U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde receive a combined more than $2.7 million in resources from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help them deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This public health crisis has landed hard on tribes in Oregon and nationwide putting in long hours to provide quality community care in the face of this devastating pandemic,” Wyden said.
“Oregon’s recovery from this public health crisis requires full access to resources and equipment for every community, including our Native and tribal reservations,” said Merkley. “This American Rescue Plan funding will allow the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and the Confederate Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to build the medical infrastructure necessary to support their communities during COVID-19 or any medical emergency.”
The Indian Community Development Block Grant funds from the ARPA legislation – which Wyden and Merkley both supported – will be distributed as follows to help the recipients with the COVID-19 pandemic:
- $1.725 million to the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to build a health facility and buy an ambulance and related equipment
- $988,031 to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to buy and ambulance and related equipment
“The Umatilla Tribal Fire Department has been in need of new rapid response vehicles and equipment for some time and so this award will help us to greatly improve the emergency services that our Fire Department provides to the Umatilla Indian Reservation community,” said Tribal Chair Kat Brigham.
