CTUIR Board Accepts Pendleton Mayor’s TCOC Powwow Proclamation

MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Board of Trustees (Board) graciously accepted a Pendleton mayoral proclamation praising the Two Cultures One Community (TCOC) Powwow at its Feb. 10 meeting.

The Board officially voted to acknowledge Pendleton Mayor McKennon McDonald’s proclamation, which states the CTUIR and City of Pendleton are “woven together and closely intertwined sharing each other’s best interest” and that the powwow, now in its second year, honors that connection.

McDonald and TCOC Committee Chairman Pat Beard presented the proclamation to the Board during the meeting. The proclamation, which was officially signed on Feb. 4, deems the week of Feb. 28 to March 2 as TCOC Powwow week.

The proclamation also encourages all residents to respect and honor the diverse community and celebrate while continuing to build a culture of inclusiveness and acceptance.

“We (Pendleton City government) have a lot of strategic planning that we are going to be working on this year, but one thing that was very important to the council members that are new and existing council members…was the desire to have a stronger relationship with CTUIR,” McDonald said in the meeting. “So I think that is something that we commit to working on and commit to working towards – continued partnerships and strengthening the relationship that we have.”

After the meeting, CTUIR Board Chairman Gary I. Burke said the Board was honored to receive the proclamation and touched by the mayor’s presence.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to thank Mayor McDonald and the Pendleton City Council for their time and effort to issue the proclamation and what it stands for – the city’s desire to build a better relationship with the CTUIR,” Burke said. “The Two Cultures One Community Powwow is just one example showing how the CTUIR and City of Pendleton can come together to make our shared area a better place for all citizens.”

According to the powwow’s website, Wild Rose is slated to be the host drum with Ruben Little Head Sr. once again emceeing. The three-day powwow will also feature four sessions of dancing and drumming competition. In 2024, more than 600 dancers and more than a dozen drum groups from across the United States and Canada participated in the powwow.

The TCOC Committee consists of Chairman Beard, Vice Chairman Fred Hill, Treasurer Kara Woolsey, Secretary Terri Carnes, Co-Vendor Coordinators Daisy Minthorn and Sherri Round and Members Melinda Broncheau, Lisa Ganuelas, Kaeleen McGuire and Wil Phinney.

The CTUIR, Wildhorse Resort & Casino, Nixyáawii Community Financial Services, Ulrich Investment Consultants, Tri-City Development Council, Port of Kennewick, Wenaha Group and Pacific Northwest Iron Workers District Council are this year’s sponsors.

The event is scheduled for Feb. 28 to March 2 at the Pendleton Convention Center, 1601 Westgate, and will honor all veterans who have served in the U.S military. The convention center offers 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space, nine flex rooms, audio/visual equipment, attached outdoor arena, free Wi-Fi, 500 on-site parking spaces and RV parking with electrical service.

For more information, visit www.twoculturesonecommunity.com.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is comprised of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Tribes, and formed under the Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Valley, 12 Stat. 945. In 1949, the Tribes adopted a constitutional form of government to protect, preserve and enhance the reserved treaty rights guaranteed under federal law.