March 21, 2002
More letters to the editor
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
Tribal hiring
I would like to bring atten
tion to the Warm Springs
Tribal Administrative Rules,
Chapter 125, procurement.
Effective date: September 1,
1996. 125.109, Tribal Member
Contracting Preference Pro
gram. It is not being followed
according to what it was de
signed to do. Tribal affirmative
action programs. The preferen
tial treatment of enterprises
which are owned and con
trolled by tribal members.
I don't see much promoting
sound and productive local free
enterprise. What I see is the
opposite. The tribes are not
providing maximum contract
ing and sub-contracting oppor
tunities for tribal members and
other Indian-owned economic
enterprises.
Apparently, the contracting
agents like to hire their non
tribal white families. The or
der of preference in awarding
of contracts to Indian-owned
businesses is not being fol
lowed. Tribal members on res
ervation; tribal members off
reservation; married into tribes
on reservation; married into
tribe off reservation; other In
dians on reservation, and other
Indians off reservation.
The Tribal Council and
their management have let this
area get out of hand. The Con
structionContracting Enter
prise has dominated small busi
nesses like mine. Apparently,
that department does not like
to hire tribal Indians to work
on roads...
We have tribal Indians, and
married into the tribe workers
on unemployment, while a
company from Bend is work j
ing oh the Wolfe Point Road.t
Those unemployed workers
didn't have more time to work,
so their unemployment ben
efits are not as high as they
could have been. Tribal mem
bers and married into the tribe
have bills to pay too. They have
to struggle to make ends meet.
My sister Mary and her hus
band Emhoolah, owner of
Emhoolah Trucking, their
truck is parked. That shouldn't
be happening...
Why should I bid to get a
job at housing, to roof or re
model? Those jobs should be
awarded to tribal Indians and
other Indians. In your Tribal
Member Contracting Prefer
ence Program Document, non
tribal members arc not men
tioned to even get contracts to
do carpentry.
I have not done a House
Improvement Program con
tract in years. I have not done
too many Senior Citizens
Home Repair contracts...
The Tribal Council needs to
bring back the Construction
Contracting Department. The
construction contracts should
go to qualified Indians. A de
partment where a tribal mem
ber can pick up some blue
prints and have a house built,
have a porch, addition put on
their house, etc. The
department's only purpose is
to make sure the contract is
started and completed. Not to
hire their own non-Indian
friends.
At Kah-Ncc-Ta, only one
In Madroa
I (aasij)iiso&gfeG I
We will do MORE on your items -and
charge yESS for doing it
At CASH AND RELEA8E
570 SE 5th St., Madras, OR
(Across from Erlcksons Market) 475-3157
tribal contractor was hired to
paint the exterior of the resort
on the north side. The contrac
tor was also given a bad time
while working on the building.
Why aren't any more tribal
contractors asked to bid on
jobs at Kah-Nee-Ta? I don't
like what is happening. You are
letting management hire white
people to hire more white
people...
You the Tribal Council rep
resent the tribal members. The
management gets all of you
into trouble. You do nothing
to correct the problems that
have been created. It's time the
Tribal Council make some
changes to correct the wrong
things.
Tribal members have com
plained many times for a fair
chance, to grow as enterprises,
as a people. If there is not a
change, I will encourage voters
from your districts to nomi
nate and vote in other tribal
council members...
A self-employed enterprise
needs to work as much as pos
sible. We have to buy food, pay
light, telephone, gas oil insur
ance, office equipment, pay
rent, and other overhead ex
penses. Young people need to
buy homes, they need jobs,
they need to get training at
college, or vocational training.
Young people need hope for
their future. For our economy
to improve, we all have to work
together toward better living
conditions.
' Thomas Oliver Kalama
Choose wisely
Its been a while since I cut
the corners. So here I am in
the federal inn-with'th walls
in my palm thinking how the
rez life got it going, but natives
as my self chose a path of a rez
thug living that trizzah to the
fullest, not giving a about
what the tribe has to offer to
help ourselves make money
the right way.
All the programs they have
for us I really didn't care about
all that. But who cares when
you know how to make a fast
tax, know what I'm saying?
As long as you know how to
have a good time, its all good.
Just don't be a hog about it
or else be playing spades in the
snake pitt or watching your
girl cruise by on someone
else's lap. What I'm saying is
we younger natives have
choices to choose, its that
simple.
It's up to y'all who still have
a chance to get y'all game on.
Finish school and move on to
a good life and do whatever if
y'all wanna be mobba and live
that trizzah to the fullest,
theirs no telling, just keep it
real get ya mob on do what ya
gots to do to survive. Most of
the time its about money,
blocc parties, thugs and
females. ..there's no turning
back.
I know because I'm living
it, I've had friends who lived a
short life, daily it burns my
heart because they aren't
gonna be their when I play
these cards. There are times
their gonna wish for peace.
And there's times gonna be on
the run from the F.E.D Team,
Thonls for hrlp
Thank you for your
thoughts and prayers and
visits. We would like to take
this time to thank the
people who were support
ive in the time of our cri
ses. McKinley was injured
on the job at WSFPI on Feb.
