CTUIR’s Taylor wins national honor
By Terry Murry on Monday, April 8th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
MISSION – (News release from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation) MISSION, Ore. – Julie Taylor, Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) director for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), has been named the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) 2024 Individual Champion for Native Children.
Taylor, an enrolled CTUIR member in her 12th year as DCFS director, was expected to accept the award at the 42nd annual Protecting Our Children Conference on April 9 in Seattle.
“I feel very honored and blessed. I think it was a lot for working with the children and families, and that’s rewarding,” she said. “I have very good staff who assist me daily, and of course, I enjoy the community’s and my family’s support that I receive to keep me working hard every day. It’s a real honor to get this award through NICWA. They’ve been my mentor ever since I started my MSW (master’s degree in social work) program when I went to school in Portland.”
“In her own tribe, Julie’s unwavering dedication to its well-being and development is evident. Within the CTUIR community, Taylor is recognized for her leadership, commitment, and strength in empowering others,” NICWA states. “Taylor’s extensive involvement in various committees and positive engagement with government agencies underlines her commitment.”
She was integral in the creation of the ICWA Qualified Expert Witness tribal pool, which expanded from one resource to more than 20 tribally approved resources across Oregon in three years. And as DCFS director, her job is to encourage and support the health, viability and self-sufficiency of CTUIR members via holistic approaches to promote overall well-being.
“I cannot think of a more deserving person to win this award than Julie. Her dedication to and passion for her job knows no bounds. And when you have such employees, they vastly help improve the work being done in the community and for the people,” said CTUIR Deputy Executive Director J.D. Tovey.
