OR.COI.L.
F,
75
.r.en
v. 10
no.
flOVfllibr'I
Spilyay Tymoo
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Address correction requested
U.S. Postage
Bulk Rate Permit No. 2
Warm Springs, OR 97761
(Coyote News)
SERIALS DEPARTMENT
KNIGfTDEPT
1299 UNIVERSITY OF OR
EUGENE, OR 97403
Nov. 22, 1994
Vol. 19 No. 23
35
Coyote News
In Brief
NCAI convention
held In Denver
The 50th anniversary of
the nation's oldest Indian
organization was
celebrated in Denver
November 12-16.
2
Healthy Nations
welcomes input
Plans are in the works
for a survey to gather
suggestions on the
effects of drug and
alcohol abuse among
community members.
Veterans honored
A three-day powwow
was held at the Agency
Longhouse in honor of
veterans.
Dental staff
introduced
Additional dentists and
larger staff help
accommodate the
growing need for
Improved dental care
among patients.
Elementarv students
i .. . m
l attain perfect
attendance
Mim; mom ctiHante
have gone the entire
snhnnl vaar without
missing a day.
Families celebrated
Life as a family and
family relationships are
challenging. Help is
available through
various sources
Hours for the
Warm Springs
Post Office for
December 12-16
and
December 19-23
will be
8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.
The Post Office
will remain open
during the lunch
hour for the two
week period.
Deadline for the
next Spilyay
Tymoois
Friday, December 2
at 5 p.m.
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University
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Spilyay Tymoo photo by Robert Medina
Veteran's Day may have been cold, gray and gloomy, but patriotism among local residents was
not at all affected. Mary Miller Smith and two family members wait patiently for ceremonies near
Tie tilOu raimer memorial Deiore uie paraae nias iu way iu uie rtyurioy uunynuube.
Council establishes
Bridge Team
In a November 9, 1994
memorandum to BI A Superintendent
Gordon Cannon and tribal Secretary
Treasurer Ken Smith, Tribal Council
Chairman Raymond Calica, Sr.
detailed the work of the newly
established Bridge Team. The team
will provide strategic direction and
oversight to the transition process as
the Tribe moves toward fulfilling their
intent to contract the BIA forestry
program.
Serving on the Bridge Team will
be the first or second vice-chairman
of Tribal Council, Ken Smith, tribal
SecretaryTreasurer, Charles Calica,
Natural Resources General Manager,
Ralph Minnick, Warm Springs Forest
Products Industries, Dr. Norm
Johnson of Oregon State University,
a tribal member with hands-on
forestry experience and the interim
forest manager, who will be selected
by Tribal Council.
The Bridge Team will provide
Tribal Council with forestry
organization options and
recommendations by December 30.
These options may include
maintaining the status quo or
recommending any other options of
operating the Tribe's forestry
program under PL 93-638.
The Team will also recommend
changes to the timber sale and harvest
planning process and provide
recommendations of any policy
changes to the Integrated Resource
Management Plan goals, objectives,
alternatives or other components that
require Tribal Council action.
The Bridge Team will work with
designated BIA officials to develop
options in managing the Forestry
program, including the status quo
and other options of operating the
forestry program under PL 93-638.
The Bridge Team will also complete
a review of all 1994 and 1995 timber
sales. Considering the review, the
Team will cause the removal of sales
or sale units that do not promote
forest health and salvage.
Also associated with sales, the
Team will design and recommend a
new timber sales development
process which is consistent with the
IRMPand which emphasizes meeting
forest health, salvage and WSFPI
wood supply needs.
The Team will enhance the ERMP
by directing the development of a
mid-course correction to its
provisions, including the annual
allowable cut and harvest scheduling.
The Team will report to Tribal
Council at least once a month.
It is hoped that the Team will
provide the leadership required to
position the Confederated Tribes for
future control of the forestry program.
Gaming issue set for
referendum December 27
On Tuesday, December 27, 1995,
eligible tribal member voters will
decide the fate of a proposed gaming
facility on the Warm Springs Reser
vation. Several reason have been
given for the decision to explore the
possibility of such a facility. A total
of 600 votes will be required to vali
date the election. Voters must be at
least 21 years of age or married to
vote in the election. Polls will be
open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the
Community Center.
Tribal timber revenues are ex
pected to decline sharply due to a
reduction in the annual allowable
cut. In 1994, the Tribe derived 65
percent of its revenue from reserva
tion forests. There is a good chance
IRMP II document
available
After several months of planning
meetings, the Integrated Resource
Management Plan (IRMP) for the
non-forested and rural areas of the
reservation is available for review
and comments.
