On the Rez
Pge 10 Spilysy Tymoo September 5, 2002
BarlbecEe bliss
Natural Resources celebrates
annual achievements and
birthdays on their lunch break
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Shannon KeavenySpilyay
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Dave McMechanSpilyay
In photo at top, Natural Resource employees dish up Thursday on their
birthdays celebrated. Bottom middle, Delbert Garcia cooks up some
Family raises money
for kidney transplant
Priscilla Yazzie is in need of a kid
ney transplant, and she and her fam
ily are working hard on raising money
for expenses related to the operation.
Her husband Edison Yazzie has
been hard at work selling handcrafted
items that the Yazzie
girls, Teri Jo and
Amanda, have been
making.
The items are
braided key-chains,
which are custom
made and personal
ized for each buyer.
The Yazzies have
sold over 500 of the
colorful braided
chains. They are
working all the time
to fill the orders for
the key chains.
Edison taught the
girls how to make
the chains. He
learned braiding years ago, initially by
working with horse bridles.
Priscilla is on a waiting list for the
kidney transplant. She could be noti
fied at any time that a kidney has be
come available.
She must then rush immediately to
the hospital in Portland for the trans
plant. For now, Priscilla is receiving
dialysis treatment, requiring her to
travel three times a week to Bend.
Medical coverage is taking care of
some of the expenses, but there are
many costs that the Yazzies must cover
on their own.
Toward meeting the expenses, the
Yazzies for the past few months have
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Priscilla Yazzie
jave McMechanSpilyay
been working on the braided key
chains, which are becoming more
and more popular.
They are also hosting an Indian Taco
sale on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at the
Agency Longhouse. The sale will be
from 10 a.m.
till 2 p.m. with
all proceeds go
ing toward
meeting ex
penses of
Priscilla's
medical condi
tion. The main
fund-raising,
though, has
come through
the braided
key-chain
sales.
Edison said
that he is con
sidering offer
ing the chains over the Internet,
through Warm Springs Ventures.
However, he said, he is concerned
that he and his family would not be
able to meet the demand. They
would probably have to hire some
one to help them, he said.
Anyone wishing to order one of
the chains, which cost $10, can call
553-5817.
The chains are guaranteed. The in
scription on the beads can be
changed, for instance. Also the color
can be changed, say if someone pur
chased a new vehicle and wanted
the new color to match the key-chain.
A
sweltering
85 degrees,
didn't
keep the
Natural
Resource Department
from having a
luncheon barbeque
last Thursday at
noon.
The Department
decided it was due
time to thank their
employees and as
Natural Resources
Manager Bobby
Brunoe put it, "let
our appreciation for
everyone's efforts be
known."
Alot of times, he
says, we don't have
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lunch break. Bottom left, Natalie Johnson joyously cuts the cake for those
burgers for the crew. Bottom right, Harvey Scott enjoys his lunch.
Columbia
open fall
PORTLAND - Treaty tribes of
the Columbia River Basin began
selling fish to the public last week
as part of what is expected to be
the largest fall Chinook salmon
catch in decades.
The Columbia River Compact
of Oregon and Washington, which
regulates mainstem commercial
fisheries, agreed Aug. 15 with a
proposal by the four Columbia
River Basin treaty tribes (Yakama,
Warm Springs, Umatilla, and Nez
Perce) to open commercial sales of
fall Chinook, Coho, steelhead,
walleye and shad.
Tribal fishers began selling
gillnet-caught last week throughout
Zone 6, a 150-mile stretch of the
Columbia between the Bonneville
Dam and McNary Dam near
Umatilla. Remaining commercial
sales will be open during the fol
lowing period: Sept. 11, 6 a.m., to
Sept. 14, 6 p.m.
Sales of platform- and hook and
line caught fish began August 19
and will continue until further
notice.
The tribes want to benefit from
a projected record return of fall
Chinook to the Columbia River.
Nearly 660,000 fish are expected
to reach spawn primarily in the
I lanford Reach, the highest count
since 1988.
