Spilyy Tytnoo, Wjrm Springs, Oregon
December 27, 2001
Simnasho kids to have new playground
Equipment made
possible through
cooperative effort
New playground equip
ment has arrived at the
school playground in
Simnaho.
The equipment was par
tially assembled earlier this
month. The rest of the work
will happen when the
weather warms up, said
Kathy Quacmpts, of the
Tribal Health Department.
The department, along
wuh Indian Health Services,
has cooperated in acquiring
the new playground equip
ment. The Nike Corpora
tion is also playing a key
role.Purchase of the play
ground equipment has been
made possible through an
IMS diabetes prevention
grant.
I -'artier this month, helping
assemble the new equipment,
were 43 people from Nike.
They visited Simnasho for
a day, had lunch, and worked
on assembling the new equip
ment. As part of the project,
Nike employees also contrib
uted $3,010. "They were very
excited to come here and
work," said Quacmpts.
Austin Greene and Ed
Henderson of Tribal Health,
and Russ Alger, Diana Howell
and Rob Collison, of II IS, have
helped with the project.
In November, Quaempts
and I lenderson made a presen
tation to Brian Rogers, of the
Nike community outreach
committee. The company was
eager to participate, said
Quacmpts.
Nike also donated a Track-In-Thc-Box
set to the
Simnasho community. This
includes whistles, flags, and
other equipment for different ,'?
kinds of games,-All the items
Hellon offering
Tribal member Leo
Ilellon has passed the Warm
Springs Tribes bar exam. He
is now available for represen
tation or legal advocacy to
tribal members or anyone
,vithin the jurisdiction of
!Warm Springs Tribal Court.
Hellon can offer advice
on legal issues such as crimi
nal, civil procedure or ac
tion, criminal and juvenile
law, housing and administra
,'tive issues, traditional law,
hunting and fishing issues.
!l le will also act as a legal fa
cihtator. Hellon has been on the
IWarm Springs Appeals
ICourt for three years. This .
will not compromise or in-
t
Tailfeathers:
' Continued from page 1
I In the many years that I
have been announcing, and in
my travels I have often been
a$ked to announce for friends
oh special occasions.
I My adventures include
dreat Gathering of Nations,
tljie Big River PowWow the
Ltnd of the White Fish Jr.'s in
Saskatchewan Canada, and
many more.
i Through adventures with
the tribes I have worked for, I
have learned to appreciate the
needs of the youth, who are
often forgotten and yet are a
head count for many dollars to
develop programs.
I helped tribes coordinate
youth conferences in the U.S.
and Canada.
i I enjoy being able to help
youth be productive, healthily
.1 '
4 l .
l
nmmm mm
will be put to good use. 'The
Simnasho community is very
active," said Quacmpts.
The new playground equip
ment is about 60 percent as
sembled. The rest of the work,
involving the pouring of some
concrete, has to wait for
warmer weather. The old
equipment was removed some
time ago. Captain Moody and
his family had provided some
tremendous support, said
Quaempts.
Along with the new play
ground, new basketball facili
ties at Simnasho will also be
added in the spring. This also
was made possible through the
diabetes prevention work.
In the photographs, Nike
employees help local health
workers with assembling the
new playground equipment.
The weather was rainy, but
the workers pressed on and
assembled about. 60 percent
of the new playground.
legal service
t e r f e r e
with the
legal advo
cacy or
aide to
tribal
members,
said
Hellon.
ri
Leo Hellon
"If you
have any
questions or doubt on any
legal issues, please seek ad
vice. If not from myself,
from someone with the
knowledge and expertise,
because of the past and
present situation of legal
aide offered by the tribes,
you are at a great disadvan
tage," says Hellon.
working with young people is most rewarding
and serve their community in
a positive manner.
My travels extended with
the Armed Services to Viet
Nam where I saw that coun
try with scars that may never
heal, not to discount our boys
and girls that have seen the
same as I have.
Okinawa, which was a great
experience for me, also seen
the batde scars of yesteryear of
our boys and girls that were in
that campaign of war that I
shall never forget
Of all my experiences and
travels the one that shines out
for me is that youth smiling
and enjoying the life experi
ence of song and dance at the
Pow-Wow as the sweat flows
down his or her face, all the
aches and pains, the wind flows
on its face and the heart beat
n
IV
0 ,
Long-time
Marcele LeClaire
has taught hundreds
of local youths
Many people remember her
from when they were growing
up.
She's been at the job for 17
years, so some of the kids from
the early days are grown and
have their own kids.
Marcelene LeClaire, who
has been teaching and taking
care of youngsters for many
years, this month announced
her retirement.
She has been at the Early
Childhood Center for the past
several years.
The name Tailfeathers
has a story within its
self... The name came
from a hunt where our
grandfather wounded a
Buffalo and chased it for
several days.
of the drums is the only thing
that matters.
My family consists of six
children, three girls and three
boys. Eight grand girls, seven
grand boys, a set of grand twins
and one great grandchild, an
other on its way, many adopted
children, who we love dearly,
and the most important, my
wife Nancy (Red Hawk
Woman).
