gR. COLL.
75
.S68
v. 26
no. 6
March 22,
2001
Spilyay tyioo.
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
SliRIALSDI-IT.
KNICillTMRRARY
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Coyote News, est. 1976
News from the Warm Springs Indten Reservation
March 22, 2001 Vol. 26, No. 6
Spilyay
ymoo
Nominees selected
for tribal council
Tribal Council nominees have
been submitted for print. The fol
lowing candidates were named from
the three districts.
Agency District has 17 nominees
with two declining: Garland
Brunoc, Harold Blackwolf, Ginger
Smith, Bcrnice Mitchell, Tommy O.
Kalama, Marcia Soliz, Zanc Jackson,
Daisy Ike, Stanley "Buck" Smith Jr.,
Sid Miller, Grant Clements Sr.,
Frank Smith, Jeff Sanders Sr.,
Jeannie Thomas, Mary Ann
Meanus, George Clements (declined)
and Dalles Winishut Jr. (declined).
Simnasho District has 14, one
declining: Priscilla Frank, Barbara
Jim, Ray Tsumpti, Ron Suppah,
Kirby Heath, Jacob Frank (de
clined), Marvin Meanus Sr., Floyd
Calica, Ray "Captain" Moody,
Olney Patt Jr., Earl Squiemphen,
Charles "Jody" Calica, Sal Sahme,
and Tony "Big Rat" Suppah.
Seckseequa District has four
nominees with two write-ins, Joe
Moses, Brenda Scott, Martha
Winishut, Victor Moses, Myra
Johnson (write-in) and Carol Wewa
(write-in).
Spilyay to publish
potential adoptee list
Information regarding potential adopters will be published in the'
Spilyay Tymoo on May 17. The information will be obtained from
Vital Statistics and all potential adoptees will be treated equally.
Those who would like to have a photograph appear with their
information should contact the Spilyay no later than May 4.
Statements regarding individuals may be submitted to the newspa
per office as letters to the editor. Letters should not exceed 250 words.
The election for adoptees into the tribes will be held May 22.
Warm Springs Composite Products builds
By Nat Shaw
Tribal Relations
It has been almost seven years
since voters approved the referendum
that created Warm Springs Compos
ite Products (WSCP). In those seven
years, there have been many changes,
but one thing that hasn't changed is
the exuberance and optimism of the
people associated with WSCP. From
the general manager to the person
on the production floor with the
least seniority, there is a pride that
permeates the company,
Warm Springs Composite Prod
ucts employs 29 people with 24
tribal members, married-in or other
Indians. The plant works two 10
hour shifts, four days a week. Alan
Earnest, a long time employee of the
Confederated Tribes, is the general
manager. Jim Mehlberg is the plant
manager, and Jake Coochise is the
production manager as well as the
personnel manager. Earnest's history
with the Tribe began in 1974 when
he went to work at the plywood
mill. Earnest, along with Louie
Tcewee Sr., Nina Danzuka and the
late Harold Smith were in the first
group of people hired at what is now
Warm Springs Composite Products.
Mehlberg moved to Warm Springs
with his former wife, a tribal mem
ber, after being honorably dis
charged from the United States
Army in 1992. The third member
of the management team, Jake
Coochise, is a tribal member, who
graduated from Willamette Univer
sity in 1997 with a degree in busi
ness economics.
There is a misconception that
WSCP manufactures and markets
doors. Jake Coochise says, "Vie are
not a door company. We build the
best rails and stiles in the fireproof
door industry." Stiles and rails are
the pieces that surround the door
Candidates to speak
Forums will be held from
7 to 9:30 p.m. March 28 at
Agency Longhouse and
March 29 at Simnasho
Longhouse to hear Tribal
Council Candidates address
community questions.
For more information or
to submit questions (must be
in by 5 p.m. March 27) con
tact: Anita Jackson,
ajacksonwstribcs.org or
553-3284; or Evalinc Patt,
553-3331 or 5605,
evpattbendnet.com
Sponsored by the
Women's Resource Associa
tion Warm Springs.
The election is set for April 9.
The Spilyay Tymoo is taking state
ments and photos of candidates.
Deadline is March 30. Due to the
large selection of nominees and lim
ited space, it is asked that the state
ments be limited to three to five
short paragraphs (400 words or less).
core. In the early years WSCP did
make a door core but found that al
though it was a superior product, it
was not cost effective to build. Since
that time they have concentrated
mainly on stiles and rails made of
Tectonite TM. Tectonite TM is a
proprietary formulation developed
by Tectonics International, and li
censed to WSCP.
Warm Springs Composite Prod
ucts pays a 7percent royalty to Tec
tonics International for the use of
their technology.
The two largest manufacturers in
the fireproof door industry are
Georgia Pacific and Weyerhaeuser
Company. Georgia Pacific controls
about 70 percent of the market and
is not a friendly competitor. To the
contrary, Weyerhaeuser is much
more friendly. In 2000,
Weyerhaeuser, a Wisconsin based
company, was WSCP's largest client,
making up 36.4 percent of retail
sales, followed by Buell Door Com
pany of Texas (15.9 percent), Eggers
of Wisconsin (14.3 percent),
Algoma, of Wisconsin (13.7 per
cent), and Leadcrflush of the United
Kingdom (7.7 percent). Georgia
Pacific's market share is attributed
to their vast array of certified prod
ucts. Seventy percent of the total
market equates to about $35 million
in sales annually.
