P3je10
The Annual Report of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
2000-01
Governmental Affairs
Finance Branch
The Finance branch plays
an important role in tribal
government. It protects
Tribal assets while providing
accurate financial informa
tion and support services.
Twenty-eight people are em
ployed in the branch with a
$1.3 million budget. Sixty
percent of the staff is tribal
members.
With downsizing, the Fi
nance branch has upgraded
its software to become more
efficient. Chief Financial
Officer Rawleigh White says
if the budget shortfall con
tinues at the current pace,
certain services will be de
layed, and there will be
changes in how the services
are provided. "One example
is the branch now cut ac
counts payable checks twice
a week instead of three times
a week," White stated.
Over the last two years,
the branch has enjoyed a
number of accomplish
ments. The branch main
tained high reporting stan
dards during the downsizing
and received their 7'h con
secutive Certificate of
Achievement for Excellence
in Financial Reporting, the
highest form of recognition
in government accounting.
Other accomplishments
include implementing an up
graded software package
with limited disruption to
the Organization; imple
menting an approved cash
and investment management
processes to enable a higher
return on cash and invest
ments; and working with
Warm Springs Power Enter
prise, the Tribal Council,
and Portland General Elec
tric to obtain the financing
to purchase one-third inter
est in the Pelton Hydroelec
tric project.
In the future, White said
the branch had some specific
goals to help the Organiza
tion. He said they would like
to coordinate revenue fore
casts and expenses within the
' organization, helping tribal
departments understand
their monthly budget re
ports. Another goal is to
maximize investment re
turns in a low return envi
ronment through appropri
ate investment policies and
cash flow analysis. White
also said he thought there
was a need to provide quar
terly training to the opera
tional departments.
The branch will continue
to gain efficiency from the
accounting software to help
offset the downsizing effects
over the next four to five
years. Another goal is to
maintain good working rela
tions with enterprises of the
tribes.
The Finance Branch pro
vides the tools to manage
ment, so they can properly
allocate their limited re
sources to assist in attaining
Tribal Council priorities.
When asked about the
branch's biggest challenge in
the next decade, White said
the biggest challenge is to
communicate effectively and
assist other departments in
financial training so there
will be a more efficient or
ganization throughout tribal
government.
On a sad note, former
Chief Financial Officer
Norma Smith passed away
November 25, 2001, at her
home at Upper Dry Creek
in Warm Springs. She was 63.
Ms. Smith was the second
woman from the Confeder
ated Tribes to earn her col
lege diploma. She graduated
from Lewis & Clark College
in 1961. She was employed
by the tribes for over 39 years
and was the chief financial
officer for the tribes when
she was placed on Medical
Leave status in mid 1999.
Internal Audit
Compliance Office
This small branch performs
reviews of the capability of in
ternal control systems and the
effectiveness of program deliv
ery systems to determine
.whether goals, objectives and
the desired results of the orga
nization are achieved in an ef
fective and practical manner.
This small two-person en
tity operates with a budget of
$160,000. The budget
downsizing that the Organiza
tion has been undergoing in
recent years has affected the
.operation of this branch in a
couple of ways. One is the
freezing of a position that isn't
being filled. This affects the
number of internal audits that
can be performed. In turn, this
limits the asset protection func
tion that is part of the scope
of duties and responsibilities.
In the last couple of years,
the Internal AuditCompli
ance branch developed an an
nual audit and compliance
plan to assist in their efforts to
review Organization delivery
systems. They have evaluated
programs as to how they relate
to the organizational strategic
plans. The branch also has pro
vided assistance to branch
managers on internal control
issues, and completed a num
ber of audits of various depart
ments and programs.
looking to the future, until
another source of tribal in
come is available, the budget
situation will continue to
erode away the services that arc
being provided by this small
branch. It will affect the qual-
ity and quantity of work be
ing provided.
However, the staff still pur
sues significant goals like pro
viding systematic reviews and
independent appraisals of the
internal control systems, re
viewing and appraising all de
partment, operations and pro
grams for the adequacy and
effectiveness of the systems of
control.
Other goals are to assist
management in providing as
surances that the operations
are effective and efficient; iden
tifying the strength and weak
ness in management policies,
practices, and internal con
trols; providing assistance to
external auditors; reviewing
the integrity of financial and
operational information.
If revenue short falls con
tinue to build it will affect the
ability of the program to be
effective in the protection of
tribal financial and human as
sets. The implementation and
maintenance of internal con
trols will need to be strength
ened. Compliance officer Jeff
Sanders says that staff training
and accreditation must be a
higher priority to continue the
growth and integrity of the
Internal auditcompliance
functions.
