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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (May 29, 1981)
006171 .BC OREGON H IS T O R IC A L SOCIETY 1 2 3 0 Sid PARK AVE PORTLAND OR 9 7 2 0 5 VOL. 6 NO. 8 U.S. Postage C Balk Rate Permit No. 2 W arm Springs, O R WARM SPRINGS, OREGON 97761 MAY 29,1981 Atiyeh proclaims Oregon American Indian Week May 25-31 has been declared Oregon American Indian week by Oregon state governor Vic A tiyeh. The proclam ation which was signed May 22,1981 reads: “The original leaders and great contributors to our American History of the United States were American Indians. A m erican Indians have determ ined many of the characteristics of American life as it is lived today. Their confederations and culture have h e lp e d sh a p e th e government and the history or Oregon and the United States.. "Currently, American Indians are full partners in planning, developing, and the adminis tra tio n of program s and services to improve all facets of Indian life in America and in Oregon^ Therefore, as governor, I am pleased to proclaim May 25-31, 1981 OREGON AMERICAN INDIAN WEEK. I encourage and urge all Oregonians to re c o g n iz e th e A m e ric a n Indians of Oregon and reflect on their many contributions to our culture.” Opening ceremonies for the celebration of Indian week included dancing by the Warm Springs senior citizens and other members of the Warm Springs com m unity. W ith senior citizen co o rd in a to r Wilson Wewa,Jr. acting as master of ceremony a dancing exhibition was given on Tuesday, May 26 at the park opposite the federal building in Portland. The demonstration of various traditional dances drew a large crowd during this lunch hour demonstration. Opening Ceremoriies FForm Springs senior citizens helped to open Oregon American Indian Week on M ay 26 by staging a dance exhibition at the park opposite the Federal Building in Portland, Oregon. Spilyay Tymoo photo by Shewczyk Smith sworn in to top BIA post by Sandy Rangila n o u nced M arch 30 th a t President Reaganintended to It’s official! We have a new nominate Smith for the . top Assistant Secretary,” said an Indian job. On April 14 the excited C arl Shaw, Ken Senate Select Committee on S m ith ’s p ress p erso n in Indian Affairs received the W a s h in g to n D .'C . T h e nomination and the confirma announcement came in a phone tion hearing was held April 28. interview following Smith’s When he met with BIA area fin a l c o n f ir m a tio n an d directors May 19-21, Smith im m e d ia te s w e a r in g in said that he planned to give the Thursday, May 14. Bureau a new “ sense of Although Smith was already d ire c tio n .” A sserting th a t o f f i c i a l l y th e I n t e r i o r strong tribal governments are D e p a r t m e n t ’s A s s is ta n t th e k e y to e c o n o m ic Secretary for Indian Affairs d e v e lo p m e n t in I n d ia n May 14, a public ceremony Country. Smith said he wanted took place at 11 a.m. the next the Bureau to work with tribes m o rn in g a t the In te rio r for Indian self-sufficiency. Department auditorium. His “ T o g e th e r w ith tr ib a l wife Jeannie held the Bible governments, we can discover while Ken took the oath of the solutions” to reservation office. The public ceremony is ecohomic problems, he said. common practice, said Shaw. Smith told the area directors Shaw said that Sm ith’s that it was time for the Bureau Senate confirmation was done to stop being defensive and to by unanimous voice vote and “go on the offensive for once.” that there was no opposition. He said he plans to develop He was sworn in by Interior with area directors a statement Secretary James Watt. of goals and objectives for each Having resigned in mid-May area. “I feel very strongly that as General Manager for the we need to get a sense of Confederated Tribes of the objectives.” Smith said he sees Warm Springs Reservation, the Bureau’s role as supporting Smith is free of any possible a n d p r o m o t i n g t r i b a l conflict of interest in regard governments. “If you’ve got a to his new position. strong government, you most The W hite House a n likely will have strong fiscal management,” he added. Smith also announced that day that “for the time being” he plans to operate with two deputy assistant secretaries — one to handle day-to-day operations and the other to work on policy matters. He said that the Bureau’s director of Indian education would report to the deputy assistant secretary for operations. Smith said that he planned to establish a strong program of employee recruitment for the Bureau. He added that within 90 days all key positions would be filled, elim inating all “acting” designations — at least in the central office. He also met privately with each of the area directors during the course of the meeting. Prior to his confirmation and swearing-in. Smith said that he had agreed to come to Washington because he was concerned about what was happening in Indian Country and that the time was ripe to make some changes. He said that “four years from now” the achievements and successes of the tribes on the reservations would be the gauge he would use in measuring his own success. Trudee Clements • »'R^ ila * 1981 Miss Warm Springs (See story on page 12)
