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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1983)
SPILYAY TYMOO Tribes must pay excise taxes The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from the Confedera ted Tribes of Warm Springs March 21, leaving the Tribes liable for $81,000 in excise taxes owed to the federal government. The justices let stand a ruling that the Confederated Tribes are not a governmental entity free from federal tax restraints. Since 1967, the Tribes have owned and operated WSFPI processing and m arketing timber from the reservation. As part of its operations, tribal members own several trucks using diesel fuel. Until 1978, the Tribes paid the excise taxes on the fuel used by the trucks and the excise tax on a truck chassis tribal members assembled. But in May 1978, the Tribes filed for a refund, claiming the same exemption from the federal taxes that states and their political subdivisions enjoy. The Internal Revenue Service counterclaimed for additional sums it said the Tribes owed in taxes. A federal district court ruled the Tribes had no exemption from paying the taxes. Upholding the ruling, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the confedera tio n is n o t a p o litic a l subdivision of Oregon because it has no authority from the state. The appeals court, which is based in San Francisco, suggested that the Indians seek relief in Congress, not the courts, to escape paying the taxes. In its Supreme Court appeal, th e T rib e s a rg u e d th e exemption for governmental e n titie s in c lu d e d tr ib a l governments. It noted the high court had ruled in 1980 that an Indian tribe in Arizona was exempt from state excise taxes while operating its sawmill. The Tribe said that although C o n g ress p assed a ta x exemption for Indians in 1982, the high court should resolve the case because the Tribes owed $81,231, plus interest, for taxes through 1977. New post office in the works in a late night fire at the Warm Springs Records Center located at the Warm Springs Industrial site, records which are of vital importance to the Confederated Tribes were in danger o f being lost forever. The fires started in the restroom in the Records Center due to a faulty fan. The Warm Springs Fire and Safety department and the Warm Springs volunteer firemen managed to control the fire before a great deal o f material was lost. Records that were damaged by fire and water were Fish Commission and Education records. Records clerk Linda Bagley said the work is now to salvage those records which suffered from smoke, water and fire. The microfilm will be sent to Portland to be reproduced to make certain that none o f the material will be lost. The U.S. Postal Service has notified the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs that they are now able to develop a new post office in Warm Springs. They need approximately a !4 acre site with space for at least a 15-car parking lot. The m odular building will be approximately 1,700 square feet in size which is several times larger than the existing Genealogical training W.S. A genealogical training course is being co-sponsored by Bear Chief and Associates and th e M isso u la V o c a tio n a l Technical Center. The course begins on June 6,1983, and will continue until August 12,1983. It will be conducted in Missoula, Montana. Students will earn 20 credits and will be c e rtifie d as gen ealo g ical researchers upon successful completion of the course. We are certain that the course objectives are most important to Tribes and Indian people in general. We are confident the course will be completely filled once the word gets around. A deposit of post office currently located in Macy’s store. The unit can be installed within 90 days after the site is selected, says tribal planner Ray Rangila. The postal service is requesting a land lease from the Tribes. An April 12 meeting is planned at which the Land Use C o m m ittee an d p la n n in g dep artm en t staff will be reviewing two concepts for the post office that have been developed. The purpose of the meeting is to gain input from the community to assist the committee and the planning department in recommenda tions to Tribal Council. One site proposal is west of the new administration building. The other proposed site is on the campus. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on April 12 at the Agency Longhouse. has new ambulance $100.00 will assure a person’s enrollment in the class. Individuals desiring to enroll should forward the deposit of $100.00 to Missoula Vocation al Technical Center, Missoula, Montana 59801, payable to payable to Missoula Voca tional Technical Center. Upon receipt of the deposit, a receipt and a personal data form will be returned. It is requested the p e rs o n a l d a ta fo rm be completed and returned to the Center. If you are interested write or call Bear Chief and Associates, P.O. Box 8202, Missoula, Montana 59807, (406) 728- 2363. Spilyay Tymoo * * * * * * * a Spilyay Tymoo S ta ll* * * * * * * * MANAGING EDITOR .............................................Sid Miller ASSISTANT E D IT O R ......... . . . A................. Donna Behrend S /W Darkroom/Writer Reporter Typesetter Marsha Shewczyk pat i_9n0 Priscilla Squiemphen 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 Rata: $6.00 par year T / moo photo by Shttocxyk Firefighter Fred Muniz sits inside new, roomier ambulance which replaces a 1974 model. A much newer and more reliable ambulance has recently replaced the 1974 Chevrolet previously in use. “It was time we got a new one,” says Firefighter II Fred Muniz. The previous ambu lance was always breaking dow n and had electrical problems. When that happens and it interferes with patient care, it becomes time to replace it. The new Ford ambulance allows room for the Emergency Fire and Safety personnel Medical Technician or team to work. There is also more man the ambulance durings storage space and it is set up runs. They include Jerry Huff, much better, adds Muniz. Fred Muniz, Danny Martinez, T h e a m b u l a n c e c a n Harvey Yordy, Dean Seyler, transport up to four people and Bill Carter, Eldon Tom and has extra outlets for use of Sharlayne Garcia. equipment. V olunteers m aking the Besides the new ambulance ambulance runs are: Mark housed in Warm Springs a Hammond, Jeannie Neuman, second ambulance is located at Bruce Yeo, Phillip Selam, S im n a s h o . U se o f th e Dennis Martinez, Bob Medina, emergency vehicles at both D an O ’B rian an d W alt stations vary from month to Langnese. month. In January 1983, 41 ambulance tuns were made.