Although this is a small
branch with only two employ
ees, it docs a big job in protect
ing tribal assets and sover
eignty. It also enhances and
protects the well being of tribal
members.
The mission statement for
this branch outlines an ambi
tious agenda that is of great
importance to the Tribe and
Tribal Council. The branch
has four departments, which
includes Planning, Vital Statis
tics, Records and Legislative
coordination.
The oldest department in
the branch is Vital Statistics.
The department is responsible
for the records for the mem
bership back to the 1940s,
along with Per Capita rolls
which started in 1943; Census
Rolls which date back to 1880;
Tribal Election Records from
1938 and birth and death
records dating back to the
1 930's. Supervisor Madeline J.
Queahpama-Spino has worked
in the department for 28 years.
Along with Enrollment Of
ficer Carla T. Conner-Greene
and Secretary Melva Charley,
the three women bring a com
bined 49 years of experience to
perform a multitude of impor
tant tasks.
The Vital Statistics depart
ment is responsible for; (1) co
ordinating and distributing the
Senior Citizen Pension (2) co
ordinating and distributing the
Tribal Per Capita and Decem
ber Bonus Per Capita checks
that are returned because of
outdated addresses (3) admin
istering Minors Trust Pay
ments to the US Bank, and the
distribution of the Minors
Trust Fund bi-annually (4) as
sembling and providing proper
documentation for enroll
ments and adoptions; so the
Tribal Council can determine
the eligibility of enrollment of
applicants (5) advise and rec
ommend to the Tribal Coun
cil the trends and history of
enrollments and adoptions (6)
coordinate, conduct and assist
the Tribal Elections Commit
tee with all Tribal elections (7)
assist the BIA with Secretarial
Elections (8) Administer and
distribute Funeral Grants and
Fire Donations (9) issue Privi
lege Tax Permits (sellers per
mits) (10) provide demographic
data for the Reservation to the
Tribal Organization and agen
cies for grants, reports, etc. (1 1)
assist the tribal membership
with verification of enrollment
to IHS, BIA, ECE, Schools,
and other agencies, so that the
membership may qualify for
benefits.
The Vital Stats department
supervised three elections held
in the year 2000, and three in
2001. Out of the six elections,
two were invalid due to a short
age of voters. There were 33
deaths in 2000. Twenty-five
adults, 3 children and 2 non
member spouses, 2 non-member
children and one commu
nity member. There were 37
deaths in 2001.
See GOVERNMENTAL
AFFAIRS on page 12
"Working with the Tribal Councils
By Madeline J.
Queahpama Spino,
Director of Vital Statistics
The first Tribal Council I
worked for was the May 1971
April 1974 Council. Olney
Patt Sr. was the Chair, Delbert
Frank Sr. was the Vice-Chair,
and Zane Jackson was the Sec
ond Vice-Chair.
Amos Simtustus Sr. was the
Warm Springs Chief,
Raymond Johnson Sr. was the
Paiute Chief, and Nelson
Wallulatum was the Wasco
Chief. The other members
were Elmer Quinn, Harold
Culpus, Robert Macy, Rita
Squiemphen and Orin
Johnson. Kenneth Smith was
the Secretary-Treasurer, and at'
that time I worked for Juanita
Bourland. This was when it
was called Steno Pool.
I enjoyed working with this
era of Tribal Councils, because
it was a new beginning for
some members such as Robert
Macy, Roger Suppah and Rita
Squiemphen. There were a lot
of questions, and the older
Council members were very
good teachers.
It took me a while to get
used to the story telling, be
cause I thought we were sup
posed to be doing business. I
learned that this was their way
of teaching, because it gave a
history of the business on the
table. I learned a lot about old
politics during that time be
cause once the Tribal Council
got used to me, they loved to
i' Jfy;-rx ' - VV'; -:'.s
.1
8
I t .t ,1 i !. :
1
Melva Charley, Madeline J. Queahpama-Spino, Carla T. Conner-Greene, of Vital Statistics.
tease me. I loved the sense of
humor of each of the Tribal
Council members, because
when I began I was scared of
the "Tribal Council."
One morning the heat went
out in the building so Juanita
asked me to make coffee in one
of the 40-cup pots. I proceeded
to put in 40 tablespoons of
coffee because that's what the
directions said. A fire was built
in the fireplace and when the
Tribal Council came in, they
were all teasing me about mak
ing them feel at home with my
Cowboy Coffee. Needless to
say, I was fired from making
coffee.
