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« *