Spilyay tymoo., July 30, 1981, Page 2, Image 2

PAGE 2 JULY 3 t, 1911
SPILYAY TYMOQ
From Clerk-Typist to Superintendent
New Superintendent, M eritt Youngdeer
by Donna Behrend
Who would ever think that a
young man, just out of school,
who was hired as a temporary
clerk/ typist in Washington,
D.C. would, in 18 years, end up
a S u p erin ten d en t on ,th e
W a rm S p r i n g s I n d i a n
Reservation?
That's exactly what Meritt
Y o u n g d e e r, an E a s te r n
C h e ro k e e fro m N o rth
Carolina, W arm Springs's
newest Superintendent, did.
When Youngdeer took that
summer job in the nation’s
capital years ago, he must have
had bigger things in mind.
Follow ing his short-term
employment in D.C. and
g ra d u a tio n fro m H askell
Institute where he took a
commercial business course, he
went to R osebud, S outh
Dakota as a store-keeper clerk
for the Public Health Service
Hospital. It was his first full­
time job and it lasted two and
half years.
After his stay in South
Dakota, Youngdeer went to
Fort Washakie, Wyoming as a
supply clerk and later to Tuba
City, Arizona on the Navajo
Reservation as a general supply
specialist. It was while in Tuba
City that Youngdeer learned of
a six-month field management
training program, in which he
elected to enroll.
Follow ing th a t course,
another training program was
offered in 1970. This six-month
d ep artm ental M anagem ent
training program was held in
Washington, D.C. He was later
a p p o in te d a d m in istra tiv e
manager of the Institute of
American Indian Arts in
Albuquerque, New Mexico,
which at that time was located
in Santa Fe. He was there for
over two years.
He was then transferred to
the Anadarko, Oklahoma area
office where he was the
Reservation Programs Officer.
He then went to the Yakima
re se rv a tio n as A ssista n t
Superintendent for over two
years. About half of that time
he was acting superintendent
b e c a u s e th e a p p o in te d
s u p e r in te n d e n t w as in
Washington, D.C. for training.
Youngdeer then went to the
Albuquerque, New Mexico
area office as Director of
Administration for four and a
half years.
Youngdeer prefers working
on the reservation level. “I’ve
worked in two different area
offices. My heart is here,
working at the agency level. I
plan to stay put for a while.”
Because Youngdeer worked
at nearby Yakima, he believes
he is fam iliar with this
reservation and the situations
with which Warm Springs is
faced. “I plan to work very
closely with the Tribal Council.
T h ere a re m any fed eral
responsibilities that must be
maintained.” He continued,
saying, “I must learn what the
tribes expect from the federal
government and I’ll provide
a n y a s s is ta n c e t h a t is
necessary to help them.”
As one of the youngest to be
chosen superintendent by the
Tribal Council, at age 36,
Youngdeer feels honored to be
selected. “It makes me proud to
be the federal government’s
r e p r e s e n ta tiv e a t W arm
Springs. I appreciate the
confidence they have expressed
in selecting me and I will do the
best I can to make the tribe feel
it was a wise decision.”
Youngdeer, his wife and four
children are happy to be in
Warm Springs. “We’re looking
fo rw a rd to m eeting the
community and to feeling a
part of it.”
Brings experience to new job
by Pat Leno
Hired earlier this spring to
head up the newly formed
J u s tic e B ra n c h fo r th e
Confederated Tribes is Dick
Burton. The new branch was
f o r m e d f o l l o w i n g th e
completion of a task force
Continued from page 1
funds were available.
study conducted in 1979
purchases and bus runs had to
School administration also
be re d u ced . T he sp o rts made reductions totalling 10%, entitled “A Need For Reform”
program had to be reduced Darrell Wright said. These which recommended change in
a n o th e r $23,285. S ev eral included elimination of a the law enforcement services on
the reservation, according to
teacher’s aide positions were fe d e ra lly - fu n d e d F e d e ra l Burton.
reduced along with delation of P r o g r a m s O f f ic e r . T h e
This newly formed branch,
three coaching positions.
r e m a in in g tw e lv e s t a f f stemming from the existing
New carpet in the high members would absorb that
Municipal Branch, consists of
school library and repairs on workload.
the patrol division, correct­
the tennis court had to be
With these cuts in mind, ional support services, security
postponed. One new bus board members voted 3 to 1 to at
and W SFPI,
instead of two would be accept this budget proposal. fish Kah-Nee-Ta
and wildlife, legal aide,
purchased.
