SpilyayTymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
October 8, 1998 9
Family Unify workshops help families find and build on strengths
by John Martin
Utc Bulletin
It took the role playing of a fam
ily, people selected out of the crowd
during a workshop, to lift itself out of
concerns for the youth of 16, to dis
cover the strengths in each other, and
finally, to formulate a family plan for
further growth.
It is a plan filled with "hope for
children and families!" concluded
Mary McNe vins, co-facilitator of the
workshop held at the Bottle Hollow
Convention Center September 9. in
Ft. Duchesne, Utah. McNevins is the
director of Protective Services Pro
gram from the Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs.
Becky Aguilar was the facilitator
during the workshop and is a staff
member of the Tribe's Protective
Services.
The two-day workshops were pre
sented to professional caregivers who
work with families, the Ute tribal
business committee, the Ute Family
Center and to community members.
The Warm Springs Tribe's model
is based on the Maori people of New
Zealand said Mary, who added that,
"We share so much with that people."
Warm Springs has used the model
since 1991. And with great success.
The program is voluntary to fami
lies, no courts ordering them to take
the program, no caseworkers push
ing them into it and no referrals from
police or any other agency.
The family comes into the pro
gram by their own choice. So, they
don't have to face the have-to feeling
of orders or referrals.
Aguilar said it was important to
be respectful in giving families in
formation, relaying the words prop
erly and encouraging them to be part
of Family Unity.
This is part of the preparation
work.
Aguilar goes out into the commu
nity of Warm Springs, meets with
families of concern and encourages
them to be part of Family Unity, a
program that is based on group deci
sion. Led by Aguilar at the Bottle Hol
low workshop, the role-players
shared their concerns as a family to
see who "Tonya" could live with to
gain the most support and care.
Concerns came from the parents,
grandparents, a policeman and counselors.
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Conferees learned Family Unity skills during workshops.
The girl was not being taken care who had taught her tribal culture and
of properly by her mom, due to drink
ing and drugs. She was missing
school, beginning to run around and
staying out late. She even had a child
of her own.
Even though other agency repre
sentatives were present during the
meeting, the heart of the digging for
concerns came from the family.
"Who," McNevins said, "knows
itself best."
It is this emphasis that makes the
family-based program model work.
With family members saying this is
my concern, these strengths I recog
nize in one another, and then draw
ing up a plan to go on toward growth.
All without professional
caregivers saying, "Do this, do that."
Oh yes, they were present and
shared some concerns when asked,
but were asked to leave when the
family began drawing up its plan.
Responsibly, among themselves.
Mary wrote the concerns on a
chart as they were expressed, word
for word. Then the pages were ripped
off and hung on the wall for partici
pants to see.
The family then looked for
strengths in each other, which were
also hung up. Between the list of
concerns and strengths was the goal
of finding the best place for Tonya to
live.
In the scenario concerning Tonya,
strength hinged on the grandmother . their strength.
traditions. With the mother drinking,
the dad remarried and only keeping
the girl for a short while, the grandma
stood out strong.
Tonya was also found to be smart
and loving, and was even getting
straight A's living with her father
and stepmother, who were consid
ered by family members as good role
models.
Tonya herself had hopes of going
on to college. The school counselor
considered her bright and talented in
science. Though she was not getting
the best of support from family, she
still wanted a future.
There were many more strengths
listed. The picture showed how over
looked strengths recognized among
the members toward each other far
outweighed the concerns.
A proud family can be found
through the Family Unity Model, rich
in culture and tradition. A strong
family, by getting through the con
cerns and finding the strengths.
The Family Unity Model brings
that out.
Mary cited a case they worked on
back in Warm Springs where the
elder of the family set the mood of
their meeting by merely being
present, reflecting dignity and re
spect. Being an elder. Knowing the tra
dition, language and crafts, she was
Mary said another family elder
stood up before their meeting and
asked the members not to point fin
gers, blame or to accuse. To honestly
present their concerns. She set the
mood for this particular family.
One of the basic expectations in
Family Unity is for the family mem
bers to honestly lay their concerns
out on the table. Do it openly and
with concern for the child the meet
ing is to benefit.
Shirley Reed, Director of the Ute
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Becky Aguilar and Mary McNivens at conference.
Tribal Social Services, said the la
dies were fantastic in their presenta
tion. And she is sold on the Family
Unity Model.
She also said Mary and Becky
will return to Ft. Duchesne October
5, 6 and 7 to train facilitators. The
second stage of this in-depth training
for staff at the Ute Family Center.
Mary said they will also be having
presenters from the Maori at Warm
Springs in early November and in
' vited caregivers from the Ute tribe to
take part in the workshop.
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Becky Aguilar seemed to enjoy presenting the Family Unity information in Ft. Duchesne.
