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
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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.