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‘That’s our
community
talking to us’
CDC: Nearly half of
all Native American
women have
suff ered physical or
sexual violence
1, 2021
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School district uses
partnerships to help
students weather
pandemic
MISSION — The survivors, advo-
cates and community members sat
around tables in a large room at Wild-
horse Resort & Casino on the Umatilla
Indian Reservation.
On the walls around them were the
words of people who, through a year-
and-a-half-long project, shared their
messages and stories about domestic
and sexual violence on tribal land. One
message read:
“Maybe with more awareness for
victims they will fi nd the inner spirit
to report and stand against their fami-
lies to protect against the next victim of
this. But it will take culture change as
it is generational and has had the blind
of eye of change for so very very long.”
A group of at least 30 people gath-
ered at the casino on a rainy Friday,
Nov. 19, to hear the results of the proj-
ect from Family Violence Services, a
tribal public safety program dedicated
to helping survivors of violence on the
reservation.
“It took listening to you, our people
in the community, to pull this together,”
said Desireé Coyote, an abuse survi-
vor, advocate and enrolled tribal
member who manages Family Violence
Services.
Kamron Drury couch surfed for most of
2020 after leaving an unstable home life.
He struggled to focus at school, battled
anxiety and was at risk of not graduating.
With the help of Morrow County School
District’s wraparound program, his grades
improved, he feels healthier, lives in his
own apartment and he likely will graduate
in the spring of 2022.
Survey prompts response
from community
See Violence, Page A9
CEMBER
PAG E 14
It takes a village
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
The survey involved 86 commu-
nity members and 70 people who work
for tribal entities. The results showed
that survivors of sexual violence on the
reservation don’t trust authorities, fear
retaliation if they talk and fear friends
and family won’t believe them or would
shame them.
“It makes it an even more painful
process if you can’t turn to those who
are closest to you,” said Dr. Diane Gout,
an evaluator from Maine who, along
with Coyote, spearheaded the project.
More than half of respondents, most
of whom are women, said they are “very
aware” of sexual violence occurring in
their community, and more than a third
said the violence has become worse
over time, the survey data showed.
From 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., speakers
talked about the survey results and the
long history of abuse and violence on
the reservation. Community members
and survivors spoke about solutions
they’d like to see and how they want
their voices heard. Some shared their
own experiences with the people
around them.
BER 24–DE
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PAG
PAG E 4
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
M
ORROW COUNTY — It
takes a village to raise a child.
If the Morrow County School
District had a mantra, it might
be this old African proverb.
Because of a wraparound
program that already was
in place, the district nimbly
moved to support students as they switched
from in-person school to remote learning
and back again, addressing pandemic-re-
lated damage done to students’ mental
well-being and learning levels.
Take the case of Heppner High School
senior Kamron Drury.
The 18-year-old admitted he might
Dirksen
Doherty
George
have fallen through the cracks without the
district’s assistance. He left home a couple
of years ago to escape a whirlwind of family
dysfunction that brought him stress and
panic attacks. Drury couch surfed most
nights, packing his possessions from place
to place. He worried about graduating.
“During my sophomore year, there was
COVID and a lot of other stressors in my
life,” he said. “I fell very, very behind. Junior
year wasn’t as productive as it could have
been.”
With support from the program, Drury
improved his grades and moved into his own
apartment in September. He secured two
jobs, cooking at a restaurant and cleaning
rooms at a hotel, and ran cross-country this
fall. To combat anxiety, Drury meets with
in-school counselor Amy George, who is
employed by Community Counseling Solu-
tions, about once a week. Care Coordinator
Peggy Doherty helped Drury obtain docu-
ments such as an Oregon ID, birth certifi cate
and Social Security card.
Team eff orts and tech pay off
Superintendent Dirk Dirksen said the
See Village, Page A9
A safe place
Martha’s House provides home to
help people improve their lives
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — A
transitional family shelter in
Hermiston opened its doors
this past weekend to intro-
duce itself to neighbors, to
potential new residents and
to prospective volunteers.
Mar tha’s House, a
ministry of Eastern Oregon
Mission, held an open house
Saturday, Nov. 20. The
facility at 305 S.E. Fourth
St. off ers a place for home-
less families to live for three
to six months while they get
back on their feet.
As volunteers met with
visitors during the open
house, they spoke of this
community resource and
expressed excitement over
its mission.
Julia Galan, house
manager, gave the first
tour of the day. She walked
visitors past the house’s 18
studios, kitchen and other
See Safe place, Page A9
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
House manager Julia Galan, right, off ers a tour of a freshly furnished suite Saturday, Nov. 20,
2021, at Martha’s House in Hermiston. The suite, which can house up to four people is one of
18 at the family shelter.