Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2002)
October 3, 2002 Page 3 Ranch: tribes have reputation for stewardship of land Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Spnngs, Oregon TOP: Geological map of tha Pina Craak Ranch display currant uniqua diatribution of land. Landowners, BLM and tha trlbaa ara working to conaolldata land to maka public land mora accessible. Tha land axchangaa, which could happen fairly soon through legislation, ara beneficial to both tha public and landowners, who end up with larger blocks of accessible land. BOTTOM: Ron Suppah, Sr of tha Tribal Council and Charles Jackson, secretary treasurer, chat near one of many plctograph sites at Pine Creek Ranch. r1l3E?r in i i P ,n -.if A It- Shannon KeavenySpilyay (Continued from page 1) Land consolidation that requires some trading between neighboring private landholders and the Bureau of Land Management is pressing to happen soon. The outcome won't effect landmass, or riverfront access but instead transfer random land chunks, surrounded on all sides by tribal land and owned by non tribal members, to the exterior bound aries. See map depiction of current land distribution. Berry struggles the most with inva sive plant species, such as yellow star thisde and Russian knapweed. These plants, explained Berry, can degrade wildlife habitat and watershed health by outcompeting native plants. Livestock grazing is limited, under the terms of the Tribe's Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with BPA, but can be used under some circumstances as a management tool. That, said Berry, could happen soon. He explained, "Some of the first uses of livestock will probably be on a BLM grazing allotment associated with the ranch. Other possibilities could be tar get grazing for control of noxious weed populations." The current ranch was purchased in 1999, and expanded in 2001 with ac quisition of the neighboring Wagner Ranch, by the Warm Springs tribes with funds provided by the BPA as part of 'A lot of people who visit the ranch are surprised to learn how much work the tribes do to protect natural resources throughout their ceded lands." Mark Berry Manager of ranch their mitigation. . BPA is mandated to compensate fish and wildlife habitat losses caused by Columbia River dams with other projects that enhance river systems in other areas. BPA chose Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs as stewards to implement a natural resource man agement plan on the huge spread of land. The tribes have a history of good stewardship on their reservation and ceded lands to ensure the protection of water quality, riparian vegetation, fish and wildlife habitat, and therefore, cultural resources. In 1986, tribal adop tion of Resolution 7410 mandated all resource management decisions would officially follow these conservation guidelines. Their reputation appealed to BPA's obligation to offset wildlife habitat losses in that area caused by the John Day Dam on the Columbia River. Pine Creek has historically been over grazed by catde and felt the woes of con ventional chemical agriculture. The result is an ecosystem that now batdes non-native annual grasses, flourishing juniper groves, rapidly spreading noxious weeds, channeling of streams, dwindling native salmon runs, diminishing elk and deer populations, and severely eroded ripar ian zones. Berry, employed and living at the ranch for the last two years, is happy to see "tourists" passing by and stopping to read the educational signs at the entrance of the ranch on Highway 218 that he helped the project create. The Warm Springs ranch tour jumps from site to site and listens as he explains the ranch's progress. "There was a count of 12 steelhead this year," he says of Pine Creek, "and now we're going to expand this culvert." Due to the ecological devastation of the past, the desired project goal could take decades but progress, as Berry proudly relates, is already being made. Once there, the tribes will continue to manage it "in perpetuity." Tribal members can visit the ranch at any time. The drive is about one and half hours from Warm Springs. For more information, con tact Mark Berry at 489-3477. Warm Springs issues first 401 certification After nearly 8 years of negotiations with EPA, the tribes exercise their right as a sovereign nation to legislate their own water rights Shannon Keaveny Spilyay Tymoo In August, The Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs became ' the first Oregon tribe to issue a section 401 Clean Water Act Cer- tification. . ..,., , , . ; Pordand General Electric and the Confederate Tribes of Warm ; Springs were the recipients of the certificate for the Pelton-Round ; Butte Hydroelectric Project. The ability to issue certification for the Clean Water Act "gives ' leverage to the tribe to make sure water, ecosystems, and fisheries are protected," said Deepak Sehgal, tribal environmental office director. In 1999 the Confederated Tribes were delegated authority by ; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish and man ', age water on the reservation. The authority includes the waters of the Deschutes River and Metolius River. The Tribes jurisdiction, explains Sehgal, is similar to the state of ' Oregon's Department of Environmental Affairs regulation of state ; waters. The difference, he added, is now we can make our own stan ; dards that are more likely to include cultural and resource values. "We can establish stricter policy. It is up to us, as a sovereign ' nation, to make that decision." Such water regulatory authority is rare among tribes across the U.S. Only 14 other tribes have the authority. Warm Springs is the only tribe among Oregon's 9 federally recognized tribal