Page 6 Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon October 31. 2002 Eighth-grade team wraps up season The Madras boys eighth grade football squad ended their 2002 season last week with a victory over the Cul ver eighth-graders. The game was played un der the lights last Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Madras High School football field. The eight-grade team in cludes many players who are members of the Confeder ated Tribes. Standing are tribal member eighth-grade players Ryan Thomas, Titus Kalama and Jose Alvarez (from left). At the front is Jansen Harrington. Iv ! 1 f i 11 Join fitness challenge f Vl T r L J Dave McMechanSpilyay The 2002 November Fitness Challenge will challenge you and your team to become the win ners of the traveling trophy. So get your team together, take the challenge and get healthy. This yearly event is spon sored by the Warm Springs Rec reation Department. To enter a team, one person should be se lected as the captain. This person will be respon sible for collecting the team members' fees and submitting the paperwork with fees to the Recreation Department. This person will also be re sponsible for collecting the team's time sheets and return ing to the Recreation Depart ment at the end of the month. Team Member Fees are as fol lows: $5 without shirt; $10 for short-sleeve t-shirt; or $15 for sweatshirt. Any employee of the Con federated Tribes BI A, Kah-Nee-Ta, Warm Springs Elementary, Forest Products or any other tribal enterprise or organization. Call the Recreation Department for a contact person within your organization if you do not know. Registration began in early October. All paperwork should be submitted to the Recreation Department office by Oct. 31 and paid in full by Nov. 10. Diabetes Awareness Poker Walk will be held on Friday, November 1 at 12 Noon to kick off the challenge. Participants will receive bonus minutes. For More Information con tact Recreation Department Wellness Coordinator, Vesta Johnson at 553-3243. Budget: members concerned about public safety, youth, elders (Continued from page 1) The terrorist attacks of Sep tember 11 last year, and then the collapse of the giant energy company Enron, are examples of unexpected events that con tributed to the national economic downturn, said Jackson. 'The good news," he said, "is that nearly everyone agrees that an economic recovery is under way. But even with a better out look for the power market next year, we still face the need for budget cuts." During the member com ment part of the Agency Dis trict meeting, Rita Squiemphen said that in her opinion the pub lic safety budget should not be cut. "As long as we are not safe, and there are drugs, alcohol and crime on the reservation, we need to ask whether the public safety budget should be cut at all," said Squiemphen. and Daisy Ike commented during the Agency District meeting that the Public Safety Branch should not see a budget cut. Under the proposed 2003 budget, the Public Safety Branch would see a cut of $61,988, from $2.7 million to about $2.64 million. However, according to figures provided by the tribes' Chief Financial Of ficer, the Public Safety Branch has seen a budget increase since 1998 by almost $500,000 on an annual basis. Maxine Switzler commented that the seniors deserve the funding that provides for the annual seniors trip. "We really look forward to that," said Switzler. Other comments at the meeting were that elder abuse on the reservation is wide spread. The abuse includes the young people breaking into el ders' homes and stealing baskets, beadwork, regalia and other items. The following are some of the comments made at the Simnasho and the Seekseequa district meetings: being laid off from their jobs. "They are the backbone," said Spina Jackson said that perma nent layoffs would be a very last resort. Spino said he concerned about the tribal elders, and the discontinuance of the wood cut ting program. He said he would like to see the program continue for the elders. Evaline Patt said she was concerned about taking money from the enterprises. At the credit department, she said, "The money is not just setting there. There is money out on loans." Jackson said, "We are not proposing to raid the enter prises, but merely to withdraw some funds from several enter prises to allocate those funds elsewhere." Patt said, "There should be fairness and equity across the board, including Tribal Council the committees. They should take cuts too'."' concerned about cuts happen ing to the wrong people for the wrong reasons. On another sub ject he said, "Why do we send our people away to school? So they can come home to no job?" He also said he is in support of developing a housing subdi vision in Simnasho, "because this is a growing community." He also advocated funding for pow wows. Seekseequa District About 25 tribal members from the Seekseequa District attended the Wednesday, Oct. 23 meeting on the 2003 budget. The meeting lasted about three hours, adjourning at 10 p.m. with a closing prayer. Secretary-Treasurer Jackson opened with a summary of the tribes' economic situation. The fall in the power market and the struggle by Mill management and employees to remain com policing the reservation because of a high turnover among po lice officers. The proposed budget for 2003 suggests an increase in funding for committees back to the higher funding levels in 2000. A member objected to the in crease, saying the tribes should put the money toward commu nity assistance. Later, Jackson said that the tribes again do not expect to see a dividend from the mill. "We hope business will turn around at the mill," he said. "The mill cannot exist much longer in its present financial state." Julie Quaid suggested an elimination of the internal au dit funds. The tribes hire exter nal auditors each year, in order to