MISSION – Voters passed a constitutional amendment Feb. 26 that clarifies the Umatilla Indian Reservation boundaries to be used for elections of Board of Trustees members and General Council officers. Members of the Confederated Tribes overwhelmingly voted against the “diminished boundary” advocated by previous members of the Board of Trustees, five of whom were defeated in their bids for re-election…
OLYMPIA – Longhouse leader Armand Minthorn delivered the invocation to start the floor session for the Washington State House of Representatives at the capitol in Olympia Feb. 26. Minthorn, who also is a member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), and Kat Brigham, BOT Chair, were guests of Washington state…
By Casey Brown of the CUJ SALEM, Ore. – A bill aimed at increasing protections for Indian children and a flood relief funding package of over $11 million are two of many stalled in the State Capitol. Republicans in the Oregon State Senate walked out Feb. 24 and their counterparts in the Oregon House of Representatives joined them the following…
By Casey Brown of the CUJ International Women’s Day is March 8, which falls on a Sunday this year, and the month of March is Women’s History Month. Indian Country celebrates the day and the month along with the rest of the nation. Women’s History Month started as a day, then became a week, and since 1986 has been a…
MISSION – Native Americans suffer from one of the highest problem gambling rates in the United States, according to the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Some tribes fund problem gambling programs through their state gaming compacts while others make contributions directly to organizations that provide support for people with addictions. Wildhorse Casino offers a Gambler’s Anonymous hotline…
MISSION – Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center will launch a Problem Gambling Program. It begins in April on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The first Problem Gambling Group is scheduled for Thursday, April 2, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Behavioral Health Department at Yellowhawk. Some 2.3 percent of Oregon’s adult population, the same as the national rate, self-identifies as having a gambling…
Winds whipped through the region Feb. 23, bringing down limbs and trees like the ones at the BIA yard in Mission. The winds snapped power poles along Market Road and knocked out power for several hours. The National Weather Service recorded a high wind gust of 63 miles per hour. February’s weather was warmer than normal with the average at…
By Casey Brown of the CUJ The U.S. Constitution requires the U.S. Government to count every person once every ten years. The decennial count is known as the U.S. Census, and everyone is required to respond. The 2020 Census starts on April 1 and can be completed in person, over the phone, or online. This year is the first time…
It is hard to see strangulation, and it is a topic that is underreported and under-acknowledged. In fact, only half of victims have visible injuries, according to the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention (TISP). “Oftentimes, even in fatal cases, there are no external signs of injury.” Many factors influence why this topic isn’t talked about or understood as widely as…
By Casey Brown of the CUJ MISSION – Enola Dick is on call 24/7/366. She answers calls, day and night, from sexual assault and domestic violence victims. But that’s not all she does. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and Enola is going to paint to the town teal – with a little help from tribal youth. Students from…