SPILYAY TYMOO
Page 2, August 6,1982
Smith retires'after 35 years Ta|bot
speaks on
Indian
sovereignty
by Donna Behrend
Not many of us can say we’ve
held the same job for the past
35 years. But Claude Smith Sr.,
who recently retired from the
BIA R o a d s m ain ten an ce
department, can. Smith’s last
day with the Roads department
was July 16. Retirement for
Smith has been busy, he says. “I
do more work at home than I
did at work.”
Smith started work with the
Bureau in 1946 after spending
414 years in the Army during
World War II. Smith speaks
proudly of his years in the
service where he guarded a 36
field hospital and served as a
combat medic with the 306th
Infantry. The hospital was
close to the combat zone, says
Smith. “I was overseas 42
months and was on 11 different
islands. I received 11 different
battle stars.”
Since 1946, with beginning
pay of $.87 per hour, Smith has
worked under seven different
engineers. The best crew, he
says, was while Lee Travis was
here. “There were no paved
roads when he came, and after
he left, the roads were paved.”
The highlight of his career was
when Travis recommended the
Roads crew for commenda
tion. Smith and seven other
Roads employees received
o u ts ta n d in g a c h ie v e m e n t
awards for work of excellence.
“Travis thought we were the
best crew in the whole United
Claude Smith, Sr.
States.”
The 60-year-old retiree sees roads are difficult to repair.
during hell or high water.”
no difference in the mainte
Smith is unsure of his plans
Smith has six children, the
nance equipment of present voungest of whom is 21 years for the future but, he says, “I
and that of past years. “Today’s old. Smith gives credit to his would like to work for my
equipment has more power.” wife, Victoria for helping him. tribal people...I miss my work,
The roads are easier? to make it to work regularly and I can say that. But enough’s
maintain, says Smith, because
on time. “She stuck with me enough.”
they’re paved, but some gravel
Superintendents past and present
Among the dignitaries who
attended the Hydro Project
dedication ceremonies on J u ly
16, 1982, were some of the past
and the present Superintendent
of Warm Springs.
Allen W. Gailbraith who
took office here on June 30,
1957. and served here until
May 15, 1965, left Warm
Springs to accept the position
as the Portland Area Director.
At the present time he is retired.
Doyce “Speck” Waldrip
replaced Galbraith, coming
r
here on May 23, 1965 and
served until June 25, 1971.
W aldrip also left W arm
Springs to take the position as
the Assistant Area Director in
Portland. He has held several
other high level positions since
and is now retired.
Jam es Cornett came to
Warm Springs August 22,
1971, rep la cin g W ald rip .
C o r n e t t se rv e d as th e
S u p e rin te n d e n t u n til his
retirement on January 16,
1981, and presently resides in
Albany, Oregon.
M erritt Youngdeer took
office here on June 19, 1981
and is the present Superinten
dent. Youngdeer who was born
in M cA llister, O klahom a,
came here from the Albuquer
que, Area Office where his
position was as the Administra
tive Officer.
Noted author, lecturer and
professor Steve Talbot was the-
speaker in the second event
sponsored in the Warm Springs
Speaker Series which has been
co-sponsored by the Central
Oregon Community College
and the Lewis Pitt,' Sr.
Memorial Fund on August 2 at
the Agency Longhouse.
T a lb o t’s topic fo r the
presentation was “The Fight
for Indian Sovereignty: 200-
plus Years of Struggle and
Resistence.” He gave a history
of the settling of the colonies
and their effect upon thé Native
Americans. He explained the
effects which were started over
200 years ago are still
producing results.
size of Indian lands.
T alb o t stated th at the
relocation program and the
term ination program were
additional acts which were
destructive to Indians.
He emphasized that the
programs are a product of a
capitalistic system which
strives to increase its profits.
An exam ple he used to
illustrate his point was the
Kennicott Mining Company
which entered into a deal to do
strip mining on Indian rand.
The royalties for Kennicott
were approximately 55% with
percentages for Indians being
between 12-15 percent. He
s ta te d t h a t a t p r e s e n t
negotiations are improving for
a new contract in which the
Indians would get, a higher
percentage.
The whole idea of settling
this country for capital gains is
an idea which still persists. As
the East coast was the starting
Talbot added water rights
point of settlement the push of
natives was to the West. It is and energy rights as other
this push to remove Indians areas of natural resources
which led to the idea of which large corporations show
an interest. He expressed that
reservations.
the large corporations show an
The resistence of the native interest. He expressed that the
people led to the Indian large corporations have the
Wars. It has been a struggle power and resources to control
throughout the years to keep
what little land has been given the U.S. government and as
to the Indian and Talbot long as Indian nations have
predicts it will continue to be a resources the Indians will have
dealings with these giant
struggle as long as the Indians c o r p o r a t i o n s . T h e o n e
hold title to any land which redeeming factor in the entire
has natural resources. He affair is that today non-Indians
warns Indian people to be are banding together with the
aware, that any laws passed by Indian to fight exploitation
the government to change thè from corporations. .
status of their land, resources
Accompanying Talbot’s talk
a n d th e I n d ia n p e o p le was a showing of a video tape
themsleves can be an attempt entitled “Facing the Wind, A
by the government to take from Song for Yellow Thunder.”
the Indians. He cited the The tape was a brief story
Dawes-Allotment Act as just, about the spiritual camp
one such of these acts. The act started in the Black Hills by the
L a k o ta people and the
was an attempt to make struggles the have faced. The
farmers of the Indians by giving Lakota people are attempting
allotments of land to each to gain back the Black Hills as
Indian. Any land that was left Indian Country. The showing
after each individual Indian at Warm S prings was one of the
had been given land would be first public showing of the
opened for settlement to non- video tape.
Indians. This act reduced the
Spilyay Tymoo Staff
(Coyote News Staff)
Sid Miller
Donna Behrend
Marsha Shewczyk
Pat Leno
Priscilla Squiemphen
Managing Editor
Assistant Editor
Darkroom/Writan
Reporter
Typesetter
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
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During the Hydro Project dedication ceremonies some o f the past and the pres&tt Superintendents
took time out to pose with Ken Smith after a hardy meal. Pictured froin left to right are; Allen W.
Galbraith, Ken Smith, Dovce “Speck” Waldrip, James Cornett and Merritt Youngdeer.