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)