4, and was Air Lifed to St.
Charles right away. He was
at St. Charles for one week.
Thank-you to the follow
ing: Warm Springs Forest
Products Industries, Tiger
and Teresa Van Pelt, Isaac
Williams and family, Larry
Dick, Merlin Tom, Larry
Potts, John Katchia,
Crispen Sandoval, Charles
Frank, Jesse Reeser Ivan
Rains. Mona Strong, family
and friends, Mary
Danzuka, Taco Sam, Tracy
and Natalia, Robert and
Marella Sam, , Julie
Sandoval, Freddy and
Johnny Holliday, and Rob
ert Wittenberg.
Plum and boys, Kristi
real thugs are trouble big time.
Down for whatever until its
too late. It's the grave or these
prison cells.
I can't lace y'all about all
I've done, that's why I'm cut
ting the corner but to y'all
who knows what's cracking do
that on a hush there's already
enough springers up around
me here in the federal inn. It's
up to y'all. Life on the rez at
times could get drastic, there's
times when gun shots go off,
joung loks get jumped whev
ths slipyeah",I got flamed otj
once didn't feel too good, but
what you do lOpercent of the
time will come back on you,
maybe with a gun blast or a
beat down or what ever, so
keep that in mid air. It all
catches up to ya.
I know because I'm living
it. All that I've done got up to
mi, its no joke when the
F.E.D.'s catch ya, its all fun first
but in the end, this is what you
get out of thug life. Know
what I'm saying. Once again
its about choices, be careful
about what y'all do even when
life seems a struggle.
To the younger natives it's
school or prison cells hope
y'all do right.
Don't choose that path as I
did and I'm for true, its no lie,
pulling the trigger doing all the
jack moves kicking the doors
of them crack homes ain't
right.
Beating hell a fools down its
all trouble, but like I said what
ever y'all wanna do be real
about.
In my heart thercs nothing
wrong with all this thuggin
and mobbin or being a school
boy or school girl. Yeah I have
to say if its on its own, I'd be
representing Warm Springs to
the fullest thinking about y'all
on da rez doing ya thang. To
the Picard family, keep strong
the loss of our loved on, so
many tears in my heart. Me
and Dubbs did a lot. Most of
my memories be about
mobbin with him. 1 find it
hard to believe he's gone. We
lived the same kind of lifestyle
put in work of the same things,
lie will be missed but thought
of my many of us. I ask the
family or the homies to send
me the in memory card of
Dubbs, my hearts out to the
family and homics. Keep ya
heads up.
To make these courts happy,
I'm sorry at the times I did
wrong but if it wasn't for
people like me the police and
(faring cri
Ball, Toni Smith, Floriene
and Harvy Scott, Steven
Lopes, phone calls were ap
preciated. Alex and Phyllis Tohet,
Nellie Sam, Lucy Sam, Sadie
(Sam) Picard, Elsie Sam,
Reece Tewee, Onte
Lumpmouth, David
LeClaire Sr. and family, Lori
Mitchell, Bernie Watlamett.
Gail Rogers and Program
for Donation. WSFPI for
their kind and generous do
nation. A big thank-you to all
who were there for us in our
; time of need. It was greatly
appreciated. And if we
missed anyone, sorry about
that but thank-you all.
As of today, McKinley is
doing just fine and is back
on his feet. We are thankful
for that.
McKinley Lopez, Jamie
and Maria Lopez, Ramona
and kids, James and Sheryl
Lee, Carlos and Nancy and
Natasha.
judges wouldn't have a job, I'm
sorry for my actions on the
early morning of 4,h of July
2001.
Mackalin K-Kalama
65584-065
P.O. Box 6000
Sheridan, Oregon 97378
Put it in writing
To the Editor,
I hope everyone isn't being
snowed by this Gaming Man
agement. All their promises
should be put in writing! and
publicized to all the members,
before their so-called fair elec
tion. Not just false promises to
certain families with a larger
amount of voters. I hope these
families remember that they
were lied to like the rest of the
last two times.
The only time I've heard
the Indians use the word "we"
was when "we" told manage
ment that "we" didn't want
"them" putting "our casino" in
Madras. Remember "they"
made these plans behind tribal
members' backs. Then they
turn around and start planning
for Hood River and other lo
cations. Spending millions
without telling the member
ship what they were doing
with "our" money. The way I
see it, these white lawyers are
just conning "our" apples into
thinking they are sharp busi
nessmen. Before people decide, they
should find out just who is on
this gaming board and remem
ber how they got there and
how successfully they were
while wasting "tribal money"
on themselves and their suc
cessful business backgrounds...
Remember their past prom
ises, about gaming money
from Kah-Nee-Ta. Such as
more employment, better lives
for everybody, more money
for the tribes. Ask "their tribal
attorneys" how they define the
tribes. According to them, the
tribes means the council and
management. That's why you
will never hear them use the
words "tribal member."
Look around now, the only
ones who have prospered are
"our" apples and white man
agement... I hope people question how
much is being spent on "their
exclusive good ole boy restau
rant" being built at Kah-Ncc-Ta
Lodge. I think it is to price
out and keep the poor Indians
out of sight. This one "good
ole boy's eatery" and their im
age as rich people are more
important than tribal member
needs.
