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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (May 27, 1994)
T r 7r. 'F: .COLL v. r no. n May 27 35 P.O. Box 870 Warm Springs, OR 97761 Address Correction Requested U.S. Postage Bulk Rate Permit No. 2 Warm Springs, OR 97761 0064S TfkTT tl Sr. Jr J -..... Ad. M S&tA. Q'JTv ASC 'V'V"""' (Coyote News) . . . !TlhMm . VOL. 19 NO. 11 ATNI members meet in Pendleton... Tribes gather to discuss issues P.O. BOX 870, WARM SPRINGS, OR 97761 MAY 27, 1994 The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians held their Mid-Year conference in Pendleton, Oregon, In the Red Lion hotel, May 15-19, 1994, with continuing efforts from the Winter Conference which was held in Spokane in February, as well as topics from the meeting with Clinton at the White House and the Listening meeting at Albuquerque, NM. Topping the agenda are health care, education, economic development as well as tribal gaming and the veterans affairs. There is always a need for Indian education and as tribal leaders the ATNI conference is where a lot of differences are brought out for discussion. The drop-out rate is tremendous among the Indian students across the country. At each conference ways are discussed to try to bring that rate down. It was said from studies that for each Indian student who graduates from high school two have dropped out and that needs improvement. An 80 percent dropout rate is way too much for any race. There are several reasons for the large drop-out rale. Lack of f unds, housing, away form home for the first time, cultural diversity causes much problems. The Health Committees National 638 conference report by JuliaDavis. This concerned the meeting held in AlburquequeN.M. May 2-5, 1994. The Nez Puree Tribe formed an ad hoc committee and developed a position paper. Each region had their own meetings. The Aberdeen and Bemidji regions came out with a request of a 6 month extension for the comment deadline. The Northwest couldn't support the six month period. A time line showing the 6 month and 3 month, and the three month period was axecped by all leaders. In the meeting with President Clinton there was much controversy over budget cuts expecially in Indian country. Senator Inouye said, do not accept anything less than an Executive Order to recognize our Sovereignty, Treaties and executive Order, as the health, safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity, and the preservation of cultural and natural resources are the primary goals and objectives of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians. The B.I.A. Re-Organization, coming closer to becom ing final. The Government to Government relationship with all tribes and we should not refer to the tribes as Minorities especially with the Gov. to Gov. basis of all the tribes today. In a meeting with key Tribal Leaders there was a draft drawn up that needs to be finalized, said Stan Speaks, of the Portland Area Office. There are a couple of meetings set up with all the Tribal Leaders with one meeting scheduled for Oklahoma in early July. The task force also said, "we are very comfortable on what we have worked on and we will be able to say to each Tribe, "This is your share of the Pot," The Ecosystem management, we want tribes to look at their natural resources, Range, Agriculture etc. The delegation of authority is more toward the reservation level as the task force is near completion with the plan and about to present it to the people;le what has occurred. In the up and coming budgets, we don'tt want to cut from the Tribes who really need all they can get. As ken Smith, CEO for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, said, This is the Task Force 4th year and we have worked hard on giving information and also on getting important information. Working of the delegation of Authority where Reservation Superintendents can make direct decision and not have to send them the Area Director for approval. On July j 1 1 , there will be a meeting between the Task Force and Tribal leaders to see the complete picture of what has been taking place and shaping up. The Superintendent and staff have available in the Area Office any assistance needed because there will always be an individual in the Area Office to help. The Bureau will change but the Tribes will never gi ve -up the Trust Responsibility from the U. S. Government, even when the Re-Organization with the Eco System is implemented. The A.T.N.I. Housing Committee report for 1994 at the mid year conference reported that for region 10 fiscal year 1994, we received approximately twenty-two million dollars ($22,000,000) for housing construction which will provide for two hounded (200) new homes. iW W ' K , t , 4 I,L - J i, ' if " 4" J i ." " About 200 seniors and youth warm up before taking off for their walk. Continued on page 2 Artists becoming empowered "The