8 July 18, 1996
Warm Springs. Oregon
SpilyayTymoo
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Volunteers from a Corvallis church group were in Warm Springs to help paint housing units.
Church group helps Housing paint units
Joe Grand
Marshall at Wasco
County Fair
Romugcnc Joe, along with Jeanne
Ilillis, will serve as Grand Marshall
of the Wasco County Fair this year.
The Fair will be held in Tygh Valley
August 1 6 to 20.
Roma has run the Indian Exhibit
at the Wasco County Fair for (he past
20 years wild her eight
grandchildren. She is a storyteller and
helps at The Museum At Warm
Springs.
Roma remembers that when she
first began working with the Wasco
County Fair, the Indian Exhibit was
located under the grandstands. But
with some help from the
Confederated Tribes throughout the
years, a building to house the many
displays was erected on the grounds.
Over the years, Roma says, many
have lost interest in displaying their
exhibits and that it is primarily a
family project. "We want to keep
tribal members in there," she says.
Koma and her family camp at the
site, putting up teepees for display
and cooking. They sleep inside the
exhibit building for security
purposes.
Language Program-continued from page 6
pressed with herself and feels that she
can continue college courses. Going
to the Institute was a new experience
for her, but a good one. It motivated
her to want to start learning to read
and write English and Paiute. Miller
was told, "It's never too late to go
back to school." She would like to
write a book or two using the Paiute
language in the future.
Miller hones that more people will
come to the Paiute language classes.
She says that her language is coming
back to her the more she uses it. She
and Shirley talk with each other and
words come back to them. They
would like to teach more people their '
language.
Ilie 1 10-dcgree heat did not stop
the women from going to yard sales.
They even needed to buy more lug
gage for the trip home. They even
went to Mexico for a day, saw the
people, walked around and went to
the shops. They enjoyed the free time
they had as a little break from their
studies.
When it was time to come home
Pi-Ume Sha was going strong. Miller
jokingly told non-Worm Springers
that, "we need to get home. They're
having a big powwow for us."
Pi-Ume-Sha raffle results given
A Corvallis church croup was in
the Warm Springs area during the
Pi-Umc-Sha weekend to assist the
Housing Department in painting
tribal rental units. The volunteer
church group enjoyed their stay in
Warm Springs and hope to return
someday.
They assisted by painting the in
terior of two homes and the exte
rior of another two houses, accord
ing to Rudy Clements, Housing
maintence director. "It's always a
pleasure to see this young group
come over," says Clements, "It lets
us catch up on other work that
we're behind on."
Besides attending the Pi-Ume-Sha
celebration, some of the group
members enjoyed a cool dip in
Shitike Creek while others toured
the area and made new friends.
During their stay the group set
up tents and camped out outside the
Warm Springs Presbyterian
Church.
Pi-Umc-Sha Treaty Days Raffle
results are as follows:
'78 Chevv 12 Ton Truck won by
Lcs Billy (donated by Pi-Umc-Sha
Committee); $300 won by Gladys
Warren (donated by Cassie Katchia
& Isaac Mitchell); Indian Tanned
Buckskin won by Roscoe Stewart;
Pendleton Blanket won by Morris
Holiday (pu by L. Tuckta); Bicycle
won by Alyssa Sclam (pu by Loretta
Sclam); $100 won by Ella Jim; $100
won by Ella Jim; $100 won by Sha
ron Smith (donated by Bernice
Mitchell); $100 won by Iris Smith
(pu by Lcminnie Smith-donated by
Prunie Williams); $100 won by
Danielle Switzler (donated by
Vcrbccna "Beans" Greene); $50 won
by Hodge Slickpoo; $50 won by Ri
chard Craig; $50 won by Effie
Culpus; $50 won by Angie Black wolf
(donated by Louise K. Jackson); $50
won by Satch Miller (donated by
Geneva Charley); $25 won by Kate
Dingmann; $25 won by Jerry
Smeltzer (donated by Dry Creek
Ranch); Dream Catcher won by
Charles Wolf; Mountain Bike won
by Thompson Box 411 (donated by
Terry); Mountain B ike won by Laura
Sahme (donated by Terry); Moun
tain bike won by Marissa Wolfe; Pi-Ume-Sha
T-shirt won by Morris
Holiday (pu by L. Tuckta); Pi-Ume-Sha
T-shirt won by Shannon Case;
Pi-Ume-Sha T-shirt won by Tonya
Mitchell; Pi-Ume-Sha cap won by
Jennifer Salas
Prizes that have not been picked
up can call Minnie Yahtin at 553
3257 (work) or in the evenings at
553-6918 (home).
Reservation water resources hit hard by Flood of '96
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Courtney's wed at Quinn Park
Elmer Quinn Park was the site for
the wedding of Don Courtney and
Ellen-Eileen Courtney July 8,
1996.The Honorable Lola Sohappy,
Tribal Chief Judge, officiated.
Serving as Best Men were sons:
Bradford and Jonathan Courtney.
Maid of Honor was Shery 1 Courtney.