Controlled burns help reduce unwanted vegetation
On Monday and Tuesday,
September 14 and 15, many people
noticed a large column of smoke
rising up from the Dry Hollow area
just south of Warm Springs. Although
there have been numerous fires in
and around the community this year,
this particular fire was not a
"wildland" fire; it was a controlled
burn staged by the Natural Resources
Branch to improve rangelands within
the TeninoDry Hollow Grazing
District. Approximately 1,100 acres
of rangeland were burned to improve
plant community health and
production in the area.
For the past four years, the Natural
Resources' Department of Range and
Ag has been planning to utilize
prescribed fire as a tool to improve
range conditions within many grazing
pastures throughout the reservation.
However, many of these plans have
been changed because large wildland
fires such as LeClaire, Jefferson and
Simnasho occurred during these same
years.
Many people have asked, what's
the difference between wildland and
prescribed fire? Wildland fires are
generally started by natural causes
such as lightning, or they are
man-caused by off-road vehicle use,
vehicle fires, power lines, trains, or
arson. Wildland fire generally occurs
during the summer months when
conditions are at their driest. The
primary goal of the Natural Resources
and Fire Management staffs in these
situations is to stop the fire in order
to protect life, property and natural
resource values.
Tribal elders have long been aware
of the benefits provided by fire. We
now use the term "prescribed fire" to
describe the type of fires that have
been used for generations to achieve
predefined goals for land
improvement and restoration.
Prescribed fire plans are developed
well in advance of project work and
take into consideration public and
employee safety, economics, public
health, geographic considerations,
and environmental goals and
objectives.
The recent burn is a good example
of how fire was used as an effective
tool to achieve resource management
goals within the Dry HollowTenino
District. The prescribed fire was
designed to reduce jumpers and
sagebrush while improving overall
forage production and plant
community health. The fire will also
improve winter range conditions for
deer.
Natural fire occurrence has been
excluded from this area for the past
50 years. As a result, junipers have
taken over the landscape and have
negatively impacted the perennial
bunchgrass and bitterbrush
communities within this basin.
Junipers rob the soil of water and
nutrients and out-compete other
native plants. Over time, when fire is
taken out of these communities,
juniper will eliminate native species,
increase soil erosion, and increase
the risk of uncontrolled fire.
The recent prescribed fire was
carefully planned. The goals of the
burn were thoroughly evaluated as
were weather conditions, fuel types,
soil moisture, available resources and
public safety. Special care was taken
to protect private lands and historical
features within the burn area. The
old church, located at Seekseequa
Farm Service Agency Fall newsletter
Committee Members
Crook-Deschutes County Com
mittee: Dean Pettyjohn, Chairman;
Tim Williams, Vice-Chairman; Greg
Bedortha, Regular Member; Dean
Davis, Regular Member; Ken
Miltenberger, Regular Member; Pam
Hart, Minority Advisor
Jefferson County Committee:
Jerry Zistel, Chairman; Irene Towe,
Vice-Chairman; Lynn Carrol, Regu
lar Member
Office Move Completed
The Farm Service Agency is now
open for business at our new address.
Our location is 625 SE Salmon Av
enue in Redmond. We are just north
of the Redmond Airport. We are un
der a new phone system in our new
service center. You can reach the
Farm Service Agency, Natural Re
sources Conservation Service, and
Rural Development by dialing (54 1 )
923-4358. After dialing this number
an automate attendant will prompt
you to enter one of the following
extensions: Extension 2 for FSA;
Extension 3 for NRCS and Exten
sion 4 for RD.
County Committee Election
Candidates for Local Administra
tive Area (LAA) 1 , the entire area of
the Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs, will be elected on Decem
ber 1998. The duties of the County
Committee (COC) include inform
ing farmers of the purpose and provi
sions of the FSA programs, keeping
the State FSA committee informed
of local conditions, recommending
needed changes in farm programs,
participating in county meetings as
necessary and performing other du
ties as assigned by the State FSA
Committee. This program or activity
will be conducted on a non-discriminatory
basis without regard to race,
color, religion, national origin, age,
sex, marital status or disability.
Nomination petitions will be ac
cepted from October 1 through Octo
ber 26, 1998. COC positions are for
three-year terms. Petitions are avail
able at the FSA office.
Changes for 1999 AMTA Payments
The Emergency Farm Financial
Act recently signed allows for accel
erated payments for the 1999 con
tract year. Payments may be re
quested anytime between October 1,
1998 and August 2, 1999. Payments
may be requested as two 50 pay
ments or as one 100 payment.
There are new cash lease require
ments for 1 999 AMTA contracts. If a
cash lease arrangement exists for a
farm, 1999 contracts will require ei
ther a written lease, rental agreement
signed by owner, or the landowner
must sign to a 0 share on the Pro
duction Flexibility Contract. Cash
rent certification will not be autho
rized for the 1999 contract year.
USDA Hay Network
USDA has a new way to match
farmers and ranchers having hay sur
pluses with those suffering short
ages. It's HAY NET, a nationwide
computer database and clearinghouse
for sharing information about hay
availability.