Our home is located in the
beautiful Simnasho Commu
I U.JU
ATI
c Oct - tJ,
pre-school teacher retiring
. ... V; i
k
r
;fftffri,,T""'T,i'iiiTiiiH,'f'-fi tfiimmh faM,
Marcelene LeClaire
Before the ECE building
opened, she worked with kids
at the tribal pre-school at the
nity of the Warm Springs Res
ervation. My affiliation is Blackfeet
Cree and my Indian name is
(Shadow Walks) this was given
to me by my uncle Sam Windy
Boy, Sr. The name comes from
the Sweet Grass mountains of
Montana, my sir name comes
from my great, great, great,
great grandfather, who was a
warrior and a great hunter.
The name has a story within
its self. With the coming of our
white brothers the name was
shortened by the shoulders.
The name came from a hunt
where our grandfather
wounded a Buffalo and chased
it for several days.
As he approached the roll
ing hill, as the wounded buf
falo went over the hill, an Eagle
flew over the hill chasing the
Offensive
removed from names
The names of three places
in the Willamette National
Forest were changed recently
to remove a word that is offen
sive to Native Americans.
Two buttes and one creek,
which formerly bore the name
"squaw," were changed to
Kwiskwis Butte, Latiwi Butte
and Latiwi Creek.
The new place names arc
from the language of the
Mollala Indians, said Mark
I'lanncry, cartographer with
the US. Forest Service.
The word Latiwi means
"people," and Kwiskwis is the
Indian name for a chipmunk.
Kwiskwis was also the nick
name of Mollala Indian
Charlie Tufti, said I'lanncry.
The change in the place
names was approved recently
by the Oregon Geographic
Names Board.
Passage of a state law to re
, Senate OK's Tribal-
PGE hyrdo
The agreement between the
Confederated Tribes and Port
land General Electric to own
and operate joindy the Pelton
Round Butte Hyrdroelcctric
Project received Congressional
approval recently.
The U.S. Senate adopted a
bill sanctioning the agreement,
whereby the Confederated
Tribes receive one-third own
ership interest in the dams.
Selling cost is $30 million.
The tribes in the past have
received payments from PGE
for use of the reservation prop
erty that is part of the hydro
! elf cdfc1 'facilities.' ";f; f":! l; ""
The new arrangement gives
thp tribes ownership, and the
Presbyterian
Church.
"I like teaching,"
Marcelen said. "Es
pecially the 3-year-olds.
You get a
chance to teach
them from the
ground up."
After announc
ing she would retire,
Marcelene at first
didn't think much
about it.
Then last week,
at the kids' holiday
powwow at the Agency
Longhouse, all of a sudden it
hit her.
wounded buffalo.
As he told this story after
he brought his kill home for
his people, the wise ones gave
the name of Eagle Tailfeathers
chases Buffalo Over the Hill,
this was shortened to just
Tailfeathers.
I was told by my grandpar
ents that I have been dancing
from the time that I could
walk, and my grandfather
would sing so that I would be
able to learn as I grew up.
I often think of him, as he
was the chief singer for the sa
cred painted drum of the Sweet
Grass Society.
He knew many sacred cer
emonies that he was involved
with throughtout his life, and
we had the opportunity to ex
perience some and learn from
him.
word
move the "s word" from pub
lic place names in Oregon has
been a project of the Confed
erated Tribes of Warm Springs
Government Affairs.
Government Affairs repre
sentatives, with other tribal
members, advocated passage of
the law during the 2001 Or
egon legislative session.
The legislature passed the
law, which Gov. Kithaber
then signed later this past sum
mer. There are several places in
the area of southern Jefferson
and northern Deschutes coun
ties that include the s-word.
Eventually, these place
names will be rcplacl-d with
names that are not offensive to
Native Americans.
The new names in Jefferson
and Deschutes counties could
be derived from Indian names
for the places.
agreement
right to earn revenue directly
from the sale of electricity,
rather than through the lease
payments from PGE.
The new agreement has
been a part of the federal pro
cess to rclicense the Pclton
Round Butte project.
PGE's original license, dat
ing back to the 1950s, has come
up for renewal. Initially, the
tribes were competing directly
with PGE for the license.
Through negotiation, PGE
agreed to sell part of the own
ership of the hydro facilities to
the tribes. Over the next 30 to
40 years, the tribes can acquire
additional interest in the farlfi- I
ties, up to 50.01 percent.
"I realized I wouldn't be do
ing this anymore," said
Marcelene.
The part of the job she will
miss the most, of course, is
being around the youngsters.
She has her hobbies of
painting and crocheting, "but
it won't take the place of this,"
she said of her classroom at
ECE.
Even so, retirement seems
like the right thing to do, she
said.
Her co-workers threw a sur
prise retirement party for
Marcelene last week.
She will be greatly missed
at ECE. ' -
Death at jail;
being investigated
George W Picard III, age
24, was found deceased on
Monday, Dec. 24, in his cell
at the Warm Springs Cor
rectional Facility.
There were no obvious
signs of foul play. Warm
Springs Police are investi
gating the incident.
The Oregon State Medi
cal Examiner's Office is
conducting an autopsy. The
FBI is participating in the
investigation.
Mr. Picard was found de
ceased at 3:45 a.m. by a
cellmate, who alerted the
correctional facility secu
rity. Warm Springs emer
gency response personnel
were called but determined
that Mr. Picard was de
ceased. He was awaiting
trial on local charges.