Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (May 29, 2003)
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm UO to toeiM mew Groundbreaking ceremony pays homage to a long overdue plan By Shannon Keaveny Spilyay Tymoo Attendees cheered after rep resentatives from the nine Or egon tribes pushed their shov els into the ground recently on the University of Oregon cam pus. The celebration was a groundbreaking for a new longhouse that will accommo date growing Native American university enrollment. Over 50 people attended the event. Tribal Councilwoman Bernice Mitchell represented the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. University of Oregon President David Frohnmeyer stood nearby. "I hope the new longhouse Committees epdate The following is continu ation of committee updates to Tribal Council that took place in the beginning of May. Spilyay Tymoo published the updates of Cult re and Heritage Committee, Off Reservation Fish and Wild life Committee, and Educa tion Committee in the last issue. On Reservation Fish and Wildlife Committee A three-year eel study on the reservation is in its sec ond year. The project - the first of its kind on the reservation -is a collaboration between Bonneville Power Adminis tration and the Confederated Tribes.' Tributaries of the Deschutes River are being monitored. T The goal is to identify what types of eels exist in the Deschutes River sub-basin and their abundance levels. The most common eel in the Deschutes River sub-basin is Pacific Lamprey. Bucks are down, reported Leslie Bill from the On Res ervation Fish and Wildlife Wasco-Warm Springs Peaceful childhood memories of horses draw him back to the reservation. By Shannon Keaveny Spilyay Tymoo WhcnElke Little Leaf Kirk left the reservation he was five years old. He moved with his father to Portland where he attended el ementary school. There, he was the only Native American. A tough childhood began with after school fights with African Americans, Caucasians, and I Iispanics. "I experienced a lot of rac ism," said Kirk. By middle school and high school, he was running with the wrong crowd. "I got involved with gangs and drugs," explained Kirk. Through it all, he remem bered his early childhood on the reservation. "Some of my earliest memo ries were of horses," said Kirk. Springs, Oregon on campus will reflect the grow ing energy of Native Americans on campus," said Frohnmeyer. The longhouse is scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2004. A long overdue plan, tribal efforts to build the Many Na tions Longhouse on campus date back 20 years. Events held at the previous longhouse had par ticipants eating in shifts due to space constraints. Before the groundbreaking, Warm Springs tribal member Wilson Wewa sang an invocation with a representative from the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla. The song, which was about the lifecycle of salmon, was in tended to serve as a metaphor for the cycle of students and the importance of educating Native Americans. Like fish, students leave for four years and then return to the tribe, explained the Umatilla tribal member. Committee. There are 29 fawns for every 100 does. There are 11 bulls to every 100 cows. "The elk are thriving pretty good," said Bill. The reservation will be of fering a hunter safety course for 12 to 17 year olds. Hunters who hunt on off reservation lands, such as ceded or tribal lands, need to carry proof that they have completed a hunter safety course. On the reservation, it is still optional. .: t-'".??? The Fish and Wildlife1 Committee has been follow ing the progress of the navi gability of the John Day River. The state has set up a pi lot project with private land owners and people who use the land for recreation pur poses. The tribes have not taken an official position on whether or not the river should be navigable. Navigability is a legal stan dard that goes back to the origin of statehood, which says the state owns the beds and banks of rivers that have been categorized navigable. Because the Treaty of Elke Little Leaf Kirk started a Warm Springs about one and Eventually Kirk got away from die dnigs and gangs and went back to riding horses. Six years later, with pending wpr$. ,.M ."..'' ' j VVI d - May "I hope the new longhouse on campus will reflect the growing energy of Native Americans on campus." David Frohnmeyer University of Oregon President Afterwards, Bernice Mitchell expressed her gratitude to have economic provisions for a longhouse. "Let's keep improving our schools in the same way we would upgrade from a Model T Ford to a Cadillac," Mitchell mused. She spoke of the benefits of understanding other cultures while maintaining one's own. "Keep going to school and get everything you can from it. Then come home or stay some where where you can teach other Indian children," Mitchell requested of the Native Ameri can students present. "Because only you can teach Hunters who hunt on off-reservation lands, such as ceded or tribal lands, need to carry proof that they have completed a hunter safety course. On the reservation, it is :-;still;pj;iqftl 1855 precedes statehood, John Day River navigability should not affect the tribes use of their ceded lands. In addition, the land deed for Pine Creek Ranch, a ranch owned by the tribes in the John Day Basin, does not extend into the middle of the river. For this reason, the Tribes will not lose private property if the river is deemed navi gable. At the fish hatchery, the handling of wild chinook salmon will stop after the steelhead run is over. Steelheads often carry dis man succeeds with local contractor business In a half years ago. enrollment with the tribe, Kirk runs his own contracting business, The business, which he started about a year and half ago, is 29. 