Mission:  To provide proactive planning and policy analysis and development to protect, restore and enhance the First Foods and the exercise of associated rights reserved in the Treaty of 1855.

 

 

Click here to view the history of First Foods 

This timeline graphic provides a partial list of impacts to CTUIR’s First Foods. Examples listed below the timeline are indicative of events that negatively impacted First Foods, while events above the timeline are examples of efforts to protect and restore First Foods and CTUIR member access to them.  The timeline helps illustrate the long-term impacts of some decisions and actions, and the long-term restoration efforts yet remaining.  The CTUIR DNR invites you to email examples you think could be added to the timeline in future versions, as well as what you want to see in the future in terms of outcomes to NaturalResources@ctuir.org

Our Sustainable Future Proclamation

To support community and family efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve local resource recovery, CTUIR has passed the Our Sustainable Future Proclamation on April 20th 2026. Below is the text of the resolution that adopted this proclamation.

RESOLUTION NO. 2026-026
TOPIC: Our Sustainable Future Initiative Proclamation

CERTIFICATE
The undersigned, N. Kathryn Brigham and Monica Paradise hereby certify that they are
the Chair and Secretary, respectively, of the Board of Trustees of the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and at a regular meeting of said Board of
Trustees at the Board Chambers of the Nixyaawii Governance Center, Mission, Oregon,
on the 20th day of April, 2026, a quorum of said Board was present and the following
Resolution was regularly moved, seconded, and adopted by a vote of 8 for, 0 against,
and O abstaining.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees is the governing body of the Confederated Tribes of
the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Confederated Tribes) by the authority of
Article VI, Section 1 of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Confederated
Tribes, adopted on November 4, 1949, and approved on December 7,
1949, as amended; AND

WHEREAS, pursuant to Article VI, Section 1 (b) of the Constitution and Bylaws, the
powers of the Board of Trustees include the authority "to manage all
affairs of the Confederated Tribes, including the administration of tribal
lands, funds, timber and other resources ... "; AND

WHEREAS, pursuant to Article VI, Section 1 (d) of the Constitution and Bylaws, the
powers of the Board of Trustees include the authority "to promulgate and
enforce statutes governing the conduct of all persons and activities within
the boundaries of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, providing for the
procedure of the Board of Trustees, and carrying out any powers herein
conferred upon the Board of Trustees"; AND

WHEREAS, pursuant to Article VI, Section 1 (e) of the Constitution and Bylaws, the
powers of the Board of Trustees include the authority "to exercise any
rights and powers heretofore vested in the Confederated Tribes, but not
expressly referred to in this Constitution, or any powers that may in the
future be delegated by an agency of local, state or Federal government";
AND

WHEREAS, since time immemorial the Confederated Tribes and its ancestors have
lived in balance and harmony with the earth and its environment, as part
of and not apart from it, enjoying and caring for the First Foods and other
riches it provided that sustained us; AND

WHEREAS, more recently, food preparation, storage, serving, and consumption
practices have relied increasingly on plastics; and the availability and
convenience of non-First Foods has led to increased food waste, which
contributes to the climate crisis; AND

WHEREAS, paramount goals and priorities of the Board of Trustees include protecting
Tribal sovereignty and the Confederated Tribes' Treaty Rights, and the
primary mission of the Confederated Tribes' Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) is to "protect, restore, and enhance the First Foods and
medicines for the perpetual cultural, economic, and sovereign benefit of
the CTUIR ... utilizing traditional ecological and cultural knowledge and
science to inform: (1) population and habitat management goals and
actions; and (2) natural resource policies and regulatory mechanisms";
AND

WHEREAS, the Confederated Tribes continue to promote and advocate for these goals
and priorities to non-tribal authorities responsible for past and ongoing
environmental harm, but simultaneously recognize the need to address
our own internal actions and practices to promote consistency with the
positions and messaging we convey to the wider world-living up to our
principles; AND

WHEREAS, the Confederated Tribes recognize the need for actions-by others and by
us-to address climate change and the activities that contribute to it, as
described more fully in the Confederated Tribes' Climate Adaptation Plan
(CAP); the Confederated Tribes also recognize the important role that this
Tribal government has in supporting actions at the individual Tribal
member and family levels; AND

WHEREAS, the DNR First Foods Policy Program (FFPP) identified improving food
waste management and reducing single-use plastic at community and
cultural events as specific opportunities to address climate change
consistent with and in support of Board of Trustees policies and priorities, and the Confederated Tribes community has responded positively,
including support expressed in a survey to gauge its interest in and
understanding of these opportunities; AND

WHEREAS, the DNR FFPP hosted multiple food waste workshops within the Tribal
community in 2024 and 2025, primarily at the Confederated Tribes'
Longhouse, including an Anaerobic Digestion Workshop and a tour of
Wildhorse Resort & Casino restaurants, finding that improved food waste
protocols are supported once an effective system can be established; AND

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees adopted the First Foods Policy of the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation on November 24, 2025
(Resolution No. 25-090), which contains policy goals, principles, and
statements to protect, restore, and maintain environmental and First
Foods quality and Tribal member health; AND

WHEREAS, direction and guidance was sought and received from the Land Protection
and Planning Commission (2/17 /26), the Fish and Wildlife Commission
(2/17 /26), the Economic and Community Development Committee
(2/24/26, 3/17 /26), the Health Commission (2/24/26), and the General
Council (3/19/26) regarding this issue and efforts to make our community
more resilient and sustainable; AND

WHEREAS, Tribal individuals and families wish to contribute to solutions to prevent
and reduce carbon emissions contributing to climate change, and the
Tribal government can play an important role in supporting these actions
so the community has ways to better manage waste streams to conserve
resources, and to make sustainable and resilient choices that benefit
themselves, their families, and their natural resources, including the First
Foods that the Confederated Tribes ceaselessly strives to protect,
preserve, and enhance; AND

WHEREAS, the Confederated Tribes recognize that current recycling technology is
limited when it comes to single-use plastic cutlery because of the diversity
of plastics used by manufacturers, resulting in most of it going to landfills
or ending up as ocean pollution; therefore, we support the sustainable
practice of community members bringing their own reusable cutlery to
events and support incentives to encourage the practice; AND

WHEREAS, a system-wide approach to food waste management would make it easier
for the public to participate, while upgrading and expanding access to
recycling services to create environmental benefits that will give future
generations improved mechanisms to manage human-sourced waste
streams; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Confederated Tribes proclaims 2026 as the launch of Our
Sustainable Future, an initiative to support and call attention to materials
management efforts that contribute to fulfillment of the Confederated
Tribes' policies, goals, and priorities and to the State of Oregon's recycling
and food waste reduction goals; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that the Confederated Tribes commit to a written needs assessment of
Tribal staff capacity and other funding and resource needs to develop food
waste management systems to address community and commercial
needs and desires, including (but not necessarily limited to) conserving
water, harvesting First Foods, and capturing nutrients within our
community; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that the Confederated Tribes commit to investing in Tribal staff capacity
and other resources to identify and pursue ways to reduce single-use
plastics, and strive to significantly reduce usage or ideally eliminate singleuse
plastic cutlery by 2030; AND BE IT Fl NALLY

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees encourages Tribal government departments,
enterprises, and other entities to devote the necessary and appropriate
resources and capacity to effectively participate in coordinated systemlevel
approaches to achieve sustainable and resilient food systems and
practices that support the First Foods, a healthy and vibrant Confederated
Tribes community, and future generations;
AND, that said Resolution has not been modified, amended, or repealed and is still in full
force and effect.

DATED this 20th day of April, 2026.