Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1988)
j-m -pinpr Ui" ' iii"-"n)-"-r"'ni pp- pry HI'"' FEBRUARY 12, 1988 A PROUD HERITAGE SPILYAY TYMOO PAGE 3 First meeting shows action among members 3 1 1 J ' s id... i LA 4 14 Massey's Store was the place to meet In Warm Springs. The following minutes are from the first Tribal Council meeting held May 2, 1938. Copy made available by MOIHS through the Tribal Council office. Meeting called to order 2 p.m. by Superintendent Elliott, acting as chairman, and Harold Lewis acting as secretary, and Moses Hellon as interpreter for Frank Queahpama, Sr. Present: Frank Queahpama, Sr., Moses Hellon, Frank Winishut, George Meachem, Fred Wagner, Harold Lewis, James Johnson, Oliver Kalama, Sam Wewa and Isaac McKinley. Absent: Joseph McCorkle. ....... - ' - 4 Superintendent Elliott explained that first business of meeting would be nomination of officers, and called for nominations for President. George Meachem was nominated by Oliver Kalama, and Isaac McKinley nominated by George Meachem. Fred Wagner moved nominations be closed, seconded by Sam Wewa. Votes were cast by secret ballot. Meachem received six votes, and McKinley four votes; George Meachem declared elected President of Council. Nominations were called for Vice-President. Isaac McKinley nominated by Fred Wagner, seconded by Frank Winishut; Oliver Kalama nominated by Moses Hellon, seconded by Sam Wewa. Frank Winishut moved nominations be closed, seconded by George Meachem. Votes cast by secret ballot: Isaac McKinley received seven votes, and Kalama three votes. Isaac McKinley declared elected Vice-President. Nominatons were then called for Secretary Treasurer. Oliver Kalama nominated Harold Lewis, seconded by Sam Wewa; Harold Lewis nominated Oliver Kalama, seconded by Fred Wagner. Moses Hellon moved nominations be closed, seconded by Fred Wagner. Votes cast by secret ballot: five votes were counted for each nominee. Further action suspended with hope Joseph McCorkle would appear shortly to vote. As McCorkle did not appear after twenty minutes, second ballot was cast, resulting in six votes for Lewis and four for Kalama. Harold Lewis declared elected Secretary-Treasurer. (Joseph McCorkle then appeared at meeting, after ballots cast.) All elected officers were then sworn in and oaths of office executed; and chair turned over to George ' Meachem by Supterintendent Elliott. Meachem and McKinley urged council members to cooperate for common welfare of whole reservation. McKinley expressed opinion that one of the first and most important things to be undertaken by council should be help and rehabilitation of young people of reservation. President Meachem: Stated be believed Washington Office representative should be called in for discussion of plans reegarding loan to tribes under Reorganization Act. Superintendent Elliott: Stated McCullough, Credit Agent, is supposed to be here first part of June to discuss needs with council and make his report to Washington; will try to have him here for next council meeting June 6. Frank Queahpama, Sr.: Stated he agreed with Isaac McKinley that one of first matters to be taken up should be assignment of land to landless Indians. Oliver Kalama: Asked Superintendent Elliott what could be done about tribe's buying of heirship lands, and about exchange assignments. Superintendent Eliott explained that this should be discussed with Credit Agent as to whether loan can be obtained for purchase of heirship lands. Superintendent explained to Rema Sidwalder (spectator) in answer to his question about heirship lands that when and if funds are available for the purchase of such lands, title to lands bought will be taken in name of tribe and then may be assigned to needy persons. It was decided that the council take applications from landless Indians for land assignments, to be filed with the secretary, and that each member advise and discuss needs with his district. Council members felt that matter of settlement of old timber contract on Metolius unit should be looked into and pushed to settlement as much as possible, in order to secure much needed tribal funds. Discussion of questions of council taking over control of tribal funds resulted in decision to take matter up with Washington Office as to procedure, etc., also to find out present balance of tribal monies. Forest supervisor Welter brought in application of Buck Mayes for permit to cut fifty cords of dead wood at stumpage of 25$ per cord. Council discussed matter and felt that permission to cut wood should be granted, but that non-residents and non-enrollees should be required to pay higher stumpage than local Indians. Isaac McKinley moved that hereafter, non-residents or non-enrollees who wish to cut dead wood on reservation shall pay 500 per cord stumpage, seconded by Joseph McCorkle; motion carried unanimously. Members