Spring 2026 7 Checking the Facts I appreciate Taylor Pedersen’s article “Keeping the Fire” [about the origins of OSU’s yearly salmon bake] in the Winter 2026 edition. However, stating that “Oregon tribes were not federally recognized” in 1971 is inaccurate.The statement also begs the question, what’s an “Oregon tribe?” Some embrace a colonial notion that only tribal reservations inside state lines are Oregon tribes. My Tribe, Nez Perce, granted the U.S. rights, and they committed to protect ours such as fishing at usual and accustomed places, hunting and gathering in what became Oregon and beyond. Our rights embed us in the landscape, so an Oregon boundary is irrelevant to our existence, as witnessed in tribal jurisdiction supporting our citizens using these rights at places familiar to Oregon including the Columbia River’s banks and waters, and at Willamette Falls. Our rights require healthy habitat, and we own roughly 15,000 acres across northeast Oregon, co-manage alongside state agencies, and help oversee an estuary program in Astoria. Ms. Pedersen’s story is a start. Finishing the story is within reach through OSU graduates from the treaty tribes working across an enduring tribal landscape shared with Oregon to safeguard places we all call home. —JAIME A. PINKHAM, ’81 Editor’s Note: We also received a letter from Mary Baumgardner, ’89, pointing out that this article incorrectly stated that all — rather than some — of Oregon’s tribes lacked federal recognition in the early 1970s when the salmon bake began. We apologize for the error and appreciate the additional context. Memories and Gratitude I wish to thank the Oregon Stater and USAF Lt. Colonel Ronald L. Akers for highlighting my father, Professor Arthur D. Hughes [as an unforgettable mentor in the Winter issue’s Letters]. It was a nice surprise to open the latest edition and see his picture and description. I am 77 years old, and the last living child of Arthur and Edith. We helped collate his classroom supplies around the kitchen table. He used to say that when the war came and the government wanted him, he told them let him teach instead and he would give them a classroom full of engineers for their purposes. I remember the jet engine that was mentioned in the letter. It made quite a large sight across a field when fired up. Thank you for the honor you gave him. —CYNTHIA HUGHES HANHI I graduated in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. That commencement ceremony was held in Gill Coliseum, and it occurred concurrently with game six of the NBA Finals in which the Portland Trail Blazers won the NBA Championship. The commencement was briefly postponed by OSU President Robert McVicar to allow the final minute or two of the game to conclude. Graduates and attendees gave the Trail Blazers a standing ovation and then President McVicar proceeded with the ceremony. Following graduation, I accepted employment with Boldt Carlisle + Smith CPAs in Salem. In 1991, I became a partner, later becoming a partner at SingerLewak, LLP, after the businesses merged. SingerLewak, LLP, is in the top 75 CPA firms in the United States. I served as the Pacific Northwest Regional Tax Partner and led the Oregon tax department. My 48 years of employment in public accounting have been very rewarding, and I have enjoyed working with clients and employees. Thanks to OSU for getting me started with a solid education and being a resource throughout my career. —DOUG PARHAM, ’ 77 Send letters to stater@osualum.com or go to OregonStater.org/connect. We edit for clarity, brevity and factual accuracy. Please try to limit your letters to 225 words or less. John Paeth, ’76, sent us this photo from a Dixon Lodge Co-op reunion hosted by Mike McCarthy, ’72, M.S. ’75, at McCarthy Research Farms in Forest Grove. “Some bonds are timeless, and old friendships prove it,” Paeth wrote. Most participants graduated in the late 1960s to mid1970s, but “a unique multi-generational tie continued, as many of the offspring from this group attended OSU Co-ops as well.” Kayla Al-Khaledy, ’16, and Emme Punches, ’16, spent two weeks in October racing across Sri Lanka in a three-wheeled tuktuk adorned with a “Go Beavs!” sticker as part of the TukTuk Tournament — a scavenger hunt and adventure race that drew 197 participants from 24 countries in 2025. See more photos on Instagram at @twogirlsandatuktuk. TRAVELS & MEETUPS
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