume 28, Issue 1

Weaving recovery her way to

BOT members discuss Coyote Business Park

By Casey Brown of the CUJ

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By Wil Phinney of the CUJ MISSION – Ben’s Truck Repair, which already has three Eastern Oregon operations along Interstate 84, plans to add a fourth roadside-assistance service and shop for semi-trucks on two acres north of Arrowhead Travel Plaza on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Ben’s Truck Repair is expected to construct a new building adjacent to the Kenworth Sales Company, which also offers semi-truck parts and service, immediately south of Wildhorse Resort & Casino. The Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, by a split vote of 4-3, approved an annual lease of $4,246 for Ben’s Truck Repair at its Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, meeting. Representatives for Ben’s Truck Repair still must sign the lease, which includes the option for a three-year renewal and increases of no more than 3 percent per year, according to Ryan De-

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Alaska Star Koski, CTUIR tribal member, co-taught a basket weaving class with Joey Lavadour, CTUIR, in November as part of Drug Court Treatment Program. She will graduate from her program in a Jan. 3 ceremony.

laska Star Koski had a “golden year” in 2019, and she’s starting the New Year with an event 16 months in the making. On Jan. 3, she will walk across the stage of the Bob Clapp Theatre at Blue Mountain Community College as a graduate of Umatilla County’s Drug Court Treatment Program. “They say your golden year is when you are the same age as the day you were born, and this has been my golden year,” Alaska explained. “I turned 28 on the 28th of December last year.” Leading up to her golden year, she got sober on Sept. 1, 2018 and a month later she landed a new job. She now has a little more than a year under her belt at Tamáskslikt Cultural Institute, where she started as an “emergency hire” custodian. “I’ve never had a job this long before. I’ve always quit my job or gotten fired,” she said. She went from an e-hire to a part-time employee who is cross training in the front lobby, café, and gift shop. Alaska on page 15A

CUJ Photo/Megan Van Pelt

Ben’s Truck Repair on page 14A

Nixyaawii hoops starts league play After a tough pre-season schedule, the Nixyaawii Community School boys and girls basketball teams begin Old Oregon League play in January. McKenzie Kiona, a junior on the girls’ squad, goes all-out all the time for the Golden Eagles. Here she grabbed the ball and then bounced it off her Union opponents legs out of bounds to keep NCS possession.

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CTUIR summit focuses on climate adaptation degrees and now we’re at an end-of-life crisis,” Michell said. “For 10,000 years this earth sustained our people MISSION – Chief Patrick Michell, speaking over Sky- and now in 161 years we’re in a crisis.” Michell said it is imperative that tribes gather the proppe, had a message for the 40 people listening in Cayuse Hall: “If Kanaka Bar can do it, so can everybody else.” er information to properly prepare for climate change. “We have no snow, but we have a crap load of rain Michell, chief of the tiny Kanaka Bar Band in Britnow in the fall and spring. Our first foods are disapish Columbia, was one of the speakers Dec. 10 at the pearing. We had 88 sockeye return. We have smoke “CTUIR CARES – Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Climate Adaptation Renewable layers, and higher temperatures are cooking our plants,” Energy Summit” – held over two days at Wildhorse he said. Kanaka Bar plans to build a stainless steel greenResort & Casino. Several members of the newly elected CTUIR Board house. “It’s going to cost three million dollars, but we’ll find of Trustees as well as a science class from Nixyaawii a way,” Michell said. Community School attended the first day session, which Climate adaptation has put people to work at Kanaka included CTUIR presentations on first foods, energy development, climate adaptation policy, air quality, Bar. “We’re the only nation in Canada with no children in and stream flows in the Umatilla River. Outside representatives from two energy-devel- care and no suicide. We don’t have time for hangovers. We have gardens to work … Climate change opment companies talked about renewable is real. We’re experiencing it here. You power projects and electricity storage. have to know what’s coming and The keynote speaker, acknowlget ready.” edging that he was “a little off CTUIR Climate Adaptation subject,” was Greg Phillips, Planner Colleen Sanders from the Department of outlined the Tribes’ energy Energy at Hanford, who policy. showed a video that She said Native outlined the history of Americans are the right the nuclear reservation people to be on the at Richland where the front lines of “solving atomic bomb was crethis existential crisis.” ated. Now Hanford is “First foods is a beathe site where decades con for energy climate of work will be required adaptation,” Sanders to clean up some 53 milsaid as she used a Powerlion gallons of radioactive Point to illustrate her meswaste. sage. “The cost of climate Said Phillips after the vidchange is not just in money, eo, “It’s not very uplifting.” but in life, culture, and quality of He talked about the 586-squarelife. Indigenous food systems benmile nuclear reservation and its efit and are hurt by energy effects on first foods and generation, transmission the Columbia River. He also This chart appears in the CTUIR Energizing Adaption and use.” talked about radioactive presentation created by Colleen Sanders, the Tribes’ Climate Adaptation Planner. The plan focuses on First Members of the CTUIR waste leaking from single- Foods and the exercise of treaty rights to access. The plan Board of Trustees were imwall tanks into ground water consists of seven focus areas: surface and groundwater; pressed by Sanders’ presenfrom a tank farm five miles first foods availability and access; economics and community; energy independence; infrastructure and built tation. from the river and the current systems; human health and happiness; and sovereignty Corinne Sams said it was treatment plan. and treaty rights. The Tribes’ First Foods Mission allows the first time she’d heard Michell is chief of the the plan to focus on how climate change affects CTUIR’s Sanders’ spiel. Kanaka Band, which claims relationship with its indigenous food system. “Mass dissemination of an average of about 70 resithis message to families and dents most of the year. That number doubles in the summer as members return individuals is where it starts,” Sams said. “We need the home to visit, fish, gather and reconnect with the land. investment of the people.” BOT Treasurer Sandra Sampson said “every BOT The Kanaka Band, Michell said, focuses its values on air, water, food, shelter and energy. Its four priorities are member needs a copy” of the Tribes’ adaptation plan. “Even if it’s a draft. We need to look at this,” she said. financial self-sufficiency, food sovereignty and security, Other BOT members attending the Summit included energy self-sufficiency and climate strategy. Toward those goals, Kanaka Band has teamed with Boots Pond and Jill-Marie Gavin as well as General Innergex, a Canada-based renewable energy develop- Council Chair Lindsey X. Watchman. Scientist Patrick Mills, Energy Development Project ment company, and British Columbia Hydro, on a pair Manager for the CTUIR, talked about potential projects of hydro-electric projects. “In 161 years our temperature has increased by 1.5 on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, including solar

By Wil Phinney of the CUJ

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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arrays, geothermal studies, and biomass power generation. A geothermal resource assessment has been completed and a second phase is underway, but borehole stud- Greg Phillips from the U.S. Department ies will be much of Energy represents the Umatilla, Yakama, and Nez Perce Tribes, as well more expensive. “Some scien- as the Wanapum Band in his role at the tists believe the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. CUJ Photo/Phinney center of the earth is hotter than the sun,” Mills said, noting that a fault line runs through the reservation. There is a real potential to make electricity from hot water by drilling down several thousand feet, Mills said. Caleb Minthorn, CTUIR Air Quality technician, reminded people that “we are all stakeholders,” but he also played devil’s advocate to “challenge you guys” to think about the factors involved in climate adaptation. Every time he drives to work, Minthorn said, he leaves “a few more pounds of carbon” in the air and “you all do the same.” Said Minthorn, “Energy and air are tied to each other.” And then he rattled off a litany of pros and cons for the audience to consider: Wind turbines are an eyesore and they kill birds. You don’t see smoke from a nuclear reactor, but people still think they are unsafe. You see smoke from coal-burning power generation, but it still has a place in the global economy. Fracking harms the environment, but natural gas is cheap. Transmission lines are necessary to carry power, but they cause fires and fire causes smoke. Prescribed burns are good for forest health, but bad for air quality and human health. Even dirt roads and fast drivers create dust that is one of the worst contributors to air pollution. Minthorn said he’s even conscientious about his sweat lodge. “As a tribe, a casino, government operations, we have to do things responsibly,” he said. Wenix Red Elk, Public Outreach Education Specialist for the CTUIR Department of Natural Resources, made a First Foods presentation, and Scott O’Daniel, Research Geographer in the Tribes’ Office of Information Technology, talked about “Future Flows – estimating climate-influenced stream flows in the Umatilla River.” Doug March and Mac Lowry represented Charge Bliss and Innergex, respectively, two alternative energy development firms. Charge Bliss deals in microgrids and energy storage. Innergex projects include utility scale renewable energy, including large-scale solar, wind, and hydroelectric generation. The Summit was organized by Donald Williams, a technician in the analytical laboratory for the Energy and Environmental Services Program for the CTUIR.

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January 2020

CUJ News Constitutional boundary vote Feb. 26 Second Board work session was scheduled Jan. 2 to further discuss CTUIR residency issue By the CUJ MISSION – Voters will be asked in a special election Feb. 26 if they want the Umatilla Indian Reservation boundary to be definied by the Treaty of 1855. A yes vote would amend the 1947 Constitution for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The proposed Constitutional amendment would add nine words to the current verbiage of Article VI, Section 2: “as defined in Article 1 of the Treaty of 1855.” If amended, the full body of Article VI, Section 2 would read like this: The members of the Board of Trustees shall consist of the Chair of the General Council as ex-officio member with the right to vote, and eight (8) members of the General Council elected by the General Council. No member shall be qualified to act as a member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) who is a non-resident of the Umatilla Indian Reservation as defined in Article 1 of the Treaty of 1855. In the current Article VI, Section 2, the Umatilla Indian Reservation is not defined. That has not only led to much debate, it was at the crux of the matter that led to the controversial removal of Sally Kosey from her position on the BOT last year. Kosey lives just off the “diminished boundary” (as seen on the map), but within the boundary as defined by the Treaty of 1855. Many believe the members of the former BOT who lost their jobs in the last election were defeated because they supported a “diminished boundary for election

This map accompanies the wording of the proposed Constitutional Amendment being presented to voters on Feb. 26. The map was provided by the CTUIR Election Commission.

purposes”. Many also believe that the individuals who lost those jobs supported the diminished boundary only for the purpose of removing Kosey. The two former BOT members who opposed a diminished boundary – Kat Brigham and Sally Kosey – were elected in November 2019 as Chair and Secretary,

respectively, to the new Board. Meanwhile, the newly elected BOT, many of whom campaigned on a promise to rectify not only the boundary and residency issue, but also the former Board’s Special Election on page 13A

Walla Walla hatchery groundbreaking Jan. 10 By Wil Phinney of the CUJ WALLA WALLA – A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 10 for the South Fork Walla Walla River Fish Hatchery about 10 miles east of MiltonFreewater. Groundbreaking scheduled in September of 2018 was delayed when the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) withheld a permit for the hatchery’s proposed discharge into the Walla Walla River. With that issue apparently remedied, representatives from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) as well as other agencies are expected to attend the event. (Staff from the CTUIR and BPA were still working on an agenda when the CUJ went to press. Thye CUJ will post the agenda on its Facebook page as soon as it is available.) .The hatchery is the second of a twophase South Fork Walla Walla River project that began more than 30 years ago.

January 2020

Construction on the hatchery is expected to take more than a year with a completion date of Spring 2021. Fisheries Program managers hope the first adult salmon will be spawned in 2021 and the first smolt release in 2023. If all goes according to plan, adult salmon raised from juveniles at the Walla Walla Hatchery, would start returning in 2025 from their legendary journey to the Pacific Ocean. Construction began in 1988 on the first phase - the South Fork Walla Walla Adult Spring Chinook Salmon Facility - that includes holding and spawning pools. It was predicted that salmon smolts would be released into the Walla Walla River after construction of the second phase hatchery 13 years later in 2001. More than 19 years later, the groundbreaking on Jan. 10, 2020 marks the beginning of official earth movement on the second phase. The new Walla Walla Hatchery is expected to annually produce a half-million smolts – 400,000 for the South Fork Walla Walla and 100,000 for the Touchet River. The hatchery will provide egg incu-

bation and full juvenile rearing along with adult fish operations. Brood stock (fish taken for eggs and sperm) will be collected at Nursery Bridge near MiltonFreewater. Adults taken at the Nursery Bridge will go to adult holding pond raceways then crowded, sorted and spawned. Eggs will go a new incubator and juveniles will be raised on site in Walla Walla River water. “They won’t imprint on concrete,” Gary James, CTUIR Fisheries Program Manager, told the CUJ in August of 2018. “They will imprint on spawning grounds. The habitat itself is their acclimation.” The goal is a return from the ocean to the river of about 5,000 adults with a harvest split of 50/50 for tribal and nontribal fishers, “just like everywhere else,” based on federal law. If there are 5,000 returning adults, James said, each state – Oregon and Washington – would get 600 fish and the Tribes would be able to harvest 1,200. About 300 adults would be taken for brood stock at Nursery Bridge, leaving about 2,100 to spawn in open water. Of those adults, 500 would be out-planted

Confederated Umatilla Journal

to the Touchet River, 400 would be released into Mill Creek, and the rest would spawn in the South Fork Walla Walla. BPA in 1996 built the phase I adult holding raceway ponds, intake and pumps, plus a building to sort and spawn adults, in anticipation of construction of a hatchery. In fact, a Walla Walla Hatchery was first proposed in the Northwest Power Planning Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program in 1987’s Northeast Oregon Hatchery measure. It called for hatcheries on the Umatilla, Hood River, Walla Walla, and Grande Ronde rivers. Only a hatchery at Hood River happened. Over the last three decades, some $20 million has been used to improve fish passage, enhance habitat, and restore the flood plain in the Walla Walla Basin. Enough work has been done, James said in the summer of 2018, to make it “ripe for a hatchery.”’ The hatchery will be the first operated by the CTUIR, which co-manages the hatchery on the Umatilla River at Threemile Falls with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife.

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TERO opens building-trade doors Area students introduced to construction job opportunities By Wil Phinney of the CUJ MISSION - A tour of the construction site for the bowling alley at Wildhorse Resort & Casino augmented the options for students from six high schools that participated in the first Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) Construction Career Fair Dec. 12 on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. More than 200 students from as far away as Mexico City, Mexico - such as Julio Guitierrez, a junior exchange student at the Ukiah School - attended the career fair in Cayuse Hall at Wildhorse Casino, where exhibitors provided information about diverse opportunities in the construction industry. Schools that participated in the fair included Nixyaawii, Pendleton, Hermiston, Boardman, Pilot Rock and Ukiah. Exhibitors and the building-trade represented labor unions, area colleges, construction companies like Lydig Construction (the prime contractor on the casino expansion), and the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Office of Civil Rights. “I was very surprised by the interests and interactions the students had with the ‘Not building trades and other exhibieverybody tors at the fair,” said John Barkley, program manager for the TERO wants to of the Confederated Tribes of the be a math Umatilla Indian Reservation. “They teacher.’ were enthusiastic and enjoyed the entire fair.” As a group of Riverside (Board- Tyler Davis, man) students moved from one Riverside High table to another, Barkley noted how School teacher the boys were “curious about the benefits” and the “short-term and long-term” opportunities. Riverside High School math teacher Tyler Davis said he’d always been on a “college pathway” and didn’t know as a young person about apprenticeships and labor unions. “Not everybody wants to be a math teacher,” Davis said, noting how his students were engaged in the oneon-one conversations with representatives. “I like the setup where kids are able to visit different vendors,” Davis said. “If it’s set up as lectures, they don’t get as much out of it. There are a lot of bright kids here, but they aren’t necessarily four-year college students. Here they can see many options. Here you see about 50 different faces of construction.”

Zachary Hawks, Completion Coach at Columbia Basin College in Richland, Wash., talks with Ukiah students, from left, Julio Guitierrez, an exchange student from Mexico City, plus Lozzy Enriquz, Kayla Kendall and El Gulden at the simulated welding video game. Hawk was there to talk about CBC’s welding, machinery, automotive and nuclear technology programs. CUJ Photos/Phinney

Riverside High School students posed for a photo outside the bowling alley construction site at Wildhorse Resort & Casino Dec. 12 during the Construction Career Fair sponsored by the Tribal Employment Rights Office for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Riverside High School students, from left, Edwyn Martinez, Julian Jimenez, Brandon Madrigal and Fernando Ortega talk with Josh Lucas, the representative for the Pacific Northwest Carpenter Institute, one of several labor unions represented at the TERO Construction Career Fair organized by John Barkley, TERO Program Manager for the Confederated Tribes. For more about TERO, turn to Page 10A.

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

Several students spent extra time at the booth where Josh Lucas was holding court for the Pacific Northwest Carpenter Institute. Lucas was passing out $800 bills to show students how much they could earn in a week when they had the right credentials. On the other side of room, Zachary Hawks, Completion Coach in the Counseling Center at Columbia Basin College, was explaining the welding video machine operated by students from Ukiah High School. He was talking to students about welding, nuclear technology, automotive and machinery. Hawks told the young ‘If any girls people they could be hired get into these for their machinery skills before they finish the program. programs we “One girl asked me how can guarantee to get to CBC to start the nuclear program,” Hawks said. them jobs.’ “If any girls get into these - Zachary Hawks, programs we can guarantee Columbia Basin College them jobs. Welding, machinery, automotive, they’re all pushing for women.” The Job Corps table where Alice Harder was handing out information offered another option. Harder called Job Corps a “hybrid high school, tech school and military.” Many young people who join Job Corps go on to the military, Harder said. Like the military, Job Corps has a high-level of accountability with a curfew and other routine requirements such as a specific way of making one’s bed. “Job Corps introduces you to the real world where you show up and have to be nice to your boss,” Harder said. “Every trade is different; no one size fits all after you leave.” Job Corps helps with job placement for graduating students. In fact, two of the three centers in Harder’s Northwest division are in the top three among the 122 centers in the United States for finding further education opportunities or employment for Job Corps graduates. Harder found expanded training for a young man who finished his training at the Job Corps center in Curlew, Wash., at a center that specialized in solar power in upstate New York. Her goal at the career fair, actually, was talking with the “guys hiring kids, the unions” to find employment opportunities for the people currently learning work skills in Job Corps. Barkley said TERO intends to make the construction career fair an annual event. A thank you letter from TERO appears in Section B on Page 20.

