Burns Paiute: Tribe explores refuge - Wednesday, Aug. 21, a group of local youth, leaders, and elders from the Burns Paiute Reservation met with Carla Burnside of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to tour and experience the territory of the ancient Paiute tribe.

Burns Paiute-Klamath: Lakeview geothermal project ready to move forward - The often delayed Lakeview geothermal project appears ready to move forward. A memorandum of agreement for cultural resources has been reached with the University of Oregon archeology department, which will oversee data recovery and monitoring. The agreement also involves the Klamath Tribes and Burns Paiute Tribe.

Burns Paiute: Nadzitsaga invited to special event - Last November, Rick Roy, the head coach of the local Nadzitsaga lacrosse team, received an invitation to participate in the Six Nations High School Field Lacrosse Invitational, to be held May 23-26 at the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. Roy said that the invitation came from Iroquois Lacrosse, a program that promotes the game from the Iroquois perspective. “They are viewed as the originators of the game,” Roy said. “Their game is a spiritual one, played to please the Creator, and sometimes called the ‘Creator’s game.’ With the expansion of the game, the understanding and real meaning is being lost to commercialism.” Roy has been coaching the Nadzitsaga team since 2008, and has remained true to the game’s roots, including pre- and post-game prayers. “We’re the only tribal-affiliated lacrosse team in the state, working with the Burns Paiute Tribe,” Roy said.

Burns Paiute: Reservation Day Oct. 13 - The Burns Paiute Tribe hosted its 40th annual Reservation Day celebration Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Burns Paiute Reservation’s Gathering Center. The celebration commemorates the 40th anniversary of the day the Burns Paiute Reservation was established. Some may be surprised to learn that the reservation was not established until 1972, especially when considering that the ancestors of tribal members inhabited Central and Eastern Oregon’s Great Basin for thousands of years.

Burns Paiute: Brook trout get eviction notice at High Lake - As part of an effort to restore threatened bull trout populations, fishery managers are undertaking an experimental project to remove brook trout from High Lake in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. The project began July 23 and continues to Aug. 3. Staff from the Burns Paiute Tribe are using a combination of gillnetting, electroshocking, trapping and seining to remove the non-native brook trout.

Burns Paiute: Tribe Plan Experimental Removal Of Non-Native Brook Trout From Lake To Aid Bull Trout - As part of an effort to restore threatened bull trout populations, fishery managers will begin an experimental project later this month to remove brook trout from Oregon’s High Lake in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. From July 23 to Aug. 3, staff from the Burns Paiute Tribe will use a combination of gillnetting, electroshocking, trapping and seining to remove the non-native brook trout.

Burns Paiute: Board recommends changing locale names - The Oregon Geographic Names Board (OGNB) held their summer meeting in Burns on Saturday, June 23, to discuss possible name changes in Harney and Malheur counties, as well as several other locations in the state. During the public comment period of the meeting, several people spoke out against the proposed name changes in Harney and Malheur counties. The changes would remove the word “squaw” from each location while at the same time re-naming the location with a proposal from the Burns Paiute Tribe in their native language. Diane Teeman, a member of the Burns Paiute Tribal Council, said that the tribe was removed from the area in the late 19th century and had little or no input on geographic names despite the fact that they had lived in the area for centuries.

Burns Paiute: Tribe opens youth center - Brimming with excitement, the Burns Paiute Tribe officially opened their new youth center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, March 2. Following a blessing by Ermon Smartt, Tribal Council member Jody Richards, along with youths Trustin Snapp and Lane Hawley, had the honor of snipping the ribbon. The facility, known as Tu-wa-kii-nobi or “Kid’s House,” is the culmination of several years’ work by tribal and community members.

Burns Paiute: Truman Teeman 1940-2011 - Funeral services were held at the Burns Paiute Gathering Center on Dec. 13, with internment at the New Camp Cemetery. In the 1970s he worked with others to give the Tribe federal recognition, and acted as Tribal Council Chairman for many years. He kept the tribal history and culture alive by recording many of his grandfathers’ old stories for his grandchildren. Contributions in Teeman’s memory may be made to the Burns Paiute Tribe Elder’s Program through the Burns Paiute Tribe.

State Board Looks to Replace More 'Squaw' Names