receive an unbiased opinion. Having the internal audit seems unnecessary, she said. Quaid said that Economic to show for it. The appeals court could be eliminated, she said, especially if the court hears fewer than 10 cases a year. She also said she will be happy to have the Rose Garden skybox "out of our lives," as the contract will end next year. In response to a later com ment from the floor, Jackson clarified that Power Enterprises has nothing to do with Cogentrix, a company that had been planning to build a power plant in central Jefferson County. A few people brought up the Sidwalter Fire Hall that was ap proved for construction last year. No construction has begun. Another man brought up the five-year replacement program for non-tribal member employ ees. He said he hopes the tribes Simnasho District At the Simnasho District meeting Olney Patt Jr., chairman of the Tribal Council, welcomed all in attendance. Secretary-Treasurer Jackson then gave an over view of the proposed 2003 bud get. When the floor was open to comments, Evans Spino said he is concerned about the budget taking further cuts, even after the final budget is approved. Jackson responded that the to tal amount of the 2002 tribal budget was set by the Tribal Council in November 2001. In the 2002 budget resolution, Tribal Council directed that the Secretary-Treasurer and the Chief Operations Officer allo cate the cuts among the various departments and programs. Spino said he is also con cerned about tribal members 'Arlita Rhoan spoke of the way of life that the ancestors lived long ago, before Lewis and Clark arrived. "We were not divided into districts, but were one whole people," said Rhoan. "We have lost the languages, culture and our ways. We lived well before Lewis and Clark. We were a truthful people. We didn't lie and we were self-sufficient." She said the Confederated Tribes' treaty with the federal government provides many rights, in regard to education, for instance. "School district 509-J should not be telling us how things will be. We should be telling them. It's in the treaty," said Rhoan. Shauna Queahpama said she is concerned about employment at High Lookee Lodge. She said she was released due to lack of funding. She had been there for two years. "It's sad that I am not pro tected by my tribal member en rollment," said Queahpama. She said that after being let go due to funding, three non tribal members had been hired. "That doesn't make sense," she said. "I was there for the people, not the money." Besta Smith shared a similar concern. Indians have had prob lems in getting the recognition they need, he said, "and we pctitive in a very tough'lumber money and doesn't have much market have contributed to the problem, he said. The Tribal Council has faced the choice of reducing the tribal government drastically in one or two years, or gradually over a number of years. The Council has chosen the gradual ap proach, said Jackson. When the floor was open to member comments, a tribal member asked why the gaming dividends from other tribal ca sinos in the state are so much higher than at Kah-Nee-Ta. Jackson said that Kah-Nee-Ta has been profitable since 1995. This year the casino is expected to pay the highest divi dend yet to the tribe, at $2 mil lion. He said that, because of Kah-Nee-Ta's remote location, Indian Head will never gener ate the same level of funding that casinos such as Spirit Mountain generate. "Indian Head is too far from the metropolitan markets." said Jackson. "That is why we want to expand to the gorge." As to where the gaming rev enue is spent, Jackson said, "Ev ery dollar of casino money goes to education." Jackson was asked whether the membership will vote on the location of the new casino. Probably not, he said. Tribal members already voted on this Development, js usingjji Jo t ja.te,making an, effort to, employ . tribal members. Oregon rockers remembered Tribal members with a passion for rock "n roll, Oregon history, or anything having to do with the Baby Boom era are invited to a unique presentation by writer Matt Love, "When Oregon Rocked: The Far Out Story of Vortex 1." The 1970 rock concert held at Mclver State Park near Estacada will be exam ined through a multimedia production at the Jefferson County Library's Rodriguez Annex on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. Vortex 1 was the only state-sponsored rock and counterculture festival in American history. An esti mated 50,000 people at tended the event, staged by legendary Gov. Tom McCalL " " should not be pushed back be- issue earlier in the year, and de- hind the white people." Ncda Wesley said the ambu lance service should not take cuts, because they are working around the clock responding to calls in the community. She said the tribes should consider a detox center where the homeless can be cared for and receive the help they need. Shirley Sanders said that tribal employees should be ac countable. They should work regular hours, "and no more two to three hour lunches." Captain Moody said he was cided on a location in the Gorge area to be determined by Tribal Council. A young woman asked whether the 2003 budget would include cuts in housing, and whether funding is included to help reduce vandalism. This issue was brought up later in the evening by a num ber of other tribal members. Jackson said that Tribal Council allocated several hun dred thousands to housing. A tribal member said that Public Safety has a hard time We did not inherit this land from our fathers; we are borrowing it from our children." Mary Zemke, Republican and Walt Ponsford, Democrat will protect and conserve the natural resources important to Tribal members with careful consideration of Tribal rights on ceded lands. Put Your Future in Good Hands Vote Ponsford & Zemke 475-4446 Paid for by the Committee lo Elect Ponsford & Zemke