Portland abruptly fires tribal relations manager

Adam Becenti had big dreams for his first Indigenous Peoples Day as manager of the Tribal Relations Program in Portland. His plans to host a panel discussion with local journalists at a city building felt like an opportunity to demonstrate the city’s commitment to listening to Indigenous communities.

But these plans were never realized.

Less than two weeks before the day that was supposed to recognize and honor the contributions of Native Americans, Becenti was abruptly fired without much explanation.

Becenti is a member of the Diné Nation and led the city’s tribal relations program for five months. His firing sparked intense outcry from several of the city’s prominent local-run organizations, who say the decision calls for a major overhaul of a program they believe city leaders have long overlooked and underfunded.

“This news has shocked the Native community and beyond,” said a letter sent to the city Saturday by Jillene Joseph, executive director of the nonprofit Native Wellness Institute and a member of the Gros Ventre, or Aaniiih Nation. “The termination of the Tribal Relations Program Manager just before Indigenous Peoples Day is not a good sign for the city and a slap in the face to the Indigenous community.”

The greater Portland area sits on the traditional village lands of at least nine different tribes. According to recent U.S. Census Bureau data, nearly 65,000 Portland residents identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, making it home to one of the largest per capita populations of indigenous people in the country.

Becenti, 40, said during his short tenure in the city he has worked to rebuild the government’s strained relationships with tribal councils and organizations through meetings, grants and events. So he was surprised when, in an Oct. 2 meeting with his manager, government relations director Sam Chase, he learned that he wasn’t “the right fit” for the job. According to documents reviewed by OPB, Chase gave Becenti the choice of resigning or being fired on Oct. 2. Becenti accepted the resignation because he wanted to make it clear that it was not his decision.

Becenti told OPB that his firing was less about him and more about the city’s lack of commitment to Portland’s Native American community members and partners.

“It shows me that the Native community is not a priority for the city,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “Tribes and community want to be seen…they fight to be seen and heard by our government. [To vacate this office]it’s honestly a failure.”

Becenti believes he was fired because he didn’t follow the direction Chase had in mind for the office. He said Chase did not appear to be “fully committed” to building relationships with tribal governments and had not sought Becenti’s input on plans that would impact the office. Becenti said Chase never warned him before his firing that his job was in jeopardy – or gave him a chance to improve.

In an email to OPB, Chase said he was unable to discuss personnel matters but that “meaningful relationships with interested tribal governments and urban Indian nations are essential to inform and guide city policy.”

Becenti said the office should be a standalone department under the city’s new administrative structure.

“This action will demonstrate the city’s commitment to this work and cut through the bureaucracy,” he said, noting that the program does not fall under the purview of the Office of Government Relations.

Becenti’s firing is just the latest in a series of problems for the Tribal Relations Program, which was launched in 2016.

Before Becenti took the job in May, the position had been vacant for five months. His predecessor was Miranda Mishan, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and a descendant of Muskogee Creek. Mishan also only held the job for five months. Her predecessor, Laura John, headed the office for five years. According to a report from Underscore News, she left the company in June 2023 after signing a severance agreement that required her to waive potential discrimination claims.

John of the Blackfeet and Seneca Nations told OPB Tuesday that she believes the office is hampered by a fundamental misunderstanding of its purpose.

“The nature of this position is to be an advocate for the community and tribal governments,” she said. “But internally, people assume that this person is only there to work on behalf of the city and represent the needs of the city. And it leads to unclear expectations.”

Many programs that John started were put on hold after she left. The city also reduced the office’s staff from three to two last year and had yet to fill the second position – meaning Becenti was the only Tribal Relations Program employee at the time of his firing.

In her letter to Chase and city council members, Joseph of the Native Wellness Institute said that if the city was truly interested in being an “anti-racist” employer, it would “provide more Native staff to support each other in these toxic workspaces.” .” ”

She invited city leaders to the monthly meeting of the Portland Indian Leaders Roundtable, a group of representatives from 24 organizations that support indigenous communities in the city, to discuss the future of the Tribal Relations Program and how the city can better support it. That invitation was confirmed in another letter sent to Chase on behalf of the Future Generations Collaborative, a Portland nonprofit that serves Indigenous communities.

“We hope this conversation helps you and your colleagues better understand how you can serve our community and be an ally,” the letter sent Tuesday said.

Chase told OPB that he planned to meet with community members to discuss plans for the program, but did not provide details. In an emailed statement to OPB, Mayor Ted Wheeler said the Tribal Relations Program plays a critical role in city government.

“This office deserves strong leadership, and we are committed to filling this role with an individual who has strong ties to the Native community to advance our shared goals,” Wheeler wrote.

Becenti wasn’t the only Native American city employee fired in the first week of October. One day after being fired, Portland Water Bureau employee Peche Barteaux was fired. Barteaux, a member of the Oneida Nation, had only been working as a risk specialist for the city for two months and was growing frustrated with the lack of management support she had requested in her demanding job. She said she was fired because she missed a meeting – a meeting Barteaux said her manager was supposed to skip.

“It felt like a trap,” she said. “Like they were just looking for an excuse.”

The Portland Water Bureau said it could not comment on the circumstances that led to an employee’s termination.

Barteaux had worked with Becenti on programming for the city’s Indigenous Peoples Day event. While some elected city leaders made posts on social media recognizing the day, the city did not host an official event recognizing the day.

“It was just deleted,” Barteaux said. “It’s so unfortunate – I thought the city was about doing good and engaging our community. I do not think so.”