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P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
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Warm Springs, OK 97761
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v. 15
no. 1
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News from the Warm Springs Indian Reservation
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003,79
SERIES SECTION
UNIVERSITY OP n.. .
EUGENE, OR 97403
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VOL. 15 NO. 1
P.O. BOX 870 WARM SPRINGS, OR 97761
Coyote News
In Brief
Workshop to explore role
of Warriorveteran
A two-day workshop',
sponsored by the Warm
Springs Community
Counseling Center, will
look at problems -
veterans face as well as
the role veterans play in
the Native American
family and community.
Page 2
Small log mill
completion date set for '
May
Work continues on
construction the small
log mill. The weather has
allowed work to proceed
through the winter.-
Page 2
Indian students served
by JOM
The Johnson O'Malley
Act, passed in 1934, still
provides funds and , '
organizes committees
designed to assure
Indian students receive
educational
opportunities.
Page 3
Times remembered
through photos
Changes occurred at a
fast pace in Warm
Springs at the beginning
of this century.
Page 5
Santa Clara wins again
A team from Santa Clara,
California took home the
first place trophy during
the annual Holiday
Basketball Tournament
held in Warm Springs.
Page 6
JANUARY 12, 1990
Silhouetted against the sky, teepee poles at Kah-Nee-Ta stand bare, waiting for a canvas cloak.
Report documents
community health
Be individualistic
Everyone has the right
and responsibility to take
care of themselves first.
Make goals, be original
and express feelings.
Page 7
Weather
January High Low
3 47 32
4 57 32
5 67 28
6 55 36
7 50 43
8 51 39
9 63 35
Artifact purchase scheduled
The Middle Oregon Indian Historical Society purchase for
1990 has been scheduled.
Forms may be picked up at the MOIHS Museum office and
must be completed and returned along with artifact to the
Museum office by January 31, 1990.
Only artifacts listed below will be accepted for appraisal, and
will be limited to one (1) objectartifact per applicant family
household. Artifact must be old, an antique with 50 years of
family history. Artifact should be in excellent condition.
I. Historical photographsdocuments with 50 years of family
history.
2. Old beaded bag with 50 years of tribal family history.
3. Old cornhusk bag root storage of hand bag or side purse.
made of all natural material Taux and cornhusk weave, with 50
years of tribal member family history.
4. One (I) artifact submitted by tribal member who has not
submitted object for purchase before. Artifact must be antique,
old with 50 years of family history.
Questions may be directed to the MOIHS Museum staff: Liz
Cross, Beulah Calica or Mico Chase at 2148 Kota St., or Phone
553-333133383386.
In 1988, the Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs, in conjunction
with the Indian Health Service
(IHS), began a strategic health
planning effort to improve the
health of the Warm Springs com
munity. At the same time, the
Tribes established the goal of be
coming the healthiest community
in Indian Country by theyear 2000.
One of the first priorities was to
determine the health status of the
community. Like other communi
ties in the state and country, Warm
Springs had never conducted a
comprehensive study on the health
status of the communitv. With the
assistance of medical experts from
Stanford University in California,
the Centers for Disease Con
trol and IHS, the Tribes reviewed
records from the Warm Springs
clinic and area hospitals. The
information was compiled and
analyzed. The result is a statistical
baseline against which future
improvements may be measured. ,. ,
The findings of the report did
not come as a surprise to local
health officials. Now those find
ings must be translated so the effec
tiveness of existing preventive pro
grams may be measured.
Warm Springs faces health prob
lems similar to those of many other
small and or ethnic communities.
Taking the initiative to identify
and address those problems indi
cates Warm Springs' commitment
to improving the health of the
community.
Data used for the study was
drawn from a two-year period,
1987 and 1988. It cannot identify
trends or improvements that may
have taken place during a longer
period of time. And, because the
community is small, statistics may
be distorted by one-time incidents
involving four or five tribal mem
bers. In some cases, Warm Springs
statistics were compared with those
of the State of Oregon. Because the
statistical bases for each entity are
different the comparisons should
be viewed only as general indica
tors, not as statistically accurate.
Statistics
The average age of death on the
reservation was 44. The state aver
age was id. Compared to state
averages, the Warm Springs death
rate is high in every age category.
