CTUIR Voters Elect 6 New Members, Keep 6 Incumbents

MISSION, Ore. – On Tuesday, Nov. 14, members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) elected six new members and six incumbents to the Board of Trustees and General Council to lead the tribe for the next two years. 

The CTUIR’s governing body, the Board of Trustees will have four new members.

Gary I. Burke replaces N. Kathryn Brigham as BOT chair, while Aaron Ashley retained his seat as BOT vice chair.

Raymond Huesties will replace Sandra Sampson as BOT treasurer, while Roberta J. Wilson will replace Sally Kosey as BOT secretary. Three incumbent board members at large retained their seats: Toby Patrick, Corinne Sams and Lisa Ganuelas. Steven Hart was elected as the fourth board member at large.

Alan Crawford was elected the new General Council chair, defeating write-in candidate Boots Pond. Michael Ray Johnson retained his seat as General Council vice chair, and Martina Gordon won the General Council secretary seat as a write-in candidate. As for General Council interpreter, incumbent Thomas Morning Owl defeated Fred Hill Sr. Both were write-in candidates.

Pond, who is a BOT member at large, ran a write-in campaign for General Council chair after failing to properly file election paperwork for his at large seat. Also, current General Council Chair Lindsey X. Watchman did not seek re-election. 

The elected officials take office Nov. 29 in a 9 a.m. ceremony at the Nixyáawii Governance Center. The public is invited to attend. Following are the unofficial election results showing the number of votes received. The winners are identified with an asterisk, in bold. The certified results will be completed in accordance with the Election Code.

Board of Trustees Chair        

*Gary I. Burke           371

N. Kathryn Brigham      338

 

Board of Trustees Vice Chair

*Aaron Ashley           438

Kola Thompson            274

 

Board of Trustees Treasurer

*Raymond Huesties  404

Sandra Sampson          325

 

Board of Trustees Secretary

*Roberta J. Wilson     368

Sally Kosey                  329

 

Board of Trustees Members At Large

*Toby Patrick              496

*Steven Hart               362

*Corinne Sams            326

*Lisa Ganuelas            319

Matthew Farrow Jr.         290

Linda A. Sampson          229

Shawna Gavin                207

David Wolf Jr.                 195

Cami Lewis                     142

Victor Bates                    141

Jesse Bevis Sr.                108

           

General Council Chair

*Alan Crawford             395

Boots Pond (Write-In)      254                 

 

General Council Vice Chair

*Michael R. Johnson      633

 

General Council Secretary

*Martina Gordon (Write-In)  125

Shawna Gavin (Write-In)           44

 

General Council Interpreter

*Thomas Morning Owl (WI) 177

Fred Hill Sr. (Write-In)             65

 

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