January 2020

CUJ News Tribal leaders gather in Toppenish for MMIW summit with Indian Affairs secretary By Tammy Ayer, Yakima Herald-Republic TOPPENISH — Like several other tribal leaders attending a summit Monday (Dec. 16, 2019) on missing and murdered indigenous women, Jill-Marie Gavin had come from a distance. Gavin traveled from the Umatilla Indian Reservation in eastern Oregon for the event at the Yakama Nation Cultural Center winter lodge. A longtime journalist, Gavin is one of the newest members of the Umatilla’s Board of Trustees, sworn in earlier this month. She has visited the Yakama Nation in the past for events raising awareness about missing Native women. U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse and Tara Sweeney, assistant secretary for Indian affairs at the Department of Interior, led the summit. They invited representatives of Washington’s 29 recognized tribes, along with tribal leaders in surrounding states, and state and federal officials. Sweeney wanted to hear directly from people impacted by the decadeslong crisis of missing and murdered indig“We are women. tired — tired enous While the topic is difficult, it of relatives must not stay in the shadows, Gavin said. missing.’ “Thank you for making the Lottie Sam, a journey here and making a difmember of the ference for Native women,” she Yakama tribal told Sweeney, who is Iñupiat from council’s special Barrow, Alaska. MMIW committee Among the approximately 50 people attending were 16 tribal leaders and 12 federal and state officials, including Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale; Craig Bill, director of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs; and all four members of the Yakama Nation Tribal Council’s special missing and murdered indigenous women committee. Nearly two dozen community members attended as well, along with a few Yakama Nation Police Department officers and investigators. Sweeney met with members of the Yakama tribal council and general council before the summit started. She appreciated that opportunity and also wanted to recognize the advocacy by Native women in the state of Washington, she said. “I sincerely thank you for never forgetting those who fell victim to murder or are still missing,” Sweeney added. It’s unknown exactly how many women and girls have gone missing and have been murdered or died under mysterious circumstances on and around the 1.3-million-acre Yakama Reservation. There are 31 open cases on or near the reservation on top of 71 open cases in the Seattle area, Newhouse said. But no one knows the entire scope of the crisis because of underreporting or incorrect reporting, among other issues. “We are tired — tired of relatives missing,” said Lottie Sam, a member of the Yakama tribal council’s special MMIW committee. She mentioned Rachel Lorraine Norris, a 38-yearold Yakama woman who has been missing since her apartment building in Wapato burned early Nov. 14. Last seen later that afternoon in Goldendale, Norris lost everything in the fire. She is a popular employee at Legends Casino and is missed, Sam said. “She has a lot of friends and we miss her greatly,” she added. Gavin noted the case of Rosenda Sophia Strong, a 31-year-old mother of four who went missing in early October 2018. Strong’s remains were found July 4 in an abandoned freezer in a field off U.S. Highway 97 near

January 2020

Some of the participants of the summit on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) held at the Yakama Nation Cultural Center in Toppenish, Washington. Back row, from left, Rodney Cawston, director of the Colville Tribe’s Business Council, and Joel Boyd, secretary of the Colville council. Front row, from left, Esther Moses-Hyipeer, Athena Sanchey-Yallup, Jill-Marie Gavin, Contributed photo Charlene Tillequots, and Lottie Sam. All but Gavin are members of the Yakama Nation’s special council on MMIWG.

Task Force meets with BOT, addresses General Council Members of the State of Oregon Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Task Force, including State Representative Tawna Sanchez, travelled to the Umatilla Indian Reservation on Dec. 19. They briefly met with the Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), and then addressed the General Council (GC) during their regularly scheduled meeting. Rep. Sanchez was the sponsor of House Bill 2625, which directs the Department of State Police to study how to increase criminal justice resources related to missing and murdered Native American women. The bill was signed into law in May 2019. The Board members in attendance shared their thoughts on what factors contribute to the MMIW crisis, such as jurisdictional issues, inaccurate data

Toppenish. Strong’s murder is still under investigation. Like Gavin, Strong was a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Enough is enough Native women and girls have suffered disproportionate levels of physical and sexual violence for centuries. One in three Native women will be raped in her lifetime, and human trafficking and domestic violence also impact many Native women. “This crisis has been going on for decades, many decades. The people in this room are essentially saying, ‘We’re not going to take it anymore,’” Newhouse said. “And now people are taking notice in Washington, D.C., as well. We’re all working hard to combat this crisis and deliver justice for these women and their families.”

Confederated Umatilla Journal

collection (e.g. listed an American Indian woman as Hispanic or white), the lack of trauma-informed policies and procedures in several agencies, the lack of trust toward federal agencies, past examples of broken trust or mistreatment, cold cases, and abduction and trafficking. As the meeting closed, Rep. Sanchez acknowledged what had been shared and said they had been hearing similiar information from other Tribes, and she pointed out that CTUIR, while still lacking in resources, has more than most other agencies. “Umatilla probably has the most resources at this moment in time. You’re on the forefront,” Sanchez said. The group disbanded so BOT members and the task force could attend the GC meeting. The CUJ does not report on those meetings.

Even as they praised those participating, some noted how forums and meetings centered on the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women have happened many times. They’ve heard empty promises of more attention to missing persons cases, more investigations, more resources that never came through. “It’s somewhat ironic. In 2007-08 ... we had the attorney general for the United States in this building. He made a statement. He promised to do something regarding missing and murdered Native women on the Yakama Reservation,” said Yakama Nation Tribal Council vice chairman Virgil Lewis Sr. “Nothing happened.” Lewis was talking about a pledge by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who promised a cold-case MMIW on page 18A

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Capturing a rainbow

This double rainbow image looking east from the Nixyaawii Governance Center was captured at 4 p.m. Dec. 19 by Audie Huber, Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s Department of Natural Resources.

CUJ Opinion More tribes regulating single-use plastics By Cynthia R. Harris As the federal government and many state governments fail to address plastic waste, Indian tribes become policy innovators. The world is waking up to the growing problem of plastic waste contaminating our ocean and terrestrial environments. Local governments—lauded as laboratories of innovation—have begun enacting bans and fees on single-use plastics, reducing the amount entering the waste stream in the first place. Businesses are stepping up; national and multinational governance bodies are adopting laws cutting down on the manufacture and distribution of single-use plastics. In the United States, California, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, and Maine have initiated statewide restrictions, while Oregon and Washington are considering similar measures. Yet 12 states have moved in the opposite direction, prohibiting local governments from regulating singleuse plastics. Many of these states already struggle to meet waste diversion and recycling goals. China’s recent clampdown on the importation of recycled plastic means a double whammy for localities already straitjacketed in their ability to reduce plastics entering the waste stream. But these preemptive measures do not extend to the 573 federally recognized Indian tribes, which are sovereign entities subject only to the U.S. Congress’s plenary authority. As original inhabitants, traditional users, and stewards of the land, Indigenous peoples in the U.S. have long led the way in natural resource management and environmental protection. Unsurprisingly, several tribes are moving forward to reduce single-use plastics on tribal land. In states where local regulation of single-use

CUJ Confederated Umatilla Journal

Oregon plastic bag ban now in effect Starting on Jan. 1, 2020, Oregon retail stores and restaurants can no longer provide singleuse checkout bags. They also must, in most instances, charge at least five cents for paper bags (with 40% or more post-consumer recycled content), reusable plastic bags (4 mils thick) and reusable fabric bags although restaurants may still provide paper bags at no cost. This change was approved by the 2019 Oregon Legislature, which passed the Sustainable Shopping Initiative (House Bill 2509).

plastics is prohibited, a small but growing number of tribes are exercising their sovereignty and adopting bans on single-use plastics. Perhaps the most notable example is the Navajo Nation, which governs the largest reservation in the United States, comparable in size to West Virginia and home to nearly 200,000 people. Its Single-Use Bag Act, a 2015 bill that would have prohibited retailers from supplying plastic carry-out bags, was withdrawn from consideration in favor of vetting the issue through a robust public review process. Navajo Nation EPA (NNEPA) is currently developing both a new Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban and a youth-initiated Styrofoam Use Ban. NNEPA intends for this legislation to incorporate core fundamental concepts of Diné culture and philosophy pertaining to environmental

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stewardship. In Florida, Seminole Gaming eliminated plastic straws and bags at its six casinos. The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians in Michigan and Indiana is rolling out its green initiative, Skëbgyak Zhetthkén (“Do it green!”). The Band’s single-use plastic ban currently applies only to single-use straws, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam within tribal departments or at tribal events, but the tribe anticipates expanding the ban to Band-owned casinos. Tribal elders of the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan successfully challenged the tribe’s casino to ban plastic straws. In Minnesota, the Lower Sioux Indian Community is considering prohibiting single-use plastics, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe bans Styrofoam. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is developing statutes to first ban single-use polystyrene products and then singleuse plastics for sale and use at tribal facilities. High school students led that initiative against Styrofoam products. These developments further cement U.S. tribes as innovators in environmental protection and natural resource management—from using Indigenous knowledge to inform climate change procedures to incorporating cultural values into water quality standards. It is both ironic and inspiring that Indigenous peoples and developing nations, among the first impacted by environmental stressors caused by the rest of the world, are at the forefront of pioneering solutions. Cynthia R. Harris is Director of Tribal Programs and the Deputy Director of the Center for State, Tribal, and Local Environmental Programs at the Environmental Law Institute.

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January 2020

CUJ Op-Eds & Columns Board forming ‘healthy and positive relationship’

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eysnin kímti inmíiwit oykalo iinim himyuume kaa lawtiwaama (happy new year all my relatives and friends) It has only been a month since tribal elections, yet I can proudly report that during the several work sessions it takes to orientate new BOT members of our duties and responsibilities [to you] …a healthy and positive relationship has formed amongst all of us. Diverse, and sincere opinions are openly shared, and have been equally respected. Within our first week, BOT members and General Council discussed and addressed several prominent issues that came up in 2019, for example; 1) we held a work session with the Election Commission and Legal Counsel to learn of the history of the ‘sole authority’ clause, then we developed and distributed a “fact sheet” to GC members during our Dec. 19th meeting. There seems low concern henceforth with its abuse as long as it is shared, limited and subject to judicial review; albeit, a closing opportunity for discussion will be afforded at our January regular GC meeting. A second, notable example of our efforts toward transparency is that we decided to gather feedback from the staff, commission and committees, as well as you the GC member …about your ideas and recommendations for what our Priorities and Commitments over the next two years …should be. We collected 72 responses already during our December regular meet-

General Council Chair’s Corner Lindsey X. Watchman

ing and are busy setting up more opportunities for you to share your thoughts: like in person, our new Facebook page, call-in during the KCUW radio show, email, or give one of us a phone call directly. By the end of January, all GC comments will be forwarded for full board consideration and finalization during the retreat. Also during January, we will hold work sessions to address two additional General Council-voiced concerns regarding expulsions from Wildhorse properties and housing tenant evictions. As a reminder, General Council members are welcome to attend BOT work sessions.

Lastly, I would like to thank the 117 members of General Council who attended the December meeting …I hope you enjoyed the format changes, and felt you were in a safe, …a healthy transparent environment to communicate in. and positive Another shout out to our relationship awesome cooks: Linda Jones, Trish McMichael, has formed Cara Greene, and my amongst all of wife Jay for getting our bellies warmed up with us. Diverse, stew and frybread before and sincere our meeting. opinions are As the year 2019 comes to an end …let openly shared, us continue to take brief and have moments to pause each been equally and every day, to breathe deeply, to look around respected. …and to be grateful for the joys of life around us. May many blessings surround you and our Nixyáawii Nation during 2020. Q’oc pamaawa (until I see you again). Yox kalo

A new decade, a new Board, a new vision By Jill-Marie Gavin

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s I am writing this column it is still 2019. By the time this paper arrives in the hands of Tribal Members it will be 2020. A new decade. There has been much discussion about what that means. Arriving in the 20’s means a lot for some and not as much for others. Our Tribal elders speak often about the tremendous amount of work that has been invested in this community over the last hundred years. Along with a new decade has come a new Board of Trustees. In November five new members were elected, including Armand Minthorn who has served many times in the past. Serving in an elected role is a first for four of us. When we were sworn in on Dec. 4 there was a lot of hope in the room. The new Board is a first in many ways, but most notable is the fact that for the first time the BOT is made up of a majority of women leaders. “A historic Board” I keep hearing people call it. While I am happy to be welcomed into a new era, a new decade and a new group of leaders, I hope that we are historic for many more reasons than just our gender. I hope that with this New Year and Board, Tribal Members are presented with new opportunities. I am thankful to the previous Board for laying the groundwork for the many projects we will continue. Even more so, I am grateful we have a chance to take a fresh look at what our processes as a BOT can be. During the first General Council since the new Board was sworn in, the General Council Officers handed out feedback sheets to see what the People want the BOT Priorities to be. We all come with our own ideas for offering something new to the People. Some Board members believe new opportunities means more soundly secured Treaty Rights, some believe it’s equal access to better paying jobs within our

January 2020

entities, and some believe it’s maintaining our current services. No matter what we individually see as the best way to strengthen our community and opportunities to the People, I am deeply grateful the People will get a chance to suggest what they believe they need the most. Too many times indigenous communities have come to the table with federal and state representatives only to be told what it is that they need. “We are a smart and capable People, we are the ones who know what we need,” we tell them. If this is what we are telling non-Indians and governments then why would we not exercise this same approach at home? I know the fear is that if the General Council is in control then they will want hand-outs, and make reckless or poor decisions. I have heard previous leaders express this in the past, but because we are a new group we are afforded the opportunity to make a new relationship with the General Council. Those of us who are serving on the Board for the first time arrived here because of the promise we made to our People, and that was to listen. Moving forward we will make mistakes, no one is perfect, but I do believe that during this time there is room for new opportunities for Tribal Members that didn’t nec-

essarily exist before, and that is to be heard. This is not to say that previous Board members who are gone now did not come to the table with the Tribes’ best interest in mind, but as a new group we have arrived with different views. Our views, ages and genders are much more diverse than they have been in the past. With so many different ideas and experiences I believe that the growth of our Tribes and relationship between elected officials and the General Council have room for growth. Time will tell if the promises we made to our People will be honored, but with continued momentum I know that all of my fellow Board members and our General Council officers will strive to foster a more amicable relationship between the two. Moving forward to grow that hope into a positive relationship between the BOT and the People. As I said before, no one is perfect, disagreements will be had and mistakes will be made, but I have faith in my fellow elected leaders that above all the good of the Tribe will be put first.

No one is perfect, disagreements will be had and mistakes will be made, but I have faith in my fellow elected leaders that, above all, the good of the Tribe will be put first.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Jill-Marie Gavin was elected in November of 2019 as an at-large member of the Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

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CUJ Almanac Obituaries GAYLORD “LEE” GRANNELL, JR (MINTHORN) Dec. 27, 1964 - Dec. 22, 2019 Our Lee departed on his next journey in the usual way: fast! Born to Gaylord Lee Grannell Sr. and Roberta Franklin Grannell, Lee grew up in Portland where he attended schools. Before becoming disabled he was the Shipping & Receiving Manager at VTech in Beaverton. Lee met his partner Micheal Minthorn on Father’s Day 1996 in Portland. In 1998, he relocated to McKay Creek joining up with the Minthorn Family for the reGaylord “Lee” mainder of his life. Grannell, Jr. Lee and Micheal owned (Minthorn) Howtome Vending Company until Lee became ill in late 1999, never recovering. Completely disabled, Lee had resided in Portland assisted living facilities since 2003 and had just returned to the reservation only a few weeks before he died, spending most of it on McKay Creek. In younger days, Lee was a sketch and paint artist residing in a loft in Northwest Portland. Lee was preceded in death by his father and his most favorite Aunt Karen Grannell Berry. He is survived by his partner Micheal Minthorn of McKay Creek; his mother in Oklahoma City; and brothers and sisters in Portland and Oklahoma. Lee has a multitude of nieces, nephews, and grandchildren among the Minthorn family. He gives his special thanks and love to Pat and Kite Minthorn for taking him in. The family gives thanks to the excellent owners and staff at Desire For Healing, and the kind family and friends he had among the staff at Wildhorse Casino. Funeral services and burial took place at Tutuilla Presbyterian Church & Cemetery. Pioneer Chapel was in charge of ar-

Ad deadline for the Feb. 6 CUJ is Jan. 14 News deadline for the Feb. 6 CUJ is Jan. 21

rangements. For details see their website www. pioneerchapel.com. DARRELL D. ENICK October 1, 1973 - December 19, 2019 Darrell D. Enick, 46, of Pendleton, died Dec. 19, 2019. He was born Oct. 1, 1973, in Pendleton. Funeral services were held Dec. 26, in Mission. Sunrise service were Dec. 27 at the Longhouse, followed by burial at Homly Cemetery. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton was in charge of the arrangements. DEXTER THOMPSON BECENTI Funeral services were held Dec. 26 at Burns Mortuary with burial at the Agency Cemetery. The family had not yet provided an obituary.

Public Notice NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Land Protection Planning Commission (LPPC) of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation will hold the following public hearing: Zone Change File #ZC-19-003 – Applicant, Dennis Burnell, P.O. Box 1303 Pendleton, OR 97801 seeks a recommendation of approval from the Land Protection Planning Commission to the Board of Trustees for a change to the Master Zoning map from Farm Pasture (Ag-2) to Commercial (C-D) or Industrial (I-D) for a 6.69 acre parcel located at 45479 NE Hwy 11, Tax Lot 2N33000001901. The property is the location of the former NWB Sales business. The site contains several large buildings that are currently vacant and the property is for sale. Zone Change amendments are subject to the CTUIR Land Development Code Chapters 9 and 13. The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, January 14, 2019 beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Nixyáawii Governance Center Wanaq’it Conference Room on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 46411 Timíne Way, Pendleton, OR. The public is entitled and encouraged to attend the hearing and to submit oral or written testimony on the proposed amendments. To obtain further information, contact the Tribal Planning Office at 46411 Timíne, Pendleton, Oregon, 97801 or call (541) 276-3099. Travis Olsen, Secretary Land Protection Planning Commission

BOT assigns Committees, Commissions MISSION - The Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation has assigned committee and commission appointments to its members. Each trustee sits on various committees and/or commission except for the chair who is an Ex Officio on all committees and commission. In alphabetical order by last name, the assignments are as follows. Jill-Marie Gavin, BOT member at large, will sit on the Economic Community Development Committee and vice-chair the Timine Development Corporation. Sally Kosey will chair the CTUIR Culture Coalition and sit on the Education & Training Committee and CTUIR Head Start Policy Council. Armand Minthorn will chair the Cultural Resource Committee and Science & Technology Committee and is the President of the Tamástslikt Trust Board. Boots Pond will sit on the Land Acquisition Committee and TERO Commission. Sandra Sampson will sit on the Health Commission, vice-chair the Water Commission, sit

‘Harassment’ added to Fish & Wildlife Code MISSION – An amendment to the Fish and Wildlife Code that took effect Dec. 16, 2019 prohibits harassment of wildlife on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The Confederated Tribes’ Board of Trustees by resolution enacted the amendment to more clearly define harassment in terms of aggravating or agitating wildlife. Also in April of 2019, the BOT passed a resolution that, among other things, prohibited non-Indian shed antler hunting on tribal lands. None of the amendments has a negative impact on Tribal members’ ability to exercise their treaty-reserved hunting, fishing or gathering rights, according to Jeremy Wolf, Chair of the CTUIR Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Weather Weather information summarize data taken at the Pendleton Weather Station Dec. 1-30. The average daily temperature was 42.7 degrees with a high of 64 degrees on Dec. 21 and a low of 18 degrees on Dec. 3. Total precipitation to date in December was 0.75 inch. The average wind speed was 5.7 mph with a sustained max speed of 35 mph from the East on Dec. 12. A peak speed of 41 mph occurred from the West on Dec. 12. The dominant wind direction was from the West. There were one thunder storm and 11 days out of 31 in which some rain fell.

on the Cayuse Holdings, LLC and Nixyaawii Community Fund CDFI boards. Corinne Sams will sit on the Alcohol and Drug Overight Commission and Law and Order Committee. Lindsey Watchman will chair the Housing and Land Protection Planning commissions, serve as secretary/treasurer of the Tiicham Conservation District, and sit on the Wildhorse Foundation board. Jeremy Wolf will chair the Fish and Wildlife Commission and sit on the Farm Committee. Full information, including meeting times and locations, can be found on CTUIR’s website.

