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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1983)
March 22,1983 Page 3 Spilyay Tymoo Title IV budget cut Continued from page 1 Representing Warm Springs a delegation was sent recently to Washington, D.C. to express the concerns of the Warm Springs people towards the proposed budget cut. Their concerns reflected those of other reservation and urban Indian groups around the country. Speaking to the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on In te rio r and R elated Agencies on February 22, Rudy Clements presented the Tribe’s concern. “ F irst,” Clements began, “Indian education is the trust re sp o n sib ility w hich th e F e d e ra l G o v e rn m e n t has pledged itself to support for our Confederated Tribes. “ Second, the C ongress should maintain full appro priations for impact aid funds which serve Indian students. These funds, which are paid in lieu of local taxes, are critical to the survival of many school districts on or near Indian reservations. “Third, Congress should provide full appropriations for all elements of Title IV of the Indian Education Act. “ F o u r th , th e C o n g ress sh o u ld eith er a p p ro p ria te additional funds to the BI A for vocational education, or it should increase the Indian set- asid e in th e V o c a tio n a l Education Act to two percent fo r d is tr ib u tio n by th e Department of Education. “Fifth, the Congress should continue its support of the efforts by Indian tribes and communities to assure that BIA boarding schools remain v ia b le In d ia n e d u c a tio n resources.” Indian education is lacking, at this time, planning, expertise and lack of interest by both the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Education,” said Clements. He feels the administration “has set its course, and it intends to pursue it—deaf to the concerns, dumb to the implications, and blind to the consequences” of its affect on Indian education. In closing his statement to the committee, Clements asked Congress’ support for Indian education appropriations. The Standing Committee on Education Issues consisting of R u d y C le m e n ts, C h a rle s Calica, Mike Clements, Zane Ja c k so n , S al Sahm e and Nelson Wallulatum prepared a written statement of recom m e n d a tio n s w h ic h w ere s u b m itte d to C o n g r e s s expressing ed u catio n and appropriation concerns of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The right to more than a minimal education for Indian s tu d e n ts is e m p h a s iz e d th ro u g h o u t all statem ents presented before appropria t i o n ’s c o m m itte e s a n d Congress. The Treaty of 1855 makes assurances to the tribes involved that the government would live up to their trust responsibilities. One of these trupt responsibilities, the Warm S p rin g s T r ib e fe e ls , is education. “Education has always been one of the primary means by which the federal government carries out its trust responsibi lity,” as cited in a statement by the Standing Committee on Education issues. “Just as society changes, and tribal needs are never ending, so is the necessity for education. For these reasons Indian education has been an essential service which the federal government assumed centuries ago...The re s p o n s ib ility fo r In d ia n education is of equal stature w ith th e o th e r t r e a t y commitments which the United States made.” New program for employees. . . Tribes Needles yield baskets, etc. H B ig SpUyay Tym oo photo by M lU e r Basket making with pinenee- dles can be an interesting hobby. A class scheduled for Spring term will be on tap for those interested. Ever wonder if there was anything one could do with pine needles besides being poked on the seat or the bare feet in the heat of the summer. Well, during the winter term through the COCC adult le a r n in g c e n te r . N a n c y Garrison taught a class in basket making using Ponde rosa pine needles. Its amazing how nice the baskets look after completion. There were 15 adults who signed up and took the nine weeks course. Class Spityay Tymoo photo by MiUer members were Edith Danzuka, Myrna Courtney, one o f the adults who just completed a course in Don Gold, Silvia McCabe, basket making displays some o f her work on the final night o f the George Schneiter, Eloise Zher, Winter term class. Nellie Main, Nancy Cochran, which will get underway on All who took the course Eraina Palmer, Tricia Bhogan, Monday April 4. This is a nine M yrna C o urtney, W anda enjoyed the entire time and said week course and meets once a H olum, Lucinda Green, Anita it was a fun class. All types of w eek . S ee C O C C c la ss David, Louise Jackson and baskets were made. schedule. There is a spring term class Anita Jackson. Woodstove inspections for safety offered Recent inspections indicate that people are storing paper and kindling wood way too close to their woodstoves. Combustibles/ such as those, should be back at least 18 inches to be safe. If you want an inspection of your stove or flue please call Fire and Safety at ext. 200/ 208. Jerry Huff, Fire and Safety. now self-insured by D onna Behrend In these difficult economic times, everyone is looking for a way to save money and cut expenses. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are a ls o c o n c e r n e d a b o u t expenses—thus the new health insurance program. The Tribes no longer have Washington National Insurance Company as carrier for their health insurance but rather, they became “self-insured” as of January 1, 1983 and are re insuring through Washington National. The term self-insured is a bit confusing, but simply, the Tribes are responsible for 90% of all covered medical expenses up to $5,000, all covered claim payments will be paid by the Tribes, rather than Washing ton National. Only when the total of the claims exceeds $5,000 per individual does Washington National step into the picture, serving as an Insurance department personnel Charles Nathan, Becky Quinn and Antoinette Wolfe began aggregate stop-loss. For these handling all payments fo r covered medical expenses when the Tribes became self-insuredJanuary I. claims over $5,000, the Tribes The new program, says Nathan, will expedite payments and save the Tribes $200,000 in 1983. the services are authorized by w ill be re im b u rs e d by insurance is improved. Instead 10% up to $5,000 and the IHS, the Tribes will pay 100% Washington National after the of the employee paying 10% of Tribes pay the remainder plus over the $500. accounts are audited. the claims up to $500 and 20% 100% of anything over $5,000, Vision benefits have also Medical benefits for tribal of the next $2,500 with which will be reimbursed by improved. Previously, Wash and Kah-Nee-Ta employees Washington National picking W ashington N ational. For ington N ational,. pai.4, from remain nearly the same. The up J 00% of the bills over thosç eligible for IHS seryices, major medrchl’pdftibh t?f *th’e' '$3'ÔÔÔ,Thè’éri?pÎoÿèê riòv^pàv’s IHS Will pay the first $500, if • $Q to $95 per person per year, based on a completed schedule of benefits. Now the Tribes will pay 90% of the first $100 for eye care. Dental benefits remain the same. The employee pays the first $25 of the bill and of the remainder, the Tribes will pay 70% and the employee is responsibile for 30% up to $250 the first year and up to $500 every year thereafter. The vision and dental program will be totally managed by the tribal insurance department rather than Washington National. T h e T r ib a l in s u r a n c e department employees began breifing each tribal employee March 14. Each person has been given a h a n d b o o k explaining the medical benefits as well as important excerpts from the personnel manual. Insurance identification cards have been issued to each employee and eligible spouse. Services will not be provided to either the employee, spouse or d e p e n d e n t w ith o u t th is identification card. Planning for this program began over three years ago and T ribal Council authorized management to move ahead with the program late in 1982. Besides speeding up the payment process, the program will save the Tribe an estimated $200,000 in 4983« *
