The Yellowhawk Family Strength Team would like to extend our appreciation and thanks to Nina Watchman, Trinity Bates, Makeisha Vanpelt, Marla Mayfield, Julie Taylor, Thomas Morningowl, Fred Hill, Mersayus Hart, Leah Harris, Pearla Pena, Catherine Mahon, Fabian Spencer, Katrina Burnside, Natasha Herrera, Teagan Herrera, Dallas Dick, NCS Leadership members Nicholas Alexander, Ella Stewart, Anthony Crawford, drummers, dancers, cake donators, and…
The CTUIR has received a 2023 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tribal grant in the amount of $1,990,990 for its Strategic Pollution Prevention and Toxics Reduction Planning and Implementation Project.
CTUIR gets nearly $2M for river pollution prevention project
MISSION, Ore. – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) has received nearly $2 million in federal funds for a project to prevent pollution and reduce toxicants in four Columbia River tributaries. The CTUIR has received a 2023 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tribal grant in the amount of $1,990,990 for its Strategic Pollution Prevention and Toxics Reduction Planning…
Tina Kotek, pictured in Portland, March 7, 2022
THE OREGONIAN/BETH NAKAMURA
Gov. Kotek announces Tribal Affairs Director
SALEM, Ore. — Governor Tina Kotek announced Thursday that Shana McConville Radford has joined the administration as her Tribal Affairs Director. In a media release, Gov. Kotek lauded McConville Radford’s experience in tribal matters, policies and government-to-government relations illustrated throughout her career. “It is with great honor and humility that I step into public service as Tribal Affairs Director for…
Former National Congress of American Indians gather for a panel during the 80th annual NCAI convention. From left, Brian Cladoosby, Swinomish; Jefferson Keel, Chickasaw; Susan Masten, Yurok; Ron Allen, Jamestown S’Klallam; and Mel Tonasket, Colville. (Photo Courtesy of Eddie Sherman)
Organization of tribes created to uphold sovereignty could vote to exclude members
On Thursday, members of the National Congress of American Indians will vote on a controversial constitutional amendment that would exclude 24 state-recognized tribes from voting membership. BY NIKA BARTOO-SMITH Underscore News + ICT Lora Ann Chaisson, principal chief of the United Houma Nation, delivered a land acknowledgment Monday at the 80th annual conference of the National Congress of American Indians…
CTUIR Election Commission Vice Chair Michelle Thompson, left, and member Jeff van Pelt, right, check in voters and ensure the election runs smoothly at the Nixyaawii Governance Center during the final hours of the Board of Trustees and General Council elections on November 14, 2023. PHOTO BY CHRIS AADLAND
CTUIR members vote in 6 new leaders
BY CHRIS AADLAND Reporter MISSION, Ore. – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) will be led by several new leaders after voters on Tuesday chose six incumbents and six challengers to make up the tribe’s Board of Trustees and General Council. The turnover was similar to the 2019 election, while the previous one in 2021 resulted in…
BOT officers being sworn in are Chair Gary I. Burke; Vice Chair Aaron Ashley; Treasurer Raymond Huesties; Secretary Roberta J. Wilson; and Members At Large Toby Patrick, Steven Hart, Corinne Sams and Lisa Ganuelas.
General Council officers taking their oaths are Chair Alan Crawford, Vice Chair Michael R. Johnson, Secretary Martina Gordon and Interpreter Thomas Morning Owl.
CTUIR voters elect 6 new members, keep 6 incumbents
MISSION, Ore. – On Tuesday, Nov. 14, members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) elected six new members and six incumbents to the Board of Trustees and General Council to lead the tribe for the next two years. The CTUIR’s governing body, the Board of Trustees will have four new members. Gary I. Burke replaces N.…
A high view with wild flowers from the Minam River property near the Eagle Cap Wilderness, photo by David Jensen, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
ODFW announces public lands expansion
Minam River Wildlife Area acquisition complete, adding 15,573 acres in Oregon landscape-scale conservation MISSOULA, Mont. — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), Manulife Investment Management Timber and Agriculture Inc. (Manulife) and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation have announced what they are calling “a major conservation victory for elk, mule deer and other wildlife, fish, hunters, anglers, hikers and…
Kayak Public Transit is introducing a new bus schedule and route in Milton-Freewater.
Kayak Public Transit earns national award
MISSION, Ore. – The National Rural Transit Assistance Program has announced Kayak Public Transit as its most recent recipient of the RTAP Tribal Transit Agency Award. The national award honors innovation, efficiency, commitment and performance in the tribal transit industry and recognizes challenges overcome and best practices that raise the bar for tribal transit, according to RTAP. “This award is…
Someone drove a vehicle onto the recently completed basketball court, leaving behind tire tracks over much of the court, then damaged the court in other ways – gauging holes in the playing surface, ripping up and breaking tiles, and ruining the alignment or mangling tiles in other spots. PHOTO BY CHRIS AADLAND
CTUIR Housing asks for help finding basketball court vandals
BY CHRIS AADLANDReporter MISSION, Ore. — Tribal housing officials are searching for ways to discourage vandalism to projects meant to increase quality of life after a new basketball court was intentionally damaged just weeks after it was installed. On Oct. 9, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Housing Department staff discovered damage to the recently completed basketball court installation…
Board of Trustees hears options for school expansion
BY CHRIS AADLAND Reporter MISSION, Ore. – Tribal leaders reviewed the findings of a report on Thursday that laid out several options for adding grades kindergarten through eighth at the Nixyaawii Community School, but didn’t leave them in a position to decide whether to say whether they will officially pursue expansion anytime soon. Earlier in 2023, the Confederated Tribes of…