REGION
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Oregon joins effort to solve
crimes against Native women
Gov. Brown
signs bill aimed
at increasing,
improving criminal
justice resources
for Native cases
Associated Press
SALEM — Native Amer-
ican women have gone miss-
ing or been killed at alarm-
ing rates, federal and private
studies show, and there is
growing concern that con-
fusion by law enforcement
over who has jurisdiction
can lead to lax pursuit of
cases and insuffi cient data.
Oregon, home to nine
federally recognized tribes
or confederations of tribes,
has now joined a movement
to account for and solve
more of the crimes.
Patricia
Whitefoot,
whose sister disappeared in
1987 in an unsolved case,
watched as Gov. Kate Brown
signed a bill Thursday that
directs the state police to
study how to increase and
improve criminal justice
resources on these cases.
“As families, we simply
seek justice and healing of
the heart,” Whitefoot told
lawmakers in written testi-
mony last month.
After Brown signed
the bill, Whitefoot told a
reporter her sister, Daisy
Mae Heath Tallman, was 29
when she went missing.
She was Whitefoot’s
youngest sister and lived
with her in Washington
state. She would be gone
for long periods, fi shing
for salmon in traditional
spots along the Columbia
River that divides Washing-
ton from Oregon and visit-
ing relatives on the Warm
Springs reservation in Ore-
gon. Then, in the autumn of
1987, she never returned to
her home in White Swan,
Washington.
“She was just a very
self-reliant, self-suffi cient
individual who could take
care of her business and
what needed to be done,
fi ercely independent,” said
Whitefoot, who wore a red
dress — representing miss-
ing and murdered indige-
nous women — otter furs,
shell jewelry and moc-
casins to the bill signing
ceremony.
Travis Hampton, super-
intendent of the Oregon
State Police, told attend-
ees, many of them Native
American women, that he
was emotionally invested in
bringing results. He said he
had been concerned about
a lack of state police juris-
diction in Indian country
but that it would be com-
pensated for with collabo-
ration among federal, state
and local law enforcement.
“I will treat these women
AP Photos/Andrew Selsky
Patricia Whitefoot, below, a member of the Yakama tribe
from White Swan, Washington, poses for a photo after Gov.
Kate Brown signed a bill directing the state police to study
how to improve criminal justice resources to solve cases of
Native American women who have gone missing or been
killed. Whitefoot’s sister Daisy disappeared in 1987. The case
was never solved. Whitefoot was involved in the eff ort to
pass the bill in Oregon, and a similar one in Washington state
earlier.
and girls, these sisters, these
mothers, these daughters,
as if they were my own,” he
said to applause.
Montana, Washington,
Arizona and New Mexico
have passed similar legis-
lation. A bill reintroduced
in the House of Represen-
tatives last week would
expand tribes’ access to
some federal crime data-
bases, establish protocols
for handling cases of miss-
ing and slain Native Amer-
icans, and require annual
reports.
The bill is named Savan-
na’s Act, after Savanna
LaFontaine-Greywind, who
was killed while pregnant
in 2017 in North Dakota.
Her baby was cut from her
womb but survived.
In urban areas alone,
some 500 Native Ameri-
can women in 71 U.S. cities
vanished or were killed, the
Urban Indian Health Insti-
tute, a division of the Seat-
tle Indian Health Board,
reported last year. Most of
the cases occurred since
2010. On some reservations,
federal studies have shown
women are killed at more
than 10 times the national
average.
Predators believe they
can get away with abducting
or killing American Indian
women there because of
scant law enforcement pres-
ence, said Rep. Tawna San-
chez, chief sponsor of the
Oregon bill and the only
Native American in the
state Legislature.
Some tribes have no law
enforcement, while the FBI
might be able to dedicate
only one agent to investigate
crimes on sprawling reser-
vations, Sanchez said.
The new Oregon law,
which takes effect immedi-
ately, directs the state police
to study how to increase and
improve state criminal jus-
tice protective, responsive
and investigative resources.
It also calls for better sys-
tems for reporting, identi-
fi cation, investigation and
rapid response to future and
past cases.
A Hermiston man who
was in a motorcycle crash
on May 3 is still in the hos-
pital recovering from a brain
injury.
Nychal Gritz, 22, was
injured in a single-vehicle
crash outside of Stanfi eld.
His father Jeff Gritz said in
an email over the weekend
that Nychal spent 12 days
in Oregon Health & Science
University Hospital’s inten-
sive care unit in Portland
before being transferred to
the hospital’s trauma unit,
where he remains.
Jeff said Nychal was
“pretty unresponsive” the
fi rst few days due to swell-
ing and bleeding in his
brain (the East Oregonian
originally reported he was
awake during that time
based on incorrect infor-
mation released by the
Umatilla County Sheriff’s
Offi ce). He is now walking
and eating with assistance
and his short-term memory
is unpredictable but improv-
ing, Jeff said. He should be
moving to a rehab facility
soon.
“He has multiple facial
fractures and skull frac-
tures that are non-operable
and will heal on their own,”
he wrote on Saturday. “His
biggest threat now is a small
blood clot in his brain that
is being medically treated,
that could take up to several
months. He should be dis-
charged from the hospital
early next week if he con-
tinues to improve over the
weekend.”
Nychal was a star base-
ball pitcher for Hermiston
High School and played for
Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College last year. Jeff
said community members
have inquired about being
able to send letters or dona-
tions to help cover medi-
cal bills. Letters to Nychal
can be sent to P.O. Box 356,
Hermiston, OR 97838. Peo-
ple can donate to an account
in Nychal’s name at Colum-
bia Bank or search for
“Nychal’s Medical Fund-
raiser” on Facebook.
