Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1988)
Spilyay Tymoo Warm Springs, Oregon February 26, 1988 PAGK 3 Celebration commemorates self-government Continued from page 3 r... I . . , .. i "t T'l X''" IV rv-, .- J; o l' 1 -v J if s. . t M&'W .,7 .'- r 7 J 1 Nathan Jim served as emcee for part of the anniversary celebration. Friday morning. J efferson County 509-J students participated in activities for three hours V "I hey undcrslood w hut il could do lor us.,. I'm very proud of our people." Longtime Warm Springs resident Dun Macy'spokc in Chi nook jargon, a dialect he suid was common 50 years ago. "Ilulf the people in the slate could understand" the trade language. "No matter where you were, you could understand uhat was being said. He also remembered (hat "50 years ago we were dirt poor, everyone wus. I made a $10 a week lor three years and we had two kids. We weren't any worse oil than anyone else." He reflected that the Wheeler-Howard Act provided a new way of doing business. "It was the very best thing that could have happened." I ormer assistant secretary of the Interior Ken Smith, who also served as tribal general manager, attributed tribal success to the Indian Reorganization Act and to"the attitude of the people, good strong leadership, good administrative managers and ded icated employees." Success, he said, comes from within, not from anyone else. w rw m mm . - iJ Shirley Smith created a confectioner's delight for the celebra tion at Simnasho Longhouse. Ml a The act and what It did The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), inacted in 1934, was based on the assump tion that I ndian tribes not only would be in existance for an indefinite period, but that Indian tribes should exist. The Act sought to protect the land base of the tribes and to permit the tribes to set up legal structures designed to aid tribal self-government. An important and effective provision of the I R A was that which ended the practice of allotment and extended indefinitely the trust period for existing allotments still held in trust. The Act also authorized the Secretary of the Interior to restore to tribal ownership any "surplus" lands acquired from the trib.es under the Allotment Act as well as acquire water rights for the tribes and to create new reservations. To aid in self-government, the Act auth orized tribes to organize and adopt consti tutions and by-laws subject to ratification by a vote of tribal members. The Secretary was also authorized to issue charters of incorporation. The Act also fostered tribal economic enterprizes. The Act was successful in preventing further erosion of the tribal land base but tribal self-government enjoyed a more limited success. The constitutions adopted under the Act were suggested by federal authorities and followed the non-Indian pattern of divided executive, legislative and judicial authority. Some constitutions were unsuited to tribal needs and condi tions and some tribes rejected coverage of the Act, fearing additional federal direction. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs the IRA. also known as the Wheeler Howard Act, February 14, 1938. Theanni versary celebration held February 12, 13 and 14. commemorated that adoption. . ( i ' ' ' - - . ,9 " . ': 'I, r ; v j. V . 'i I " 1 , I ' : . ( ' V- ; J i Spilyay Tymoo photo by Behrtnd The VFW Elliott Palmer Post 4217 present an informational program Saturday. All veterans were asked to participate in an honor dance. UK - i i -":-v j i , OCT . r"t'" "" t. " A .':-!"' ... I rf ' 1 "--- ii mmlinrv , . n-.., uv.. -'l , -.-t,-. ,w , - n i mi i n 1 1 , i , Spilyw Tymoo photo by Behrtnd Delbert Frank Sr. stepped back in time while viewing photos in a display presented by MOIHS. Waheneka receives recognition for service to country, Tribe With the pride and dignity of a true warrior. Grant Waheneka, who retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1963 after 20 years of service. accepted an award that praised him tor his service to his country and Tribe." The special ceremony was included in part of the vete rans' services at the 50th anniver sary celebration at the Agency Longhouse Saturday, February 1 3. Receiving the award, said Grant, was a "complete surprise to me and was one of the proudest moments in my life."The letter was signed by Senator John Glenn, and presented to Grant by General Carson of the Air Force Reserves. The recogni tion was given to Grant for the small part" he played in the U.S. space program, said Grant. At the age ol 31, Grant was among tne nrst tnree men irom Warm Springs to volunteer for the armed forces during the early months of World War II. He was sworn in March 7, 1942. He left a heavy equipment operator position with the BIA roads department that paid $120 per month and entered the Air Force as a buck private, making only $2 1 per month. Because of his military training at the Warm Springs boarding school. Grant reported to the flight line after completing less than two days of basic training. Within nine months Grant was a staff sergeant. From March until September 1 942. Gra nt was stat ioned at Le M ore Basic Training Air Force base. Later the same year. Grant was transferred to Douglas Air Force Base hich was an advanced train- ng base where cadets received Air Force commissions. When Grant hpr.ame a staff vrrrant. he akn assumed supervisor flight chief sta tus and was responsible for the maintenance of several B-25-type aircrafts. Grant maintained the B-25s and received mechanic training for the larger B-17s and B-24s as well. After completing this training, the B-29s came in and Grant attended technicians school in Amarillo, Texas. After completing the neces sary training. Grant was promoted from aerial engineer to flight engi neer. Grant served with the 93rd Bomb Wing and was stationed in Italy. Major oil fields were blasted out by the 93rd, said Grant, who served as both ground maintenance supervi sor and flight engineer: Grant was a member of an 1 1-man crew that sometimes made 16-hour flights carrying different kinds of bombs. Grant's duties during peacetime were varied. At one time, he was stationed at Castle Air Force Base in Merced, California. During 1948 and 1949, Grant flew 13 weather reconnaissance flights around the North Pole. "I think I was the first Indian to fly around the North Pole." When the Korean war broke out in 1951, the entire 93rd division was assigned to the "Hold Off Pro ject"and transferred to England on one day's notice. Grant remembers, with a chuckle, a "bunch of crying wives," on their departure. The div ision was in England for a year after which the division returned to Merced. Shortly after his return to the states. Grant was reassigned (Continued on page 4) JOHN GLENN. 0NIO. CHAIRMAN LA WTO CHHtS nOftiM SAM NUNN GtOHGIA CAM If VIN MICHIGAN jm SASStfl T(WSSFI OAVID fftVOM ARKANSAS Cf OttCf J MHTCMUL, MAJMf JEFF IMGAMAM. NEW MtXrCO WHtlAMV KTH J OCLAWAM TID SIEVtNS ALASKA WIUIAMS COHFN MAIN WARRIN RUOMAN N(W HAMPSmM JOHN H(IN7 FtNNSTlVAMIA PAULS TRISLE. Jt . VIRGINIA LfONAM) miit. STAff DIMCTON jo Mm SAKNHun. HNtomnr itaf unectcm i'VL i 1 I i 1 JW 1 Spmmf Tymoo photo ht Behrrml Grant Waheneka received a letter from Senator John Glenn recognizing him for his service to his country and Tribe. Grant h flanked by his wife Emily and numerous family members and friends. United States Senate COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS WASHINGTON, DC 20510-6250 February 8, 1988 Master Sereant Grant Waheneka Warm Springs Indian Tribe co Jim Noteboom 835 N.W. fond Street Eend, Oregon 97701-799 Dear Sergeant Waheneka: I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate ycu on your many years of service to this country and tc your tribe. A a former Marine Pilot and Astronaut, I know and appreciate what you have done in the Air Force and for NASA. As a United States Senator, I admire ycur commitmer.t tc continued service in lie Tribal Council above and teyord the call of duty. Any American would indeed be proud to have accomplished what ycu have ir. the course of a lifetime. Tou can be proud of your achieverents not only as an ordinary citizen, tut also as a merber of the Warm Springs Tribe. Fest wisher, to ycu and ycur fattily en U is special day. Sircf rely , i r t n C ( r r. ft.a i mar