Holly Jo Beers, candidate for a Umatilla County commissioner position, recently made the comment
 that the “Tribes are the most racist people I’ve ever encountered.” To support her comment,
 Beers used our tribal hiring preference policy as an example of our “racism.”

However, it is obvious that Beers did not do her homework before making such an absurd and
 unfounded remark. Yes, tribal preference policies have been challenged in court before, but the courts
 have consistently ruled that tribal hiring preference policies are not based on race, but are based on the 
political affiliation that we enrolled tribal members have with our respective tribe. In this situation it is,
 of course, the CTUIR.

It is important to know that our tribal preference policies are not always honored and complied with.
 There have been numerous hires made within the CTUIR administration and associated entities, such as
 Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, and our tribally-owned businesses, in which qualified tribal member applicants have
 been overlooked in favor of non-Indian applicants.

As the largest employer in Northeast Oregon, the CTUIR does have economic and political influence and 
responsibility in the region, and beyond, but first and foremost we have an overarching responsibility to
 take care of our own people first.

Bob Shippentower

Pendleton