The Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program is a statewide network of certified counselors volunteering in their community to help all Oregonians make educated Medicare decisions. SHIBA offers free, objective, confidential and local one-on-one health insurance counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and their families.

State offers free help for Medicare open enrollment

 OREGON DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICESSALEM — Medicare open enrollment for the 2024 Medicare plan year began on Oct. 15 and remains open through Dec. 7, 2023. The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) wants Oregonians to know about free help available when making decisions about coverage including the Oregon Guide to Medicare Insurance Plans. The Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance…

Deadline for submissions is the 20th of the month prior to publication

Advertisements, announcements, letters to the editor, photos, or news must be submitted to cuj@ctuir.org by close of business on the 20th of the month prior to publication. Late submissions will be included on a first received/space available basis. Exception: We will do our best to accommodate obituaries and memorial announcements (provided space is available) up until press time. Community photos…

October Events

Wednesday, October 18 NCS XC Kyle Burnside Memorial Invite at Birch Creek 3:00 pm Girls Race 3:45 pm Boys Race Culture Night at the Longhouse 5:30-7:15 pm Yellowhawk’s Spooktacular Soiree 5:30-7:30 pm Family Engagement Building Thursday, October 19 Yellowhawk’s “Indigenous Pink Day” Wear pink for National Breast Cancer Awareness All day event for community Yellowhawk’s Breast Cancer Awareness Night Glow…

Proposed changes outlined in a recently completed analysis will likely lead to a significant boost in tribal member dividend payments.

Dividend payments could increase early next year

By CHRIS AADLAND Reporter MISSION, Ore. — Tribal leaders are set to begin moving forward on potentially increasing quarterly gaming profit sharing payments to tribal members after completing an analysis on potential impacts. In January, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation staff began reviewing the Gaming Revenue Allocation Plan and options for increasing the percentage of gaming income the…

Fall weather can be unpredictable and is a busy time of year on the Umatilla National Forest. Hunting is a primary activity during this time and the Forest may be implementing its prescribed burn program.

Umatilla National Forest cautions visitors about fall forest conditions

PENDLETON, Ore.  — Umatilla National Forest officials ask forest visitors to use caution, plan ahead, and know the weather and forest conditions before heading out into the woods. Fall weather can be unpredictable and is a busy time of year on the Umatilla National Forest. Hunting is a primary activity during this time and the Forest may be implementing its…

Of this year’s 13 Native designers, the majority were Nez Perce and Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation tribal members. Spring Alaska Schreiner, Chugach Alaska Native Corporation and Valdez Native Tribe, was the exception.

Second NW Native Fashion Show a festival of cultural celebration

BY NIKA BARTOO-SMITH Underscore News MISSION, Ore. — On the night of Oct. 4, a conference room at Wildhorse Resort & Casino on the Umatilla Indian Reservation transformed into a runway rivaling that of New York Fashion Week — with all Native models wearing Native-made designs. Kicking off the second annual Northwest Native Fashion Show at the Northwest Native Economic…

For some Indigenous people, solar eclipse about reverence and tradition, not revelry

A rare annular solar eclipse will be visible Saturday in eight western U.S. states, along with parts of Central and South America By TERRY TANG Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — For a few hours, Krystal Curley and her Indigenous women’s work group took over a college auditorium to share traditional Navajo practices regarding this weekend’s highly anticipated solar eclipse. More…

The webinar will take place on Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. During the presentation state experts will cover the following topics: • How to file a claim with your insurance company • Common problems that people experience when filing a claim, and how they can be avoided • Resources when filing a claim, recovering from a natural disaster • How to hire a licensed contractor • Signs of a construction scam • Resolving disputes with your contractor

State agencies present Oct. 24 webinar on filing homeowner insurance claims

OREGON CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS BOARD Media Release SALEM, Ore. – Filing a homeowners insurance claim and repairing your damaged home can be a complicated and overwhelming process. To help answer homeowner questions about managing an insurance claim and performing related home repairs, Oregon’s Construction Contractors Board (CCB) has teamed with insurance regulators at the Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) to put…

Oregon’s Winchester Dam, about five miles north or Roseburg, Ore., undergoes repairs Aug. 20, 2023. Oregon officials are seeking more than $27 million in damages over the dam repairs they say killed more than half a million Pacific lamprey. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife filed the claim in court on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. AP PHOTO courtesy JAMES V. McCARTHY

Oregon seeks $27 million for dam repair it says resulted in mass death of lamprey

By CLAIRE RUSHAssociated Press/Report for America PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon officials are seeking more than $27 million in damages over dam repairs they say killed more than half a million Pacific lamprey fish in what they`ve described as one of the largest damages claims for illegal killing of wildlife in state history. In a claim filed in Douglas County…

A performer from the Native American Hoop Dance of Ballet Arizona dances at an Indigenous Peoples Day festival Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, in Phoenix. AP PHOTO by ROSS D. FRANKLIN

Native Americans celebrate their histories and cultures on Indigenous Peoples Day

By MARK THIESSEN and MORGAN LEEANCHORAGE, Alaska Native Americans celebrated their history on Monday with events across the country marking Indigenous Peoples Day, from a sunrise gathering in Minneapolis to a rally at the Maine Statehouse and traditional dancing, music and food in Arizona and Alaska. The ceremonies, costumed performers and speeches came two years after President Joe Biden officially…