Umatilla Tribe Opens Warming Center For Homeless Members

PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla northeast Oregon have opened a warming center for homeless tribal members as winter arrives.

The East Oregonian reported Tuesday that the center took shape in about a week after people started noticing tribal members sleeping outside near tribal office buildings and outside the Wildhorse Resort & Casino.

The facility, which was inaugurated on Monday, is named Cmuytpama (ts-mooy-it-pah-mah), or “Place of Warming” in a mixture of the Umatilla and Walla Walla languages.

The 14-bed center will have separate men’s and women’s areas and will open when temperatures dip below 35 degrees.

It will be patrolled by tribal deputies.
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Information from: East Oregonian, http://www.eastoregonian.com