April 17, 2003
Page 5
Tlhnnee Warriors9 Market: A commraiiilly base
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
Story and photos
by Shannon Keaveny
Welcome to down
town Simnasho,
jokes "Captain" Raymond
Moody as customers enter the
Three Warriors Market.
', Surrounded by rolling hills
and a big sky, the market may
riot be much of a downtown,
but it's a lot more than the
Simnasho folk are used too.
Until the market opened 4
years ago, Simnasho residents
had to drive 13 miles just to
reach the nearest store.
"If you drove home and re
alized that you forgot to buy
milk than it was tough luck,"
said Moody, the assistant man
ager of the store.
" Now the lone building serves
as a community base.
Inside food and supplies line
the shelves pilot bread, milk,
frozen dinners, juices, color
books, medicines, cleaning sup
plies, car oil and more.
In the corner is Chester
Fried, a fast-food chicken fran
chise offering fried chicken,
pizza sticks, potatoes and other
foods.
v An assortment of fountain
drinks and a cappuccino ma
chine line the wall.
'. Two tables are available for
those who want to stay for a
doffee or a meal. In addition,
out front, the market offers
some of the cheapest gas
around.
"It used to be a big deal for
Simnasho people to go to the
store because they had to drive
so far but now people have be
come accustomed to the convex
nience of ;the store,'" says'
Moody.
' Three Warriors Market em
ploys 10 community members,
three of which are full-time.
' Millie Smith, a market em-
Warm Springs prepared for terrorism attack, natural disaster
In the event of a major
(disaster Warm Springs
Public Safety has a plan.
By Shannon Keaveny
Spiljay Tymoo
i
u These days the risk of ter
rorism is gauged like wildfire risk
in the hot summer.
( Risk escalates with the politi
cal climate change.
The nation currendy stands
at "orange" - one level below
r,ed, the highest risk for a ter
rorist attack on US. soil.
.. Although terrorism is more
likely to hit a highly populated
area, Don B. Courtney, chief of
VCarm Springs Police and direc
tor of Public Safety, and staff
Young: "The tribes
are the customer."
(Continued from page 1)
He worked for a large
health organization in Alaska,
his job being director of ad
ministration. "I polished my manage
ment skills there," said Young.
Most recently, Young was
working as the superintendent
of the Nevada Agency of the
BIA. He's looking forward to
working with the Confeder
ated Tribes of Warm Springs.
"One of the things the
tribes have expressed," he
Next Spiljay deadline
K
ployee, would have to drive to
Madras to work, if it weren't
forthe market." The market prb5
vide's ' local ' economy,'' 's1 dys'
Moody.' '
"People aren't getting rich by
working here," says Moody,
"but they are earning enough to
stay happy."
are working hard to be prepared
for anything.
"We're low-risk but we still
aren't responding any less," said
Courtney.
In this area, potential risk lies
in the power lines, the Pelton
Round Butte hydroelectric
project, Kah-Nee-Ta and other
areas where large groups of
people gather.
But, on the reservation, a
natural disaster poses a higher
threat.
After 1996, the year Warm
Springs Reservation endured a
major flood and catastrophic
wildfire, Warm Springs public
safety learned a valuable lesson.
A detailed emergency plan for
the reservation was necessary.
In response, a manuscript
was developed outlining a plan
said, "is they want to work
closely with the superinten
dent and the BIA."
In response, he said, "I
want to work closely with the
tribes, and ensure that our
programs our carried out."
Young explained his view
of the relationship between
the' tribes and the BIA:
"The tribes are the cus
tomer. When they come into
the office, we say, how can we
help you? And then we try our
best to meet those needs."
is Fridaj, April 25.
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Also, since the market
opened on Jan. 24, 2000
Moody'i.oqtil ahgjyk
his conununtydtiw i . . t; :'C",:;
In the last six months, (three,
homes have been built.
"People are wanting to come
home," says Moody of their
expanding community.
of action for every type of di
saster - natural or manmade.
Up to 25 of these plans have
been distributed throughout the
area the Warm Springs Police
Department, the water treat
ment plant, Fire and Safety,
tribal council, Jefferson County,
the state police, and more.
Every faction that receives
one is required to become fa
miliar with the course of action
necessary to take in case of a
major disaster on the reserva
tion. They also have their own
internal disaster plan.
The plans include community
shelter options, medical aid, le
gal ramifications, public infor
mation, resident management,
and transportation. They cover
specific plans for earthquakes,
floods, fires, and a terrorist at
Recreation, Kah-Nee-Ta host
- - v
i ' A I Of i 'l
ABOVE: Three
Warriors' Market in
the afternoon.
LEFT: Millie Smith at
work in the Chester
Fried deli at the
Three Warriors'
Market. Chester
Fried has been a
part of the market for
the last 14 months
and, upon request,
will cater tribal
events.
Smith says, if it
weren't for the
market, she would
have to drive to
Madras for work.
Not the first store
This isn't the first time
Simnasho has had a store.... ...