2005 lomghoiuse them," she added. Mitchell included some tribal wisdom about education, saying it is first important to learn to say "I'm sorry" before a person can begin to learn other things. Frohnmeyer was pleased to fulfill his longtime promise of a new campus longhouse for the tribes. He made the promise nine years ago when he became presi dent of the university. He invited all attendees to the fall of 2004 dedication of the Many Nations Longhouse. A final design for the longhouse was exhibited. The architectural firm hired was Jones & Jones Architect and Council ease that put the salmon at risk. Agriculture, Range, and Agriculture Committee The committee plans on having a meeting with 'he 33 Warm Springs departments to resolve Ordinance 33. Ordinance 33 establishes community boundary fences for the purpose of keeping livestock out of community areas. , . The committee feels the ordinance has been ineffec tive on the reservation.The issue is keeping the fencing maintained. Livestock often filter into residential areas. Currently, there are subdivision-zoning plans but Tribal Council has not officially ap proved a zoning map. Tribal Councilperson Ron Suppah asked the committee to see if there were any ad ditional monies for zoning fencing. There is a growing prob lem with wild dogs and other predators, which affect other wild game populations and ranchers livestock. Sheep have taken a par ticularly hard hit, said the committee. doing well, he says. Iitde Leaf Contractors prima rily does roofing, home restora tion, and yard debris removal. Kirk mosdy receives his contracts through the housing department and credit department. "I always wanted to do my own thing," said Kirk. Kirk learned his job skills as a framer, roofer, and by installing insulation and air conditioners in the Pordand area. Me got his first job on the res ervation through Rudy Clements in housing "He's the first person who gave me a job. I just kept bother ing him. He finally gave me a job and gave me a chance to prove myself," said Kirk. After replacing the roof for the Small Business Center, Kirk plans on donating his time and putting in a new carpet for the enterprise. "I use the computers and of fice at die Small Business Center and feel diis is a good time to give something back to rhem," said Kirk. Little I-af Contractors also plans on donating two roof jobs each year to the housing depart Landscape Architects in Seattle. The longhouse will be located directly behind the University of Oregon Law School. Afterwards there was a pow wow on the MacCourt basket ball court and a free salmon din ner in the late afternoon. In the evening Native Ameri cans graduating from the Uni versity of Oregon were hon ored. Among the graduates hon ored were Warm Springs tribal member Kahseuss Jackson and Klamath tribal member Gordon Bettles. Jackson will receive an undergraduate degree in busi ness. Bettles, who has relations in Warm Springs, is the oldest Native American to graduate from the University of Oregon. He will receive his masters in the Independent Studies Indian Program in June. There are over 250 Native American students that attend the University of Oregon. Dogs and coyotes are in terbreeding and running in packs of 20 or more. The committee hopes to resolve the growing issue of preda tors soon. Tribal Chairman Joseph Moses requested a resolution for the predator issue be passed. The committee also stated that they plan to utilize the United States Department of Agriculture services in natu ral resources more. By law, the USDA is required to have a representative on the res ervation. ' Timber Sales Committee The committee just com pleted reviewing the 2003 timber sales, said Theron Johnson. One big concern for the committee is that after a con tract is signed cutting is not allowed to start until after an archaeological survey is com pleted. Right now, said Johnson, the archaeological surveys are running about 10 months behind. The committee hopes to find the means to speed the process up. The delay could make the profits of the en terprise suffer. See COMMITTEES on page 10 business ment. "I feel the tribes need the help," said Kirk of his donation. Kirk always wanted to come back to the reservation, be en rolled in die tribe, and be a part of the community. "I just set my goals," he ex plains, In the future he plans to have a training business for recovering addicts. Kirk would teach partici pants the construction skills he knows. He hopes to be a role model to other people who have had similar experiences with dnigs and alcohol. "I feel like I would be a gtxxl example because I come from the same place," said Kirk, refer ring to his past struggles with drugs and alcohol. "I hope others will stay away from drugs and alcohol because it will hold you back. It clouds your thoughts and your visions," he said. "Now I can see clearly what my goals are and feel like nothing will stop me." To contact little Leaf Con tractors, call Elke Kirk at (541) 815-5448. Page 5 Program offers youth work Employees must be "on track" for high school graduation By Shannon Keaveny Spilyay Tymoo There's summer work on the reservation for teenagers age 14 to 21. One criterion to get hired is to complete 80 hours of vol unteer time. Another is to be "on track" for high school graduation. Students must provide school transcripts and have a note from their school coun selor. "Volunteering promotes the concept of giving back to the community," says Verleen Kalama, administrator for the Youth Development Program. The requirement to volun teer supports positive youth development that enhances citizenship skills, civic bonding, character building, additional knowledge, personal develop ment and social and civil re sponsibility, says a handout produced by WFDD. WFDD hopes, in return, the community will benefit be cause the younger generation will add to their life experi ences, build their resume, and participate in the community in a positive way. This year employees of the Summer Youth Program will earn $6 per hour. Jobs will last eight weeks. i All first year working youth will be required to attend a youth orientation, set for June 11 and 12. Once volunteer time is completed, Warm Springs youth may apply for one of two programs. The tribal program, funded by the tribes, requires appli cants be an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Applicants must pass a pre employment drug test. The Workforce Investment Act, funded by federal mon ies, serves native youth ages 14 to 21. Applicants must be consid ered low-income and provide an income eligibility form with a recent check stub or proof of income. Some examples to prove eli gibility are food stamps verifi cation, SSI, and GAWelfare benefits. Applicants must also pass a pre-employment drug test. Paid employment opportu nities vary from a Fire & Safety cadet to an office aide to a dental assistant. Volunteer hours can be ful filled at the Museum at Warm Springs, High Lookee Lodge, the Rodeo Association, and other locations on the reser vation. For more information or to apply, please contact Verleen Kalama or Darlcne Trimble, YDP assistant at 2101 Wasco Street, or call at (541) 553 3324. Story idea? Call Spilyay Tymoo 553-3274 i