Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation Archives

‘Generations That Follow Us Are Going To Remember’: Coronavirus Threatens Tribes’ Funerals

By Anna King April 9, 2020

A recent spring sunset on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation. Northwest tribes are having to cut back their traditional ceremonies for their dead, because of the global pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic is also crushing to many traditions and religions trying to mourn their dead — no matter the cause of death. But for Native Americans in the Northwest, normal funerals can last two to three days and involve physical contact among tribal members. Read More

Helicopter Rescues, Roads Closed, Sandbags Filled: SE Washington And NE Oregon Hit With Floods

By Anna King February 9, 2020

Many houses in Waitsburg, Washington, a small wheat town, are still sitting in lakes of trapped water. Residents were busy moving out their valuables, and accessing damage on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. CREDIT: Anna King/N3

Flood waters in southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon are starting to recede. But this relatively good news follows days of bad news and inundated towns – along with collapsed bridges, dozens of helicopter rescues and washed-out roads. It’s all caused by recent heavy rainfall and fast-melting snow. Read More

‘A Total Sense Of Belonging’: Northwest Tribes Lament Fire On Rattlesnake Mountain

By Anna King August 1, 2019

The Cold Creek Fire burned nearly 42,000 acres of sagebrush and grass land near Hanford in July -- including on Rattlesnake Mountain.

The fire that engulfed Notre Dame cathedral shocked the world earlier this year. And a wildfire in July on Rattlesnake Mountain in southeast Washington similarly shocked Northwest tribes. Continue Reading ‘A Total Sense Of Read More

Northwest Tribes Bringing Traditional Wildfires Back To Their Lands

By Anna King May 4, 2018

Glacier lilies spring up in sunny clearings left by recent treatments to the landscape by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation. CREDIT: ANNA KING

Tribes across the West are trying to restore their forests and grasslands to the way they were before white settlers arrived. Their goal is to return traditional foods like roots, huckleberries and big game. But it’s a complex job. Continue Read More