Jobs Career Opportunities

1. Public Transit Bus Driver (part time) 2. Public Transit Bus Driver 3. Police Officer (1 position) 4. Archaeologist I/II (2 positions) (Revised) 5. Hydrologist 6. Building Inspector (1 position) (Revised) 7. Electrical Inspector (1 position) (Revised) 8. Child/Youth Advocate (Re-Advertised) 9. Male Re-Education/ Intervention Facilitator (Revised) 10. Nixyáawii Governance Center Receptionist/ Secretary I (1 position) 11. Tribal Roads Construction & Maintenance Foreman (Re-Advertised) 12. Forester (Fuels) 13. Communications Officer - Dispatcher 14. Public Transit Operations Supervisor 15. Public Transit Dispatcher 16. Patrol/Administrative Sergeant 17. Deputy Prosecutor 18. Technician I - Hatchery (Facility Watch Operator) 19. Environmental Toxicologist 20. Oral History/NAGPRA Technician I or II (1 position) (Re-Advertised) 21. Public Safety Director 22. Fisheries Technician I - Grande Ronde Research, Monitoring & Evaluation Project 23. Fisheries Technician II - Umatilla Monitoring & Evaluation and Biomonitoring Projects 24. Transportation Planner - Associate Planner Level 25. Training & Development Manager 26. Accounts Payable Clerk (Re-Advertised) 27. Surveillance Operator 28. Tribal Legal Aid Attorney, Intimate Partner Violence Survivors (IPVS) (Re-Advertised)

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

Pendleton Pioneer Chapel received three prestigious awards in 2009

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

Jobs COLUMBIA RIVER INTER-TRIBAL FISH COMMISSION EMPLOYMENT OPPOIRTUNITIES Job Title: Travel Coordinator (1-position) New! Department: Finance & Operations Classification: Full-time, regular, non-exempt Salary Range: $41,893 - $44,685 (DOE) Location: Portland, OR Job Summary: This position processes travel for Commissioners and staff. It also reconciles travel and bank accounts, backs-up accounting positions, analyzes general ledger accounts, prepares budgets, participates in internal and external audit, and works in other areas within the Finance & Operations Department. Job Requirements/Qualifications: An Associate Degree in Business, emphasis in Accounting, preferred; Finance or other business disciplines considered. Experience may be considered as a substitute for education requirements, provided it directly relates to the essential job functions and responsibilities. Knowledge of accounting software preferred. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Excel software application and in Word software application required. Closing date: January 17, 2020.

Job Title: Conservation Fishery Scientist (1-position) New! Department: Fishery Science Classification: Full-time, regular, non-exempt Salary Range: $74,312-$94,134 (DOE) Location: Portland, OR Job Summary: The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) Fishery Science Department is seeking a full-time Fishery Scientist to manage the Basinwide Supplementation Evaluation (BSE) Project. The BSE Project provides technical support and funding for studies that complement monitoring and evaluation programs associated with hatchery production projects managed by the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation. This position requires expertise related to hatchery management, anadromous fish supplementation, and fish reintroduction. The incumbent will collaborate closely with CRITFC and tribal personnel to develop research study designs, data collection and analysis, reintroduction plans, supplementation and monitoring protocols, and to act as a tribal reviewer/resource on issues related to hatchery production and population monitoring in the Columbia River Basin (e.g., hatchery review/ reform plans). Job Requirements/Qualifications: Advanced degree (i.e., MS, PhD) in fishery science, aquatic biology, or fisheries management, with demonstrable related work experience; Understanding of hatchery management and salmonid fish culture methods; Understanding of population dynamics and management of anadromous fish populations in the Columbia Basin, and principles of genetic selection and breeding, supplementation of depressed populations, reintroduction of species where the native population has been extirpated, and salmonid populations genetics; Demonstrated ability to clearly communicate scientific information to a diversity of audiences – tribal field technicians, fisheries biologists, fisheries scientists, fisheries agency managers and administrators, CRITFC Commissioners and staff; and a Proven track record for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Closing date: January 24, 2020.

Job Title: Fishery Technician III (1-position) New! Department: Fishery Science Classification: Full-time, regular, non-exempt Salary Range: $41,893 (DOQ) Location: Portland, OR Job Summary: The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission 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 and Fisheries Management departments. These departments are engaged in several investigations of salmon abundance, stock composition, predation, production, and lamprey supplementation, management

January 2020

CTUIR

and research within the Columbia River Basin. Specific projects include, but are not limited to, the sea lion hazing and abundance estimation, parental based tagging, and working within the Lamprey project assisting in collections of adult lamprey for translocation, conducting research, monitoring and evaluation, and assisting member tribes. Work locations vary throughout the Columbia River Basin. Job Requirements/Qualifications: We seek responsible and dependable individuals with interests in environmental and fisheries sciences who meet the following required qualifications: An interest in fisheries science and experience collecting natural resource data in the field. A bachelor’s degree in fisheries or a related field will substitute for work experience; Familiarity with biological research and the ability to execute detailed technical procedures; Ability to collect and maintain high quality data records from field and laboratory work; Ability to work effectively, positively, and as a team; Ability to work flexible work days and hours including early mornings, late evenings and weekends; Ability to travel overnight; A valid driver’s license and good driving record. Closing date: January 17, 2020.

Job Title: Fishery Technician II (2 - positions) New! Department: Fishery Science Classification: Full-time, temporary (no benefits) Salary: $16.26 to $17.34 per hour DOQ Duration: Temporary 3.5 months (February – May 2020) Location: Portland, Oregon Job Summary: The Columbia River InterTribal Fish Commission 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. The production research group is engaged in several research projects designed to investigate salmon and steelhead limiting factors, which include predation. For the last decade sea lion presence and consumption of salmon near Bonneville dam has been increasing and our research program is designed to assist managers in reducing sea lion occurrence near the dam along with investigating sea lion abundance and predation rates. The duration of this position is limited to three and a half months. Job Requirements/ Qualifications: We seek responsible and dependable individuals with interests in environmental and fisheries sciences who meet the following required qualifications: An interest in fisheries science and experience collecting natural resource data in the field; A bachelor’s degree in fisheries or a related field will substitute for work experience; Familiarity with biological research and the ability to execute detailed technical procedures; Ability to collect and maintain high quality data records from field and laboratory work; Ability to work effectively, positively, and as a team in field, office, and laboratory settings; A valid driver’s license, good driving record, and the ability to lift and carry objects weighing at least 50 pounds. Closing date: January 17, 2020.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Board of Trustees

General Council

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

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. - Jan. 16 Draft agenda:

BOT Treasurer Report Health Commission Annual Report 2020-2021 Priorities/Commitments Open Mic CTUIR Youth Council

CTUIR Express Phone Directory

Under the authority of Section 7 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, CRITFC shall give preference in employment matters to qualified enrolled members of the four CRITFC member tribes, then to qualified enrolled members of other federally recognized tribes. If CRITFC is unable to fill openings with such qualified tribal members, other qualified applicants will be considered. 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 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/.

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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CELEBRAT Anthony Bonifer on Wildhorse Resort & Casino Phase II Expansion Project.

The TERO team includes, back row from left, John Barkley, TERO Program Manager, and Damon McKay, TERO Compliance Officer; and front row from left, Lisa Ganuelas, TERO temp; Michelle Bratlie, TERO Dispatch officer; and Danielle Strickland, TERO assistant.

Ryan Ashley works on Phase II Expansion at Wildhorse Resort &

Tonia Smith flagging on Interstate 84 Snow Safety Zone Project.

Aaron Dodge on Wildhorse Resort Golf Clubhouse project.

What is TERO? TERO stands for Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance or Office. TERO Ordinances require that all employers who are engaged in operating a business on reservations give preference to qualified Indians in all aspects of employment, contracting and other business activities. TERO Offices were established and empowered to monitor and enforce the requirements of the tribal employment rights ordinance. What is the purpose of the TERO program? The primary purpose of the TERO program is to enforce tribally enacted Indian Preference law to insure that Indian/Alaska Native people gain their rightful share to employment, training, contracting, subcontracting, and business opportunities on and near reservations and native villages.

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What is Indian preference? Indian preference is a unique legal right that tribal members have that entitles them to first consideration to all employment, training, contracting and subcontracting and business opportunities that exist on and in some cases near reservations.

Robert Wilson on Nixya construction project.

Sean Van Pelt on Ladd Canyon Project.

Are Indian preference and TERO new concepts? The answer to this question is no. Indian preference first appeared in Federal regulations in 1834. Since then most new laws and regulations related to tribes and Indian people include preference provisions. Tribal Employment Rights Ordinances (TEROs) were initially enacted by tribes in late 1976 and early 1977. Today there are almost 300 Tribes and Alaska Native Villages which are covered by TERO ordinances.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

TING TERO Benny Minthorn and Dana P. Minthorn working on the 8th Street Bridge project over the Umatilla River in Pendleton, Oregon.

Casino.

Michelle Bratlie, Brian Thompson, and Donald Williams at HAZWOPER safety training, which includes curriculum from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

American Iron Work and Erectors at Wildhorse Resort & Casino. Claudia Tannehill works for Berg Electric on Wildhorse Resort & Casino Expansion Phase II project.

TERO Projects 2019/2020

aawii Education Center

Virgil Tsosie works on the Nixyaawii Education Center construction project.

C T UI R T E R O Contractor Certification Workshop Agenda 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Museum Tour Tamátslikt Cultural Institute 47106 Wildhorse Blvd. Pendleton, OR 97801 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM TERO Presentation Nixyáawii Governance Center 46411 Timíne Way Pendleton, OR 97801

2020 Dates & Prices

 February 6 - $300 only  May 7  August 6

 November 5

Early Registration: $650 At the Door: $750 Registration is non-refundable Contact: TEROstaff@ctuir.org

I84 Ladd Canyon Freight & Culvert I84 Median Barrier Safety Improvement OR82 Minam Curve & Bank Stabilization 8th Street/Lee Street Bridge I82 End Panel I84 NE OR Snow Zone Safety Mission Market Expansion TCI Restoration Project Wildhorse Golf Clubhouse Wildhorse Bowling Alley Expansion Wildhorse Restroom Remodel Wildhorse Hotel Tower Andrew Tewanina on I-84 OR 244 Marley Creek Culvert Median Barrier Safety I84 Nolin Bridge Project near Farewell Bend, Oregon. CTUIR Education Facility Thank you to all TERO referrals, prime contractors, subcontractors, ODOT and TERO officials for a successful year! Paid advertisement

January 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Act allows funding to fix Lone Pine NW lawmakers lead effort to improve in-lieu and fishing access sites From various sources THE DALLES – Lone Pine, a tribal fishing site along the Columbia River where about three dozen families live year round, will see much-needed maintenance and sanitation services following

federal legislation signed into law in December. President Donald Trump on Dec. 20 signed the first law bearing the name of Lone Pine and 30 more Columbia River tribal fishing sites where hundreds of northwest tribal members live at least six months out of the year. The law makes it possible to allocate money to fix up the sites, which have fallen into squalid conditions because the federal government underestimated how many people would use them, according to reporting by The Oregonian’s Molly Harbarger, who has been covering this story for the

last several years. The bill, authored by Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer, both Democrats, was unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate on June 28. It passed in the House on Dec. 16 as the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fish Access Sites Improvement Act. Beginning in the 1930s, the construction of the three lower Columbia River dams displaced members of the four Columbia River Treaty tribes: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), Confederated Tribes of the

Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Nez Perce Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The 31 traditional fishing sites and villages were created for those tribes because they have a treaty-protected right to fish along the Columbia River in their usual and accustomed places. While the Oregon legislators wrote the bill, much of the credit is going to New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland, a Democrat and one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress, who successfully called for the bill to be voted on without debate in the House. Jeremy Wolf, Chair of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and Chair of the Fish and Wildlife Commission for the CTUIR, was pleased with a process that’s lasted a long time. “I am grateful to the staff at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and each member Tribe for their tireless work in preserving and recovering our Treaty Rights along the Columbia River and its tributaries,” Wolf said in a prepared statement. “Of course, our Northwest Delegation, specifically Senator Merkley and Congressman Blumenauer who spearheaded the bill, are to be commended for fulfilling this promise to replace our flooded village sites. “We have worked closely over the past two decades to get the job done,” Wolf continued. “This is a win for the Columbia River and the people. We look forward to continuing our collaboration concerning our Treaty Rights and the ecosystem function of the Columbia River Basin as a whole.” N. Kathryn “Kat” Brigham, Chair of the Umatilla Tribe, said the legislation is the result of the four tribes working together to gain Congressional support, but it is only a starting point. “When homes were demolished because of flooding, the feds and states rebuilt their homes in a matter of years. It’s taken decades for the Corps to step up to get our villages rebuilt,” she said. “Now we can only move forward if the four tribes can reach an agreement again to get additional funding. We need a strategy and a plan for Columbia River housing.” At the most used site, Lone Pine, families share a single restroom with four shower stalls and four toilets, which at the time of the investigation by Harbarger at The Oregonian/OregonLive, had no doors. The toilets occasionally back up onto the floor of the bathroom, sending the smell of waste wafting through the camp. With so many families living there, the sanitation truck almost never arrives soon enough. The Army Corps designed the sites to be used primarily for daily, in-season fishing access and temporary camping; however, in many cases tribal members now use the areas as longer-term or even permanent residences. In fact, many people at these sites are living in extremely distressed, unsafe, and unsanitary conditions, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has not committed the resources necessary to ensure the basic necessities of clean and safe living conditions at these sites. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fishing sites on page 18A

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

Cisco Minthorn named to Cayuse Holdings Board

Special Election on Boundary issue Feb. 26 Continued from page 3A

“sole authority” power grab, were to meet on Jan. 2 (the day the CUJ hit the streets) to continue discussing both subjects. The Board met Dec. 20 in a long work session to discuss the residency and sole authority issues and, despite most BOT members wanting to move forward with a decision, Chair Brigham slowed things down to fully vet the process. “The majority was ready to move but I want to listen more so we can reach an agreement on the next steps,” Brigham said. “There are questions on the process for residency and sole authority.” Brigham said there currently is no protocol for handling issues in the event that someone is accused of living off the reservation. “Who determines if someone is a resident or not? Who has the authority to decide that? Who says if it is legal? The Board? The Election Commission? What is the process? Who notifies who? Who enforces it? How is it enforced? We need to confirm a process and then take the next steps,” Brigham said. The special election will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the Nixyaawii Governance Center. Closing date for absentee ballot requests is Feb. 11. A Notice of Special Election appears on Page 14A.

This map from the CTUIR Election Code represents the current wording from the CTUIR Constitution, which does not specifically define the boundary of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Voters will be asked at the Feb. 26 Special Election if they want to amend the Constitution to define the boundary using Article 1 of the Treaty of 1855.

MISSION – Cisco Minthorn has been appointed to a position on the Cayuse Holdings Board of Directors by the Board of Trustees (BOT) for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The BOT in December also appointed Monte Hong to the seven-person Board. Minthorn, an attorney, is the Senior Director of Government Relations and Senior Counsel, Global Public Policy, in Intel Corporation’s Law and Policy Group. Prior to joining Intel, Minthorn was appointed Cisco Minthorn to serve as a Senior Advisor to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker in the Administration of President Barack Obama. In this role he was the Secrtary’s chief advisor on matters of federal Indian law and policy and oversaw the Department of Commerce’s legislative agenda related to economic development initiatives. Minthorn lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Erin, a national security and foreign policy expert and former U.S. diplomat. The Cayuse Holdings Board includes Chair Chuck Sams, Vice-Chair Shlomo Bibas, Secretary Patrice Walters, TreaCayuse Holdings on page 19A

Happy New Year from the NGC West Wing!

Wishing everyone a happy, safe and prosperous new year ... the Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes and employees from the West Wing of the Nixyaawii Governance Center. From left, BOT Vice Chair Jeremy Wolf, Legislative Affairs Manager Jane Hill, BOT member Armand Minthorn, CUJ Editor Wil Phinney, Communication Department Director Charles Sams III, Executive Administrative Assistant Dana Quaempts, BOT member Boots Pond, KCUW Manager Jazz Halfmoon, BOT Secretary Sally Kosey, Secretary Dan Fiel, BOT Travel Coordinator/Secretary Melinda Alexander, Executive Director Ted Wright, BOT member Corinne Sams, BOT Treasurer Sandra Sampson, General Council Chair Lindsey X. Watchman, NGC Receptionist Celeste Watchman, BOT Chair Kat Brigham, and CUJ Reporter Casey Brown.

