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U.S. Postage
Bulk Rate Permit No. 2
Warm Springs, OR 97761
35 cents
News from the Warm Springs Indian Reservation
Dec. 27, 2001 Vol. 26, No. 26
Adoption vote
approaching
The adoption election held in
October of this year is scheduled
for a re-vote on Jan. 21.
The October election did not
see enough voter participation for
a valid election, so Tribal Coun
cil rescheduled the vote for Jan.
There arc 76 candidates up for
adoption. In the OcioIkt vote, all
of them received more yes votes
than no. I lowcvcr, only 857 tribal
members cast their ballots, 230
votes short of the necessary 1,087.
This edition of the Spilyay in
cludes information on the candi
dates. The information, also pub
lished prior to the October vote,
is on pages 7 through 14.
Not counting the failed Octo
ber vote, the most recent adoption
election was in 1976, when 137
new members were enrolled. The
candidate list in that election in
cluded 1 62 names. For the upcom
ing vote, residency is a require
ment, along with the blood-quantum
and lineage requirements.
Newspaper founder to retire
Miller led
for 25 years
By the Spilyay faT
This edition of
the Confederated
Tribes' Spilyay Ty
moo newspaper
marks the end of an
era.
Publisher Sid
Miller, who estab
lished the paper
back in 1976, is re
tiring. The Tribal Coun
cil has given Mr.
Miller the title of
Publisher Emeritus.
He will remain
an advisor for the
paper, and will con
tinue to write his
popular column,
Spilyay Speaks.
"I'll still be around," said Miller.
A
v
Sid Miller
Photo by Dave McMechan
In March of 1976, with help from
a young J.P. Patt, Sid Miller put to
gether the first edition of the "Spi
lyay Tymoo," Sahaptin words
meaning "Coyote News".
F.vcn with this first publication,
the name of the paper was not
completely established.
A note from Miller in the first
edition states, 'The choice of Spi
lyay Tymoo as the title for the pa
per was an arbitrary one by the
newspaper staff." I le then asks for
other suggestions from tribal mem
bers. The original name stuck,
though, and has proven to be a
good one.
Another tradition established
right at the start was the Spilyay
publication schedule of every
other week.
With the first edition, Miller
was not sure how often the paper
would come out He was thinking
it might be a monthly publication.
"But after J.P. and I got the first
paper out, we decided we had
enough news for a second paper
after two weeks," said Miller.
Then J.P. went away to college,
"and I was left holding the bag,"
Miller recalled.
New staff members
About that time, a young woman
from the F.ast Coast paid a visit to
Miller, asking if she could work for
the paper. She wanted to learn about
life on the reservation.
At first Miller had to say no, be
cause he already had J.P. working for
him. But when J.P. left, a job came
open at the paper.
Miller contacted the young
woman, Cynthia Stowcll, who was
teaching at Warm Springs Elementary
School.
Stowell readily accepted, and be
came a great reporter for the Spilyay.
She became an excellent photogra
pher and writer. In time she would
publish the acclaimed book, Facts of
the Reservation.
Her photography can be seen at
several sites around the reservation,
including at The Museum at Warm
Springs.
Continued on page 6
Gaming will likely be a key issue of new year
Opinions differ over where to build casino
By Dave McMechan
Spilyay Staff
The year 2002 may prove to be one
of the more important years in recent
history for the Confederated Tribes.
Facing long-term financial difficul
ties, tribal leaders in the new year are
hoping to finalize a site for expansion
of gaming.
Tribal members in 2002 likely will
face the key referendum question of
where the new casino should be built.
Of the available options, a casino
at the Columbia Gorge would gener
ate by far the most revenue.
For this reason, the question of
where to build the new casino would
at first appear to be an easy one.
To generate the most money for
Arson suspect arrested
By Selena Boise
Spilyay Staff
i Minnie Yahtin lost her home and
belongings in a fire that investigators
believe was arson. Warm Springs Po
lice arrested a suspect in the case.
- The fire happened on the morn
ing of December 17, at the Yahtin
residence on Schoolie Flat at
Simnasho. The Warm Springs Fire
and Safety Department responded to
the incident.
Fire and Safety staff spent nine
"Given the time of the
year..., it's even harder to
accept the facts. "
Fire Chief Martinez
hours fighting the structure fire. The
investigation indicates that gasoline
had been poured throughout the
house, so the blaze kept re-igniting
itself.
Continued on page 18
Calica leaving for Idaho
Brunoe again to serve as
department manager
Charles Jody Calica, general man
ager of the Confederated Tribes'
Natural Resources Department, has
announced his resigna
tion. Calica is taking a job
as superintendent of the
BIA Northern Idaho
Agency in Lapwai,
Idaho.
He will be working
with the Nez Perce,
Kootenai and Couer
d'Alene tribes of north
ern Idaho.
As Calica is leaving
Warm Springs, Bobby
Brunoe will assume the
position of general manager of the
Natural Resources Department.
1 " ' . i
l. r
...
Jody Calica
In 1997, Calica began serving a
three-year term as the Confederated
Tribes' Chief Operations Officer.
Before that, he had been general
manager of Natural Resources. While
Calica was serving as COO, Brunoe
served as Natural Re
sources general manager.
After the tribal elec
tion of early 2001, Willy
Fuentes became the
COO, and Calica re
turned to his former po
sition at Natural Re
sources. Calica has worked ex
tensively on Deschutes
River fisheries issues.
Calica wrote a letter
explaining some of the is
sues related to his leaving
for Idaho. The letter is on page 4 of
this newspaper.
the tribes, build
at the Gorge.''
The issue,
though, is more
complicated
than that. '
Interviews
with several
tribal members
show that a ref
erendum on a
Gorge casino
proposal at the present time would
be too close to call.
A rough estimate might be that a
third of the people support building
at the Gorge, and a third support
building on the reservation.
Others have not yet made up then-minds.
f V
1 believe a
casino would do
well on the
reservation. And
to keep the jobs
local, we need the
casino here."
Daisy Ike
:V
-
'The Gorge makes-
the most financial
sense. People say a
casino at HeHe
would create jobs, but
we already have
casino jobs."
- Brigette Whipple
"I haven't been thinking much
about it yet," said Dallas Winishut Jr.
"I've been thinking more about the
new (Warm Springs Elementary)
School. That's an important issue for
the tribes right now."
While some people are still unde
cided, a good number of tribal mem
bers have fairly strong feelings about
where to build the new gaming facility-
The two main choices mentioned
most often are at the Gorge, or along
Highway 26 on the reservation, prob
ably in the HeHe area.
Continued on page 18
Tailfeathers to MC powwow
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Spilyay tymoo.
Charles Tailfeathers Sr.
Fhoto bt hen Maru
(The following narrative is by Charles
Tailfeathers Sr., who will announce the
Lincoln's Birthday Powwow in February at
the Simnasho Longhouse.)
I was raised up with many wishes
from my elders of my community on the
reservation of the Chippewa Cree Tribe
of the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation of
Montana.
I speak fluent Cree language and
earned my place with my people of the
Rocky Boy's in many cultural and tribal
spiritual gatherings.
I have worked in Indian Judicial Law
for many years and served in the capacity
as a Juvenile and Family Coordinator
and Adult tribal Prosecutor for two
tribes, Browning Montana and with the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Currently I'm contracting and
working with the Chippewa Cree Tribe
of the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation of
Montana with their tribal Judicial Law
and Order.
Working with Mr. Billy Rodgers of
Norman, Oklahoma on issues concern
ing Indian people on the Wellness
Program has been a great experience for
me.
The goal is help our people to better
themselves to be productive and
healthier families.
Continued en page 3