PORTLAND — Antone Minthorn, a Cayuse leader and former Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation(CTUIR), received an honorary doctorate of humane letters at Portland State University (PSU).

Minthorn accepted the degree during PSU’s 2026 commencement on June 14 at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences ceremony in Portland.

After university leaders awarded the honorary doctorate, Minthorn took the stage and delivered a heartfelt speech to graduates, families and faculty.

“As you prepare to graduate from an institution whose very motto is ‘Let Knowledge Serve the City,’ I ask you to think deeply about what service means,” Minthorn said to the crowd. “Service means listening before you act. It means honoring the history of the places you will shape. And most importantly, it means using your education to lift up communities that have been historically left out of the blueprint. Whether you are entering corporate boardrooms, public office, or community activism, remember that the best plans are those rooted in empathy, sustainability, and respect for those who came before you.”⁠

Minthorn has more than 20 years of experience in tribal government. He served as chairman of the BOT from 1997 to 2001 and from 2003 to 2009. Before that, he worked as a land-use planner and helped develop the CTUIR Comprehensive Plan, which continues to guide development on the reservation.

Minthorn also received a large volume of congratulations on Facebook, with more than 400 friends, family members and others from the CTUIR and surrounding communities congratulating him on the honorary degree. 

According to the PSU press release, the institute described Minthorne as a passionate advocate for cultural preservation.

“He is an alumnus of Gonzaga University and Eastern Oregon College, where he trained in urban and regional planning,” the release stated. “His extensive regional leadership includes serving on numerous boards, such as Ecotrust, which honored his enduring legacy by naming its boardroom after him in 2022.”

Minthorne served as president of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and played a key role in shaping salmon policy for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. He also helped negotiate efforts to restore salmon runs in his eastern Oregon homelands, work that contributed to broader regional efforts to protect salmon populations across the Columbia River Basin.

He also worked since 2010 as a master language teacher, to restore the Cayuse-Nez Perce, Umatilla and Walla Walla languages, according to the press release.

Minthorn’s honorary degree recognition underscored a career defined by tribal leadership, environmental stewardship and cultural revitalization across the Columbia Plateau.