CTUIR Signs MOU with Portland State University

PENDLETON – To improve educational opportunities for Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) members, Portland State University (PSU) and the CTUIR signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday, Sept. 16 outside Round-Up Stadium.

In the Tipi Village near the stadium, CTUIR and PSU officials ceremonially signed the MOU, which calls for the tribe and university to strengthen their relationship and improve the quality of reciprocal educational services and opportunities they both provide.

“We are thrilled to have this MOU in place with Portland State University because the CTUIR Board of Trustees (BOT) prioritizes education and recognizes the positive impacts collaborations such as these can have, especially since Portland State recognizes the importance of tribal sovereignty,” BOT Chair N. Kathryn Brigham said. “We appreciate the hard work by our Education and Training Committee and Education Department, as well as their PSU partners, to get this MOU approved. Ultimately, we see this benefiting our tribal members who attend or want to attend PSU.”

The MOU calls for collaboration on curriculum development for Native American studies; Native American education, recruitment and retention efforts for tribal students at PSU; and research and creative activities that advance the CTUIR and PSU’s shared objectives.

It also intends to identify areas of mutual educational, research and creative interest as well as successfully transition CTUIR students into higher education via campus orientation activities, emphasizing resources to support tribal students and offering summer college prep classes.

The MOU calls for identifying tribal staff with expertise to contribute to areas of mutual interest, creating awareness for tribal staff of the opportunities to contribute their expertise, assisting in information exchanges within mutual-interest areas and enhancing PSU support of Native students when it comes to outreach, admissions, recruitment, retention, financial aid, academic advising and internship opportunities.

A major part of these initiatives will stem from the establishment of a 14-member Native American Advisory Board (NAAB), which will include the CTUIR BOT chair or designee, by providing a forum for mutual collaboration and communication, working to enhance education of Native students, educating PSU students about tribes and advancing relationships for resources and program development.

To advance its goals, the NAAB shall undertake student service initiatives, access initiatives and integration and training initiatives. Student service initiatives include recruiting and retaining Native students and instructors, providing academic and financial advice to Native students and providing scholarship outreach to Native students. Access initiatives include tribal guidance and feedback on courses and program offering to Native students and applying for joint grant proposals to improve student access and services. Integration and training initiatives include PSU assisting CTUIR with access to technology and training and the CTUIR assisting PSU administration, staff and students with cultural educational opportunities, enrichment and in-service training.

“As the president of Portland State University, I’m really excited that we’ve signed an MOU with the Umatilla Tribe. This is the first tribe we’ve signed an MOU with, and it’s a great path-breaking opportunity,” PSU President Ann Cudd said. “We know there are lots of ways we can collaborate to serve the tribe and its students as well as learn many things from the tribe and enhance our offerings and our research.”

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is comprised of the Cayuse, Walla Walla and Umatilla 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.

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