As time went forward, I re
newed my friendship with
Larry Calica, who later be
came my boss. I enjoyed the
time I worked with Larry be
cause we could analyze any
thing that was going on with
the Tribe just by bantering
about it until something made
sense. Sometimes he would
one-up me, and sometimes I
would one-up him. I have lost
many dear friends during my
time working for the Tribe,
but Larry was like a mentor to
me. He was always pushing me
to do my best, and when I
thought I was doing my best
he would push me harder. I Ic
believed in our tribal mem
bers, and we lost a good leader
when we lost Larry.
When Edith Danzuka hired
me as the enrollment officer in
1974, I was honored to work
for her.
I had always admired her
because she had worked for the
Tribe so long. Who would
know that I would be sitting
in her seat 28 years later.
I have enjoyed working with
all of the Tribal Councils I have
worked with.
Each Council has its own
personality, as does each indi
vidual Tribal Council member.
This has made for some inter
esting changes in the trends of
enrollments and adoptions.
The Personnel Department
This branch has the respon
sibility of managing all person
nel matters for the tribal orga
nization with a staff of three
people. The staff is 100 tribal
member.
branch took on the added re- the need for an update of the
sponsibility of managing the personnel Policy to be current
Tribes' Rose Garden Suite with legislative and judicial
without any additional fund- changes that affect the Tribe as
ing. an employer.
This project was transferred He would eventually like to
The branch has a budget of from Tribal management. In produce an employee hand
just over $250,000. Because of 2001, there were 141 events at book for each Tribal employee.
the Tribe's economic down- the Rose Garden that were at
turn, the Personnel Branch has tended by over 2,200 tribal
eliminated two positions membersemployees,
through attrition in the past The branch offers a multi
three years. Other causalities of tudc of computer classes
the slow down include the an- through Central Oregon Com-
nual Employee Picnic, reduced
training money for the organi
zation, and a reduction in ser
vice awards.
Due to budget cuts, the staff
has become an integral part in
downsizing discussion group
strategies. Since 80 of the
munity College. Courses in
Federal Employment laws,
Family Leave Medical Act,
Executive Management train
ing, and specific vocation
courses with some offices are
also offered. In their normal
course of work, the branch
Tribal budget is comprised of processed over 2.3(H) personnel
wages and salaries, a number transactions for the year. There
of tactics have been discussed were a total of 767 urine analy-
including consolidation of sis samples taken, of which 6
some offices to reduce dupli- or 49 tested positive.
cation, hire freeze, vacancy list
ing, and other cost-savings al
ternatives. The branch has enjoyed nu
merous achievements despite
its small number. In this time
Looking to the future,
Benson I Icatli said they would
strive to maintain the status
quo with a small work force.
In different capacities, I tenth
has been in Personnel since
This would increase their level
of awareness of the personnel
manual.
When funding is available,
Personnel will transfer em
ployee personnel files to a I lu
man Resource Inventory Sys
tem. Plans arc to have elec
tronic employment applica
tion on the Internet that the
job-seeking public can use.
The functions of Personnel
are varied and support the
Tribal Council goals in a num
ber of ways. Recruitment, staff
ing, and compliance with com
pany policy of the Personnel
Manual are all critical. Other
areas of stewardship include
the Tribal Member Preference
Policy, Drug Free Workplace
policy and compliance with
applicable Federal Employ
ment laws.
Director said the Tribe must
trim the workforce and at the
same time maintain or enhance
work skills. Within the next
three years, about fifty em
ployees will be eliminated from
the Tribal budget. Offices will
be streamlined or consolidated.
"This reduction-in-force will
require a dislocation package
for affected employees that in
clude severance, training, relo
cation, and transition into
other jobs," Heath said. Ac
cording to I leath, both current
employees and the job-seeking
group need to enhance and di
versify their current job skills.
"As an employer, we must re
evaluate the workforce skills
bank, by identifying key skills
and competencies. We need to
revive the employee perfor
mance appraisal. We need to
integrate skills and compe
tency inventory for training
and succession planning. The
salary table must catch up with
inflation, as we arc losing val
ued professional and technical
staff to other employers who
pay more. This 'brain drain'
When asked about the next has a negative impact on the
of doing more with less, the June 1, 1983. Heath mentioned five to ten years, the Personnel Tribe," Heath said.