This important planning process
is similar to the IRMP I planning of
the forest. This initial document cov
ers proposed issues, goals objectives,
current resource conditions and de
sired future conditions. After its re
viewand incorporation of tribal mem
bers comments, the draft and final
plans will be developed (March and
June 1995, respectively).
Individual copies of the scoping
document are being distributed or
delivered by mail. Additional copies
are available at the Range and Ag
Office. District, community, grazing
group and family meetings are being
planned for December.
Concerns raised about intent to contract forestry
Many questions have been raised
since Tribal Council announced its
decision and intent to seek a transfer
of the forest management
responsibility from the BIA to the
Tribes. Council has examined this
proposal on several occasions and
has already established Tribal forest
management functions over the past
several years. The protection and
stability of the Tribes' resources are
a symbol of the Tribes' commitment
to maintain a spiritual and sacred
trust on behalf of past and future
generations. The forest lands help to
shape the quality of life, and they are
a link to tribal heritage and well
being. Timber and water resources
provide at least 95 percent of the
Tribes annual revenue.
The declaration of intent is not
intended as a final decision and Tribal
Council may elect to proceed with or
withdraw the notice. The Tribes must
have and deserve to receive the full
value of benefits from their forest A
clear message must be understood:
Tribal sovereignty will be asserted to
firotect the welfare of present and
uture tribal membership as the need
dictates.
The most recent decision has
arisen from a series of internal and
external developments that seriously
threaten the quality of tribal forest
resources and the Tribes' economic
well-being.
Internally, there is a growing
disappointment and doubt that BIA
forestry can deliver an effective
program or can provide reliable
information for both near- and long-
term decision making. Additionally,
there are varying levels of resistance
andor resentment toward tribal
direction or changes, in general. One
consequence of this situation is the
continued processing of timber sales
that reduce the value and condition
of tribal forest resources.
Externally, the federal government
efforts to shrink the size of programs
will impact the BIA and the nature of
its operations and funding. As this
progresses, many tribes are taking
action to bring various BIA programs
and budgets under direct Tribal
management through the use of the
Indian Self-Determination Act (PL
93-638). The tribes that choose this
course are also taking their portion of
the Area and Central office budgets
as well. This will shrink the pool of
funds and services available to those
remaining within the BIA system.
Tribal membership has voiced
long-standing and legitimate
concerns about the method, amount
and need for planned harvest
activities. Within the Forest
Management Plan for 1982-1991,
BIA forestry asserted that an annual
allowable cut of 103 million board
feet could be sustained for at least 25
yean. The Plan was implemented
with a 1 10 Mbf annual harvest rate.
Tnbal leaders and officials objected
to the soundness of the logic and
intent However, they did not have
good information to formally
challenge that direction. BIA
intentions were to target the harvest
Continued on page 8
that the 1995 annual allowable cut
will be closer to 40 million board feet
(Mbf) that the 60 Mbf as projected in
the Integrated Resource Management
Plan (IRMP). The reduction is a re
sult of continued over-harvesting
throughout the past several decades
and poor timber sales decisions.
Reduction of the annual cut is
synonymous with fewer jobs. It is
expected that over 1 50 jobs would be
created with the construction of a
casino.
It is proposed that the gaming
facility be built in one of four sites at
Kah-Nee-Ta: as an addition to Kah-Nee-Ta
Lodge, at the old airport area,
across from the Golf Course or at the
riding stable area.
Proceeds from casino operations
would fund tribal programs, such as
education, senior citizens, etc. With
gaming revenues coming in, the Tribe
would be able to let its natural re
sources rest and recover. It is esti
mated that a gaming venture on the
reservation would bring in between
$3 million and $22 million a year. It
is estimated the nearly 2,000,000
people are within a 100-mile radius
of Kah-Nee-Ta.
As with all tribal gaming opera
tions, Warm Springs would strike a
"class III" gaming compact with the
state of Oregon. The state would also
conduct background check on all
gaming employees, as is required by
the National Indian Gaming Asso
ciation. A compact is a legal agree
ment that outlines the gaming op
eration, such as the kind of games
offered, the size of the facility, bet
ting limits, regulations, security etc.
Gaming Consultants, Interna
tional have been hired to assist the
Tribe in planning and setting up a
gaming operation. However, the
gaming operation would be com
pletely managed by the Tribe.
Watch for more information
concerning the gaming issue in fu
ture editions of Spilyay.
We're looking for
interesting stories and
photos (if available) of
the 1964 flood. The 30
year anniversary of the
"Big One" is coming this
winter. Keep Spilyay in
mind when
remembering the good
oV days. Call tis at 553-3274