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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (May 30, 2002)
OR. COLL. E 75 S68 no. 11 """" - May 30. P.O. Box 870 Warm Springs, OR 97761 SERIALS DEPT. KNIGHT LIBRARY 1299 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON EUGENE, OR 97403 US. Postage Bulk Rate Permit No. 2 Warm Springs, OR 97761 May 30, 2002 Vol. 27, No. 11 Coyote News, est. 1976 35 cents M Spiiyay .lynrxx Pi-Ume-Sha celebration starts June 28 In less than one month the Con federated Tribes will celebrate Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days, this year marking its thirty-third anniversary. Pi-Ume-Sha happens at the Warm Springs Community Center grounds Friday through Sunday, June 28-30. Pi-Ume-Sha this year will have a new contest, an Owl Dance contest, sponsored by Yvonne and Charles Nathan of Warm Springs. The prize in this new contest will be $1,000. In all, the three-day Pi-Ume-Sha celebration pays between $16,000 and $17,000 in dance-contest prize money, in adult and children categories. Thomas Morningowl, Umatilla, will return this year as the Pi-Ume-Sha Master of Ceremonies. "He is well-versed in our traditions, our tribes, and our treaty," said Louis Katchia, secretary of the Pi-Ume-Sha Committee. For these reasons, said Katchia, "we've turned to him for help, after losing our long-time friend." Atwai Nathan "Eight Ball" Jim, an original Pi-Ume-Sha Committee member, was the powwow MC for many years, since the beginning of the celebration, until his passing. Bernice Mitchell and Silas Will iams were also members of the origi nal committee. The other members of the origi nal Pi-Ume-Sha -committee are atwai Arthur Mitchell, who was chairman for many years; atwai Prosanna Will iams, atwai Sammy Colwash, atwai Elizabeth Rhoan, atwai Jimmy Macy, and atwai Ada Sooksoit. "NTpw Timisinar to heln domestic violence victims Construction of $525,000 project to begin in summer By Dave McMechan Spilyqy Tymoo stuff The transitional housing project is called The Circle of life, and the goal is to break a violent and sometimes deadly cycle. Far too often on the reservation, the victim of domestic violence has nowhere else to go, so the person re mains in the abusive relationship. A main contributing factor to this prob lem is lack of housing. "One of the reasons why women stay in violent relationships is the housing shortage on the reservation," said Sarah Frank, victim's advocate with the tribes' Victims of Crime Services. Toward resolving the problem, the Victims of Crime Services has devel oped The Circle of life project. When built, The Circle of life will consist of six buildings: five living units constructed in a circle around the central main office and commons building. The housing units will be available to victims of domestic violence. This new housing will provide victims with a safe place to stay, and the chance to start a new and better life outside of the cycle of domestic vio lence. The Circle of life housing will be transitional, meaning that people will live there only temporarily, until they are on their feet and again able to make it on their own. The building site of The Circle of Life is at Shitike Creek Road and Hollywood Boulevard, where the tribal advocate trailer is currently lo Tribes Close to 1,000 tribal member voters went to the polls on the gaming expansion question. More than three-fourths cast their bal lots in favor of building a new ca sino at the Columbia River Gorge. Of the 940 total votes cast, 720 votes - or nearly 76 percent of the rw, m momhorc aro nraHnatinn this vflar from Madras Hiah School. Pictured above are some of the VVCI uw II iuai 1 1 iwi i iwei w mi w y mvmmh .jj ... j . - seniors who are graduating. For a list of this year's tribal member MHS cated. The groundbreaking for the new housing facility will likely be this summer, said Marie Calica, director of Victims of Crime Services. The idea for The Circle of Life project goes back about three years, said Calica. The need for this kind of housing facility was great then, and is even greater now, she said. An initial task in developing the project was to secure the necessary funding. For this, Calica approached the federal Housing and Urban De velopment (HUD) office in Seattle, where she was told that a grant would be the best way to proceed. The grant application process was extensive, requiring full documenta tion of the need for the facility, and details as to design and operation. The Tribal Council also had to agree to the idea, and had to contribute fund ing. In the end, HUD provide a grant in the amount of $350,000, the tribes are contributing $125,000, and the I lousing Authority is adding another $50,000, for a total of $525,000. When the facility is built, the I lousing Au