Confederated Umatilla Journal

08/19/2025

A career retrospective of artist and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) member James Lavadour is on display at the University of Oregon’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in Eugene.

“James Lavadour: Land of Origin” includes painting and printmaking and spans more than 40 years of Lavadour’s art, celebrating his status as one of the Pacific Northwest’s most original and powerful painters. The art and its accompanying catalog highlight his connection to the Blue Mountains region of northeastern Oregon, where he has spent most of his life.

The museum announced the exhibition opened Aug. 9 and will be on view until Jan. 11, 2026, before traveling to additional museums in the western United States thanks to a partnership with Art Bridges.

Read more at https://cuj.ctuir.org/2025/08/lavadours-land-of-origin-exhibit-showing-at-schnitzer-museum/

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

08/18/2025

Whitman College in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) have named Addison Carey, Addison Jones-Kosey, Joel Satterwhite, Lauralee Stanger, Oscar Huesties and Tatiwiyat Buck as the Šináata Scholarship cohort for the 2025-26 academic year.

“It is a joy to welcome these six incredible students to Whitman’s growing cohort of Šináata Scholars,” said Whitman College President Sarah Bolton. “Their academic achievements and leadership qualities are an honor to the families and the communities who have raised them. We look forward to them joining us this fall for the next step in their educational journeys.”

Read more at https://cuj.ctuir.org/2025/08/largest-ever-cohort-awarded-sinaata-scholarships-to-whitman-college/

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

08/14/2025

A grass fire burned about 300 acres on the Umatilla Indian Reservation from the evening of Monday, Aug. 11 to Wednesday, Aug. 13, prompting a large multi-agency response.

No structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported.

The fire was reported at 6:52 p.m. on Aug. 11 near Highway 11 and Duff Road. It quickly spread through light fuels and steep terrain, burning toward Thornhollow Grade and the Umatilla River.

Read the full story at https://cuj.ctuir.org/2025/08/fire-burns-300-acres-on-umatilla-reservation/

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

08/08/2025

CTUIR's Department of Natural Resources wants to hear from you. Scan the QR code to take the 2025 Huckleberry Survey today.



Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

07/25/2025

For the second consecutive year, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) is helping sponsor the Tri-City Water Follies being held July 25-27 in Kennewick and Pasco, Washington, along the Columbia River.

The Water Follies is a weekend of hydroplane boat racing in pursuit of the Apollo American Power Boat Association (APBA) Gold Cup and a stop for the H1 Unlimited hydroplane race schedule, showcasing multiple classes of boats. It also features the Spokane Teachers Credit Union Over-the-River Air Show and other exhibitions.

The CTUIR is again putting up $17,500 as purse money for the Apollo APBA Gold Cup, which will be determined Sunday evening. First place will receive $10,000. Second place will earn $5,000, and third place will get $2,500.

“We at the CTUIR are excited to once again co-sponsor this year’s Tri-City Water Follies as the Tri-Cities area is part of our traditional use and aboriginal title lands,” CTUIR Chairman Gary I. Burke said. “It’s an honor to be a part of such a fun event and to be able to provide the prize money for the Apollo APBA Gold Cup. We wish all the racers and spectators a safe weekend.”

Showcasing various activities, the Water Follies annually draw crowds of approximately 50,000 to Kennewick’s Gold Park and 15,000 to the Pasco shore during its three days. The Tri-Cities area is a metropolitan area consisting of Benton and Franklin counties in Washington state, anchored by the cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. For more information, visit https://waterfollies.com.



Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

07/23/2025

A biologist with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Department of Natural Resources (DNR) concluded banding burrowing owl chicks for the nesting season on July 21 at the Umatilla Army Depot.

Visiting the last two nests for the season on the CTUIR’s land at the depot, Lindsay Chiono, DNR wildlife habitat ecologist-biologist, two Summer Youth Employment Program workers and a Whitman College biology student attached aluminum bands to the left legs of four chicks.

Read the full story at https://cuj.ctuir.org/2025/07/dnr-finishes-banding-burrowing-owl-chicks-for-season/

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

07/16/2025

Native American teens kayak major US river to celebrate removal of dams and return of salmon

KLAMATH, Calif. (AP) — As bright-colored kayaks push through a thick wall of fog, voices and the beats of drums build as kayakers approach a crowd that has formed on the beach. Applause erupts as the boats land on the sandy spit that partially separates the Klamath River from the Pacific Ocean in northern California.

Native American teenagers from tribes across the river basin push themselves up and out of the kayaks and begin to cross the sand, some breaking into a sprint. They kick playfully at the cold waves of the ocean they’ve been paddling toward over the last month — the ocean that’s seen fewer and fewer salmon return to it over the last century as four hydropower dams blocked their ideal spawning grounds upstream.

“I think our ancestors would be proud because this is what they’ve been fighting for,” said Tasia Linwood, a 15-year-old member of the Karuk Tribe, on Thursday night, ahead of the group’s final push to the end on Friday.

Read more at https://cuj.ctuir.org/2025/07/native-american-teens-kayak-major-us-river-to-celebrate-removal-of-dams-and-return-of-salmon/

07/02/2025

05/28/2025

Register: Events | Nixyaawii Community Financial Services / www.nixyaawii-cdfi.org/events
Event Information:
Time & Location
June 4, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Pendleton, 46440 K**i Rd A3, Pendleton, OR 97801, USA
Join NCFS Homeownership Services and Adair Homes to learn how you can become a homeowner at Nixyaawii Neighborhood!
NCFS is planning to build 8 homes in 2025 with Adair Homes; 1 of the homes could be yours.
Event starts at 5pm with a presentation by NCFS at 5:30pm. Learn about unique opportunities of working with NCFS to build your home, view Adair Homes floorplans, and ask questions.
Also joining us will be,
• Susan Bower from DECD, with information on how you can acquire a 99-year lease.
• Lora Elliott from Tribal Planning, with information on permitting requirements and Indian Health Services (IHS).
For questions, please contact Pamela Ranslam at [email protected]

05/13/2025

Calling all High School or College Graduates Class of 2025, please submit the following information below to [email protected] by May 21, 2025 for the June Edition of the CUJ. 🎓🎉