Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2003)
February 20, 2003 IMlbes gather for winter corf ereece Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians tackle issues facing Native Americans throughout the region Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon By Shannon Keaveny Spilyay Tymoo Fifty-five tribes, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, flocked to Pordand for the an nual Affiliated Tribes of North west Indians (ATNI) Winter Conference last week. For four days, various tribes discussed key issues in the Pa cific Northwest affecting tribal self-determination and sover eignty. Attendees, many tribal leaders, broke into various com mittees throughout the day. Nearly 400 people attended. ATNI President Ernie Stensgar, of the Coeur D'Alene Tribe, opened the conference by outlining the challenges Native Americans face. Many guest speakers followed him. The United States govern ment is not living up to our trea ties, is not providing health ser vices and more, Stensgar said. The national war crisis is felt on our reservations, he added. "My heart goes out to the men and women involved," said Stensgar. He paid tribute to the Indian warriors of the past. "Past tribal warriors are the reason we are here today. We, too, have to step up and protect our homeland," he said. "We need to carry out the aspirations of our last leaders." Stensgar listed several com ponents needed for a healthy so cial model. Some examples in clude housing resources, public i schools that fulfill tribal needs, preservation of dwindling natu ral resources, and adequate healthcare. All of these factors are facing crisis situations in Native American communities. Bringing 55 tribes together to find solutions and protect our rights is the spirit of ATNI, he said. 'ATNI has 14 committees tackling tribal issues in the Pa cific Northwest. The committees are Culture and Elders; Economic Develop ment; Gaming; Telecommunica tions and Utilities; Tourism; Education; Health; Housing; Indian Child Welfare; Law and Justice; Natural Resources; Transportation; Veterans; and Youth. Each year the commit tees agree on resolutions as a focus for Pacific Northwest tribes. ATNI was established in 1953. Participating states are Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and California. The following were some key issues discussed. Opening speakers Dave Tovey, ATNI's Eco nomic Development Corpora Kulongoski: tribes won't be forgot Continutd from pugr 1 "I am fully committed to the executive order and the law. It's good for all people in Oregon not just the tribes," he said. The governor stated that he would collaborate on tribal is sues, such as natural burial , grounds, gaming issues, and water rights. 1 1c cited the recent water rights agreement with Warm Springs as proof of his commitment. Kulongoski ex pressed further collaboration on law enforcement with the tribes, especially in the courts. "Oregon will stand with tribal government to say that tribal law stands," he said. More federal money for salmon restoration to ensure ABOVE: Olivia Wallulatum shares the success of Senate Bill speaks of BPA obligations to "Treaty and trust obligations cannot be minimized due to eco nomic factors. My concern is that if tribal treaty projects are diminished, it will set a bad example." Jody Calica tion (EDC) president, gave a brief report. ATNI EDC recognizes the need to build partnerships be tween federal, state, and tribal governments to have effective economic development. One example is EDC's program to provide loans for tribal mem bers. "We have lent out $800,000 to tribal businesses," he said. Tourism, he said, is the way of the future. Mark Marchand, ATNI first vice-president and Colville Res ervation tribal member, spoke of the outcomes of economic growth. "We are almost getting what we want. We are going down roads we've never been down before. But with growth, come management problems and a lot of other issues." W Ron Allen, ATNI execu tive director and Jamestown S'Kallam tribal member, and Stan Speaks, Bureau of Indian Affairs Northwest Regional Di rector, updated the audience on BIA reorganization and trust reform. Speaks listed some staff changes. Three deputy secretaries were created in the BIA, said conservation of tribal resources was also listed. This would be a pivotal move in light of Bonneville Power Administration's planned cuts in funding to Fish and Wild life programs. "The history between the feds and the tribes is shameful," he said. Kulongoski wrapped up his speech with a few words about the economy in Oregon, tying it in with reservation hardships. I Ie specifically cited high rates of poverty, unemployment, and child hunger as offshoots of a troubled economy,. Measure 28 not passing will cut an additional $100 to $200 7 .N l ; the tribes. Speaks. There are now five po sitions for the secretary of the interior, which used to be two. Severity-five trust officer posi tions are located nationally. "Don't think of it as a reor ganization but a restructuring," said Speaks of BIA changes. Allen spoke of BIA efforts to minimize bureaucracy. President's Bush's recent BIA fund increases may be mislead ing, explained Allen. Specific line items, especially important to the Pacific Northwest, were cut to increase BIA trust reform. "Basically, we're taking money from the left pocket and putting it in our right," said Allen. Despite many tribal com plaints, Ross Swimmer, who was recently nominated as Special Trustee for American Indians in the Department of the Interior, will likely be approved, said Allen. Wrapping up the morning, John Dossett, National Congress of American Indians general counsel, spoke of the impor tance of positive media for In dians, especially regarding casi nos. He referred to the recent TIME magazine article on In y.tv m .; w . Gov. Kulongoski chats with an ATNI attendee after his speech. million, he said, Umatilla Reser vation faces unemployment rates of 17 percent, he said. "I will not forget the unem 488. BELOW: Jody Calica , . ft r- !; 1 M X dian casinos as "unfair covcr ,ae." . Dossett encouraged the au dience to attend the NCAI Win ter Conference in Washington D.C. At the same time, Congress will be in session. He encour aged Indians to stop by Congress to help educate officials on the benefits of casinos for Native Americans. "It's more