What that one thing cost
could have done a lot for the
Indian people on the reserva
tion, which was one of their
past promises. If the council
weren't conned into making it
a separate enterprise and giv
ing it to white people and
apples, who have no intention
of sharing "our revenue" with
anyone, except to buy more
prestige, respect and pats on
the head from more white
brothers. ' j
From what I've been told
they can still put a casino on
the reservation. This Hood
River dream is just a scam by a
certain group of "our aging
apple baby boomers," the "me
first" generation.
Read the Oregonian 312
02. Making money for manage
ment, and funding employ
ment and a better life for their
own white brothers and sisters
is more important than the
people they helped get laid off
and those that are going to get
laid off. They wouldn't even
support a tribal member who
was assaulted at this casino.
If they can do this to tribal
members, while lying to them
to get their vote, just think how
the Indians will be ignored
again, after they con you into
voting for "them." They are
even trying to start bad feelings
with other tribes. Who started
the bad feelings in the first
place? Is that supposed to make
us come to their rescue? That
is white and apple thinking,
keep the Indians fighting
among themselves.
Before a few bad apples spoil
the whole, barrel, I hope some
of "those 'who were rejected will
show their real colors. If they
don't, all those white scientists
are right, that an apple can
never grow a "pear."
Victor Moses
Casino issue
To our Warm Springs
people,
Outrageous. Is anybody
else outraged about how our
so-called leaders are going
about trying to shove this ca
sino thing down our throats?
Ever since our "leaders" low
ered the voting age to 18 in
order to pass our casino after
the voters 21 years and older
turned this casino down times
things have gone from very
bad to very, very bad... We are
losing ground, losing millions
upon millions of resources just
so a few greedy individuals can
run around selling us out to
their whiteboy crooks...
They're all in this together...
wasting millions upon mil
lions of our dwindling re
sources to satisfy their lust for
money.
Keep our businesses, enter
prises, interests, casino in
Warm Springs. Casino, truck
stop, amusement park, water
world, hotels, restaurants, etc.
There is so much we can do
for our Warm Springs people
in the long run, if we keep our
businesses in Warm Springs.
Mr. Hood River or Mr.
Cascade Locks do not care
about the welfare of our
people. And I'm beginning to
think our "leaders" do not care
about our Warm Springs
people cither.
They're doing it again, just
like the last couple times go
ing about our multi-million
dollar business backwards.
Our "leaders" are wasting
millions upon millions doing
feasibility studies only to have
the governor or our Warm
Springs people vote them
down. Without coming to our
Warm Springs Nation's people
first to get our thoughts, input,
which is sick. It is our Warm
Springs Nation's people's re
sources, money, so why don't
you come to us first, I said first,
instead of wasting all these
millions, then come to us last
We want a voice in our lives,
how we invest our money, be
fore the fact not after the fact,
after your so-called leaders
blow a few more million on
yourself and you whiteboy
crooks.
Bend, Redmond, Madras,
Sisters, Gresham, Princville,
etc., are some of the fastest
growing cities in the nation.
Plus "our" highway is the main
artery into Central Oregon,
which means in the near future
there is going to be more traf
fic than we ever imagined.
Why do you think they are
fixing and widening all the
bridges? To accommodate the
influx of traffic in the very near
future.
Keep our casino in Warm
Springs, keep our resources
here to build an economic
foundation for our own Warm
Springs people instead of al
ways pouring our resources
into other communities.
Keep our dollars in Warm
Springs only to sell out would
promote business, jobs for an
other community. If we mess
this up, our Warm Springs
people will continue to suffer
for generations to come.
Get the Warm Springs
people's backing, approval be
fore anybody starts spending
our money on themselves and
their greedy whiteboy buddies.
White means sickness, greed,
greed at any cost, eyerjth(jB8
of our own people. , . , ,
Bobby Eagicheart
An apology
To Lisa, Sonny, Michael and
Melody Berry. I wish to ex
tend my words of condolences
to you. I want to apologize for
I couldn't be there physically,
but I was in spirit My heart,
love and prayers are with you.
Stay Strong.
One Love
Tewahnee Sahme
Hunting incident
I Gfene Sampson am sorry
for hunting off the reservation
without a tag on October 21,
2001.
Power plants
To the Editor:
Allow me to push' back the
frontiers of ignorance.
I see these Cogentrix and
Duke power plant proposals as
nothing other than a private
pocket-lining project.
Please really think about
this for a moment, and try to
come up with a true reason to
build such power plants in
Central Oregon.
Give me a solid
groundbreaking projection
that would serve the public in
a positive sense, five, ten,
twenty, thirty years from now,
without destroying the liabil
ity of the High Desert?
Isn't the enormous negative
impact this will have in the
Deschutes Basin in particular,
some sort of Writing on the
wall?
On top of everything, the
output of such plants would be
siphoned sway to other
"needygreedy" places, who
are already getting a huge per
cent of their supplies from the
Northwest.
Respectfully,
Paid Grayber and family