It also includes 135,980
Bonneville pool hatchery salmon
and 91,770 mid-Columbia
brights.About 459,000 steelhead
arc expected to return over
Bonneville Dam this fall.
the time to give recognition to
our folks.
Natural Resources Depart
ment houses nearly 180 full-time
employees and includes such fac
tions as Forestry, Fire Manage
ment, and Fish and Wildlife.
Brunoe said, "We've had a
heavy work load and handle a
lot of different projects on and
off the reservation. We've also
had a lot of accomplishments
this year due to the employees
hard work."
At the barbeque there was hot
dogs, burgers, chips, sodas, and
watermelon served. About 50
employees were able to show up.
Some employees weren't able to
attend due to last Thursday's
Timber Tour.
Attendees also ate birthday
Dave McMechanSpilyay
River treaty tribes
Chinook sales
Under an agreement with federal
and state governments, tribal fishers
can harvest 23 percent of the pro
jected fall Chinook salmon run and
15 percent of the wild "B-index"
steelhead-at least 78 inches long
showing. Herb Jackson, a Nez Perce Fish
and Wildlife Commission member,
told the compact last week that tribal
fishers expect to catch 127,000
chinook and 13,000 upriver steel
head this fall.
As a staple of the tribal diet for
thousands of years, salmon are get
ting increased recognition as one of
the healthiest foods available.
Recent studies published in the
New England journal of Medicine and
the Journal of the American Medical
Association cite clear links between
fish oils found in species like salmon
and reduced rates of heart disease.
Salmon contain high amounts of
these healthy omega-3 oils.
The fishery will include fishers
from the Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs, the Yakama Nation,
the Nez Perce Tribe, and the Con
federated tribes of the Umatilla In
dian Reservation.
Under 1855 treaties with the fed
eral government, members of these
tribes reserved the right to fish at all
usual and accustomed fishing places
in the Columbia River Basin. The
fishing right includes ceremonial,
subsistence, and commercial fisher
ies. Over-the-bank sales help tribal
fishers support their families and
make it possible to continue their
cake for Natural Resource employ
ees who had birthdays in the last 3
months.
Brunoe took a break during his
meal to formally acknowledge
staff efforts and accomplishments
and to wish five employees a late
happy birthday.
Among those thanked were the
Water and Soil Department for
completing the 401 Certification
project, ensuring reservation wa
ter quality; Terry Luther and Fish
and Wildlife for their extensive
help with land acquisitions, miti
gations, and results with bringing
the fish populations back up; the
"fire folks" for making it through
a tough season; the employees at
Geographical Information Sys
tems (GIS) for their analysis
work, map work; administration;
and a special thanks to everyone.
Brunoe told Spilyqy, There's a
lot of good things happening and
we would like to recognize people
throughout the year."
In the past, Natural Resources
hasn't had many barbeques but,
said Brunoe, "this is something we
hope to do more of in the future.
It builds morale to get folks to
gether." The barbeque was held on the
lawn of the Natural Resources
complex. The new building was
dedicated to the late Eugene "Cou
gar" Greene last year on July 11,
2002.
Greene was the first director of
the Natural Resources Department.
As a staple of the tribal
diet for thousands of years,
salmon are getting in
creased recognition as one
of the healthiest foods
available.
traditional livelihood. Prosperous
fisheries also have broader local and
regional economic benefits.
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission (CRITFC) esti
mates that for every $10 generated
by fish sales, as much as $7 is con
tributed to local economies.
Tribal sellers can be found at vari
ous locations between Bonneville
Dam and McNary Dam.
Major sales locations include the
Marine Park at Cascade Locks, Lone
Pine at The Dalles and the boat
launch near Roosevelt, Wash.
Buyers should bring sufficient ice
and coolers to keep fish fresh. Sales
are cash only.
Customers can call the toll-free
number (888)289-1855 for more in
formation. Story idea?
Call Spilyay Tymoo
553-3274 .