were urged by President Meachem to think ; about design of corporate seal and official letterheads for the Confederated Tribes and to present their suggestions at next meeting. Meachem will see what arrangements can be made with Salem Indian School for printing of letterheads. Meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m. Minutes signed by Harold Lewis Elliott recalls successes during his tenure Jasper Elliott, at his retirement dinner June 25, 1957, recalled his 20 years' association with the Confederated Tribes. Elliott served as Bureau of Indian Affairs Superintendent in Warm Springs from 1936 to 1951 and from 1954 to 1957. Elliott reflected that on his arrival, "there was no Tribal Council. It is true that you did have what was known as a business committee, made up of four men, and in what way they were elected or appointed, I have never known. They had no constitution or by-laws to guide them, and in fact, had very little, if any, powers or authority. I do not want in any way to cast any reflection on those men who made up the business committee. They were all good men, capable, honest and had the best interests of the people at heart. However, they had no tools to work with and their efforts were largely ineffective. It followed naturally that little, if any, of your own business was being transacted by yourselves. You were wholly dependent upon the Indian Bureau to make decisions for you and it was up to you to accept them, right or wrong. " Prior to Elliott's arrival in Warm Springs, tribal members had voted in favor of accepting the Indian Reorganization Act. The act was signed by the Secretary of the Interior February 14, 1938. The corporate. charter was ratified shortly thereafter. "In my opinion," said Elliott, "the ratification of these two documents by you people was as important to you and your childreen as was the signing of the Treaty of June 25, 1855 by your forefathers. It seems to me that much of the progress you have made stems from the date that you adopted your constitution and were granted a charter. These documents gave you the tools with which to work, and the authority to perform much of your own business, which you are doing today... "One of the more important things which the constitution gave you is the right to vote by secret ballot, which procedure you have followed since the adoption of the constitution. Let me remind you that this is a sacred right, and one which you must always keep. This right to vote gives you, the people, control over the Tribal Council it gives you the right to accept or reject various proposals which the federal government or the state government may make, which might or might not be good for you. You have been very good about turning out to vote and I want to urge you to continue to do so. It is your greatest safeguard for the future." Elliott continued, citing the growth of tribal business since his arrival. "You had no timber sales, no income from any source to speak of and little, if any, funds in the treasury. At this time, you have a large income from timber, and you have money in the bank. All of which has brought many problems with which your tirbal council must deal, and I want to say that I have enjoyed very much working with the successive tribal councils...you have elected to your tribal council good, sincere people, who have given their best efforts in the conduct of your business. " Elliott also spoke of the Tribe's progress in the areas of education, health and housing. "I probably cannot look into the future any further than many of you can, but by looking backward I can oe that great progress has been made in the past 'wentv years, and I have every reason to believe that the next twenty years will bring to you much greater progress. I do not want to imply that all you have to do now is to sit down and coast along, for this is not the case. You have many problems facing you. You still have great need for more and better housing to take care of your increasing population. You need to find ways and means of further developing your resources so that your children and the generations to come may have some means of making a livelihood. You have social problems which are serious and which can be corrected only by yourselves. You will never see a time when you do not have problems, or when you can relax and feel that your business will take care of itself. " Elliott's entire speech is included in the historical review prepared by the 50th anniversary celebration documentation committee. Committee members are Jim Noteboom, Nettie Shawaway, Viola Kalama, Dan Macy, Sylvia Wallulatum, Grant Waheneka, Matilda Mitchell, Orin Johnson, Emily Waheneka, Ruby Leno and Duane King. C C Camp employed many local people during the Tribal Constitution and By-Laws were ratified. 1930s. This photo was taken In 1938. the year the