Heart disease is the leading cause
of death among Warm Springs and
state residents. The second leading
cause of death among Warm
Springs residents, unintentional
injuries, occur at a much higher
rate than in the state.
Deaths among Warm Springs
residents are also affected by
higher-than-average incidences of
sudden infant death syndrome, neo
natal deaths, diabetes, suicide, alco
holism and homicide.
Occurrences of fatal cancer
among Warm Springs people was
significantly lower than state aver
ages and may be attributable to the
relatively young reservation popu
lation. The crude birth rate for Warm
Springs was 43 per 1,000 popula
tion. The state crude rate was 14.4
per 1,000 population. Birth rates
among Warm Springs teenagers
were 3.5 times higher than state
averages. Nineteen percent of all
Warm Springs births during 1987
and 1988 occurred in teenagers.
Hospital admissions among
members was higher than the state
average but the length of stay was
s. shorter...,,..,,, ,.,.,,.,.., ,.,..,. . . .
Steps of Prevention
The study found that even though
the health problems are serious,
they are also largely preventable.
Reservation health officials are tak
ing steps to improve the existing
health care system and to modify
the behavior among residents that
leads to illness. Eventually, these
programs may create models for
other communities to follow.
The Confederated Tribes has
underscored its commitment to im
proving health conditions by tak
ing direct responsibility for moni
toring the health status of the com
munity. As with other communities,
Warm Springs health care budget
was directed toward treatment ser
vices. Now, health dollars are being
reallocated so that prevention pro
grams receive adequate funding.
High medical costs have also
squeezed existing health funding.
Tribal members with non-critical
illnesses are carefully supervised by
the clinic instead of being hospital
ized. Patients benefit from family
care and thousands of dollars are
saved in this "Intensive Outpatient"
program. Those savings can be
invested in other preventive and
treatment programs.
One of the key purposes of the
report is to create awareness of
health problems so that commun
ity members can be motivated to
change high-risk behavior. Tribal
officials realize that improvements
will occur only when the entire
Continued on page 2
Drug test results show low use
"The test results, generally speak
ing, are great. I don't think there's
any company, anywhere, that could
do any better than we did," said
Employee Assistance Program
director Larry Adams of the results
of 1989 employee drug testing. The
drug testing, conducted from March
1, through December 31, 1989, is
part of the Drug Free Workplace
Policy adopted by Tribal Council
November 13, 1988.
Of the 937 Kah-Nee-Ta Apparel
Industries, tribal organization and
Warm Springs Forest Products In
dustries employees tested, 105 tested
Packwood hears officials'
testimony on rural health
Oregon Senator Bob Packwood
was in Madras Monday, January 8
to hear testimony concerning rural
health care issues. Packwood visited
rural communities throughout Ore
gon to gain better understanding of
the medical concerns faced by health
officials as well as community mem
bers. Of grave concern is reduced
funding in Medicare and Medicaid
programs, reduced funding in
family planning programs, uncom
pensated care expenses assumed by
hospitals as well as federal funding
for the Indian Health Service.
Presenting testimony at Mon
day's hearing were health otticials
from Madras as well Sal Sahme,
Human Service General Manager
for the Tribe and Lee Loomis.
Service Unit Director for the IHS
Clinic in Warm Springs.
I n his presentation Loomis com
mented on three issues; contract
health care, medical staff recruit
ment and health promotion and
Continued on page 3
positive. I ne six categories ior test
ing were pre-employment, random
supervisory, random employee,
critical positions, cause and moni
tor testing. A total of 188 people
were administered pre-employment
drug tests; 80 supervisors were ran
domly tested; 314 employees were
randomly tested; 351 employees in
critical positions were tested; no
employees or supervisors were
tested for cause and four people
were monitor tested. "Ninety to
ninety-one percent of our employees
have clean body fluids." said
Adams.
"The Tribe is probably lining
what no other Tribe has dune,"
said Adams. "The program has
generated a tremendous amount of
interest across the country." He
explained that numerous other
tribes have inquired about EAP
and the drug testing program.
All Kah-Nee-Ta. WSAI and tri
bal employees have been tested
while about two-thirds of the
WSFPI workforce has been tested.