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Ben’s Truck Repair Continued from page 1A

Grofft, economic planner in the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). GC Chair Lindsey Watchman, BOT Treasurer Sandra Sampson and BOT member Boots Pond were critical of the lease – and by association DECD - but for different reasons. Ben’s new venture on the Umatilla Indian Reservation would join the company’s headquarter facility in Huntington, with other 24-hour roadside repair locations in Ontario and Baker City. The other three facilities operate 365 days a year. Ben’s Truck Repair drives to rigs on the side of the highway to provide emergency roadside service such as engine, radiator or tire repair, or trucks can be towed to one of their shops where certified welders and mechan-

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ics are available. In addition to semi-truck repair, Ben’s Truck Repair sells Michelin and Goodyear tires. Ben’s will have to construct its own building where it likely would provide the services it offers at its other facilities, which include computer diagnostics, brake replacement, wheel seals, hoses, belts, water pumps, alternators, starters, batteries, wiring, etc. The lease sparked a discussion about economic development diversification at Coyote Business Park, which hasn’t seen much action since construction in 2012 of the building that currently houses Dairy Queen and Subway, and in 2013 when the U.S. Forest Service’s Umatilla National Forest headquarters was built closer to the freeway. DeGrofft reminded the Board that Coyote Business Park includes a full 500 acres, not just the relatively small

Confederated Umatilla Journal

acreage between Wildhorse and Kenworth. There are 142 acres on the south side of the freeway considered “shovel ready” for businesses to build with all the infrastructure, including electricity and telecommunications lines, already installed. “If you look at one project at a time it seems insubstantial,” DeGrofft said. “If we start developing the park and gain momentum with several projects we create more opportunities and diversify revenue streams for the tribe.” General Council Chair Watchman was critical of what he characterized as a low lease amount and said tribal member ‘I’ve often said entrepreneurs should get we’ve been the same shake as Ben’s bridesmaids but Truck Repair. BOT member Jill-Manever the bride, rie Gavin was mindful, unfortunately, however, that the lease agreement includes the but somebody lower rate because of the has proposed to investment Ben’s Truck us now.’ Repair will be making to bring in utility infrastrucRyan DeGrofft, CTUIR ture, which abuts other Economic Planner properties. There is sewer and water adjacent to the site, but Ben’s will be responsible for providing power – natural gas or electricity - and mostly likely a fiber or copper telecommunications line unless the business relies solely on cell phones, DeGrofft said. Future businesses will be able to “piggy-back” on that developed infrastructure, Gavin said. DeGrofft said the total project value, including a new structure, will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In his remarks, Watchman did not acknowledge the cost of power and telecommunications infrastructure that Ben’s Truck Repair must pay for before it constructs a building for its truck-and-tire service. Treasurer Sampson was concerned about the lease including the waiver of a five-year appraisal. She wants an appraisal every three years so the CTUIR will know what the property is worth after improvements are made Pond said he didn’t see a plan for the future if the Tribes want to grow. “In six years we just have another business for semitrucks. I’d like to see some diversification. It would be cool to have a mechanic, car roadside service, but this is for semi-trucks,” Pond said. He also questioned having another roadside truck service so close to the Baker outfit. “The business pitch is to have one every 150 miles and we’re within that all the way to Walla Walla and Hermiston. Why three sites so close?” Pond asked. DeGrofft said Ben’s Truck Repair hopes to service trucks coming down Cabbage Hill as well as “hop scotch” farther north or west down the Columbia Gorge. Pond asked DeGrofft to explain the “end game.” “Do you think this will invite more small businesses?” Pond asked. DeGrofft said DECD planned to return to the Board soon with a presentation on Coyote Business Park that explained its marketing strategy. “One project alone doesn’t create huge synergy,” DeGrofft acknowledged. “But a truck stop, a coffee shop, a restaurant … any new development is one more step.” Pond noted that nothing has been done in the last six years at Coyote Business Park. “Do you have anything to show how it’s being developed?” Pond asked. DeGrofft defended DECD’s efforts. “We’ve done a great deal with our marketing plan working with the state and our own leads. At any given time we’re working with five to ten potential lease leads. Clearly, since they’re not here, most often they are choosing to locate elsewhere,” DeGrofft said. “I’ve often said we’ve been bridesmaids but never the bride, unfortunately, but somebody has proposed to us now,” he said.

January 2020

Alaska: Weaving her way to Recovery Continued from page 1A

“They liked my work ethic so much that they wanted to get me on permanently, so they got me on as a frontline associate/custodial assistant,” she said. “Knowing that they wanted to keep me on it just made me really proud of all of the accomplishments and how far I’ve come from where I used to be.” Alaska appreciates their willingness to work around her rigorous treatment schedule. The program comes with a long list of daily, weekly, and monthly requirements. Every day she had to call a urinalysis (UA) hotline to learn if she would be required to take a test that day or not. Every week she also had to turn in a report, attend two community-based programs such as Narcotics Anonymous, one family event, take treatment classes four days a week, and appear in court every Friday. “I’ve turned in over 60 weekly reports. Every Wednesday between 1:30 and 4:30. You have to do it.” On Fridays, she rode the Hopper, Kayak Public Transit’s route to Hermiston, to get to her court appearances. “It’s not like a regular court. There is the treatment court team, five or six people,” she said. “They ask you how much clean time you have, and then everyone claps for you.” The focus is on incentives rather than punishments. If all the weekly requirements have been met, then court-ordered participants can choose something from an incentive basket. “I’ve never been to a court where people clap for you before,” Alaska said. The reward for doing well four weeks in a row has higher stakes: “If you do good every four weeks, you get an on-track award, and that knocked down a lot of my community service that I had to do.” In regular court, people are sent to jail right away, Alaska said. “In this program, they give you a lot of chances, interventions, to prevent you from going back to doing drugs and try to help get you out of the lifestyle that you were living. That’s why they like to keep you busy in the treatment court program,” she explained. Her life wasn’t always filled with 12step meetings and trips to Hermiston, though. When she was active in her addiction, she spent a lot of her time scoring and doing drugs, at times choosing homelessness “over a warm place to sleep.” As Alaska looked back on her journey, she realized her addiction developed slowly but then ramped up as more and more tragic events piled up. She began smoking cigarettes and marijuana at age 11. She moved on to alcohol as a freshman in high school. The next year, when she and a group of friends went out to celebrate her Sweet 16 birthday, her best friend died in a car accident. “She was only 15 years old,” Alaska said. “There were six of us in the car, and she’s the only one who didn’t make it … It pushed me into drinking more because I thought it should have been me dying instead of her.” Shadowed by a dark cloud of grief, Alaska continued to drink throughout high school. She dropped out during her senior year after receiving her “18 Money,” her birthright as an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation. And things got worse. “When I was 18, I got pregnant and then I miscarried. I started to do drugs after that, hard drugs, meth

Alaska Koski, left, talks to Joey Lavadour, master weaver during their November basket weaving class. Koski led the class to meet one of the requirements of her Drug Court Treatment Program, which she successfully completed after 16 months. She will graduate from Drug Court on Jan. 3. Koski has been clean and sober from drugs and alcohol since Sept. 1, 2018. The class was free and provided participants with all necessary supplies. During the first week, participants weaved round baskets, and during the second week they weaved flat baskets.

CUJ Photo/Megan Van Pelt

and cocaine, and all that stuff, and then I partied more. Eventually I started shooting up, and that just took my soul away from me.” She was also hit hard when she lost the people who raised her. Her grandmother passed away in 2014 and then her grandfather died in 2016. “I was lost, and I didn’t know how to live life without my grandma being there anymore because I thought she was going to live forever.” As her circumstances worsened, she fought back with several attempts to get clean. But addiction is cunning. “I tried going to treatment, but I always ended up doing the same thing, talking to the same old people, smoking a lot of weed. Then I moved to the coast for like three months, got my GED while I was there, it was great,” she said. She moved home and it all started over. “I ended up moving back here and tried to stay clean, but I just ended up doing the same thing,” she said. “And then the last couple of years I went even harder into my addiction, self-sabotaging, hoping that I would just die.” Each time she got a little sobriety under her belt, someone from her past would resurface and lure her back into drinking or shooting up. Eventually things got bad enough that she wanted nothing more than to end the cycle and the pain. “I wanted to be with my loved ones, with my son, with my best friend that got killed in a car crash. I just didn’t want to live anymore, so I basically self-sabotaged to try and die.” She was in her bedroom with enough heroin to make good on her suicide plan. But she was interrupted. “My mom barged in and told me that one of my childhood friends got killed in Portland. He was one of my first friends around here when I was little in Cay-Uma-Wa.” Something about that news changed Alaska’s point of view. “I felt like that was God giving me a sign that I wasn’t meant to die,” she said. “He died so I could live.” Then, she began to make a series of small changes

‘When I was 18, I got pregnant and then I miscarried. I started to do drugs after that, hard drugs, meth and cocaine, and all that stuff, and then I partied more. Eventually I started shooting up, and that just took my soul away from me.’

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

that started to add up. She decided to move out. Her cousin, Aaronessa Farrow, offered her the support she needed and Alaska renewed plans to get clean and sober. It just so happened that Farrow’s husband was someone Alaska had used drugs with in the past. This time, however, her old “using buddy” had a different message. Clean and sober for three years, Brian Frank, invited Alaska to join him in a healthier lifestyle. They support each other through sobriety and work out together. “He’s showed me a better way of life,” she said. Brian said he knew how to relate to Alaska. “I kind of come from the same background as she did,” he said. “I wanted to show her a different way of life instead of having to depend on the addiction in her life.” They have seen each other change and Brian said he’s glad he’s been along for the ride. “She’s done all the footwork,” Frank said. “It’s been amazing to watch her transform from where she came from to where she is now, and I’m very honored to be a part of that journey.” Another big part of her sobriety has been getting back to her hobbies and reconnecting with cultural practices. In November, she co-taught a series of basket weaving classes with master weaver Joey Lavadour, who is also a CTUIR member. The class was part of Alaska’s drug treatment program and was organized in partnership with CTUIR’s Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation program. Alaska describes weaving as “good medicine” and an important part in her recovery. She brought in several of the baskets that she had weaved as she was getting sober and quitting nicotine. The baskets have the story of her recovery woven into them. The earlier baskets are loose, distracted. Then the thinner yarn on the middle baskets, which she made while quitting smoking, is cramped around the spokes, wound tightly. As time went by, Alaska relaxed and so did her weaving. The baskets she wove in her workshops with Lavadour were confident; she was freer. Alaska has gone from a suicide attempt – and everything that came before – to being clean and sober, ready to graduate from a rigorous drug treatment program. Her golden year may be over, but she plans to continue shining. “I feel like I’m here for a reason. I’m meant to live,” she said. “I feel like it is my responsibility to carry a light for people that are still struggling, that have been through what I’ve been through.”

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46314 Timine Way Pendleton, Oregon 97801 541- 966-9830

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

www.yellowhawk.org

January 2020

January 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Fishing sites Continued from page 10A

was supposed to replace the housing lost when the Bonneville, Dalles and John Day dams were built. That never happened. The federal government also underestimated how many people would use the sites because the dam’s depleted salmon runs so drastically that officials assumed that tribal members would largely give up fishing. However, members of the four tribes have fished the river for economic, social and religious reasons from time immemorial. When the promised houses were never built after the dams were constructed, tribal members moved on to the fishing sites to maintain that way of life. Sen. Merkley and Rep. Blumenauer visited Lone Pine in 2016 after Harbarger at The Oregonian found that the federal government had ignored its promises to the four tribes that have lived along the river for 80 years. That year, former President Barack Obama signed a law that directed the Army Corps of Engineers to replace the flooded housing. That work was temporarily stopped by the Trump administration but now continues. Getting money to fix up the existing sites for people who live there and use them now has been a longer journey. The BIA was put in charge of maintenance at the fishing sites after they were built. The agency didn’t follow through and so the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) currently maintains and operates the fishing sites. Charles Hudson, CRITFC intergovernmental affairs director, said that the tribal agency has already started to inventory needed upgrades and repairs. Many sites need adequate sewage septic systems, new wells for drinking water, electrical lines and more. The BIA is in charge of assessing the sites on its own to create a list of needed

MMIW Summit Continued from page 5A

initiative in response to the high number of unsolved deaths throughout Indian Country. The first federal probe began with the Yakamas. Local families of the victims were skeptical that authorities put enough effort and resources into solving the cases. Many complained that FBI agents didn’t show up years ago to conduct any field investigations. The FBI has jurisdiction to investigate all serious crimes involving Native Americans on tribal lands. Taking action Sweeney and others pledged real action this time. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month to create an interagency task force to look into missing and murdered indigenous people, and there’s been legislation on the state and federal level. Sweeney has already committed to returning to the Yakama Reservation, she noted. Leaders agreed, as they have many times, that accurate data collection and sharing are key. Law enforcement agencies must communicate and work together more efficiently, and should receive training in trauma-informed care.

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repairs. The law includes an estimate that $11 million over five years is needed, but that could change once the assessments are done, Harbarger writes in her most recent Dec. 28 story. Hudson is confident that the funding will come through. “I think that’s a signal from Congress that they know these safety and sanitation issues will cost money to remedy,” Hudson said. Merkley said he plans to use his position on the Senate appropriations committee to allocate funding to make improvements. He has the backing of a bipartisan coalition of Oregon and Washington lawmakers and now appears to have buy-in from the White House. “These improvements are an urgent first step that we must take while we work toward the longer-term goal of replacing housing and communities that were destroyed by the dam creation process,” Merkley said in a statement. “I’ve seen firsthand that this unacceptable reality is nothing short of a crisis.” The Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act would address the urgent need for improved conditions by: - Calling on the BIA to conduct a muchneeded assessment of current safety and sanitation conditions at the sites, in coordination with the affected Columbia River Treaty Tribes; and - Authorizing the Bureau to work on improving sanitation and safety conditions in several key areas such as structural improvements (restrooms, washrooms, and other buildings); safety improvements (wells and infrastructure to address fire concerns, and more); electrical infrastructure to ensure safe electrical hookups; and basic sewer and septic infrastructure. Molly Harbarger can be reached at mharbarger@oregonian.com or at 503-294-5923 or on twitter @MollyHarbarger

Quick and attentive response to missing persons cases is key. They and others continue to look for solutions so summits such as the one Dec. 16 won’t be necessary someday. “When things like this happen, it really impacts our families and our communities,” said Rodney Cawston, of the Colville Business Council of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. “Myself as a leader, I ask myself, ‘What can we do to improve this?’ We know there’s a lot of underreporting.” “We do need to be able to work with other law enforcement agencies, state and federal,” he said. It’s hard to talk about the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people, Cawston said. But as Mary Jane Miles noted, it’s necessary. Miles is a member of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee. “We’ve got to discuss all this stuff,” she said. “I just feel that this is a step in the right direction.” Reach Tammy Ayer at tayer@yakimaherald.com or on Facebook. © Copyright 2019 Yakima Herald-Republic, 114 N. 4th Street Yakima, WA

January 2020

Cayuse Holdings

Happy Canyon Princesses introduced

Continued from page 3A

The 2020 Happy Canyon Court was officially announced at a Dec. 14 event at the Pendleton Convention Center. Mary Rivera, Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, left, and Clarise Huesties, CTUIR, right, stand with their chaperone Toni Minthorn. They received gifts from last year’s princesses, the Pendleton Round-Up court, and the boards of directors for both the Happy Canyon and Pendleton Round-Up.

CUJ Photo/Megan Van Pelt

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

surer Monte Hong, and members Koko Hufford, Billy Nerenberg and Minthorn. Nerenberg is Chief Executive Officer with Randall Willis as Chief Operating Officer and Gary Whitney as Chief Financial Officer. Cayuse Technologies started as a strategic alliance between Accenture, LLC and the CTUIR in 2006 to create a US-based alternative to offshore delivery centers as a node on Accenture’s global delivery network. Cayuse Holdings was created in 2018 and is comprised of 10 family companies, in addition to Cayuse Technologies. Cayuse Holdings is headquartered on the Umatilla Indian Reservation with regional offices in Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Honolulu, and Washington, D.C. Cayuse Holdings continues to be a 100 percent Indian Owned Economic Enterprise and is a foremost provider of responsible sourcing/certified diversity solutions for both commercial and government clients, according to its website.

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January 2020

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

Humbling his foe

Section

B

January 2020

Trayton Bale puts the finishing touches on his opponent in the first round of action at the Oregon Trail County wrestling championships in Echo Dec. 20 and 21. Bale won his first two matches by pin, but lost his final match in overtime. He’s wrestling varsity at 145 pounds for the Pendleton Buckaroos. More on Bale on Page 2B. CUJ Photo/Phinney

Nixyaawii boys, girls ready for Old Oregon Boys complete tough preseason schedule at 7-3

Girls go 4-6 in December with three wins on road

By Wil Phinney of the CUJ

By the CUJ

MISSION – How do you prepare to defend your Class 1A State Basketball title? You don’t play any preseason games against Class 1A opponents. That’s the strategy for the Nixyaawii Community School Golden Eagles who went through December winning seven of 10 games against Class 2A and Class 3A squads, including three teams that were ranked at the top of state polls at the time they clashed. “The pre-season level of competition has been good,” said Coach Shane Rivera.

MISSION – After a tough pre-season schedule against bigger schools with more experience, Nixyaawii Community School’s young girls’ basketball squad is ready to start its conference schedule Jan. 10 at North Powder. The girls, who went 4-6 in December, had one non-conference test left before beginning play in the Old Oregon League (OOL). That was a game against Lapwai scheduled on the road Saturday, Jan. 7. The next home game was to be an OOL matchup against Cove Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Nixyaawii boys go 7-3 on 4B

CUJ Photo/Phinney McKenzie Kiona reaches for the basketball before it goes out of bounds during action against Union Dec. 28 in the Eagles’ Nest at Nixyaawii Community School. Next to her is Union’s Autum Daggett and looking on are NCS players Sophie Bronson in back and Tyanna Van Pelt at right.

Andria Scott poses with her daughter Jillian MorningOwl, who recieved a present from the Cay-Uma-Wa Headstart’s giving tree. See more photos on Page 22B.

January 2020

Everyone who attended the Christmas Light Parade and Caroling in Mission on Dec. 18 received gifts. For more photos, turn to Page 12B.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Nixyaawii girls on page 6B

A three-day intensive workshop on horse therapy took place Dec. 6-8 in Pendleton and Mission. For the full story, see Page 7B.

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JANUARY SPORTS Nixyaawii Community School Boys Basketball Jan. 9 vs. Lapwai at 7 p.m. Jan. 10 @ Powder Valley at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 @ Wallowa at 5:30 Jan. 17 vs. Cove at 7:30 Jan. 18 @ Griswold at 5:30 Jan. 20 @ Nyssa at 6:30 p.m. (MT) Jan. 24 @ Elgin at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 vs. Joseph at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 1 vs. Wallowa at 5:30 p.m. Girls Basketball Jan. 7 @ Lapwai at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 10 @ Powder Valley at 6 p.m. Jan. 11 @ Wallowa at 4 p.m. Jan. 14 @ McLoughlin at 6 p.m. Jan 17 vs. Cove at 6 p.m. Jan. 18 @ Griswold at 4 p.m. Jan. 24 @ Elgin at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 vs. Joseph at 4 p.m. Feb. 1 vs. Wallowa at 4 p.m.

