By Cary Rosenbaum of the CUJ MISSION – Tribal employees belonging to four CTUIR entities have until Sept. 30 to get fully vaccinated. Though the Tribe has held mass vaccination clinics and given a $50,000 grand prize for a fully vaccinated employee, an estimated 35 employees working at those entities are not vaccinated. The directive was released Aug. 31 by…
Year: 2021
A Tribe in mourning
By Cary Rosenbaum of the CUJ MISSION – By definition, “átway” is the Umatilla Tribal word used to respectfully name a deceased person. Two átways were added to Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center’s daily report in August, including 39-year-old Michael Gavin — the son of Tribal leader Shawna Gavin and brother of Tribal leader Jill-Marie Gavin-Harvey. Yellowhawk’s Interim CEO Aaron Hines…
General Election details released
By the CUJ The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s General Election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 9, according to officials. In-person voting will occur from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Nixyáawii Governance Center, 46411 Timíne Way, Pendleton, OR, 97801. Voting room is #102 A/B, Cayuse/Umatilla. The Tribal Election Commission reviewed nomination petitions at 4 p.m. on Aug.…
Spotlight: William Wapass, mini relay racer
By the CUJ “Horses make me feel happy,” William Wapass says. “I have fun and feel cool when I ride them. I ride for my ‘mosums’ (grandpa’s) and I’m never gonna stop riding.” Wapass, an enrolled Thunderchild First Nation member, is a 7-year-old mini relay racer with CTUIR ties. He is the eldest son of Alicia Picard and Bretner Wapass.…
CTUIR athletes go undefeated
By the CUJ JaLay Harris-Burns and Muriel Jones-Hoisington, cousins along with teammate Lindsey Littlesky (Pendleton, Bucks High School) & Iliana Moran (Hanford, Falcons High School) made waves in Salem the weekend of Aug. 7-8, going undefeated in the annual Hoopla 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Burns and Hoisington are both stand out players for their high school teams. They started their careers…
Justin Quaempts finds art during surgery recovery
By the CUJ CTUIR member Justin Quaempts went from star athlete, to Tribal leader to now being an acclaimed independent freehand spray-paint artist. Just two years into being an artist, he’s got his own collection, which will be on display at the Pendleton Art Center on Oct. 7. “My recent discovery of my artistic skills has opened up a new…
CTUIR Legends: Justin Quaempts
Hard throwing Justin Quaempts reached incredible heights in his baseball career By Brandon Hansen for the CUJ Justin Quaempts has travelled more than most, played baseball at a higher level than many and battled through injuries during his athletic career that would have dismayed anyone else. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s tribal member pitched at the highest…
Biden Picks Sams
CTUIR member may become first Native American to run National Park Service By Cary Rosenbaum of the CUJ CTUIR member Chuck Sams III has a knack for making history. Months ago, he received a historic appointment from Gov. Kate Brown to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, becoming only the second Native American to serve in that role. On Aug.…
A Round-Up to Remember
By Cary Rosenbaum of the CUJ PENDLETON – Light, cameras (if you’re a journalist, photographer or spectator), action. After a year without the Pendleton Round-Up, the fun continued — with a level of caution in mid-September. Culture and history were on display throughout the four-day event. And while some declined to attend due to the growing risk of continuing the…
Final opportunity for public comment – CTUIR Hazard Mitigation Plan
Residents, CTUIR members, and other community stakeholders are invited to comment on the draft 2021 Update to the CTUIR Hazard Mitigation Plan. The goal of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is to save lives, property, and natural resources by reducing the vulnerability of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to disaster events. Hazard Mitigation is any effort to reduce or eliminate the long-term…