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.