Daughters, Ellen-Renee and
Dawnlynn Courtney were
Bridesmaids
The newly weds would like to thank
all who made this occasion a happy
and special one. Family members
were in attendance from the bride
and grooms, also many close friends.
Tricia Sahme, sister of the groom,
planned and catered the wedding.
The winter of 1996 has really
been very hard on all of us, but it
has been even harder on the water
resources of the Reservation. This
winter brought us not only the
floods in February which caused
many of our forested roads to be
washed away or damaged but also
a number of severe windstorms
which felled many valuable trees.
A large number of these trees
dropped into or near stream chan
nels where they are absolutely es
sential to the health of our water
resources.
The problem is that these
downed trees are being cut up for
fire wood. A large number of our
roads parallel streams and these
trees play in the health of the
streams.
The Tribal Council approved the
Warm Springs Water Management
Plan "Water Code" Ordinance 45 in
April 1968 to provide protection for
the water resources of the Reserva
tion. This plan states:
"Management of the Water Re
source is dependent upon the pres
ervation of reservation watershed
areas. Good land use practices must
be observed in the forested areas,
rangeland and stream bottoms. Ad
equate vegetative cover must al
ways be maintained. The develop
ment of all related resources such
as roads and dams must be accom
plished in a manner that will cause
the least deterioration of the water
sheds. Stream pollution, excessive
run-off, erosion, changes in water
temperature and other factors that
change water characteristics must
be minimized."
"Ownership of water carries the
responsibility to maintain water
quality so that after use it is essen
tially as good as before use. In ad
dition the water resource must be
preserved and quality maintained
for future generations who live on
and make use of the reservation and
its resources."
"The primary objective in re
gards to water quality is to main
tain excellent quality and purity of
all waters that are on, cross the
Reservation, or are on Reservation
borders."
Therefore, it has been long rec
ognized that all of man's activities
can and do affect the quality and
quantity of water in our streams.
The health of any watershed area
is usually indicated by the condi
tion of the Riparian areas and the
stream channel. These water ori
ented ecosystems are surrounded
by drier upland ecosystems. Ripar
ian areas often contain water "lov
ing" trees such as alder, willow, and
cottonwood.
Riparian areas make up only
about 7 percent of the Reservation
landscape but are extremely impor
tant in regard to land management
and land use. Riparian areas play a
major role in protecting water qual
ity and fish populations.
Healthy riparian areas provide a
number of items essential to the sta
bility of the stream channel as well
critical habitat for both aquatic and
terrestrial life. The grasses, brush
and trees growing on the banks hold
the soil in place and filter water
flowing to the stream from the up
lands. Natural, undisturbed streams
perpetuate the food chain on which
local mammals, reptiles, insects,
birds and fish depend.
Wildlife is more abundant in ri
parian areas than in any other part
of the Reservation. For example, of
the 363 terrestrial species found in
the Great Basin in Southern Or
egon, 288 are either directly or in
directly dependent upon riparian
areas.
Riparian area vegetation pro
vides cover and movement corri
dors for wildlife and for moderat
ing water temperatures through
shading. Minimized season and
daily water temperature fluctua
tions are important to aquatic or
ganism survival especially our
anadromous fish.
The stream itself provides food
for various mammals, birds and ul
timately for fish. The vegetation
growing near streams is frequently
different from that found on upland
areas and provides a variety of for
age, cover and nesting opportuni
ties not otherwise available. It also
provides important direct and indi
rect nutrient flow to the aquatic
food chain. The vegetation over
hanging streams and lakes provide
a major source of insects and or
ganic materials essentials to enrich
streams and provide food for the
animals living in the water.
Snags near streams provide
hunting perches for birds which
feed on fish and other aquatic or-
Tenth Annual Symposium to be held in October
The Intertribal Agriculture Coun
cil (IAC) will hold their Tenth An
nual National Indian Agriculture
Symposium in Green Bay, Wiscon
sin at the Radisson Inn on September
30 through October 4, 1996. The
Symposium is being hosted by the
Oneida Nation of Wisconsin with
support from the IAC Minneapolis
Area Member Tribes. "America's
First Farmers," is the IAC's Sympo
sium theme and will focus on it as
well as celebrating ten years of work
and progress for the IAC.
Each year the IAC produces a
Symposium dedicated to the enhance
ment of Indian agriculture. Ameri
can Indian leaders, farmers and ranch
ers across the continental United
States and Alaska will be in atten
dance. This is as an informational
meeting on agricultural issues and
services available to Indian Country.
IAC Symposium attendees will have
an opportunity to find out more about
national and regional agricultural
activities, and how the IAC;s efforts
assists them with their own agricul
tural projects and enterprises. It also
provides the IAC member Tribes an
opportunity to discuss concerns rela
tive to agriculture and natural re
sources, conduct business, and adopt
policy resolutions for the coming
year.
A Trade Show and Market will be
held in conjunction with the IAC
Symposium. Tribes, tribal enter
prises, agriculture related businesses,
and artisans from across the United
States are encourages to exhibit and
promote their work and products.