Rain forecast for
Memorial Day
weekend
Spring storms saturated
the region Monday night
into Tuesday morning
and the forecast looks for
more of the same through
Memorial Day.
“It’s not going to be a
barbecue kind of weekend,”
said Rob Brooks, forecaster
for the National Weather
Service in Portland.
Rain
accumulation
at the Eastern Oregon
Regional Airport in Pend-
leton for Monday and Tues-
day was 0.45 inches, Walla
Walla Regional Airport
got 0.23 inches. Hermis-
ton Municipal Airport only
received 0.15 inches.
Travelers on Inter-
state 84 east of Pendleton
were faced with driving
rain. Meacham received
0.6 inches. La Grande
and much of the Wallowa
Mountains got more than
0.8 inches.
The
forecast
for
Wednesday and Thursday
should be dry, but getting
into the weekend there is a
20% to 30% chance of rain
and thunderstorms Satur-
day through Monday with
high temperatures 69 to 76
degrees in Pendleton, 71 to
79 in Hermiston and 66 to
72 in Heppner.
PENDLETON — The
Oregon Wheat Foundation
awarded a total of seven
$1,000 scholarships to high
school seniors this year,
representing six counties
or regions. Students were
judged on their community
involvement,
academic
achievement and an essay
on a wheat industry topic.
Two of the scholarships
went to students at Helix’s
Griswold High School.
Gavin Newtson plans
to attend the University of
Idaho Agriculture Systems
Newtson
Christman
Management
Program,
then return to the family
farm after graduation. He
is the son of Jeff and Shar-
ilyn Newtson. He was a
member of the National
Honor
Society,
and
excelled in several sports
including cross-country,
basketball, and track. He
was active in many com-
munity activities.
Hannah
Christman
plans to study medicine in
college, focusing on neu-
roscience. She is gradu-
ating as ASB vice presi-
dent. Hannah is active in
Key Club and FBLA, and
competed in cross-coun-
try, basketball, and track
and fi eld.
Morrow County
works to connect
students with jobs
Students in Morrow
County will soon have the
opportunity to work right
in their own backyard
through a new program, the
Morrow County Student
Internship Program. Sev-
eral partners are involved
in the program — Morrow
County School District,
Ione School District, the
Port of Morrow, the Inter-
Mountain Education Ser-
vice District and multiple
community businesses.
The program is funded
through the Morrow Edu-
cation Foundation.
The internships are open
to high school seniors and
juniors. Students will be
employees of the IMESD
and will be paid minimum
wage. Students can receive
high school credit for their
work experience, but must
maintain 90% attendance
at school and at their place
of work.
More than 25 busi-
nesses are on board to hire
interns, including Bank
of Eastern Oregon, City
of Boardman, Columbia
River Health, Port of Mor-
row, Morrow County Grain
Growers, Blue Mountain
Manufacturing,
Board-
man Foods and Lamb-
Weston. Students will
learn from medical provid-
ers, mechanics, analysts
and IT professionals.
Students will start work-
ing this fall when school is
back in session. Jobs are
available for a semester or
the entire school year. Stu-
dents will work an average
of 10 hours per week.
For information about
the program, contact Kalie
Davis, Workforce Training
Program Manager at the
Port of Morrow, at kalied@
portofmorrow.com.
Keep your family
safe from the
West Nile Virus
SALEM — As the
weather continues to warm
up, Oregon health offi cials
say it’s important for peo-
ple to protect themselves
from
disease-carrying
mosquitoes. One of the ill-
nesses to avoid is the West
Nile virus. About one in
fi ve infected people may
show signs of West Nile
virus. People at risk of seri-
ous illness include indi-
viduals 50 and older, and
people with immune-com-
promising conditions.
West Nile symptoms
may include fever above
100 degrees and severe
headache, stiff neck, men-
tal confusion, muscle
weakness, shaking, paral-
ysis or rash. People should
contact their health care
provider if experiencing
any of these symptoms.
Health offi cials are
advising people to take
precautions against mos-
quitoes to avoid the risk of
infection, including pre-
venting mosquito bites.
501 South Main Street
Pendleton
(541) 276-7411
Seeking Private
Housing Hosts
Chamber Ambassadors' Ribbon Cutting, Indian Lake May 2019
First Citizens &
Business Excellence
Award Nominations
“Nychal and our family
are very thankful for fam-
ily, friends and our Eastern
Oregon communities that
have reached out and sent
prayers our way,” Jeff said.
“We truly appreciate it.”
N O W
Visitors Center
Saturday & Sunday
8:30a - 2:00p
Let'er Rent hosts
K5 & Pendleton
Record hosts 2nd
Food Truck Night
5/22
Cineplex Show Times
$5 Classic Movie
Showing Today at 12PM
THE ENFORCER
John Wick: Chapter 3
Parabellum (R)
4:10p 7:00p 9:50p
A Dog’s Journey (PG)
4:30p 6:50p 9:20p
Pokemon Detective
Pikachu (PG)
4:40p 7:10p
9:40p
Avengers: Endgame (PG13)
3:40p* 7:20p 10:30p
The Hustle (PG13)
4:00p 6:10p 8:20p
* Matinee Pricing
wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
A3
LOCAL BRIEFING
Helix students
earn scholarships
Hermiston man recovering
after May 3 motorcycle crash
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
East Oregonian
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