Here's how it works. Producers
with too much or too little hay sign
up at their local FSA office. The
information they provide goes into
the database. A participant that would
like to get rid of surplus hay is pro
vided with a list of the closest farm
ers and ranchers who need hay. Each
participant with a hay shortage is
given a list of those with surpluses.
Participants in the HAY NET are
then free to make their own arrange
ments. That's all there is to it. If HAY
NET can help you, please come into
the office and sign up. The sooner
you participate, the better the system
will work.
Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP)
LDPs are market gain payments,
not loans, calculated daily by com
paring the county loan rate against
the Posted County Price (PCP). To
meet eligibility requirements, each
producer must be participating in the
PFC program, have an acreage re
port, be compliant with HELCWC
provisions, and maintain beneficial
interest in the crop at the time of
application. Quantity eligible for LPs
is 100 of the production shown on
acceptable production evidence.
When coming to the office for pay
ment, please bring all production
evidence with you.
Junction, was lined and pretreated to
ensure its safety. Ignition standards
and safety procedures were explained
to all personnel before the fire was
ignited to minimize the likelihood of
mishap or injury.
Fire Management personnel,
assisted by the Natural Resources
staff, initiated the fire on one-third of
the planned treatment area the
morning of September 14, when
conditions were thought to be
appropriate for a prescribed burn.
The first burn eliminated
approximately 50 percent of the
junipers within the treatment area
and its overall impacts were positive,
according to BIA Range
Conservationist Dave Smith.
"We are meeting our desired goals
for juniper reduction and plant
community improvement," said
Smith. "I am looking forward to the
next few years when we will see the
overall benefit of this treatment on
grass and shrub production. I believe
we'll see a tremendous improvement
in available forage for both wildlife
and livestock within the treatment
areas."
An additional 2,000 acres will be
treated during the month of October
to complete this range improvement
project. Fire crews are currently
preparing the remainder of the blocks
by constructing fire lines, limbing
junipers and pretreating fuels.
Huge Rummage Sale at the Presbyterian Church on
Saturday, October 10th, 1998 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lots of kid's clothes, some furniture, toys, food and
lots of miscellaneous items.
Come on over and browse awhile.
Sponsored by The Warm Springs Rodeo Association.
Veteran's Raffle, drawing to be held Sunday, Novem
ber 15th. Items to be raffled: 2 nights stay at Hoffy's
Motel, 1 cord of wood, Pendleton Shawl, $100 cash, 1
perm ($60 value), $50 cash, Beaded baseball cap, $25
cash, Scratch-off Lottery tickets (various), $25 cash, set
of pillows, $10 cash, $10 gas and other miscellaneous
items.
$1 each or 6 for $5.00. This raffle is to help put on the
1999 Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days Rodeo. 1999 marks the
25th anniversary. Please support our rodeo! Need not be
present to win.
Please see the following people to purchase tickets:
Ginger Smith, Shawn Jackson, Rita Squiemphen, Vesta
Miller, Gladys Squiemphen, John Mitchell, Monica
Leonard and Val Squiemphen.
Sponsored by the Warm Springs Rodeo Association
Hike into Grand Canyon no easy trip-
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Joseph Logan before and....
Joseph Logan told his grandfather
Hamilton Greeley w hile on vacation
this summer that he was going to hike
to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
He told his grandfather the trek would
take him only an hour to "run down"
and an hour to "run back up." He
began his trip at 2:30 in the afternoon.
after hike into Grand Canyon
Hamilton replied that he and his
son James had hiked the same trail 22
years earlier and it was more like a
10-hour hike. Hamilton agreed to
meet Joseph at the frail head at around
1 1 p.m. that evening.
Joseph took with him a 12 gallon
of water but no food because the
extra weight would slow him down.
Joseph ran down the six-mile trail
to the Colorado River in a hour-and-a-half.
He managed to get lost for a
"little while" and took the wrong
trail leading back to the top of the
Grand Canyon. He ran out of water
and "got thirsty as heck and really
hungry...I kept thinking that hot dogs
would taste real good."
Deep down in the Grand Canyon,
Joseph did meet a good guy hiker
from Quebec, Canada, who gave him
something good to eat and he did find
a water station to fill up his jug to get
him the 1 1 miles to the end of the
trail.
Joseph found the hike out of the
Grand Canyon to be very difficult.
"The more I hiked out, the more tired
my body got. and the more tired I got
the more hungry and thirsty I got. I
just wanted to lie down along the trail
and sleep for a while."
Joseph did continue hiking. It
seemed like eternity but after seven
long hours, he did reach the top of the
Grand Canyon.
"My poor body hurt from head to
toe from this torturous hike. It w as
two full days before I was physi
cally" mended. "It was a good hike.
I don't think I w ill ever do this tough
hike in one day ever again," con
cludes Joseph.