Pilot Rock High School

Boys Basketball Jan. 3 @ Enterprise at 7:30 Jan. 4 vs. Stanfield at 5:30 Jan. 10 vs. Union at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 vs. Heppner at 5:30 Jan. 14 vs. Ione/Arlington at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 vs. Grant Union at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 @ Stanfield at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 vs. Weston-McEwen at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 30 @ Heppner at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 @ Union at 5:30 p.m. Girls Basketball Jan. 3 @ Enterprise at 6 p.m. Jan. 4 vs. Stanfield at 4 p.m. Jan. 10 vs. Union at 6 p.m. Jan. 11 vs. Heppner at 4 p.m. Jan. 14 vs. Ione/Arlington at 6 p.m. Jan. 17 vs. Grant Union at 6 p.m. Jan. 24 @ Stanfield at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 vs. Weston-McEwen at 4 p.m. Jan. 30 @ Heppner at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 @ Union at 4 p.m.

Weston-McEwen High School Boys Basketball Jan. 3 vs. Heppner at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4 @ Imbler at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 10 @ Enterprise at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 vs. Stanfield at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 14 vs. Union at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18 @ Grant Union vs 5:30 p.m. Jan. 24 @ Union at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 @ Pilot Rock at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 31 @ Stanfield at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 vs. Enterprise at 5:30 p.m. Girls Basketball Jan. 3 vs. Heppner at 6 p.m. Jan. 4 @ Imbler at 4 p.m. Jan. 10 @ Enterprise at 6 p.m. Jan. 11 vs. Stanfield at 4 p.m. Jan. 14 vs. Union at 5 p.m. Jan. 18 @ Grant Union vs 4 p.m. Jan. 24 @ Union at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 @ Pilot Rock at 4 p.m. Jan. 31 @ Stanfield at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 vs. Enterprise at 4 p.m.

Pendleton High School

Wrestling Jan. 16 @ Ridgeview at 5 p.m. Jan. 15 @ Redmond at 7 p.m. Jan. 17-18 Oregon Classic @ Deschutes Jan. 21 @ Hood River Valley at 7 p.m. Jan. 25 @ Joe Stewart Invitational at 9 a.m. Boys Basketball Jan 7 vs. La Grande at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 9 @ Scappoose at 6:45 p.m. Jan. 17 @. Hood River Valley at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24 vs. Crook County at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28 @ La Grande at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 vs. The Dalles at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 @ Redmond at 6:30 p.m. Girls Basketball Jan 7 @ La Grande at p.m. Jan. 9 vs. Milwaukie at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 17 vs. Hood River Valley at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24 @ Crook County at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28 @ La Grande at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31 vs. The Dalles at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 vs. Redmond at 6:30 p.m.

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‘Humble’ Nixyaawii junior wrestling for Pendleton High Bucks mat team Trayton Bale likes wrestling, but he ‘breathes’ jujitsu By Wil Phinney of the CUJ ECHO – Trayton Bale bounces off the mat with a smile no matter whether he wins or loses. Wrestling, he says, is a humbling sport. The junior at Nixyaawii Community School is surprised to be wrestling in the 145-pound varsity spot for Pendleton High School this winter. He hasn’t competed Greco-Roman style since middle school. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been competing, because he “eats, breathes and sleeps” jujitsu. At Echo Dec. 20 and 21, Bale competed in the Oregon Trail County Championships where he won his first two matches by pin, but he lost in doubleovertime to a former Nevada state champion under the lights in the final. Bale, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), had gone 5-0 on junior varsity before he was moved up to varsity the week before. In matches at La Grande, he went 2-3. “I was humbled there,” he said between matches in Echo. “It was a learning experience. Wrestling is a humbling sport, like in life.” After his first match at Echo, four Pendleton coaches gathered together with smiles on their faces looking a little bewildered. “That was a real good win, but we’ve got to teach you to keep your hips lower,” one said. “Your hips were at his shoulders, way too high,” said another. Both coaches were shaking their heads. Maybe bemused. They twisted their torsos to show Bale what could happen if he stayed high like that. He could be turned on his shoulders in a position to be pinned. Bale nodded and smiled. Head Coach Trevor Hancock said Bale has good body awareness, but is still learning to “wrestle through situations.” “He works hard, intense,” Hancock said. “There’s no quit in him. He’s a fun kid to coach. I know I’m going to get his best every match.”

Trayton Bale, a junior at Nixyaawii Community School, pins his first round opponent at the Oregon Trial County Championships in Echo in December. CUJ Photos/Phinney

Trayton Bale, a junior at Nixyaawii Community School, is wrestling varsity for Pendleton High School. He’s also a ju jitsu grappler.

The son of Robert Mahoney and Howiann Enick, Bale knows many of his teammates from middle school and from playing youth sports like Little League baseball. Still, the 17-year-old was a little nervous when he decided as a junior to turn out for the Bucks’ squad. “New school, new people,” but that apprehension was short lived.

“There’s a lot of support. It’s everything a team should be,” he said. His teammates might not appreciate it, but Bale considers wrestling a hobby. Jujitsu, he said, “is life.” MMA fighter Kola Thompson, also a CTUIR member, helps Bale with jujitsu training that includes a lot of “back control,” which is what may be getting him trouble with his coaches. He wants wrestling to keep him in shape for jujitsu tournaments. How well that will work remains to be seen. “It’s a big change because in jujitsu I’m grappling adult men. Now I’m wrestling kids my own age and they have different body strength,” he said. He gets a chance to prove himself April 28 with his debut amateur jujitsu fight under a Reining Fight Champion card with promoter Justin Milani, a 6-foot 2-inch 205-pound light-heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter from Pendleton. (Milani’s last win was a second-round naked choke over 6-foot 5-inch 200-pound Joe Lavasseur at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash., in December of 2018.) Bale doesn’t know where the fight will take place, or who his opponent will be, just the date. In the meantime, he will continue to wrestle mid-weight for the Pendleton Bucks. He’s pretty pumped. Now that he’s won a varsity match he gets to keep his singlet. And that makes him smile. The next home match for Pendleton is Jan. 2.

Girls’ youth hoops registration open PENDLETON – Pendleton Youth Basketball for girls’ grades third-sixth and co-ed for first and second grades is open for registration until Monday, Jan. 6. The nine-week session begins on Jan. 11 for two groups – third-fourth graders

and fifth-sixth graders. The nine-week co-ed session for first and second graders beings Jan. 25. Practice and game schedules are to be determined by the coaches. The cost is $38 for the older girls and $28 for the younger girls.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

Hoist it! Muriel Hoisington works against multiple defenders in a preseason game in December. Hoisington, a sophomore guard, has been a team leader for the Lady Bucks as they prepare to begin Intermountain Conference play in the new year. The Bucks finished December with a 6-4 mark and play another non-league game at home against La Grande Jan. 7. In their final game of 2019, the Bucks rallied to beat Roseburg, 53-35, at the Oregon Holiday Hoopfest at Mountain View High School in Bend. The day before, playing without Hoisington, Pendleton dropped a 51-42 contest to South Eugene. The week before, with Hoisington scoring 17 points, the Bucks beat St. Helens, 7644. Hoisington had five assists and seven steals in that contest.

Hoffman, Sams lead Bucks to 9-2 mark

Stockton Hoffman has been a team leader for the Pendleton Bucks and lately has been a scoring leader for the 9-2 squad as they head into Intermountain Conference action. CUJ Photos/Phinney

Betty Feves gallery opening

A new exhibit opens Jan. 9 at the Betty Feves Memorial Gallery at Blue Mountain Community College. An opening reception for “Watercolor Views in Different Hues” will take place from 4:30-6:30 p.m. where light refreshments will be served. The opening is free and open to all. It is a chance to meet the artists. Regular gallery hours are Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, call Lori Sams at 541-278-5952.

January 2020

PENDLETON – The Pendleton Bucks boys’ basketball team finished December’s preseason schedule with a 9-2 record with one more non-league game on Jan. 7 before Intermountain Conference play was to begin. The Bucks squad has a roster full of Native players, including the Stockton Hoffman, who has been leading the team in scoring, and Dakota Sams, the team’s point-guard floor general. Pendleton lost its last game of the decade, a 55-47 Sunday setback against Sheldon in the championship of the Oregon Holiday Hoopfest at Mountain View High School in Bend. Sams scored 15 and Hoffman had 12 in that game. The day before, Dec. 28, the Bucks put a beat down on Madras, winning 78-37, with Hoffman scoring a game-high 17. Sams pitched in 13. On Friday, Dec. 27, the Bucks whipped Bend, 73-40, in their first game of the tournament. Coach Zach Dong told the East Oregonian, “We had very evenly distributed scoring throughout, especially in our starting five. We did a good job of forcing turnovers with our press. It was a good team effort.” Hoffman led the team with 20 points. Sams added a dozen. The week before, Pendleton won its fifth game in a row with a 60-42 victory over North Salem in Milwaukie at Rex Putnam High School. The Bucks pulled away in the second quarter and held a 38-14 lead at halftime. Hoffman again led the way with 15 points. In addition to Hoffman and Dakota Sams, other Natives on the team include Kason Broncheau, Chauncey Sams, Jon Begay and Greyson Sams. Ryan Sams, the father of Dakota and Greyson, is an assistant coach.

Kason Broncheau is one of six Native boys on the Pendleton Buckaroo basketball team roster. He joins Stockton Hoffman, Dakota, Chauncey and Greyson Sams, and Jon Begay.

OES Youth Orchestra Winter Concert

The Youth Orchestra’s winter concert will take place on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Vert Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public. The Youth Orchestra is a part of the Oregon East Symphony. They will be performing Chris Thomas’ “Autumn Harvest.” Members of “The Preludes Orchestra” and students from the “Symphony Strings” after school program will also be featured. For more information, call OES office at 541-276-0320.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Happy New Year from the

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Nixyaawii boys go 7-3 Continued from page 1B

“Our record is not as important as the experience we’re getting against good quality teams from bigger schools.” As of press time, Nixyaawii was ranked number 2 in the Coaches’ Poll, which seems to be more realistic than the OSAA (Oregon School Activities Association) poll. The number 1 team was Trinity Lutheran, which also sported a 7-3 record with a similarly tough preseason schedule. Both teams had losses to a common opponent – Class 2A Toledo. Toledo, led by super-shooter Conner Marchant, defeated Nixyaawii 87-52. Toledo whipped Trinity Lutheran 75-50. What that means at this point in the season is anybody’s guess. The Golden Eagles lost their first two games – the first games played in their new gym at their new school – both in overtime fashion. They dropped their first game, Dec. 4, to Nyssa, 53-51, and two days later, fell to Lakeside from Plummer, Idaho, 77-71. Then they reeled off four in a row before the loss at the Toledo Invitational on the Oregon Coast. Quanah Picard drives against a pair After that the Golden of Union defenders in Nixyaawii’s Eagles beat a pair of final game of the decade. Class 2A teams – Enterprise and Union – when they hosted the Nixyaawii Winter Classic to finish up the year Dec. 27 and 28. The first two losses were kind of a slap in the face for the defending state champions, according to Coach Rivera. The Toledo game was a wake-up call. The boys found out there are some really good players out there in Oregon. Marchant, a left-hander who shoots from deep, put 43 points on the Golden Eagles. “We threw everybody at him,” Rivera said. “We took turns. We doubled him. They were patient getting him the ball and he didn’t need much room. He was that good.” And he had players around him to do damage as well, Rivera said. Two other players were in double figures, including a 6-5 post. “If we’d managed the game better and knew what we were getting into we could have competed,” Rivera said. In their final two games of 2019, Nixyaawii busted Enterprise behind the stellar play of junior guard Tyasin Burns who just went off. Burns scored 14 of the team’s 16 first quarter points and had 24 by halftime. He scored a dozen more in the third quarter to finish his game at a cool 36. He didn’t play for two minutes in the third quarter and six minutes in the fourth quarter so if you do the math he was making three points every two minutes. Mick Schimmel added 14, Shane Rivera had nine and Magi Moses had eight with four others sharing 14 more points. Union put up a better fight and had a better strategy. The Bobcats slowed things down and walked the ball up the court, refusing to race with Nixyaawii. Schimmel played tough, like a senior leader. He scored 22 points, grabbed five rebounds, had five steals, hit five of six free throws – four in the fourth quarter and hit two big three pointers down the stretch as the Golden Eagles maintained their lead. Nixyaawii built an eight point lead by halftime, but Union whittled it two three, 41-38, with about 6 minutes to play in the final frame. That when Schimmel canned back-to-back threes to give the Golden Eagles a 47-42 lead with 3:46 to go. Less than a half minute later Schimmel fed Luis Ortega who hit a 10-foot jumper

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to make it a seven point game, then canned two free throws to make it 51-42 with 2:41 to go. Nixyaawii built its lead to 13 points at the 2-minute mark before Union put up a couple of threes to bring the score back down to single digits as the clock expired. MISSION – The first game on the hardwood at the new Nixyaawii High School gym didn’t turn out as planned when Nyssa High School took a 53-51 overtime win Dec. 4. It was a lack of concentration for the defending Class 1A state champions against the Class 3A Nyssa, which has since beaten Baker and La Grande. As evidence of their distraction, the NCS boys made just 7 of 17 free throws. “It was a lack of concentration, a lack of practice,” said Coach Shane Rivera. “You don’t understand the importance until a game like that happens.” Nyssa maintained a 5-7 point lead throughout the third quarter, but went up by 10 with 4:45 to go in the final frame. Moses Moses, who led the team with 19 points, scored eight straight points – a two inside then two three-pointers, one from the baseline and another out front to cut the lead to four at 4238 with 3:02 to play. Mick Schimmel drove the lane to make it a one-point game with half-a-minute to play, but a free throw gave Nyssa a twopoint lead with 9.2 seconds to go. After a time out, Tyasin Burns drove to the bucket. The ball bounced off the rim. Shane Rivera rebounded and put it in the basket to tie the game, sending it to overtime. In the extra four-minute period, Nyssa took the lead by three before Burns threw a long bounce pass to Rivera who bent it off the glass to pull within a point, 50-49. Nyssa tried to stall but was called for a walk. NCS turned it over and Nyssa doubled their lead to two when Pedro Chavez, who matched Moses with 19, hit a free throw to make it 51-49. On the Nixyaawii end, Schimmel drove the baseline and with a nifty spin move layed the ball in to tie the game with 7 seconds to go. However, the speedy Chavez took the inbounds and went the length of the court and banked the ball into the bucket with 2.3 seconds left. The Golden Eagles didn’t get a shot off. “We didn’t really play well in any phase of that game at all,” Coach Rivera said.

Freshman Shane Rivera takes the ball past Umatilla’s Jose Medina in the championship of the Columbia River Clash in Umatilla.

Dec. 4, 2019 Nyssa High School 14-9-10-13-7-53 Nixyaawii Community School 7-12-9-17-5-51 Nixyaawi-Mick Schimmel 8, Tyasin Burns 6, Moses Moses 19, Shane Rivera 7, Magi Moses 11, Reuben Bronson. Field goals-20 (4 threepointers ). Free throws-7/17. Fouls-11. Nyssa-Kelvin Pascacio 7, Nico Gomeza 10, Armando Pedraza 8, Pedro Chavez 19, Leo Barba 9, Adam Fuentez, Brandon Vela. Field goals-21 (7 three-pointers ). Free throws-4/10. Fouls-15.

MISSION – Nixyaawii Community School made it backto-back overtime losses in their second game of the season, another home tilt, this time against Lakeside High School. The team from Plummer, Idaho, included several native players. Leading by 10 after three quarters, the NCS boys were outscored 32-16 in the fourth quarter and overtime. Like they did in their opener, the Golden Eagles shot poorly from the line, making 5 of 16 free throws. Nixyaawii was up by 3 points with five seconds to play and a shooter at the free throw line. Lakeside rebounded the first of a one-for-one and canned a 3-pointer to tie the game. “It was a little better, but we were still playing as individuals,” Coach Rivera said. It looked good on the scoresheet with three players in doublefigures. Quanah Picard, with 17 points in the third quarter, finished with 21, while Mick Schimmel and Tyasin Burns each had 17. Moses Moses added 9. Talon Twoteeth led all scorers with 24 points. Kenyon Spotted Horse scored 7 of Lakeside’s 13 overtime points.

Tyasin Burns flies past Yakama Nation School defenders with teammate Mick Schimmel waiting during a December preseason game. CUJ Photos/Phinney

Dec. 6, 2019 Nixyaawii Community School 15 – 16 – 24 - 9 - 7 – 71 Lakeside (Plummer, Idaho) 17 - 10 – 18 – 19 – 13 – 77 Nixyaawii-Mick Schimmel 17, Tyasin Burns 17, Shane Rivera 3, Magi Moses 4, Quanah Picard 21, Moses Moses 8. Field goals-29 (8 threepointers ). Free throws-5/16. Fouls-15. Lakeside-Vander Brown 6, Day Day Higgins 18, Emmitt White 6, JJ Hall 9, Talon Twoteeth 24, Kenyon Spotted Horse 15. Jasper Ahuan. Field goals-30 (8 three-pointers ), Free throws-9/15. Fouls-18.

MISSION – The defending Class 1A state champion Nixyaawii Golden Eagles picked up their first win of the season 82-68 Dec. 7 against Yakama Nation Tribal School. The team’s first two games were overtime losses, but the win was mostly decided by the end of the first quarter. Also much different than in the first two games was the Golden Eagles free throw shooting. In the first two game, the squad shot a combined 12 for 33. Against Yakama the boys shot 32 for 38. NCS took a 22-14 lead after the first period led by Magi Moses, who had three buckets – two off feeds from Quanah Picard, and Mick Schimmel, who canned two of his 4 three-pointers. By halftime it was 40-23. NCS Boys on 6B

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Moses Moses drives around a defender from the Yakama Nation School in a home game at the Eagles’ Nest in December.