govern ments to gain this authority. The Confederated Tribes of Umatilla is expected to follow the tribes of Warm Springs example. Staff at tribal Natural Resources began working on the water quality standards in the mid-1990s. Formal approval in October, 2001 of the tribes' water quality standards was a milestone in management of the natural resources of the reservation. Approval of the standards is one component of a broader wa ter management plan that was initiated decades ago. "We've been managing our water resources since the 1960s" said Sehgal. School: teacher contract ratified Boys and Girls Club offers best deal in town Afterschool programs draw largest groups in theregion By Shannon Keaveny Spilyay Tymoo For 82 cents a month, Warm, Springs parents can send their children to a safe, cultural and interesting place. The Boys and Girls Club of Warm Springs, which opened in May 2001, hosts up to 75 kids between the ages of 6 and 18 years old after school with num bers growing. Frank Smith, director of the Boys and Girls Club says, "We have the highest number of kids in the region. By winter, I ex pect to have 125 kids." Smith thinks kids like it there because they like the staff. He explains, "Children feel safer when they are in a super vised situation. We teach three elements of respect and at first some have trouble but then they come around." Good behavior is also en couraged with Club Bucks, cou pon money that can be used in the store. The store sells healthy snacks and school supplies. The club's participants have a variety of options to choose from. Power Hour is dedicated to after school studying. Tutors, teacher aides, and snacks are provided. Often high school students come before an exam, says Smith. Last Friday, the seasonal fish ing club began. Open to all age groups, club members are taught how to fish and clean their fish, proper safety measures, cook fish on an open fire, and the tradition of giving. They fish at areas on the Deschutes River, the Warm Springs River, and reservation lakes. Tribal member treaty fish ing rights are related. Smith notes, "It is important our kids know they have no fish limit but, at the same time, just take what you need. Also, their permits are free with proper tribal identification." The youngest in the fishing group can learn the basics of how to cast and tie their hooks. "It is fun, good exercise, plus they learn a life skill.", stated Smith. Other fall clubs offered at The Boys andGirls Club are the Torch Club, for ages 11-13, and the Keystone Club, for ages 14 18, where kids learn good lead ership and character building; and basketball, starting on Nov. 1, including a basketball clinic to learn basics, such as dribbling. Smith and his staff are cur rently working on getting the supplies to build a sweat lodge and prepare for the next cultural season, oral storytelling. Club members will build the lodge. "Our people learn from the stories we tell and we hope to incorporate it into the sweat lodge," explains Smith about his hopes for some community in volvement in the sweats, "In our grant for the Boys and the Girls Club, teaching culture is sup posed to be a part of all our programs. We hope some of die community leaders will help us do that with the sweat lodge." The Boys and Girls Club has a staff of five. Three of the employees are newly hired. Their names are Jim Sanderville, education coordina tor; Anthony Mitchell, Jr., game room coordinator; Gean Sampson, gym coordinator. J?-: o feM'ft 4--- ' AMAiarr inn mn lane ann irsitri vtisif i . i . ' (Hill VSI I ICICM Ul IVI VI UV IVH' Ul lU IIWM jwm and Asiarf arill SDecialties andsalmon and fresh fruit and peel 'n eat shrimp and fresh baked breads and muffins v ' . and steaks to order ttid soups galore and pies ..:; k -". 'v.- - i 'W . - , . . .-v - ; ana ear ii ioo! i. " w '-If " I (Continued from page 1) "Things are going to get worse, either way we will take a cut." he added. The state, he explained, is projecting a $1.5 billion short fall in the next biennium. Next summer the certified staff (teachers) and classified staff contracts expire. 509-J will have to renegotiate two union con tracts. "We don't know what they will ask for yet." said Riley Also, he added, "The district has no reserve funds, in particu lar for the Warm Springs school." Teacher contract ratified Aside from discussing budget cuts, 509-J Board of Directors ratified their teacher's contract at their last bi-monthly meeting. The district agreed to pay $620 per teacher each month, amounting to over $7,000 per teacher every year. In return, teachers gave up their insurance prescription cards. Perhaps, the biggest change was the board's agreement to eliminate teachers early retire ment plan. The plan was an in centive for long-term teachers to retire prematurely with finan cial benefits. Position openings were then filled with younger, less expensive teachers. Teachers hired after Dec.31, 1994 gave up their early retire ment plan in exchange for Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA) in which the 509-J will pay $10 per month. S l (.MP II. I VZNVD Introducing The Chinook Room. Somewhere between plastic plates and crisp linen napkins is a premier buffet -breakfast, lunch and dinner. And it's served in The Chinook Room, Kah-Nee-Ta's tasteful, all-new approach to a timeless tradition. A tempting spread of salads, steaks cooked to order, and Asian specialties cooked before your eyes are Just a few samples of how we've taken the term "buffet" to a higher level. ' Warm Springs Tribal members receive a 20 discount in The Chinook Room and the newly remodeled fine dining Juniper Room by presenting their Tribal I.D. HIGH DESERT RESORT & CASINO 541.553.1 1 1 2 Open dally. 1 t