The Trade Show and Market pro
vides a unique opportunity to see and
purchase agricultural products as well
as arts and crafts that are produced
by American Indians from around
the United States. The trade show
and market is open to the public and
there is not charge to attend.
The IAC is an organization, char
tered in 1987, with 84 dues-paying
member Tribes, who together con
trol more than 80 of the 54 million
acres owned by Indian people and
Indian Tribes in the contiguous
United States, and approximately half
of the 44 million acres in Alaska. It is
governed by a board of Directors
composed of elected tribal represen
tatives from each of the twelve re
gions of Indian Country, reflecting
the diverse character of Indian agri
culture. The IAC is active primarily
in promoting the conservation, de
velopment and use of Indian re
sources for the betterment of Indian
people. Each year the IAC produces
a Symposium dedicated to the en
hancement of Indian Agriculture and
based on past activity, the IAC esti
mates the attendance this year to be
over 400 persons.
Information on this years Sympo
sium or the IAC may be obtained by
contacting the IAC at 1 00 North 24th
Street, Suite 500 Billings, Montana
59101,(406) 259-3525.
ganisms. Snags provide habitat for
insects preyed upon by excavators
and also possess cavities utilized by
nesting birds and arboreal mam
mals. Woody debris is extremely
important to streams. Debris jams
and associated plunge pools and
trapped sediments such as gravel
bars, provide a great diversity of
habitat for organisms. The result
ing stepped stream profiles provide
greater physical and biological sta
bility by dissipating energy other
wise used in cutting channels and
moving sediment. Debris jams also
slow the routing of other down
stream. Finally woody debris itself
is a major source of energy and nu
trients for the stream ecosystem.
Snags, down logs and logs cre
ating pools in streams will eventu
ally rot and become incorporated
into the environment. Therefore it
is important that live conifers be
left to eventually die and provide
future snags, down logs and logs in
streams.
Logs and debris left above the
water level provide many benefits
for wildlife. This large woody de
bris provides sites for the dens and
burrows of many small species. The
rotten wood provides habitat for
much biological activity by micro
bial, invertebrate and vertebrate
organisms. These large logs retain
large quantities of water during the
wet months which is slowly re
leased during the drier months pro
viding a unique ecosystem for plant
and animal life.
Standing dead trees (snags) pro
vide valuable habitat for insects,
birds and small animals. Snags also
provide future down woody mate
rial for wildlife habitat and future
material in streams to create pools
for fish habitat.
In order to protect these sensi
tive areas Tribal Council adopted
the Streamline Management Plan in
1981. This plan required that all
water resources be protected with
buffer strips where only limited
management actions can take place.
Each stream on the Reservation is
put into one of three different clas
sifications based on the uses made
of the water resources. Class 1
streams such as the Warm Springs
River, Beaver Creek, Mill Creek,
Coyote Creek, Quartz Creek,
Shitike Creek, Deschutes River and
the Metolius River are protected
with a minimum buffer of 200 feet
measured from the stream bank.
Class 2 streams such as Badger
Creek Butte Creek and Seekseequa
Creek are protected with a mini
mum buffer of 120 feet measured
from the stream bank, Class 3
streams, usually intermittent
streams channels which flow water
at least once a year are protected
with a sixty foot buffer. All head
water areas, springs, seeps and wet
lands such as Clackamas Meadows
and Warm Springs Meadows are
protected with a 100 foot minimum
buffer. These streamside areas are
designed to be a place of snag con
centrations which helps to offset
snag deficits elsewhere in the drain
age. The flood of 1996 really dem
onstrates the value of having stable
riparian areas. Take a close look at
Shitike Creek as it flows through
Warm Springs and compare it to
Seekseequa Creek. It really is night
and day.
So, as you go out to get your next
load of fire wood please avoid all1
stream channels, wetlands, springs
and seeps. To be sure that you are
doing your part to protect our wa
ter resources, please leave the ap
propriate amount buffer. These ri
parian areas are essential to main
taining the excellent purity of our
water resources. If you have any
questions please call the Depart
ment of Natural Resources office of
Water and Soil at 553-3462.
selects Employee
of the Month
The May Employee of the Month
for Kah-Nee-Ta Resort is Sergio
Tejeda, of the Golf Course Mainte
nance. Sergio's coworkers describe
him as fun t work with. He's always
in a good mood, a hard worker and
very dependable. Sergio has been
employed at Kah-Nee-Ta Resort
since May 15, 1995 as a
Groundsperson, in his second tour at
the resort. His supervisor, Bob
Wilkenson, says, "If all employees
were like Sergio, there would be no
problems." Other nominees include:
Drew Allen, Reynaldo Hernandez,
Virginia Hernandez, Debbie Jack
son, Terri Matson, Derrick Morris
and Shelly Taylor.
An early morning fire July 15 completely destroyed the home of Nadine Mitchell on Foster Street in
West Hills. Cause of the fire was not released and is still under investigation. No injuries were reported.