January 2020

Freshman guard Sophie Bronson takes the ball to the rack against two Union defenders in Nixyaawii’s final game in 2019. Bronson has scored in double figures in five of the 10 games played by the Nixyaawii Community School Golden Eagles girls’ basketball team. She has a high-point game of 21 points when she hit seven 3-pointers against Riverside at the Columbia River Clash in Umatilla in December. The girls are scheduled to play a nonconference game at Lapwai Jan. 6 and will begin conference play in the Old Oregon League at North Powder on Jan. 10 CUJ Photos/Phinney

Nixyaawii girls Continued from page 1B

The girls, like the boys, were battling a host of teams from larger schools in the pre-season. In fact, they didn’t play a single Class 1A team in December, but they did do business with a pair of 3A squads – and beat them both. The girls have knocked off White Swan 57-38, Riverside 53-33, Grant Union 43-31 and Toledo 60-49. They played Stanfield in the first game of the Columbia River Classic in Umatilla and lost a heartbreaker, 50-49, then bounced back to whip Riverside and Grant Union in back-to-back wins. Three of their four wins have been on the road. Freshman Sophie Bronson has scored in double figures in five of the 10 games with a high point game of 21 against Riverside when she hit seven 3-pointers. She also had games of 15 and 14 points. Trista Melton has had three double-digit scoring nights, while Kyella Picard has had two, with McKenzie Kiona and Tyanna Van Pelt adding one apiece. Kiona has averaged about seven points a game. In their last game in December, the

girls took a quick lead, 16-6, against Union but saw that 10-point disappear by halftime. Union built an eight-point lead in the third quarter, 24-18, setting up a tough go in the final frame. In the fourth, five straight points from Bronson – a two-point floater followed by a three after an assist from Picard – made it a three point game, 32-29, with 6:25 to go, but Picard fouled out and Union took went up by five. Bronson added another bucket, but it was too little too late. Union ended up making it look worse than it was when they went to the free throw line over and over in the final minutes. Here are the game scores. Nixyaawii 45, Lakeside 53 Nixyaawii 57, White Swan 38 Nixyaawii 18, Lapwai 80 Nixyaawii 49, Stanfield 50 Nixyaawii 53, riverside 33 Nixyaawii 43, Grant Union 31 Nixyaawii 35, Amity 38 Nixyaawii 60, Toledo 49 Nixyaawii 41, Enterprise 47 Nixyaawii 31, Union 48

Toastmasters open house Jan. 22 MISSION - An open house sponsored by the Cay-Uma-Wa Toastmasters Club has been scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22 in the Birch Room at Wildhorse Resort & Casino Hotel. The event will give potential members the opportunity to see what Toastmasters is all about, participate in club activities, and ask questions. Jim Marquardt, a Toastmaster since 2007 and the past District 9 Director, will be the guest speaker. Marquardt is the Vice President Public Relations of the Pendleton Toastmasters Club. He has earned his Distinguished

Toastmasters (DTM) designation, the highest honor that a member can receive. Light refreshments will be served and door prizes will be handed out. Toastmasters is an international program with a goal of improving communication, leadership, and evaluation skills. The organization’s membership exceeds 352,000 in more than 16,400 clubs in 141 countries. Toastmasters was established in 1924. For further information, contact Leigh Pinkham-Johnston at 541-2152724 or at LeighPinkham-Johnston@ ctuir.org.

Ad deadline is Jan. 21 for the Feb. 6 CUJ January 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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NCS boys

Continued from page 4B Myloe Jones led Yakama with 32 points while Bryce Strom added 20. Yakama was missing one of its best players, another Strom brother, who is out with an injury.

Dec. 7, 2019 Nixyaawii Community School 22-18-22-20-82 Yakama Nation Tribal School 14-9-17-28-68 NCS – Mick Schimmel 18, Tyasin Burns 19, Shane Rivera 8, Magi Moses 18, Quanah Picard 12, Moses Moses 7, Reuben Bronson. Field goals-22 (6 thereepointers). Free throws 32/38. Fouls-13. Yakama – Bryce Strom 20, Lester Wahsise 11, Mylo Jones 32, Deshawn John 2, Max Dawes 3, Julian Strom, Andy Bennett, Justice Hart. Field goals 23 (8 threepointers ). Free throws 14/19. Fouls-26; 2 technicals.

UMATILLA – Underclassmen, including freshmen, filled in admirably when two starters weren’t able to make the three-day hoop tournament in Umatilla Dec. 12-14. Nixyaawii whipped Class 2A Stanfield and a pair of Class 3A teams in Riverside (Boardman) and Umatilla for the championship. It was the first time in three tries that NCS has beaten Umatilla and they did it going away, 58-42. Mick Schimmel and Tyasin Burns were name to an all-tournament team.

Nixyaawii 63, Stanfield 41 Nixyaawii 12 16 24 11 – 63 Stanfield 6 16 14 11 – 41 Nixyaawii – Schimmel 22, Burns 3, M. Moses 15, Rivera 12, Aaron Barkley 6, Lyle Soaring Eagle 5, Bronson, D’Andre Rodriguez, Abrahamson, Chris Minthorn. Field goals-23 (12 3-pointers Schimmel 3, Moses 3, Rivera 2, Barkley 2, Burns 1). Free throws 5/8. Fouls-18. Stanfield – Player last names not list in scorebook. Field goals 10 (2 3-pointers). Free throws 15/19. Fouls-9.

UMATILLA – Senior Mick Schimmel scored 22 and freshman Shane Rivera added 21 as they doubled Riverside, 72-36, in their second game of the Columbia River Clash tournament Dec. 13. Coach Shane Rivera rotated players in an out and often had three freshmen on the floor at the same time. Junior guard Tyasin Burns, who scored 16, was distributing the ball to freshmen Rivera, Dylan Abrahamson and Aaron Barkley. Schimmel had 4 of the team’s 7 three-pointers while Rivera had eight baskets, scoring 8 points in the first quarter, 7 in the third and 6 in the fourth. Dec. 13 at Umatilla tournament Nixyaawii 19 18 22 13 – 72 Riverside 12 6 7 11 – 36 Nixyaawii – Schimmel 22, Burns 16, M. Moses 7, Rivera 21, Barkley 4, Abrahson 2. Field goals 23 (7 3-pointers Schimmel 4, Burns 1, Moses 1, Rivera 1). Free throws 5/7. Fouls – 6. Riverside – Rea 5, Montes 5, Pena 3, Sanchez 3, Reyna 7, Franco 2, Lopez 2, Franco 2, Barajas 3, Fye 2, Graham 2, Cazares. Field goals 14 (6 3-pointers). Free throws 2/3. Fouls – 8.

UMATILLA – Nixyaawii lost close ones to Umatilla the first two times the teams played – once at home and once on the Vikings court. This time, on Dec. 14, the Golden Eagles made their point clear, leading by as many as 24 before settling for a 58-42 win in the championship game of Umatilla’s pre-season tournament. Mick Schimmel scored 17, Tyasin Burns 15, Moses Moses 10 and Shane Rivera 10. All nine players on the roster, including four freshmen, saw time on the court. One of the game highlights was when Burns passed to his brother, Abrahamson, who was cutting under the basket. Abrahamson reversed the ball over his shoulder for a bucket off the glass and a 24-18 lead 2:12 left in the half. In the third period, Rivera had a pair of blocks as Nixyaawii built a 59-25 lead. Umatilla was undefeated, 5-0, and was ranked number one by the OSAA when they met Nixyaawii. But those rankings are early and Coach Scott Bow pointed out that his team is young with just one starter back from last year. “We have 11 new bodies this year,” he said. “We lack varsity experience.” Bow said Nixyaawii will be “hard match up for a lot of teams, especially other 1A teams.” “They get their shots inside and Mick (Schimmel), when he needs his shot he gets his shot. They’re a dangerous squad,” Bow said. Dec. 14 at Umatilla tournament Nixyaawii 13 11 15 19 – 58 Umatilla 12 6 8 16 – 42 Nixyaawii – Schimmel 17, Burns 15, M. Moses 10, Rivera 10, Bronson 4, Abrahamson 2, Jace Ashley, Soaring Eagle, Barkley. Field goals – 20 (4 three-pointers Schimmel 2, Moses 1, Rivera 1). Free throws 14/18. Fouls – 8. Umatilla – Self 9, Earl 13, McLeod 4, Salamanca 2, Lorence 5, Cranston 5, P. Alvarez 2, R. Alvarez 2. Field goals – 18 (6 three-pointers Self 3). Free throws 0/2. Fouls – 13.

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Young guns Cole Sazue, left, and Avery Quaempts, above, handle the basketball in Pendleton youth games. Several Native youngsters play on elementary and middle-school squads during the week and on weekends at various gyms in Pendleton.

Wildhorse to host pool tourney in June MISSION – The Western BCA Pool Players Association is partnering with Wildhorse Resort & Casino to bring its first pool tournament to the eastern half of Oregon. The Wildhorse 10-Ball Roundup that takes place June 11-14 is the only Oregon tournament to be played outside of Lincoln City. Western BCA hopes to attract fans of the sport who may not travel to the Oregon coast to compete. The tournament will feature a competitive 10-ball singles format for all skill

levels as well as a doubles format played with one game each of 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball. Games will be played on seven-foot Diamond pool tables provided by Bad Boys Billiard Productions out of Indiana. Forty tables will be hauled in and set up inside Three Rivers Event Center for the tournament. The competition will be live-streamed on the Association’s website, westernbca. org, throughout the tournament. Players and fans can go to the website to register for the tournament, join a league, watch

the action, and find a tournament or information. Registration will open about two months prior to the tournament. To be eligible to enter the tournament, players must be sanctioned and have participated in a minimum of eight weeks of league play between June 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020. The Western BCA Pool Players Association is a non-profit organization that promotes and facilitates regional pool tournaments to players in member leagues throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and western Nevada.

Burns setting fires at Irrigon JaLay Burns, a sophomore point guard for Irrigon, has had games of 24 points in wins over La Pine, 15 against Weston-McEwen and 34 against Dayton/Waitsburg as the Knights built a 6-4 record during their preseason schedule in December. Burns is the daughter of Julia Burns, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the sister of Jada Burns, also a CTUIR member and an outstanding athlete who now plays basketball at Chemeketa Community College. In the win against Dayton/Waitsburg Dec. 28, Burns had seven steals and five rebounds. In the win over Weston-McEwen, Burns had 15 of her 19 points in the second half, and added 11 steals and three boards. And in the win over La Pine, Burns had a dozen steals and four assists.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

CUJ Community News

During one exercise at the One with the Spirit of the Horse workshop, Jon Eagle Sr., not pictured, asked two participants to walk out into the arena and get to know the horses. “I want you to imagine that horse represents your higher power. Go out there and create a relationship with them.” This was one of a handful of exercises that Eagle demonstrated to the group of care and service providers from Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Top: Two groups of five participated in an exercise in which they had to halter one of the two horses. The trick was they had to stay linked arm-in-arm with each other and only one person could speak to give directions to the other four. It took quite a while to get a horse haltered. Bottom: About half of day one group observe Jon Eagle Sr. work with two horses in the Round-Up pavilion Dec. 6. CUJ Photos/Casey Brown

Horse workshop breathes new life into old idea By Casey Brown of the CUJ PENDLETON - The thunder brought the horses to the Lakota people, according to their creation story as told by Jon Eagle Sr. He brought his 30 years of horse therapy experience to Eastern Oregon during a three-day intensive workshop Dec. 6-8. The K’usiinmí Tawtnúkt Committee and Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center’s alcohol and drug prevention program brought Eagle to Mission to explore the possibility of starting a horse therapy program for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). While this workshop brought new life to the concept, it is not a new one. The CUJ archives contain nearly a dozen articles dating back to 2001 regarding horse therapy projects, including a proposal between the Tribes and Blue Mountain Community College that was explored but never funded. As envisioned, it could have brought a barn or pavilion, equine science program, and horse therapy options to the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Horse – or equine – therapy “makes use of horses to help promote emotional growth in individuals” with trauma, brain injuries, mental health issues, behavior or abuse issues, autism, disabilities, ADHD, and more, according to equestriantherapy.com. The audience at the workshop, which was held the first day at the Pendleton Round-Up Pavilion before it moved to a private residence in Mission for the second and third days, included a variety of Yellowhawk and CTUIR staff - drug and alcohol counselors, prevention employees, as well as children-and-family services workers. Eagle tailored the class to the needs of the care and service providers, and took into account the level of horsemanship within the group. Because many of the participants had some experience with horses, he was able to move to more advanced exercises and demonstrations.

January 2020

By the afternoon of the first day, Eagle was demonstrating a complex group exercise that consisted of two teams of five working to be the first team to halter one of the two horses. The groups had to link arms, and each person played a role, including “the brain,” who was the only person that could speak. The two horses were Dreamer, a black Cayuse born on Kanine Ridge, and Foxy, a paint quarter horse, both owned by Jack Mills, a Paiute/Shoshone Indian who lives on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. “I’m here to help you remember who you are as a people. That’s where the hope lies,” Eagle said. He talked about the sensitive connection between Indians and horses. “Losing your horses is part of your trauma,” he said. “Horses have had the same history as us. They’ve tried to rub us out, and they tried to rub horses out, too.” However, Eagle doesn’t think it is so easy to sever the connection. “Your Tribes have been horse people for generations and generations,” he said. The knowledge, he says, is still there and can come back through conversations with elders and spending time with horses to “bring some of those pieces back.” “Ancestral wisdom is in your DNA. Through stories and creating environmental triggers those memories can come back,” he said. Eagle compared the Cayuse horses of this region to the horses of his region in the Dakotas, which he said are the direct lineage of horses bred by Sitting Bull, a Lakota leader known for his role in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. He said that Cayuse horses are known for their stamina, which Mills confirmed, while Lakota horses are known for their temperament. “Our horses had to be wild. They couldn’t be bomb proof,” Eagle said, but he also expressed that they didn’t need to be feared. “If you have the courage to get on one of those [wild] horses, they have the courage to carry you.”

Confederated Umatilla Journal

“Your ancestors bred your horses for something. Ask them what that was,” he said. This point illustrated how people are different as well. “Not everyone was meant for rodeo or Indian relay. Not everyone is meant to be a warrior or singer. The same is true for horses.” All horses share common traits, though, such as the ability to sense things like death, special needs, or danger. Mills, whose daughter Mari has autism, agreed that horses are good for children with special needs. He said that Mari was delayed in talking, but the more time she spent around horses, the more she started to speak. Eagle touched on the benefits of working with horses for people with special needs or disabilities, and he made a point about inclusion. “If you’re dealing with people with disabilities, it isn’t an obstacle. You just have to make accommodations,” he said. Re-establishing the connection to horses and horse culture has a many benefits, according to Eagle. “Reconnecting with history brings emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness,” he said. At the end of day one, he came back to the Sitting Bull horses that run wild. He said that one day he and a group of people took out some chairs to sit with the horses. Eventually, the horses circled around the group and starting interacting with them despite little to no previous human interaction. “You don’t need to catch them, they’ll catch you. You don’t need to be shaking buckets or wear spurs,” he said. “I do what I do because I want to protect them. You don’t need to whip the shit out of them. They know what they’re doing.” The same can be said for the children and families that providers would be working with in a horse therapy program. “I say I want our horses treated better, but I want our children to be treated better, too.”

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CTUIR family featured at ‘First Draft’ By Megan Van Pelt of the CUJ PENDLETON - Althea Wolf, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), was one of the featured readers at the Dec. 19 First Draft Writers’ Series at the Pendleton Center for the Arts. She was joined by her husband, Jeremy, and daughter, Manaia. The monthly reading series features poets and writers from around the region and is followed by an open mic for local authors. Wolf shared a poem called “Šikit” (power), which is about her grandmother and the legacy, or šikit, that she passed down to her descendants. She wrote it during her senior Althea Wolf, Jeremy Wolf, and Manaia Wolf at the First Draft Writers’ Series Dec. 19. CUJ Photo/Megan Van Pelt year at Eastern Oregon University (EOU). Wolf is a graduate from EOU TED Talks, “The beauty of being a misfit” Salmon Dreams and the Columbia River Treaty.” The book is a series of essays with a Master of Fine Arts degree in and “How a misfit found her voice.” “It was an amazing opportunity and that are “visually inspired,” and includes creative non-fiction. I’m really grateful,” said Wolf. work from multiple authors. Wolf was a contributing author to Jeremy and Manaia both read from For more information about First Draft “This Misfits Manifesto,” a book by her an essay written by Jeremy, “On Being Writers’ Series, contact the Pendleton former professor, Dr. Lidia Yuknavich. Resilient,” which is featured in Peter Center for the Arts at 541-278-9201. Dr. Yuknavich based the books on her Marchach’s “Healing the Big River-

DID YOU KNOW? The Umatilla Tribal Court was established by the Board of Trustees and consists of the Chief Judge and Court Administration staff. The Court is vested with jurisdiction to enforce all provisions of the Umatilla Criminal Code against Indians violating the Code within the boundaries of the Reservation and against any Tribal member exercising treaty hunting and fishing rights beyond the boundaries of the Reservation. Tribal Court also has civil jurisdiction over laws, codes and policies governing the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Umatilla Tribal Court exercises tribal sovereign powers in accordance with principles of due process and equal protection of the laws required by the Indian Civil Rights Act and Tribal laws.

Gathered from CTUIR’s website

CUJ briefs Citizenship award made PENDLETON - Mekhi Spencer, a freshman at Pendleton High School and a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, received the Citizenship Cup Award. According to PHS’s website, “One of Pendleton High School’s oldest awards is the Citizenship Cup Award. This award has been presented to students from each class every year since 1925.” Teachers and fellow students nominate freshmen through seniors based on their “scholastic achievement, volunteerism, community service and participation in extracurricular activities.” Spencer was one of only four freshman awarded, while other classes had at least 15 recipients.

NCS inducts new members into National Honor Society MISSION - Nixyáawii Community School inducted 10 new members into the National Honor Society (NHS) during a ceremony at the school. The four pillars of NHS are scholarship, service, leadership, and character, according to their website. Five sophomores joined the ranks - Kylie Jones, Isabelle LeCornu, Latis Nowland, Ada Samayoa, and Keyen Singer. Three juniors are now members of NHS - Celia Farrow, Shelby Joseph, and Jared Wildbill. Rounding out the list, two seniors were inducted - Chelsea Farrow and Tristalynn Melton. Nixyáawii’s NHS chapter is one of 270 in Oregon and 10,000 in the U.S. and internationally. There is at least one chapter in each of the 50 states as well as chapters in U.S Territories, Canada, and abroad.

NCS honor roll announced MISSION - Nixyáawii Community School announced its honor roll for the first quarter of the school year. Freshmen receiving a 4.0 grade-point averages (GPA) were Sophie Bronson, Diamond Greene, Izabelle Sigo, and Malaya Stanger. The sophomores who earned straight-A’s were Ada Samayoa and Keyen Singer. Juniors on the 4.0 list were Jace Ashley, Tyasin Burns, and Ceclia Farrow. Seniors who made 4.0 were Chelsea Farrow, Cloe McMichael, Lark Moses, Mick Schimmel, Joe Simon, Tyanna Van Pelt, and Hanna Zohn. Students who received a 3.5 - 3.99 included freshmen Dylan Abrahamson, Alayna Bevis, Alexis Maddern, Sistine Moses, Skyler Ness, Kyella Picard, Shevianne Pierce, Lyle Soaring Eagle, Layla Sohappy, and sophomore Nizhonia Toledo. Juniors on the list included Zoe Beniv, Adilia Hart, Ivory Herrera, Shelby Joseph, Isabelle LeCornu, Ally Maddern, Elle Marsh, Moses Moses, Reuben Sigo Bronson, and Jared Wildbill. Seniors who made the cut were Ryan Jones, Chrsitina Kaltsukis, and Kylie Mountainchief.

