CTUIR takes no stand on redistricting
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, November 30th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
MISSION – Some tribal groups in Oregon have complained that the latest redistricting plan has damaged the strength of its enrolled members as a voting body. That is not the case with the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
“The Board of Trustees has not taken any formal position on how redistricting is done, how it should be done, or what it should look like,” Interim Deputy Executive Director Matthew Johnson said.
He added that CTUIR concentrates more on working with local lawmakers and communicating issues to Salem than in drawing the lines for their districts.
“As far as how the districts are drawn, the overriding concern is just making sure that communities are fairly represented,” he said.
In a redistricting article in Indian Country Today, critics of Oregon redistricting maps believe that the new state maps make it more difficult for Native American voters to elect candidates who best represent their interests.
