Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1997)
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Jl Jl Jl 1995 and 1996 Annual Report AaAa Business and The future of economic growth on the Reservation rests with the Business and Economic Development branch. The branch's mission statement simply states, "Business and Economic Development exists to enhance the opportunity and help develop Tribal and Privately owned businesses on me icxrvuuim. Charged with a number of responsibilities that will ultimately stimulate business, the Branch is responsible for creating new job opportunities, developing private sector business opportunities for tribal members, improving the economic climate on the Reservation and developing new Tribal revenue sources. As noble as this sounds, designing programs to meet these strategic goals is hard work. General Manager Charles Jackson was on temporary assignment in 1995 supervising construction of the Indian Head Gaming Casino. Included in the casino project was almost a mile of paved road and a 140 venicle parking lot. Jackson s position was Public Information- Three of the four depart- ments in the Public Informa--. tion Branch are directly in- volveji in keeping' the public informed. Spilyay Tymoo, KWSO Radio and the Public Relations department deal with the public on a day-to-day ba- sis with information being the focal point. The Print Shop in- forms the public thoruen its efforts of printing material from and conducted various presen Tribal entities. ta tions and tours on the Reser- Even though the Print Shop's primary responsibility is to the Tribal Organization, individu als have printing jobs done at competitive prices, borne ma- jor jobs include printing the Tribal Fishing Regulations, the Budeet mail out, Tribal Survey, a number of jobs for Indian Head Casino and laying out and printing monthly issues of Tomahawk II (Tomahawk II was discontinued in early 1996). I he Public Relations depart ment directed the production of the Tomahawk II employee newsletter. The department re leased numerous press releases, coordinated interviews for news reporters, answered hundreds of inquiries from the media and tourists, and acted as a liaison for the Tribe with the outside world. Public Relations Office Co ordinator Sheilah Wahnetah assembled a hard working committee that planned and organized the return of an "Old Time 4th of July Celebration," complete with a bear barbecue. It was a great success with over a thousand community mem bers taking part in the family festivities. The "Old Time 4th of July Celebration" was a suc cess in 1995 and 1996. The department helped the Oregon State Tourism Depart ment with their State Fair booth in Salem, and assisted with Economic Development- temporarily filled by Bob Finch while he was on assignment to Indian Head Casino. In 1996 the branch moved to eliminate revenue losers by selling the KTWINS commercial radio stations and suspending operations of Warm Springs Apparel inausures. ineraaio stations were sold for $750,000 with $175,000 cash at the time of closing and the balance due in monthly installments of $6,300 over a 10 year period. A new Warm Springs Credit Enterprise was formally established by Tribal Council action in May, 1996. The new enterprise will continue to make loans to tribal members for business, education, housing and personal financing. The Warm Springs Plaza opened in July of 1995 along U.S. Highway 26 across from the Museum at Warm Springs. Phase I of the Plaza provides 6,500 sq. ft of commercial space for a fast-food restaurant plus 4 other businesses, all owned and operated by tribal members and their families. planning and coordinating Lake Billy. Chinook .Day Ja conujunction with the Oregon State Parks and . Recreation Department. The department also assisted with thejlanning and financing of the Collage of Culture in Madras. Public Re- lations co-sponsored the Or- egon Symphony Orchestra visit to Warm Serines and organized vation. .The department also assisted in scheduling speak ers for off-Reservation engage ments. Another service pro vided by Public Relations was working with the Oregon Film and Video Office in finding scenic locations for future film ventures. Public Relations joined with the same entities that co-sponsored Lake Billy Chinook Day to create Eagle Watch 96 weekend at weekend at the Round Butte Observatory. Spilyay Tymoo, founded in 1976, continued to provide the Warm Springs community with up-to-date information concerning local, state and na tional issues which impacted the reservation and Indian Country. Staff members par ticipated in training in Port land to better utilize the paper's current computer system and programs. Spilyay Tymoo worked to offer well-balanced news coverage including issues on education, law enforcement, natural resources, health mat ters and reservation economic development. Spilyay Tymoo was instrumental in producing the gaming information pack ets, and the Tribal Council can didates special issue in 1995. The newspaper provided ex tensive coverage of the Flood of 96 and the Simnasho Fire. KWSO