BMCC honor roll PENDLETON - Blue Mountain Community College released the President and Vice-President lists for the Fall 2019 term. Six members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation earned honors. With a 3.75-4.0 grade-point average (GPA), Reese Shippentower, Kola Thompson, Makiesha Van Pelt and Trevor Williams made the President’s List. With a GPA of 3.5-3.74 were Chickobee Brotherson-Craig and Megan Van Pelt.

?éey?šnin? kím� ?inmíiwit from the CUJ 8B

Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

Hart, Maddern selected for 2020 Discover training By the CUJ MISSION - Steven Hart and Janet Maddern have been selected as 2020 Discover module participants in the Pamawaluukt Empower Program for supervisory level training. They begin their rotations this month. Hart is currently the Operator 1 for the Public Works Department. In September of 2020 he will have worked five years for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). Maddern began working for the Tribes in 1995 when Wildhorse Casino was preparing for its grand opening. For the last eight years she has been the Title VI Education Coordinator at Sunridge Middle School in Pendleton. Discover is a management/supervisor experience program designed to enhance the operational knowledge of management for current tribal member employees who are interested in advancing into management positions. Hart has moved up into different positions while working for Public Works and strives to continue to learn more responsibilities as a tribal employee. He also worked five years for the valet department at Wildhorse Resort & Casino where he was acknowledged as employee of the year.

Steven Hart and Janet Maddern are the 2020 Discover participants in the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s Pamawaluukt Empower Program. CUJ Photo/Phinney

Hart is a very outgoing and straightforward person. He does not like to cut corners and lives by three simple rules. No stealing, don’t make promises you cannot keep, and no lying. “I am an honest person; I love watching my kids play sports and interacting with their school activities. I enjoy watching my family grow with health and safety.”

Some of his employment goals in five years include obtaining certification while keeping all his CEU’s up to date. He would like to gain the experience and knowledge to be the utilities program manager one day. He is also interested in learning more about testing water so the CTUIR has the opportunity to do their own testing. He would one day like to have the Public Works Director position.

Hart first learned of the Discover module when Lorene Broncheau was recruiting for participants. He was interested in the opportunity to learn more about management. Hart expects to soak in as much as possible from each department and is eager to learn how to apply it to his current position. Maddern started at Wildhorse as a bingo floor worker, became a blackjack dealer and table games supervisor before moving into tribal education as an emergency-hire at Cay-Uma-Wa Preschool in 2005. A year later she was hired as a full-time education coordinator and has since worked in schools at Pilot Rock, Athena-Weston, Helix and Pendleton. Maddern and her husband, Jeremy, have four daughters. They all are active in sports. In fact, both Janet and Jeremy are coaches. Janet assists Jeremy with the Nixyaawii Community School volleyball team and has coached AAU basketball and Little League softball for more than 10 years. Now, she says, she’d like to pursue a career goal in management. She’d heard about the Discover program but was at first apprehensive about taking it on. However, like Hart, Maddern gives credit to Broncheau for providing inforDiscover Program on 19B

Gresham teacher wins ‘Oscar for teaching’ Milken Family Foundation award winner married to CTUIR member By Eder Campuzano, oregonlive.com GRESHAM - A Portland-area teacher known for building relationships that empower teens and her effectiveness at educating high school students for whom English is a second language was awarded what’s known as an “Oscar for teaching” during a surprise ceremony at Gresham High School Dec. 10. Julie Rowell is this year’s Oregon winner of the Milken Family Foundation Educator Award. The honor comes with a $25,000 cash prize. Rowell and her husband, Micah Johnson, grew up on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Micah is the son of Judge William Johnson and his wife, Julie Rowell Darcy. Program Senior Director Greg Gallagher said Rowell’s teaching style caught the foundation’s eye some time ago. He and several local and state officials praised the Gresham teacher for her work with students who need a bit of a boost. “A teacher like Julie Rowell knows how to really connect with students and make an extraordinary impact,” he said. “Her dedication, commitment and creative approach exemplify the inspirational leadership we seek in our Milken Educators.” Rowell typically works with students who have only been enrolled in a primarily English-speaking class environment for two or three years. It can take students six or seven years in such transitional programs to become proficient enough in English to drop those supports.

January 2020

Contributed photos

Julie Rowell is Oregon’s winner of the Milken Family Foundation Educator Award, which is desribed as the “Oscars for teaching” and comes with a $25,000 cash prize.

Most of Rowell’s students are ready in three. Rowell told a cluster of reporters she was inspired to work with such students because of her own academic struggles in high school. “I would’ve been an AVID student had they had it when I was in high school,” she said, referring to the college preparatory program for students who need a boost in skills such as critical thinking, writing and reading. Rowell also manned the desk for a welcome center for migrant families during her time at Western Oregon University and became proficient in Spanish while studying abroad in Mexico. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish in 2002, then a master’s in bilingual education in 2005 at Portland State University. Rowell said she was shocked to find out she won the Milken award, telling a crowd of juniors, seniors and colleagues assembled in one of Gresham High’s smaller gymnasiums — the main venue is currently

Confederated Umatilla Journal

under construction — that she felt as though she was in a dream. “There are so many educators in my building who are worthy of this award,” Rowell said after the ceremony. She said it may seem like a cliché, but she loves teaching because of her students. “I love seeing the progress they make. It’s so rewarding,” Rowell said. “The great days far outnumber the difficult days in this profession.” Junior Dianne Arroyo said she appreciates how lessons with Rowell feel like a back-and-forth, a conversation, rather than lectures. She also said Rowell takes an interest in students’ lives outside of school, often asking about elements that may affect their academic performance. “Ms. Rowell goes the extra mile for her students,” Arroyo said. “She takes into consideration that we have lives, some of us have jobs. She’s a best friend more than she is a teacher.” Although she still has a year of high school left, Arroyo knows she wants to pursue a nursing certification with a stop at UCLA for an undergraduate degree once she graduates high school. Sometimes the paperwork is daunting, she said, but knows she and her classmates can lean on Rowell when it’s time to navigate the search for scholarship money and financial aid. “She’ll help us all figure out how to apply,” Arroyo said. “She knows where to go and who to talk to.” Rowell’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by her colleagues at Gresham High. Principal Drake Shelton said there’s one thing Rowell does better than any educator he’s ever worked with. “Relationships,” he said. “That’s it. That’s what sets her apart.” ©2019 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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January 2020

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January 2020

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Steve Quaempts shows Hazel Quaempts what he got in his goodie bag: nuts and candies.

CUJ Photo/Megan Van Pelt

Abby Ford, Weylin Walton, Quincy Sams, Tinna Blackwolf, Gonzalo Arthur, Tony Green, James Morsh, Savaya Minthorn, Kymani Van Pelt, Luka Warden, Josiah Minthorn, Brees Van Pelt, Nodin Benton, Emery Kordatzky, River Edwards. This group of sang carols as they rode the parade route.

Lighting up the Rez

The Longhouse was so packed that another table was added last minute so everyone had a seat at the table.

Nearly a dozen floats entered the annual Christmas Lights Parade that travelled through the housing projects in Mission on Dec. 18. The elders in attendance judged the parade and awarded Jack and Mari Mills on horseback (complete with lights and jingle bells) first place, a float sponosed by the celebration committee with kids singing carols second place, and a float sponsored by the Department of Children and Family Services third place. Bertha Case was named the grand marshal of the parade.

Cece MorningOwl warms up her Christmas carols. CUJ Photos/Casey Brown

We’ve been wishing you a Happy New Year for 116 years.

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

First Food forum to cover food sovereignty Jan. 9 MISSION – A First Foods and Food System Forum will take place on Jan. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. at the Longhouse on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Childcare and transportation are available and food will be served. The forum, open to everyone, is hosted by Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center’s Community Wellness Department in

collaboration with the Confederated Tribes’ Department of Natural Resources Cultural Protection Program. Included on the schedule is sharing knowledge of treaty rights and sovereignty and promotion of First Foods practices. For more information, contact Wenix Red Elk at 541-429-7219 or wenixredelk@ ctuir.org.

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By Megan Van Pelt of the CUJ PENDLETON - The Indigenous Project Launch hosted a four-weeklong series of parenting classes. The final session on Dec. 19 was about “How We Take Care of Ourselves.” The “Family Night at the Museum” classes were facilitated by the Indigenous Project Launch, a project at Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, and took place at the Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon in Pendleton. Drew Rivera, Marissa Baumgartner, Jory Spencer, and Nina Watchman were in charge of the classes, which focused on self-care and time management for parents and children alike. The group participated in a brainstorming exercise to come up with self-care ideas. When they shared their ideas some mentioned simple concepts such as drinking a cup of

Calliope Simpson, held by mother, Makiesha Van Pelt attended the session.

January 2020

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tea. They also touched on the idea that “parents never eat a warm meal,” and they mentioned how nice it would be to have one once in a while. On this night, everyone in attendance did get a warm meal because they served pasta, salad, and rolls as part of the free class. According to Rivera, director of Project Launch, the first four weeks was a trial run. She hopes to extend the series. The session ended with a survey, if the results are positive there will be an extension class. For more information about parenting classes contact, Marissa Baumgartner at 541-240-8440 or Jory Spencer at 541-240-8555.

Drew Rivera, director of Project Launch, speaks to the class on self-care methods and personal experiences.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS Students in Nixyaawii Community School’s drama class put on “The Grinch Who Stold Christmas” at multiple locations, including the above performance at Sherwood Heights Elementary School. From left, Ally Maddern, Seanne Perkins, their teacher, Alexis Maddern, MacKenzie Kiona, Layla Sohappy, and Sheviann Pierce.

Second graders at Washington Elementary School put on a 30-minute Christmas concert. Washington has the highest percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native students in the Pendleton School District, including several of the children in the above picture. Tipiyelehne Wildbills gets his Christmas tree costume ready for the next carol at Pendleton Early Learning Center’s Christmas program.

Mildred Quaempts, in red, teaches the Umatilla language to students at Pendleton Early Learning Center. She is leading a class through a Christmas carol sung in Umatilla.

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Magi Moses played The Grinch in NCS’s production of “The Grinch Who Stold Christmas.” CUJ Photo/Casey Brown

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Kindergartners at the Pendleton Early Learning Center sang several Christmas carols, a Hanukkah song, and a song in the Umatilla language.

January 2020

Wilbur Oatman demonstrates “duck and dive” moves during a chicken dance the Oregon East Symphony’s Holiday Music Festival Dec. 14 at the Vert Auditorium.

Aurora Whiskeyjack demonstrates a jingle dance, which is a healing dance, according to narrator Jess Nowland, not pictured.

Washat songs at the symphony

Native American drummers, singers, and dancers opened the Oregon East Symphony’s annual Holiday Music Festival. While six drummers were on a big drum to the side of the stage, multiple youth and adult dancers took turns demonstrating styles of pow wow dances. Jess Nowland, who is involved in cultural activities including Washat services at the Longhouse, narrated each performance and included historical information about how some of the dances came to be such as how “duck and dive” dance moves used during men’s fancy came about on the battlefield as men “ducked” out of the way of cannon fire. The Pendleton’s Men’s Chorus and the Oregon East Symphony (OES) followed the opening performance.

The drummers spent most of the evening seated at a big drum, except when they stood and performed two songs on individual hand drums. From left, Fred Hill Sr., Charles Wood, Damien Totus, Wes Gone, Kelsey Burns, and Kellen Joseph.

From left, Aurora Whiskeyjack, Kendall Spencer, and Dazha Joseph await their turns to dance in front of the large crowd in the Vert Auditorium in pendleton.

Edwina Morning Owl, back, watches Garinan McDonald during a men’s fancy dance at the Oregon East Symphony’s Holiday Music Festival Dec. 14 at the Vert Auditorium in Pendleton. CUJ Photo/Casey Brown

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH!

Support Staff Lloyd Beers Custodial Repair Tech

Lloyd is a good, solid and dedicated employee here at WRC. He is always quick to step up and help out, no matter the request. He is very knowledgeable of his job duties. He can fix and/ or repair almost anything that is brought to him! Lloyd is an awesome co-worker and willing to help you.

Front Line James Miller Slot Floor Worker

James is reliable and very experienced in his position in the Slot Department. He knows the ins and outs of his job and job functions. He is always in a great mood, positive attitude and is a pleasure to work with.

Supervisor Ida Iese Arrowhead Office Manager

Ida has put in countless hours in her position at Arrowhead and her dedication has paid off. Ida has been working diligently with the many vendor charge account merchants to reconcile each and every account-all of who process transactions and fund our accounts differently. Her efforts have helped improve Arrowhead’s reporting.

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January 2020

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Long-serving CTUIR employees honored at holiday banquet

Recognized for 30 years of employment with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation was Rita Allman and Mike McCloud. Allman has worked for CTUIR career with the Umatilla Tribal Police as a dispatcher. McCloud works in the Tribes’ Fisheries Program, primarily responsible for juvenile fish production.

Honored for 25 years of employment were Carl Merkle, a policy analyst in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR); Aaron Jackson, Lamprey Project manager in DNR’s Fisheries Program; and Susan Johnson, manager of Kayak Transit System.

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MISSION – More than 300 people gathered Dec. 6 for a holiday breakfast banquet to honor long-serving employees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Mike McCloud, who works in the juvenile fish program in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Rita Allman, a dispatcher for Umatilla Tribal Police, were recognized for 30 years of employment with the CTUIR. Three people – Aaron Jackson, Lamprey Project manager; Susan Johnson, Kayak Transit Service manager; and Carl Merkle, DNR policy analyst – were honored for 25 years of service. Newly elected Board of Trustees Chair N. Kathryn “Kat” Brigham made opening remarks and noted a “handful” of accomplishments as examples of CTUIR successes during the year. She noted a recently completed Human Resources Department employee survey, a 2 percent unemployment rate on the reservation, new cameras in Tribal housing projects, successful shepherding of many legislative bills, a Department of Children and Family Services dinner that fed 650 people, a new Tribal Court management system, and the addition of 93 new objects at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. James Junes, one half of “James and Ernie Comedy,”provided a mixture of humor, personal stories, and prosthelytizing for the crowd that earlier enjoyed a holiday buffet meal prepared by Wildhorse Resort. Fred Hill served as master of ceremonies. Julie Taylor, John Barkley and Jordan Bronson helped with raffle prize distribution. Taryn Minthorn was the event organizer. Here’s the list of employees recognized for years of service: 30 years – Rita Allman, Mike McCloud.

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Comedian James Junes provided the entertainment at the CTUIR employee banquet. CUJ Photos/Phinney 25 years – Aaron Jackson, Susan Johnson, Carl Merkle. 20 years – Marguarite Becenti, Penny Bott, Preston Bronson, Dru Farrow, Teara Farrow-Ferman, Jory Hughes, Randy Melton, Gordy Schumacher, Linda Webber. 15 years – Aaron Ashley, John Bevis, Keith Byrd, Cindy Freston, Shawna Gavin, Julian Gone Jr., Alice Johnson, Travis Olsen, Zach Patrick, Pamela Ranslam, Veronica Red Crane, Marlene Stevenson, Liz Taylor. 10 years – Larry Allen, Jeremiah Bonifer, Kaylyn Costi, Ray Denny, Mike Foster, Kelly George, Jiselle Halfmoon, Chris Harris, Jamie Ingle, Jennifer Karson-Engum, Janene Morris, Les Naylor, Mary Ann Rhoads, Bambi Rodriguez, Brent Spencer, David Thompson Jr., Jenni Tyer. 5 years – Melinda Alexander, Darin Allen, Cynthia Bean, Aaron Big Leggings, Deidre Bill, Steve Bushman, George Clark, Doug Crane, Marie Crawford, Chelsey Dick, Markus Dunfee, Matt Farrow Sr., David Haire, Tim Helwick, Russell Holt, Kimberly Hughes, Kimberly Miller, Alanna Nanegos, Kathleen Peterson, Aaron Quaempts, Chris Sampson, Doris Scott, Iosefa Taula, JD Tovey and Debra Wallace.

January 2020

2019 January Cayuse Holdings, LLC will generate revenues to go with the gaming income from Wildhorse Resort & Casino and other tribal entities. Companies under the Cayuse Holdings, LLC are Cayuse Technologies and Native Hawaiian Veterans, which in total have 430 employees and annual revenue of $32 million. On Jan. 13, a Solidarity Walk occurred in downtown Pendleton, which drew several tribal members who brought awareness to various causes including the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement.

A QUICK LOOK BACK AT THE PAGES OF THE CUJ

Mountain Community College held at the Pendleton Convention Center. Melissa Van Pelt, Rachel Treloar and Rosa Arellanes graduated with transfer degrees. Charles Woods, tribal member, performed an honor song for graduates. July

Sixteen women took part in a rarely performed Scalp Dance Sept. 27 as part of the grand opening of the Nixyaawii Education Center on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Not performed for decades, the dance honored the memory of forefathers and great grandmothers, and paid tribute to Tribal veterans at the Nixyaawii Community School’s gym.