Sales for WSCP have steadily
grown each year under the direction
of Earnest. In 1998, a concerted ef
fort was made to become a debt free
company. That was accomplished
and at the same time WSCP still had
a net income of $140,000. Alan Ear
nest commented, "In a time when
many companies are downsizing, we
are a stand alone, debt free, profit
able, expanding enterprise with a
great future."
Continued en Page 5
Flutist's
James Greeley
touches others
with music
by Martha Laurence
Spilyay Staff
Talking with James Greeley is
like listening to his music. The con
versation is a spontaneous, laughing,
lilting stream of consciousness. You
are in the presence of someone at
peace with himself. He exudes his
love of life, and sense of purpose and
identity.
1 Ie can be frustrating as he resists
those chronological questions dear
to reporters. His ideas flow like
water tumbling over stones in a .
stream. Or, he may respond with his
other voice - the soaring, haunting,
evocative notes of his flute.
Four years ago, Greeley never
thought those would become his
voice. He planned to write - stories
or poetry. But when he accepted a
flute from his uncle, Charles
Littleleaf, he found his life. He ad
mits to initial frustration as his ef
forts were rewarded only with
unharmonious "cracks". He felt "no
spiritual connection" to the instru
ment. That came on the third day.
, From that moment on,' he has
been one, with the instrument - a
caning that lea him most recently
to the Smithsonian's National Mu
seum of the American Indian, to
participate in their "The Art of
Storytelling" event which ran from
Feb. 21 to 24.
Previously, he performed in 1999
and 2000 at the IHS celebration of
National American Indian and
"WW"
i
i ' :
' 1 -
I
Jake Coochise is the third member
i
I 1 f I I 5 I
it.,;, ! -'?Y:V
t kJ ij U
soul finding a voice
James Greeley finds solace, and
Alaska Native Heritage Month held
in Rockville, MD and has been in
vited to appear again this year. He
also played at the Schmctzn Pow
wow at Connecticut's Fox Woods
Casino last September.
He realized that his talent
of the enterprise's management team.
XI
l'lioto by Mike Van Meier
brings solace, through music.
brought spiritual solace not only to
himself but others when he was
asked to participate in the funeral of
a friend's grandfather. As he began
an unrehearsed, spontaneous com
position, he instinctively knew
where it started, its middle, its end.
a future
Photo bv Manha LTrnce
I Ic was overjoyed that his music was
of comfort to mourners as they re
leased the spirit of their loved one
on the ethereal notes of his flute.
His music continues to be un
planned, neither written nor re
hearsed - as spare and elemental as
the poetry he once planned to write.
Listen well, for you will never hear
the same piece repeated. The music
comes from his soul and the inspi
ration of the moment. As a fellow
artist once advised, "Don't play like
anyone else. Play from your heart."
As he reflects on the path to his
calling, he cites a defining moment
- a 1991 motorcycle accident. When
he regained consciousness, he
opened his eyes to three stars in the
"belt" of the constellation Orion.
Although certain he had been spared
to do something specific with his
life, Greeley didn't find the flute for
six more years. However the mo
ment he connected with it, he re
called the stars and the certainty
they had inspired. "Was I here to
share music?" The answer to his own
question was a resounding, "Yes."
Greeley is proud of his heritage -Warm
Springs, Wasco and Hopi. He
has spent the majority of his 31 years
in Warm Springs. He now resides in
Vancouver but admits to becoming
homesick for the reservation. "In the
city, you're always a stranger. I have
lifetime friends here."
He identifies as strongly with his ,
mother's Hopi ties. He admires
Hopi resistance to European assimi
lation and feels a strong affinity to
one of their legendary forefathers,
the flutist Kokopelli, whose image
is found in 3000 year old
petroglyphs.
Continued on Page 3
Council
adopts plan
for forest
The Integrated Resources Man
agement Plan for the Forested Area
(IRMP I) became a permanent guide
for forest management on the Warm
Springs Reservation last week when
Tribal Council adopted a resolution
to amend Ordinance 74 and approve
a newly revised plan that was devel
oped by the Natural Resources and
Forestry staffs.
IRMP I was originally adopted as
Ordinance 74 by a vote of Tribal
Council in 1992. Their decision sup
ported a staff recommendation to
use a balanced management ap
proach, which ensures adequate pro
tection for natural resources while
providing opportunities for compat
ible use. The original plan was sched
uled to expire on Dec. 21, 2001,
prompting the technical team to
work on the recently adopted revi
sion. The revised IRMP became a per
manent fixture on March 14 when
Tribal Council approved Resolution
9987, which adopts the plan with
out an expiration date.
Adaptive management will con
tinue to be incorporated through
monitoring and review strategies
that accommodate the need for pe
riodic updates.
The plan includes 18 issues that
relate to specific resources including
water, fish, wildlife, rare and cultur
ally significant species, biological
diversity, fire management, condi
tional use areas, cultural resources,
timber, economics, salvage logging,
firewood, visual resources, transpor
tation, forage, soil, recreation, en
ergy and minerals.
Centinned en Page 2