Radio was very vis ible in the community with ap- Nineteen ninety five and 1996 were years of accomplishment for Business and Economic Development on the Warm Springs Reservation. Economic Development and job creation is the lifeblood of our community. With a growing population needing more and more jobs each year, the importance of the Business and Economic Development Branch will continue to grow. pearances at the Lincoln's powwow, Lake Billy Chinook,.. Day at tne cove btate rark, the Pi-Une-Sha..Xreaty Days eel ebration, and other community events in 1995. The radio sta- tion provided free air time to Tribal Council candidates prior to the election. KWSO shocked larger commercial radio sta- tions bv winnine the ratine wars in Jefferson County. KWSO, at 3,500 watts, beat twelve other stations. KWSO was instrumental in assisting with two disasters in 1996. Ra dio station personnel worked long hours to keep the commu- nity apprised of what was hap pening during the Flood of 96 and the Simnasho Fire. Much of the communcation for areas cut off due to these disasters came through the radio station. Natural Resources The Natural Resources Branch is actually six distinct departments and is charged with the management of a wide array of resources involving a like number of scientific management disciplines. Hunting and fishing seasons, habitat protection and restoration, livestock, farming, . consumptive water use and water quality, land use, cultural resource protection and logging are all within the purview of the Natural Resources program. In short, the department oversees all resources and manages them for the benefit of tribal members. Within the overall branch are the departments of Fish and Wildlife, Range and Agriculture, Water and Soil, Forestry, Realty and Cultural Resources. In an off-reservation setting, these individual disciplines are frequently at odds over management objectives and processes. A large portion of the Natural Resources Branch's responsibility is spent balancing seemingly irreconcilable goals and objectives. An anonymous quote provides the guiding principle in all branch planning: "We did not inherit this land and its resources from our ancestors, we are only borrowing it from our children's children and their children. Therefore, we are duty bound and obligated to use it wisely and protect it until they get here; and they will have the same obligations." While conservation-minded, the branch recognizes that the tribes' natural resources provide a major source of employment and income for tribal members and the organization. At the same time, resources are also managed for their cultural and social values. The need to protect and maintain the resource must be considered before the interests of individuals or groups. This need is a higher priority than cultural, traditional or customary use practices in instances where long-term productivity may be jeopardized for short term benefits. Governmental Affairs The Branch of Governmental Af fairs, which includes (he legislative office, records center, vital statistics and planning, was created to provide staff support to the Tribal Council, the Secretary-Treasurer and the Chief Operations Officer in records man agement, intergovernmental rela tions, enrollments, planning and matters pertaining to the Tribal Code. The Governmental Affairs branch also provides policy information to tribal members and departments. The offices within the Govern mental Affairs branch are commit ted toenhancing and protecting tribal goals, including sovereignty, intergovernmental support and the building of the overall planning pro cess which will address future com munity needs and priorities. The branch's objectives for 1996 included working toward updating the enrollment and adoption policy including meetings with the com munity, Tribal Council and commit tees; design and coordinate a plan ning process for tribal government which links comprehensive planning goals and objectives to the community's vision for the future and to ensure tribal members have sufficient opportunities to partici pate in the Comprehensive Plan up date process. Compensation In 1989, under the leader ship of then Secretary-Treasurer Larry Calica, the Tribal Organization underwent a reorganization. Calica felt the organization could and should be more responsive to the tribal membership. In the reorganization, the Personnel Branch became the Human Resources branch The branch was comprised ott personnel records, compen- sation and benefits, training and development, and em ployment recruitment. In 1993, Tribal Council ap proved the 638 contract for Contract Health Services from the Indian Health Service. The Human Resources branch assumed the responsibility of administering the program when a 638 Contract was put in place in October of 1993. When the Tribe took over the program, the name was changed to Managed Care Program. The Human Resource Branch, already responsible for a multitude of services, was stretched thin with the addition of the Managed Care program. In October 1995, Secretary-Treasurer In its role as a coordinator of