MISSION — The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation will adjust its language on federal grant applications to avoid buzzwords involving diversity, equity and inclusion.

CTUIR Executive Director J.D. Tovey sent a memo to employees Tuesday, May 27, detailing a new approach to the organization’s federally directed materials, including grant proposals, public reports, project summaries and more. The East Oregonian received a copy of the memo.

The tribes will “align our language practices” with President Donald Trump’s executive orders and broader DEI guidelines, Tovey wrote in the memo. The changes since Trump took office mean DEI-related material may experience “delays, additional scrutiny, or denial of funding requests,” Tovey said, and CTUIR hopes to avoid loss or denial of funding.

“Our goal is to improve clarity and approval rates while preserving the integrity of our work,” Tovey said. “Our mission and goals have not changed, but our path must be flexible.”

The memo directs departments to update their language on federal work immediately. Program managers are expected to “review and update current project descriptions and documents by the end of June,” giving them about a month to adjust the materials to align with federal expectations.

Kaeleen McGuire, CTUIR communications director, said the tribes had no comment on the memo.