Construction began on the 24October lane bowling alley, a food court and a new arA Tribal Court judge ruled cade - all part of that Sally Kosey was impropthe $85 million erly removed from the Board expansion that of Trustees in August and reineventually will stated her to office Oct. 3. include another 11-story hotel November tower at Wild- Women resurrected the scalp dance. February horse Resort & A total of 35 candidates including four declared writeCasino. Eight high-defAlso, a new clubhouse at Wild- in contenders, sought 12 positions on the Tribes’ two inition cameras horse Resort Golf Course was com- governing bodies. w e r e i n s t a l l e d The Nixyaawii Community School boys won the state hoop title. pleted. The new facility includes a N. Kathryn Brigham was elected as the second woman in in sections of new restaurant, more seating capac- chair by the CTUIR Board of Trustees. She was one of five tribal housing. These modern cameras may aid Tribal ity, a larger pro shop and offices for clubhouse staff. women elected to the Board of Trustees. Five members of Police to identify individuals causing trouble in the The 25th annual Wildhorse Pow Wow, moved be- the previous BOT were ousted, including the former BOT housing area. cause of construction activities, attracted more than Chair and General Council Chair. BOT Vice Chair Jeremy After 40 months, Dr. Matt Quaempts left Yellowhawk 1,000 people. Dancers, drummers and spectators kept Wolf was re-elected. Sally Kosey was elected Secretary. Tribal Health Center. Quaempts, who started in 2014 as the grounds full for the three days. The other BOT members are all new – Sandra Sampa staff physician, was credson is treasurer with During a foreited with bringing “innovanew at-large members closure auction in tive processes which have Jill-Marie Gavin, Boots Portland, the Conimproved the health care Pond, Corinne Sams and federated Tribes status of the CTUIR and Armand Minthorn. The purchased the community,” according to new General Council Hamley restauthe Health Commission. Chair is Lindsey Watchrant, coffee shop man, who was joined by and western store. March Vice Chair Michael Ray After numerous Johnson and Secretary bidding rounds, The month began when Shawna Gavin. the Tribes won the boys’ basketball team with a high bid of from Nixyaawii CommuniDecember $3.55 million. The ty School won the Oregon A new Board of Trustees took the oath of office in December. business is valued Class 1A championship, The chairs of eight of at $4.9 million, acdefeating Trinity Lutheran 59-42 at Baker City. cording to Gary George, CEO at Wildhorse Gov. Kate Brown was here for a Summit. the nine federally recogThree tribes – the Umatillas, Yakamas and Warm Resort & Casino nized tribes in Oregon, Springs - sent representatives to collect ‘flathead’ skulls plus Gov. Kate Brown and many state agency directors from Christchurch Museum in New Zealand. The skulls, August and staff were among more than 200 people who gathwhich had been collected from a burial site on an island ered at Wildhorse Resort & Casino Dec. 3 for the 20th anin the Columbia River, had stayed at the Christchurch Based on a residency issue, at-large BOT member Sally nual Tribal-State Government-to-Government summit. Museum for more than 120 years. They were returned Kosey was removed from the Board of Trustees on Aug. In front of more than 200 people, including several to the Northwest and properly buried in a ceremony 5. That initiated a reinstatement vote by the General dignitaries who had been at the Tribal-State Governacross the river from Celilo. Council on Aug. 29. At the General Council meeting, ment-to-Government Summit, the new Board of Tribal members voted Trustees was sworn in by tribal Court Judge William April 116-0 to reinstate Kosey. Johnson in the Nixyaawii Governance Center Dec. 4. They also voted 104-1 to Happy Canyon announced Clarise Huesties, an enU.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley spoke amend the constitution rolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla with the CUJ before attending a with regard to the reser- Indian Reservation, and Mary Rivera, enrolled Little town hall meeting at the Pendvation boundary. Shell Tribe of leton Early Learning Center. the Chippewa On April 29, an intense September Indians, as discussion occurred between the 2020 PrinPublic Safety officials and the Nixyaawii cesses. Board of Trustees (BOT) about Community Nixyaawii violence on the Umatilla ResSchool’s students boys began a ervation. More specifically, started the year rigorous prethe talk included the actions in a new facility. season basketof a particular family and past For this 2019-20 ball schedule efforts of tribal police officers. academic year, and had wins An earth-oven documentary was made during the year. 93 students are over several May enrolled among Class 2A and Kamarin Gleason represented Missing and Murdered the four grades. NCS students filled the gym on Indigenous Women at the Pendleton Round-Up. 3A teams. The Confederated Tribes purchased the 248.5-acre the first school day, Sept. 3, for protocol, which is They were Pendleton Country Club located along Highway 395 a weekly schoolwide meeting that will continue to take preparing to begin defense of their Class 1A state title between Pendleton and Pilot Rock about 12 miles south- place for the rest of the year. in the Old Oregon League. west from Wildhorse Resort Golf Course. Pendleton High School’s boys’ basketball team feaCayuse Holding LLC, which boasts nine subsidiary companies, has landed three multi-year government tured six native boys on the roster, including all-star June contracts worth $167 million, including a $100 million Dakota Sams. On June 13, tribal members graduated from Blue deal with the U.S. Department of State. ~ Compiled by Megan Van Pelt

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Halftime routine During halftime of a Pendleton High School basketball game, several student hit the gym floor to dance the night away. Courtney Herrera, on right in black t-shirt, was right in the mix.

CUJ Photo/Phinney

CUJ Briefly 2020 ArtWORKz Junior Art Show accepting submissions

MISSION- From Feb. 1-15, art submissions will be accepted for the 2020 ArtWORKz Junior Art Show & Competition at Tamástslikt Cultural Institute. Any young artist up to the age of 18 may enter. Accepted submissions will be on display from Feb. 22 – Apr. 4. There are three categories, Age 10 &

under, 11-14 and 15-18. There is a Award of Excellence and Award of Merit awarded in each category. Honorable mentions will be awarded at the judges’ discretion. Also, there is an Artists’ Choice Award. The Best Emerging Young Artist award is determined by Tamástslikt staff. New this year, the Grand Champion will receive a $500 gift certificate for art supplies donated to their school or art program of choice. For more information, contact Randy

Melton at 541-429-7720 or email randall. melton@tamastslikt.org.

Tamáskslikt closed in January for repairs

MISSION – Tamáskslikt Cultural Institute (TCI) will be closed the entire month of January. They close each year for annual repairs and maintenance. TCI will be re-open on Feb. 1. For more information, call 541-966-9748.

Beaded necklace workshop Feb. 9

MISSION- Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts (CSIA) will have a rounded beaded necklace workshop with Sequoia Connor on Feb. 8 starting at 9:00 am. Connor is a talented beadwork artist and former CSIA intern who has organized multiple workshops. For more information or to sign up, call Crow’s Shadow at 541-276-3954.

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

Momo shines behind ‘Nutcracker’ curtain

By Casey Brown of the CUJ

PENDLETON - Every year around the holidays scores of dancers take the stage of the Bob Clapp Theatre and perform “The Nutcracker” ballet. But it takes more than on-stage talent to make the show go on and this year that included members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. One of those backstage talents was Moisha “Momo” Sheoships, a 16-year-old homeschool student and CTUIR tribal member, who has previously danced in ballets like Sleeping Beauty. This year when her schedule for “The Nutcracker” didn’t allow her to participate as a dancer, she took up an invaluable role behind the curtain. Julie Sneden Carlson, director and owner of Pendleton Ballet Theatre, said producing a show like “The Nutcracker” is an enormous undertaking that requires the help of a community. “It takes six months’ worth of work from 40 dancers and the support of their parents baking cookies, sewing costumes, and taking their kids back and forth to rehearsals,” Carlson said during the opening of the show at Blue Mountain Community College. In its 12th interation, the show grows and changes every year, Carlson said. The first year was mostly narration with a little dancing. The dancing has increased, but some narration remains, which isn’t typical. “It is rare for a group this size to not hire out leads for the Sugar Plum Fairy and other main roles, and then have the studio dance the other parts,” she said in an interview after the show. “My main characters have been dancing with me since they were little,” she said. A statement in the program, “Yes, we are a rodeo town, but we are also much more,” becomes evident when the dancers take the stage. Throughout the performance, the shiny crystals in the dancers’ costumes reflect on the faces in the audience. It is clear how much behind-the-scenes work has transpired before one dance step is taken. While the dancers were entertaining on stage, Sheoships was in the dressing room helping with costumes, masks, props, and whatever else was needed to help performers with their cues. “I love the community,” Sheoships said. “They are like my family.” Shannon Greunhagen is in charge of costumes and

Analie Carnes took the stage as Clara. She had help backstage from Momo Sheoships, CTUIR tribal member.

Backstage, Momo Sheoships, right, helps Analie Carnes, who played Clara, with last minute touches to her hair and crown. Murray Dunlap, Frau Stahlbaum, and Samantha Mahaffy, played Frau Stahlbaum and had also danced the Sugar Plum Fairy the first three nights until she injured herself on stage.

The Sugar Plum Fairy understudy, Cori Jo Lindsay, dances with the Prince, Austin Ford, during the final scene of “The Nutcracker” ballet Dec. 8.

she knew Momo would do well in her new assignment. “I told them, ‘All you guys need backstage tech training anyway,” she said, “so this will be perfect’.” The children of some non-Indian staff for CTUIR enterprises were involved as well. (The CUJ relies on community input, so if we missed anyone please let us know so we can look for them in future ballets.) Ellie is the daughter of Mystie Spencer, a community health nurse at Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, and played a mouse during the party scene. Susannah is the daughter of Ken Burcham, web pro-

CUJ Photos/Casey Brown

grammer with CTUIR’s Office of Information Technology. She played a snow fairy in the snow scene and a little angel in the Kingdom of the Sweets scene. Greunhagen illustrated that just as the show doesn’t start when the curtain goes up on opening night, it also doesn’t end during the final curtain call. “The show isn’t over for us yet,” she said, noting that cast members and supporting staff would spend a few hours tearing down the set when the play ended, and then time the following weekend cleaning, packing, and storing the costumes until next season.

Discover Program

Continued from page 9B

mation about the Discover program. “I appreciate Lorene answering my questions that I had. She reassured me when I doubted that I would be a good fit for the program,” Maddern said. Maddern thinks she will learn about herself and about the CTUIR. “I have worked many years for the Tribes, but I do not know how each of the departments work, or even who works in those departments,” she said. “At this point, this will be an amazing experience just to be able to get the opportunity to be able to see what and how our Tribe functions.” Hart has similar expectations. “The Discover Program is really going to open my eyes and possibly open doors for my future,” Hart said. “Let’s do it 2020!” The Discover rotation involves one week per month in various programs and departments, which enables trainees to attend to their job functions and provide flexibility in scheduling their training modules. The training modules are designed to enhance the trainees knowledge of programmatic functions, supervisory roles and responsibilities, budgets, personnel policies, services provided and what primary challenges those programs and departments manage. Completion of the Discover training module does not guarantee a promotion or reclassification, but trainees successfully completing the training will be recognized with three months supervisory or program manager experience.

January 2020

Cupcakes and cookies galore

CUJ Photos/Casey Brown

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center hosted a holiday baking class for the whole family Dec. 19 in the Laxsimwit conference room. Several families decorated cupcakes and sugar cookies that had been baked by Alisa Portley-White and Dusty Dressler. Above, Barrett Rivera didn’t quite get all of the frosting on the cupcakes. Left, Matilda Allen carefully tops off her cupcake.

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Art Studio Free Drop-in Classes

Thank you letters THE STAFF, FAMILIES AND STUDENTS of Cay-Uma-Wa Head Start program would like to thank the tribal community members/employees for making this year’s Giving Tree project a successful one! All students were excited to receive and bring home their presents from Santa! (See Page 22B). “The greatness of community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Loretta Scott King

JANUARY 2nd: Bowen Bronson 3rd: Basil Badroads, Art Brickwood and Robert Kash Kash 4th: Leo Stewart and Julie Stewart 9th: Natalie Welch 12th: Daniel Brigham 15th: Nicole Linhart 18th: Damon Billy 20th: Aya Majors and Michelle Brigham 23rd: Alger Brigham 27th: Daniel Jones 29th: Bonnie Harrison 30th: Julius Welch 31st: Taylor Quaempts, Brycen Lauritsen and Quentin Van Pelt Anniversary: 7th: Jim & Faye Marsh 23rd: Robert & Kathryn Brigham

TO THE CTUIR COMMUNITY AND NIXYAAWII COMMUNITY SCHOOL ART STUDENTS. Thank you for your participation at the St. Anthony Winter Fest (also known as the Festival of Trees.) There were two four-foot trees that were decorated by gifted artists of the community. They were sold for $900 benefiting St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton Center for the Arts, and Impact Pendleton. At the auction the trees were sold to Jo (Atkins) Simpson. She has high praise for the children’s art work and all the care that went into making such wonderful items to adorn the trees. Jo knows members and even studied the tribe. We hope in all the excitement and fun we had that we will venture into next year’s St. Anthony Winter Fest and join us again in wanting to decorate another tree for this great community event. Sincerely yours, Laura Gauthier Carol and Therese Farrow THE CTUIR TRIBAL EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OFFICE (TERO) thanks everyone who participated in our inaugural TERO Construction Career Fair held Dec. 12 at Wildhorse Resort & Casino.

This includes those students from Nixyáawii, Pendleton, Hermiston, Boardman, Pilot Rock and Ukiah who were great interacting with the exhibitors on hand. Many students were winners of raffle prizes donated by TERO and exhibitors and learned about diverse opportunities in the construction industry. We especially want to recognize Marty Barth, general superintendent for Lydig Construction – the prime contractor on the casino expansion project – for donating a TV. Also, to Knife River and Matt Abrams, project manager for the Ladd Canyon project, for the Cordova cooler, and all others who donated raffle items. We appreciate the following exhibitors for their support and participation: ODOT Region 5 Office of Civil Rights; Worksource Columbia Basin; Blue Mountain Community College; Perry Technical Institute; Schools to Careers; Plumbers & Steamfitters; Oregon & Southern Idaho Laborers; IUOE Local 701; IBEW Local 112; Boilermakers Local 242; Heavy Equipment Operators; Glazing Industry Recovery Program; IUPAT District Council #5; Pioneer Construction, and the Pacific NW Council of Carpenters. Thanks to the Wildhorse Resort & Casino staff for their contribution in making this construction career fair above and beyond typical job fairs. Wildhorse CEO Gary George provided the simulation of the interior of our new bowling alley in which everyone could view the final product, and the mini-tours for students to visit the expansion project site and see construction activity first hand. Also a thank you to Wildhorse security staff. Overall this TERO Construction Career Fair was a very successful event and we expect to conduct this construction career fair annually. John Barkley, TERO Program Manager Damon McKay, TERO Compliance Officer Michelle Bratlie, TERO Dispatch Officer Danielle Strickland, TERO Assistant

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day ~ Monday, January 20

PENDLETON- Free class for ages 7-12 to encourage art exploration at the Pendleton Center for the Arts, on Jan. 6 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be another class on Jan. 13. For more information on classes, contact Kate Brizendine at classes@pendletonarts.org or 541-278-9201.

Open AA Meeting at Yellowhawk

MISSION- Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center will have Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting throughout January. Every Monday and Sunday meeting will be held at 7 p.m. For more information, call 541-966-9830.

Native-owned construction company hired for $82M bond project

HERMISTON, Ore. – On Dec. 9, the Hermiston School Board approved the recommendation to hire Wenaha Group Incorporated, a native-owned construction management and consulting firm, to provide project management services for the 2019 bond projects. Wenaha will be responsible for overseeing all bond projects totaling $82.7 million. “We are excited that the Wenaha Group will be helping the district with our new projects,” said Board Chair Karen Sherman. “They are familiar with the district; they provided invaluable oversight during our planning facility meetings and were instrumental in the construction of both elementary schools.

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 20B

Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

SWAT

Police train at old Yellowhawk Clinic

By the CUJ

F

Det. Sotello from the Hermiston Police Department, left, and Deputy Daugherty from the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, work down a hallway at the old Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center. In the photo above, officers include, from left, Sgt. Tyler Reddington from Pendleton Police, Deputy Daugherty, Det. Sotello, Detectives Bowen and Hubel from the Pendleton Police Department.

CUJ story and photos by Wil Phinney

January 2020

ive armed police officers in camo and Kevlar, packing gas masks and multiple magazines rounded the corner from the conference room into the empty hall where only a year ago black-and-white photos of Happy Canyon princesses lined the walls at the old Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center at the July Grounds on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. They crouched, helmet behind helmet, their .223-caliber rifles at the ready, moving as one along the wall as they cleared roof after room in clinic vacated last spring when the new health facility opened to the west of the Nixyaawii Governance Center. This winter SWAT officers from the Pendleton and Hermiston Police Departments and the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Department have been training monthly in the building. At this point, there still is no firm plan on what, if anything, will be done with the former health center. Today the tactical team is light with eight officers training. There usually are more than a dozen but on this day, Dec. 11, two officers are in court, two are out with the flu, and two more are on patrol. Pendleton Police Lt. Tony Nelson is providing the details while Sgt. Tyler Reddington takes the officers through the training course, clearing the building, which provides a crazy mix of rooms with multiple doors and windows, plus a variety of angled entrances and exits. Nelson said he worked with Tribal Police Chief Tim Addleman and now-retired Public Safety Director Ray Denny for use of the old clinic this winter. “We’re grateful to the Tribes for allowing us to use this building,” Nelson said. “It’s hard to find decent training facilities.”

Confederated Umatilla Journal

Nelson said police hope to train at Yellowhawk at least once more in the Spring before the CTUIR decides what to do next with the building. Many ideas for uses have been bandied about, ranging from a veterans center to a technical training school, and from a drug-and-alcohol treatment facility to a teen center. The big question seems to be how to pay for maintenance and operations of the building. Additionally, there have been discussions about bull-dozing the structure. Tribal Police once had its own SWAT unit, but that ended more than a decade ago due to lack of manpower and funding. A Tribal Police officer served on a Pendleton Regional SWAT several years ago, but that officer left the UTPD for another agency. UTPD Chief Tim Addleman said there is one Tribal Police officer who is interested in applying to be a member of the current two-county SWAT team. At some point, Nelson said, Tribal Police may want to join the local group again. Meanwhile, the Pendleton-Hermiston-Umatilla County SWAT unit has served search warrants at residences the Umatilla Indian Reservation at the request of Tribal Police. Nelson, who has been at it for 18 years, said SWAT is a “young man’s game.” Besides the Kevlar vest with steel plate, multiple magazines, gas mask, first aid and helmet, officers carry handguns and rifles, and perhaps other less-lethal options such as a .40 caliber weapon that fires a soft-bullet that “leaves a welt” or light-sound flash devices that encourage individuals to leave buildings. Nelson said the local SWAT unit hasn’t been used a lot in the last several months. “We want to be used, but not really,” he said. “We’re an insurance policy. We’re happy that we’re not needed, but we’re ready to go if and when the time comes.”

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Cay-Uma-Wa students get gifts from giving tree

Justice Azure received a Paw Patrol play set from under the CayUma-Wa Head Start giving tree. Gifts were provided by community members for each of the head start students. Jeremy Azure, Justice’s parent, watched him open his present. Jeremy works for the Education department as a teacher’s assistant.

Pete Stanger got his gift from under the Cay-Uma-Wa giving tree, which included gifts that were donated by community members. He is with his parent, Cece Stanger who works as a cook in the Nixyaawii Education Center’s kitchen, which is in the same building as head start. CUJ Photos/Casey Brown

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020

January 2020

Confederated Umatilla Journal

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Confederated Umatilla Journal

January 2020