off reservation policy, the Governmen tal Affairs branch was active in the area of cultural resources protection. Beginning in December 1994, the department played a key role in (he repatriation of remains from Memaloose Island and conducted debriefing meetings between mem bers of the Yakama Indian Nation and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. In a related action, the Branch provided continued admin istrative support to the in-licu task force. The Branch was also responsible for gathering basic information on future repatriations, protecting tribal interests through the Columbia River Gorge Commission, US Forest Ser vice, Oregon State Parks, Oregon Historical Pres ervation Office, US Army Corp of Engi neers, in-lieu pub lic laws, off reservation iJWfc - . a . 'V rights and o t n e agencies. T h e Planning ini tiated the updating process of the J and BenefitsManaged Care Raymond Cahca divided the sentative, is Training Man branch into two separate ager. Lois Lesarlley oversees branches. Garland Brunoe this program when Irene is on relinquished his Personnel and Training duties and be came the Director for the new branch of Compensation and BenefitsManaged Care. Mike Marcotte is the Managed Care Administrator and Janell Smith serves as the Compen- saipn and. Benefits manager lor tne Drancn. ine iompen sation and Benefits Programs coordinates the Tribes' Self Insured MedicalDentalVi sion program with the Man aged Care Program. It also oversees the Tribe's Salary Program, Workers Compen sation Program, Life Insur ance, Flex Plan, Deferred Compensation Plan, Pension Plan, and the Long and Short Term Disability Program. The Personnel Branch is comprised of Personnel Records, Recruitment and Training, Drug Testing and the Affirmative Action Pro gram. Benson Heath became the Director of Personnel when the Human Resources Branch was split. Irene Wells, who also serves on Tribal Council as a Agency District Repre- The branch does not cater to any group of land or resource users, recognizing that although not everyone uses the resources, all have a vested interest in how they are managed. Therefore, the total community, not only users, are considered in actions, decisions and recommendations. In sum, the policies, rules and laws governing natural resources apply to everyone equally. The Natural Resources Branch also oversees off-reservation treaty rights in the ceded area and usual and accustomed stations. The department ensures that tribal government leaders have timely and accurate information on impending actions by state and federal agencies, and to ensure the tribes' participation as resource co-managers with federal, state, private and special interest groups. The Branch also monitors and reminds the United States government, by the Treaty of 1855 with the Tribes and Bands of Middle Oregon, to maintain a trust responsibility through its authorized representatives for all areas of natural resources. Finally, the Branch embraces five major goals: 1) To leave our resources in a better condition than we received them. 2) To build and maintain the Tribes' capacity to plan, administer and regulate its natural resource rights, interests, authorities and opportunities. 3) To secure the highestbest economic return for the harvest or use of the Tribes' natural resources using the most cost effectiveefficient means. 4) To protect and enhance the Tribes' natural resources from unnecessary loss or degradation, balancing all resource elements and uses. 5) To ensure that tribal members and other public or private entities are aware of and understand the guiding doctrines and directions of the Tribe's natural resource decisions. 1983 Comprehensive Plan withTribal Council, management and branches. A Comprehensive planner was hired to facilitate and coordinate the up date process with the community and organization, which began in 1996 and continued throughout 1997. The Comprehensive Plan update is scheduled to be completed by May 1998. Also, during 1996, (he branch obtained funding for flood relief planning and drafted a flood protec tion ordinance and a flood mitigation plan. One-hundred-thirty-nine adoptees were voted into member ship during an October 18, 1996 adoption election. 4 . Tribal Council business. Antoinette Pamperien and Amelia Tewee work with Per sonnel Records and Recruit ment, Branch Director Benson Heath Coordinates the Tribe's drug-free workplace policy through the Employee Assis - tance Program. One of the important du ties of the branch is to ensure compliance with the Affirma tive Action Hiring Policy. This policy safeguards preference in hiring of tribal members whenever possible. Excep tions are permitted only when there are no qualified tribal members. The Tribal workforce num bers between 580 and 590 permanent full-time employ ees. In the summer that fig ure soars to over a thousand. The branch processes over 1,200 pieces of personnel forms each year. This includes new-hires, terminations, per formance reviews, promo tions, transfers, and training certificates. Drug testing in the organization averages about 1,600 per year.