By the CUJ SHELTON, Wash. – Members of the Youth Leadership Council of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) attended the annual Salmon Orca Summit held July 7-8. “Our young People are excited to be here to listen and to stand united in supporting investment in salmon and river restoration in the Northwest and throughout Indian Country,”…
Year: 2021
Vaccinated Win Big Prizes
By the CUJ MISSION – More than $200,000 in prize money for getting vaccinated was announced on Aug. 3. Three grand prizes for $50,000 — including one scholarship in that amount for a Tribal youth — were announced by Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center and Interim Executive Director Teara Farrow Ferman. “We had a random generation system that assigned numbers to…
COVID cases jump in July
By Cary Rosenbaum of the CUJ MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation reached a small but grim milestone in July. Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center officials stated a second death has occurred since the pandemic began. And cases spiked in July with 86 locals diagnosed with the virus, according to Yellowhawk Interim CEO Aaron Hines. “The biggest…
Burns, Soaring Eagle, Moses anchor Young Guns to NABI Championship, win trip to NBA Finals game
By Cary Rosenbaum of the CUJ PHOENIX – A trio of CTUIR members played significant roles on an inter-tribal team called the “Young Guns,” which captured the 18th-annual Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI) championship in July. With the victory, former Nixyaawii Community School players Tyasin Burns and Magi Moses, and White Swan High School/Haskell-bound Teal Soaring Eagle got to attend…
Yellowhawk recommends universal mask use
MISSION – Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center is recommending universal mask use in public indoor settings throughout the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The recommendation aligns with new guidance from the CDC that everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission should wear a mask, even if they are vaccinated. COVID-19 is spreading among our community members within the boundaries of the Umatilla…
Board of Trustees Authorizes Closure of Off-Reservation Tribal Properties Due to Extreme Risk of Wildfire
Mission, OR – The Board of Trustees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) has approved the closure of a number of off-reservation properties owned by the CTUIR in order to protect people, structures, and land by reducing the risk of catastrophic fire events that could occur from human causes. The closure applies to the Rainwater, Wanaket,…
CTUIR receives $25,000 grant for Tribal Broadband Project
MISSION, OR – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) received a $25,000 grant from the First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colorado. The award will support the CTUIR Tribal Broadband Project by providing funding for a fixed based wireless system on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The funding will help with the construction costs cost for two wireless…
Board explores Birch Creek Golf Course
Former Pendleton Country Club improved, rebranded By Miranda Vega Rector of the CUJ MISSION – The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) toured the Birch Creek Golf Course, formerly the Pendleton Country Club, for the first time since they purchased it in 2019. Due to many COVID-19 restrictions and shut downs, as…
ABOVE: Kendyl DeJong smiles with Achilles, a dog that was surrendered to animal control and will be placed with PAWS for adoption. BELOW: A skunk walks into a trap that was setup to catch two kittens and their mom.
SPOTLIGHT: Kendyl DeJong, CTUIR Animal Control Officer recounts quirky stories
By Miranda Vega Rector of the CUJ MISSION – With five years of experience being the Animal Control Officer for the CTUIR, Kendyl DeJong has acquired quite the collection of stories from a kitten riding a semi-truck’s transmission for 279 miles to accidentally trapping a skunk. “Every day the calls come in and I never know what is going to…
Whooshh provides passage at Nursery Bridge Dam
By The CUJ The CTUIR Department of Natural Resources utilized a Whooshh Innovations, Inc. fish passage technique at Nursery Bridge Dam on the Walla Walla River in June. “The purpose is to safely move trapped spring Chinook from the sorting area up top to a transport truck,” Jon Lovrak, Project Leader for Hatchery Facilities, said. Fish were elevated 25 feet…