opportunity to attend the ATNI, on behalf of the Small Business Administration is a special privilege since my tribe hosted this meeting." said Bobby Connor. "As the keynote speaker for the ATNI Artists Empowerment Conference, my primary message was that there is a natural and strong link between entrepreneurial spirit, artistic inspriation and our spirituality as Native people. "As Indians and as artists, impowerment is evident when our creativity is at full tilt in all that we do. Our pre-con tact lilfestyle was an exquisite one, rich in innovation, superior craftsmanship, ample raw materials, originally and aesthetic beauty. We can make our dreams of a good life reality by working together, breaking barriers, support one another always mindful of our relationship to nature. "What has happened here at Umatilla is extremely heartening, a quiet humble beginning of o an Indian Art Renaissance. The Tilmutla Art Council is tribally sanctioned, a state and regionally recognized local arts Continued on page 2 You're never too young or old too learn the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Senior citizens and children from the Early Childhood Education center took a walk together for health May 25. Their brief stroll took them from the Senior Center to the Community Center with stops along the way to make sure everyone was all right and to have their blood pressure checked.To wrap up the day, the seniors had lunch at the new park. I 1 9 y S a' it 1 Participants make their way down High Lookie path on Wednesday's stroll . President "reaffirms" trust responsibility, sovereignty Ran9e & A9 updating Warm Springs Tribal Council Chairman Raymond Calica was among more than 300 elected tribal leaders from across the nation to meet with President Clinton April 29 for the first-ever "Nation toNauon"meet conference. In his remarks to his peers, Presi dent Clinton said "there is a great yearning in this nation for people to be able to reestablish a sense of com munity, a sense of oneness, a sense of cooperation, of shared values and spirit. American are searching for the chance to come together in friendship, instead of coming apart in anger and distrust. There is a yearning for us to be able to live together so that all of us can live up to our God-given potential and be respected for who and what we are. "It is in that spirit and with great humility I say to the leaders of the first Americans, the American In dian and Alaska Natives, welcome to the White House. Welcome home....So much of who we are to day comes from who you have been for a long time. Long before others came to these shores there were pow- Voters say big "yes" to WSCP r i I, 645 voters east baUotsforrtferendum, Employees at Warm Springs Composite Products are breathing a bit easier these days since the refer endum concerning formal establish ment of the tribal enterprise was Overwhelmingly passed May 17 by tribal voters. At the date of the election, 1,776 tribal members were qualified to vote. The election required a turnout of at least one-third; 645 voters cast their ballots with 559 voting for and 80 voting against Six ballots were voided. Eighty-eight percent of the voters voted yes on the issue. According to Vital Statistics, the election cost about $2,200. Election board members Irene Towe and Deanna Thompson presented ballots to voters, while Fern Begay, Arlita Rhoan, Maxine S witzler and Beulah Calica counted the completed forms. Vital Statistics mailed 440 absentee ballots and 149 were completed and returned. Tony Stacona, WSCP Manufac turing Superintendent, expressed re lief that the referendum was over. "I'm relieved. There was an exhaus tive effort put forth leading up to the referendum. We're ready to get the ball rolling; get some sales going and create some jobs." Stacona said some folks voluntarily went door-to-door to rem ind people to vote. Stacona put reminders in windshields and others even made phone calls to voters. What's next? Once funding is re ceived, the assembly system will be automated and new machinery will be ordered and installed. More im portantly, new employees will be hired. "By the end of August or September, we should be in full production process," Stacona adled. erful and sophisticated cultures and societies here-yours. Because of your ancestors, democracy existed here long before the Constitution was drafted and ratified.... "I believe in your rich heritage and in our common heritage. What you have done to retain your iden tity, your dignity and your faith in the face of often immeasurable obstacles is profoundly moving-an example of enduring strength of the human spirit. We desperately need this les son now. We must keep faith with you and with that spirit and with the common heritage so many of us cherish. That is what you came to talk to me about, and what I would like to respond to today. "....We must respect your right