UMATILLA – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation extended an offer Monday to work with the city of Umatilla.

City residents long have wanted to improve the old town site, which lies along the Columbia River between the mouth of the Umatilla River and the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Two handicaps have been that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the property and the tribes claim it as important to tribal – and American – history.

Armand Minthorn, a member of the CTUIR Board of Trustees and chairman of the tribes’ cultural committee, addressed the City Council Monday with a message of cooperation. He said the tribes have been opposed to development there in the past. The old Umatilla town site includes ancestral fishing, encampment and burial grounds.

“Historically, our people lived here at least 6,000 years ago,” he said.

Minthorn said tribal leaders would like to meet with Umatilla residents to discuss their plans for the old town site.

“We, as a tribe, certainly want to work with you,” he said. “Who better to interpret our people’s history than us?”

He warned, however, that the CTUIR doesn’t want any more burial sites or “known and unknown archaeological sites” to be disturbed. Even though the property is fenced on the south and east, he said looters already have come ashore from the river and disturbed burial sites.

“We’ll do anything to protect those sites,” Minthorn said, adding the tribes would appreciate the city residents’ help to protect their historic sites.

Cooperation and collaboration can be a key to a good working relationship, he said, adding that the tribes are willing to help educate area residents about their history and importance of preserving it.

Lavon Starr Meyers, president of the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce, presented another message of cooperation. Noting that Umatilla will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2013, she recommended some joint projects to be completed this year.

She recommended printing a visitor’s guide and developing Umatilla Landing Days as a cultural celebration “showcasing activities, foods and costumes from the variety of cultures that were a part of Umatilla originally” as well as those represented today. She also recommended a two-phase partnership with the city and the Port of Umatilla to identify businesses to recruit to the community and a multimedia business recruitment campaign.

Also addressing the council Monday was Bud Barnett of Umatilla, who encouraged the city to dig deeper and find ways to “get rid of this filth in our town.” He referred to businesses offering adult entertainment and said he disagreed with attorneys who say there is nothing the city can do to eliminate them.

“We don’t want to be known as a dirty little town,” he said, adding that the employees of the establishments don’t do business in town. “We might as well just get rid of them,” he said.