important than ever for them to hear your side," he said. Culture and elders The Chcmawa Indian School in Salem faces a controversy over tribal burial grounds with the federal government. The cemetery is found on the 400 acres of property considered school grounds. Over 200 stu dents are buried there. SuAnn Reddick, a volunteer historian at the school, presented a resolution to the committee. The student cemetery has been deemed "underutilized" by the BIA. The property is not pro tected because it has not been placed in trust. Reddick argued the land was purchased by student earnings from picking hops and could be considered tribal land. She asked ployed vowed. and I mean it," he conomic recovery in- eludes the nine tribes of Oregon too, he added. I le recognized that the ATNI tribes take ac tion to put the land "in trust." Creating a land trust would pro tect the burial grounds at the Chemawa Indian School. Olivia Wallulatum and Louie Pitt, Jr., of Warm Springs Gov ernmental Affairs, shared the success of Senate Bill 488. The bill makes it illegal to use the word "squaw" in names of geo graphical locations in Oregon. Two men, employed by the Federal Communications Com mission (FCC) in Washington D.C, attended the Culture and Elders Committee meeting. The FCC provides wireless licensing and tower facilities na tionally. They proposed an agreement that they said would further pro tect historical property on res ervations and ceded lands. His torical property includes tradi tional, religious, and cultural sites. Education Tribal members in Washing ton, fluent in their native tongues, are now allowed to re ceive a teacher's certification from their tribe. Last year Oregon tribal mem bers were granted the same right. Students from Portland State University shared the progress of the Native American Com munity and Student Center be ing built on campus. PSU plans to open the cen ter in September. Lillian Pitt, Warm Springs tribal member, will design the totem pole. The students successfully raised $4 million to build the center. The principal of the Chemawa Indian School shared the successes of its unique edu cational system. Students are tested for their level of proficiency in each sub ject. They are then assigned a class level, rather than grade. Using this new system, 68 stu dents graduated in 2002 com pared to 37 students in 1997. "We built our system on what the students need," he said. Natural Resource Therese Lamb, Bonneville Power Administration vice presi dent, held a forum to explain motives for the dramatic cuts to their fish and wildlife pro gram in 2003. The BPA plans to trim nearly half of its expenditures for its fish and wildlife program in ef forts to balance their budget. The planned budget is (139 million, reduced from $244 mil lion. 'There is a $1.2 billion gap we need to fill," she said. "Our costs have been higher than an ticipated." The BPA gap was created by the recent drought and inaccu- in hard times the dual citizenship of tribal members. I Ie expressed his dedi cation to opportunities for tribal children on and off reservations "You are sovereigns but also citizens in Oregon," he said. Faithful stewardship of re sources, he said, is directly con nected to a strong economy. I Ie envisioned sustainable develop ment, tourism and reliable part nerships for small businesses in Oregon as a means for tribes to achieve self-sufficiency. Both Oregon and reserva tions need each other to achieve a healthy economy. An example of this symbiotic relationship is Grand Rondc's Spirit Mountain Casino, the biggest tourist at traction in Oregon. Spirit Moun rate assumptions of secondary revenues. BPA plans to increase rates on Oct 1. Cuts, claimed Lamb, have also been made inside the company. The cuts will reduce river restoration projects by nearly one-third. Many employees will lose their jobs. "You are a public agency that needs to assess secondary effects on the economy when you make cuts," said an audience member to Lamb. Many attendees felt the BPA didn't understand obligations to their treaties to fund restoration projects. "Treaty and trust obligations cannot be minimized due to eco nomic factors," said Jody Calica, BIA superintendent for the Nez Perce Tribe. A brief presentation on the Hanford Reach Contamination site in Idaho was also given. Hanford is a plutonium waste site created by the federal gov ernment during the Cold War. It is the most contaminated site in North America. The ground water in the sur rounding area is already contami nated. Eventually the water will flow to the Columbia River. Ra diation levels will be 100 times the allowable level in 2020. "Let's tell the feds it's unac ceptable to not clean it up," urged Greg DeBruler of Co lumbia Riverkeepers. Gaming Ernie Stevens, Jr., chairman of National Indian Gaming As- sociation (NIGA), attended the cbnferenc'e an Portland. He ,' ' spoke on two occasions. j Despite growing media criti cism of casinos, tribes across the country are using revenues to build communities. A few examples of casino money put to good use are new healthcare centers; reservation schools; recreation centers; po lice stations; and the institution of many governmental services. All improvements, due to casino money, are keeping NIGA busy, he said One success in the last year was NIGA efforts to maintain tribal interests in campaigns. US. tribes' freedom to make cam paign donations was being threatened in Congress. NIGA's efforts to educate Congress about finance laws prevented the Campaign Fi nance Reform amendment from being offered. Last week NIGA hosted a Winter Legislative Summit in Washington D.C. Over 30 mem bers of Congress attended and spoke about issues important this year. In turn, NIGA addressed several issues important to the tribes with the Congressal mem bers. tain Casino, he said, "gives to the economy." As a result, many off reservation businesses flourish. He closed his speech with a few words about Oregon treaties. "We're all better off if we fulfill our commitments to the treaties," he said. Afterwards Pitt told the crowd, " As you can see we have a communicator here. We have a governor with cars." Gov. Kulongoski, who wore a shirt from an Oregon tribe, was presented with a Pendleton jacket and three blankets. ATNI is a non-profit organi zation dedicated to promoting tribal self-determination and sovereignty. a.pM