thority will also help with the main tenance. The Circle of life facility will have capacity for 40 occupants - includ ing both adult victims and their chil dren. The length of time that a person can live there will be determined on a casc-by-case basis. A person might stay for a just a short time, or for over a year, depending on the circum stances. The point is to provide the person with a safe place to live, ac cess to education and job opportuni ties, counseling and support. To illustrate the problem that the transitional housing will address: last year, the Victims of Crime office pro approve total - were in favor of building a new tribal casino at the Gorge. The no votes totaled 210, or roughly 22 per cent of the total. Ten ballots were spoiled. For the recent referendum, held May 18, the turnout of voters was strong. The total number of voters Class of 2C02 D CMS ; vided services to 199 clients. Mosdy, these were women who had been abused by their spouses. The Victims of Crime office can offer a person some temporary shel ter away from the abusive household. However, with the current resources the options are very limited. To victim might, for instance, live Event celebrates traditional Warm Springs Chief Delvls Heath foreground. Gorge casimio . 1 . i 1 ! f J was close to the number who partici pated in the most recent Tribal Coun cil election, early last year. In the council election, 1,034 people voted. By any measure, the support at the polls for expansion of gaming to the Gorge was overwhelming. More people voted in favor of this referen- graduates, see page 2. for a time in temporary shelter off the reservation. This involves trauma in itself, because often the victim has lived her whole life on the reservation, said Gwen George, services coordinator and victims advocate. See CIRCLE of LIFE on 10 M t i .V. . Si., rv X3 University of Oregon Library Received on: 06-05-02 Spilyay tymoo. 4 4 speaks, as drummers listen in the dum than voted in favor of the 1999 referendum regarding whether the Confederated Tribes should continue in the gaming business. For the 1999 referendum, 696 people voted to continue with gam ing, compared to 740 who voted in favor of building a new casino at the Gorge. With tribal member approval of the referendum, the next step in the process is negotiation among tribal leaders and Gov. Kitzhaber. The negotiations will be toward de velopment of a new gaming compact between the state and the tribes. Tribal property at the town of Cascade Locks remains the preferred site among tribal officials and many other tribal members. Cascade Locks, located less than an hour from the Pordand metropolitan area, is also the preferred site among people who live in Hood River County. However, at the present time, tribal leaders are continuing with plans to develop the new casino at tribal property near the town of Hood River, about 20 minutes east of Cascade Locks. Gov. Kitzhaber has blocked the tribes' plan to develop at Cascade Locks, leaving Hood River as the only option. "Cascade Locks would be a win win location for everyone, if the gov ernor would allow that to occur," said Rudy Clements, gaming spokesman for the tribes. Regarding the outcome of the May 18 referendum, Clements said the vote reflected the wisdom of the people. Through Indian Head Casino, tribal members now have five years of experience in the gaming business. The May 18 vote was based on this experience, and knowledge of what a new casino could mean to the present and future generations of the Confed erated Tribes, said Clements. "The best place to obtain new rev enue is the Columbia Gorge," he said. That area, he said, is part of the tribes' ceded land, "and it has always pro vided for us, since time immemorial. Why not continue to use it to sur vive?" homelands At the Columbia River recendy, tribal members gathered for drum ming and singing of traditional In dian songs. The cooks prepared the celebration feast, while young people were playing ball in a nearby field. There was a breeze blowing from across the river, carrying with it the sound of the Washut service. The scene was dramatic. Members of the Confederated Tribes were honoring their return to the Columbia River, where their ancestors lived for gen erations from time immemorial. The recent gathering happened on Government Rock at Cascade Locks. The Confederated Tribes purchased this property a few years ago. The tribes also own a large par cel of land near I lood River, about 20 miles to the east of Cascade Locks. Tribal members toured these properties by bus following the cer emonies and feast that happened Saturday, May 18. They also attended a reception at a waterfront park, hosted by the town of Cascade Ixcks, where resi dents hope the Confederated Tribes will build a new casino. i