to remain who you are and to live the way you wish to live. And I believe the best way to do that is to acknowl edge the unique government-to-gov-emment relationship we have enjoyed over time. Today I reaffirm our com mitment to self-determination for tribal governments. "I pledge to fulfill the trust obliga tions of the federal government I vow to honor and respect tribal sov ereignty based upon our unique his toric relationship. And I pledge to continue my efforts to protect your right to fully exercise your faith as you wish." Clinton spoke of the importance of religious freedom, saying that "No agenda for religious freedom will be complete until traditional Native American religious practices have received all the protections they de serve Legislation is needed to pro tect Native American religious prac tices threatened by federal action. The Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act is long overdue. And I will continue to work closely with you and members of Congress to make sure the law is constitutional and strong....And to make certain that you can obtain the ritual sym bols of your religious faith, in a mo ment I will sign a directive to every executive department and agency of government, not just the Department of Interior, instructing them to coop erate with tribal governments to ac commodate wherever possible the need for eagle feathers in the practice of Native American religions." Respecting tribal values.rcligions, identity and sovereignty is "our first principle," said Clinton. The second principle to guide "cur relationship.. ..is to improve the fed eral government's relationships with the tribes and become full partners with the tribal nations. "I don't want there to be any mis take about our commitment to a stronger partnership between our people. Therefore....I will also sign an historic government directive that requires every executive department and agency of government to take two simple steps: first, to remove all barriers that prevent them from working directly with tribal govern ments; and second, to make certain that if they take action affecting tribal trust resources, they consult with tribal governments prior to that deci sion. It is the entire government, not simply the Department of the Inte rior, that has a trust responsibility with tribal governments. And it is time the entire government recog nized and honored that responsibil ity." Becoming better partners also means becoming better listeners, said Clinton. Thus, the first-ever Listen ing Conference held in Albuquer que, New Mexico May 5 and 6 at which members of the departments of Interior and Justice were present to listen to tribal concerns. Clinton Continued on page 5 The Range & Ag department is currently in the process of updating the Warm Springs Brand Book. The following information is needed from everyone that has a registered brand: 1. Is all the information in the old brand book the same (brand, brand location, earmarks, ear tag colors, etc.if you need to review the brand book there is one here in the office)? 2. Are you adding a new brand? If so we have registration papers for you to fill out. 3. Any changes from one district to another? If so, you need to speak to the ride boss of the grazing group you plan on changing to. There is a procedure that needs to be followed for every grazing group when changing districts. We would like to have the new brand book out possibly by July 1, 1994. The deadline date has been extended to May 31, 1994. So any newupdated information that you wish to have in the new brand book needs to be in the Range & Ag department by then. If not, the information that is in the current brand book will be re-entered into the new one. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call us at 553-33623363. Coyote News In Brief 304th Invades Reservation Members of the 304th Rescue Sauadron visited Warm Sorinns May 12 to demonstrate refueling techniques and explain their flying pattern over the reservation. Panel Mitcneu to visit Normandy, France It was fifty years ago on June 6 that Art Mitchell was among thousands Of Soldiers to DarticiDate in the Normandy Invasion Mitchell and some of his family members will return to Normandy 10 commemoraie me event. Pacts 3 ........ Leaaers gatner to listen Hundreds of Indian leaders and government officials gathered in Albuquerque to participate in the listening Conference' called by rresiueni bunion. Paae 5 Annual roaeo draws Dig crowd i he 45th annual Tygh valley All-Indian Rodeo was held May 21 and 22, drawing large crowds of spectators and participants alike. Page6 Volunteers receive training A doxn Warm Sphngs Victims Assistance volunteers took part in training in Albuquerque May 11-13. Paae 7 Computers to enhance Indian language Mary Ann Meanus is picking up computer skills to help enhance Indian language teaching. - Page 8 1 it;... kUti - 1 - ?