' Back in the 1940s, Sunhasno
was the location of a post-WWII
work camp for American sol
diers. In the center of the camp
was a store. It was the same lo
cation as Three Warriors' Mar
tack. In Warm Springs, up to
100 displaced residents can find
a temporary home at a Red
Cross disaster shelter. Others
can find shelter at the
longhouses. If the phone lines
go down, hand held operators
will be in place. In case of a dam
breach, residents near the river
will benotified.
"Today, we think, we are
more prepared than most com
munities because we have been
through it before," said
Courtney.
Courtney explains, whether
terrorism or a natural disaster,
the course of action is often the
same.
Police chiefs throughout Cen
tral Oregon work together to
ensure they have a cohesive plan
on the occasion of a disaster and
, 'i5 " i)
... .....v.. ..h .M,MmM.,mM-itaMdbmfcMMg iiM
I The Warm Springs Recreation Department marathon,
and Kah-Nee-Ta recently hosted a mini mile fun rurvwaiK.
marathon. The race this year saw a good turnout of
The races Included a 14.5 mile half- participants.
ket today.
"We're just replacing what
was here back in the 40s," says
Moody.
Later, in the 1970s, the film
'Three Warriors," the inspira
tion for the market's name, was
shot on the reservation. Holly
wood filmmakers set up a make
shift storefront with fake gas
pumps in Simnasho.
"I remember people driving
up to the gas pump, thinking they
could get some gas," reminisces
Moody of the making of the
film.
What the future holds
A Simnasho planning group
worked hard and held many
community meetings to be
granted the current store.
Over the last four years, the
management has steadily ex
panded the store's services.
Chester Fried is just over a year
old.
The store has also acquired
new accounts and big
namebrand companies, like
Franz Bread and Frito Lay.
"They have been real coop
erative and willing to come out
anytime we need something,"
says Moody of the companies.
"Word has gotten around that
the tribes' pay their bills," says
Moody about the ease of acquir
ing credit with vendors for the
store.
The store also would like to
get a post office. Moody and
employee Millie Smith talk
about the convenience a post
office would bring to the com
munity. Smith remembers when
Simnasho had a postal drop box.
Moody feels a post office would
bring Simnasho closer to self
sufficiency. , h ... ,i ., , :
"That's what the tribes' are
always striving for," he says.
Also, it would benefit the
store. Folks might buy some
thing after they drop off their
mail.
meet monthly. Fire and Safety
meets every three months to
discuss changes in disaster plans.
"A disaster plan is a constant
updating process, especially if
there is employee turnover and
new people need to be trained,"
said Courtney.
And there is always room to
make it more efficient.
Courtney and Fire Chief
Danny Martinez want to start
having community focus
groups. The group would pro
vide community members with
an opportunity to become famil
iar with the Warm Springs di
saster plan. It would also edu
cate the community on how to
become aware of signals, what
to do when there is a warning,
and how to prepare your home
unit. Courtney recommends fol
"It would be another draw
for the store," says Moody.
For the most part, the store
offers comparable prices to off
reservation stores and Moody
would like to eventually offer
tribal members discounts on gas.
Clientele at the market has
surpassed just being for tribal
members. It assists tribal enter
prises, like Kah-Nee-Ta, by of
fering a nearby convenience
store for daily outings. Visitors
can come buy ice, pop, and
other necessities without driving
clear to town.
Farmers have realized the
market is a cheaper option for
diesel gas. Wandering Maupin
locals might also take advantage
of the low gas prices.
Natural resources work
groups, like forestry crews or
firefighters, use it to fill up their
trucks. Some tribal members,
says employee Yahteen Frank,
drive all the way up from Warm
Springs to shop, get gas, and
show their financial support for
the tribal enterprise.
But, like many businesses,
911 had its impact on the store.
With tourism dwindling due to
economic fears, the market saw
less traffic last summer. The
store is dependent on tourism
and the extra summer traffic to
make ends meet.
"We lost some of the outsid
ers, but the locals kept coming,"
says Moody of the 911 impact
Yet, the Three Warriors' still
cleared its first million in January
of 2002 and with the weak
economy slowly easing, the future
holds promise. Moody still hopes
someday the market will become
more than a tribal community
asset and make some money.
Overall, he feels it has been a
success and a worthy investment i
forthe tribes', ,j ,,',;' j
"I hope the tribes' use this as
an example for other small busi
ness ventures on the reservation.
There's other places that could use
a store like this," says Moody.
lowing the traditions of the el
ders and always keeping an
ample supple of food on hand.
Recently Public Safety re
ceived a $38,000 Federal Emer
gency Management Agency
(FEMA) grant to use for a Com
munity Emergency Response
Team (CERT) training at Kah-Nee-Ta
on April 28-May 1. The
workshop will teach trainers
from reservations throughout
the country. Trainers will return
to their community and teach
other communities to organize
and be prepared for disaster.
A website is also being devel
oped that will include proce
dures for emergencies in Warm
Springs.
For more information on
focus groups, call Don Courtney
at 553-3272.
marathon
SetanaBoM'Spllyay
1 0K run, 3-mile run, and the 1 -