T he b u d g e t re d u c tio n
Community Liaisons at the facilitated by these cuts would prosecutor and the administra­
tion support services.
Jr. high school and Warm be $426,714.
Burton is new to this area,
Springs elementary as well as
The school board will meet but he is not new to the field of
counselors at both schools were again on August 4 to set the law enforcement services, or
deleted. Sal Sahme, speaking levy amount for the September to the field of Indian law
on b ah alf of the trib al 15 ballot. They expect to enforcement. He had worked
education com m ittee, felt present only an A ballot. The for 25 years in law enforcement
certain that Johnson O ’Malley meeting will be held in the starting from patrolman going
fu n d s w ould p ic k th ese Support Services Building at to the position of Chief of
positions up as long as the 7:30 p.m.
Police and from State Trooper
to Commissioner of Public
Safety in Alaska.
As C o m m is s io n e r, he
assumed the same responsibili­
*
Coyote News 1
ties as the Oregon State
Superintendent. He was in
charge of the state troopers, fire
prevention, fish and wildlife,
and the division of motor
♦ ★ * * * * ★ * Spilyay Tymoo Staff* * * * * * * *
vehicles. He was instrumental
MANAGING EDITOR .......................................... Sid Millet
in setting up law enforcement
ASSISTANT EDITOR ................................. Sandy Ranglla
programs in native villages,
PHOTOGRAPHIC SPECIALIST/WRITER Donna Behrend
a ls o . B u r to n w as w ell
acquainted with A laskan
REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHERS
Tribal, State and Federal
Pat Leno
Marsha Shewczyk
509-J budget cuts
S p ily a y T ym oo
TYPESETTER......... . . . . . . ............. Priscilla Squlemphen
FOUNDED IN MARCH OF 1976
Published bi-weekly by the Confederated Tribes of the
Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon. Warm Springs,
Oregon 97761. Located in the Old Administration Building.
Any written material to Spilyay Tymoo should be addressed
to:
Spilyay Tymoo
P.O. Box 735
Warm Springs, Oregon 97761
Phone 553-1644 or 553-1161, Ext. 274, 285
and The Darkroom ext. 286
Subscription Rate: $6.00 per year
Richard Burton
jurisdiction laws which are very
similar to laws found in this
area.
He most recently worked as a
police specialist and planner
for the C rim inal Justice
P la n n in g agency of the
Government of the Common­
wealth of the northern Mariana
Island at Saipan on a one-year
contract before coming to
Warm Springs.
Burton said he has been very
busy learning the W arm
Springs Tribal organization,
setting up a program for the
officers which will offer them a
chance to build a professional
career here, plus getting into
the swing of the community.
He expressed that he would
w elcom e going in to jthe
community to speak before any
local groups interested in the
law.
,
.
Burton is married and the
father of four, two sons and
tw o daughters. Only the
youngest son is living at home.
T he B u rto n s a re living
in Madras and are looking for
home to buy. Being the
a home to buy. Being the
outdoor-types, the Burtons feel
they have found an area which
offers a variety, ranging from
the riyers, to the high desert, to
timberland and mountains.
A uto kills m an in m obile home
Larry Stephen Blasingame,
33, was killed when a car
crashed into his mobile home at
the Deschutes Trailer Court
where he was sleeping early
Sunday morning, July 26.
The 1978 two-door Chevro­
let, registered to Diane Miller
o f W a rm S p r in g s , w as
ap p aren tly w estbound on
Highway 26 about 1:40 a.m.
when the driver lost control on
the curve above the trailer
court.
According the C orporal
Atkins of the Oregon State
Police, the auto spun out on the
gravel at the shoulder of the
road, went over the embank­
ment backwards, sailed down
into the Trailer Court and
rammed into the trailer where
Blasingame was sleeping.
Blasingame was taken by
am bulance to M t. View
Hospital where he died of
injuries at 2:47 a.m.
Occupants of the auto fled
the scene following the crash,
according to police. Three of
the occupants named were
Rhonda K. Miller, 17, Duane
Gene Miller, Jr., 19, and Curtis
Lee Thompson, 19, all of
Warm Springs. The passengers
were contacted by State Police
at about 3 a.m.
F u r t h e r d e t a i l s w e re
withheld since the incident is
still under investigation. » -