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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 2003)
OR. COLL. E 7S .S68 v. 28 no. 25 December 11, 2003 P.O. Box 870 University of Oregon Library Received on: 12-16-03 Spilyay tymoo. ymo Coyote News, est. 1976 Pecember 11, 2003 Vol. 28, No. 25 U.S. Postage Bulk Rate Permit No. 2 Warm Springs, OR 97761 50 cents Census entering second phase The Tribal Census Team reports that they are moving into the second phase of the Tribal Census, with a goal of surveying 80 percent of local households before the New Year, and counting all residents by early 2004. By the end of this week, approxi mately 60 percent of local households will be surveyed. Off-reservation tribal members are also being contacted. To help accomplish the targets, ma jor employers on the reservation are cooperating by scheduling interviews with their member employees and resi dent non-members. Because of budget constraints, the number of census enumerators, or surveyors, will need to be reduced. Currently, the enumerators are Mayann Aguilar, Levi Bobb, Carla Dean Caldera, Jose Calica, Marena Florez, Hamilton Greeley, James Greeley, Lonnie Jack, Gloria Mitchell, Allen Mitchell, James Moran, Arlene Wewa and Emily Yazzie. The above people are the only au thorized surveyors, along with Vital Statistics staff. Additional funding is being pursued to allow completion of the process in a timely manner. The census team wishes to thank the community, enterprises, agencies and media for their continued support. Please call Vital Statistics at 553-3252 ... to arrangeiin.jnterview. Tribes propose virtual college BEND, Ore. (AP) Indian tribes are talking about creating a virtual col lege that combines resources at reser vations around the state. The proposal, the nation's first, also would allow reservation residents ac cess to college courses at other schools. Federal funding would help pay for video or Web-based courses to link res ervation classrooms or individual stu dents. A main goal would be to train and educate residents for reservation indus tries, said Wendell Jim, general man ager of education for the Confeder ated Tribes of Warm Springs. Tribal education officials say the next step is approval from the nine tribal councils in Oregon. Some courses might be created spe cifically to meet the needs of the res ervations, including topics such as natu ral resources or casino management, said Clint Jacks, the Oregon State Uni versity extension agent for Jefferson County and Warm Springs. Tribal experts could also teach courses in native languages, forestry and other topics that could be distrib uted to other campuses. Another focus likely would be ex panding the remedial education pro gram to help prepare students for de gree programs. "One of our experiences is that folks need to increase their math and writing skills to be successful in a bachelor's or associate of arts program," Jacks said. Although many reservations, includ ing Warm Springs, already have some local higher education programs, the virtual college would expand education options. Many reservation residents can't leave for school because they are al ready working locally, Jim said. Warm Springs, like some other res ervations, is far from many college campuses. "We're trying to bring opportunity here," he said. The program probably would start as a two-year college and be linked with four-vear institutions, Oregonian series sparks a response By D. "Bing" Bingham Spilyay Tymoo The recent series of Oregonian news paper articles on Warm Springs was a topic of discussion at the recent meet ing of the Jefferson County School District 509-J Board of Directors. Urbana Ross, of the tribes' Educa tion Committee, and Myra Johnson, director of Culture and Heritage, gave their input to the board. Johnson reported that she had heard Native kids in the high school were "re ally unhappy about the Oregonian ar ticles to the point where they were cussing mad." She counseled the school board to "be aware and sensitive" to the feel ings of young Native Americans dur ing a difficult time. "Those articles were written with out the knowledge of our young people," she said, "and so many times we forget our young people." Ross acknowledged the "sensitivity" issue. "I'm asking the school principals to be sensitive with our students and communicate with the teachers about the recent articles," she said. "Give them a chance to talk about the articles and the impact their having on our students and the Warm Springs community." She explained later that she would like to see students and parents re warded for doing the right thing. "If they are attending school and doing the things they should be," she says, "they're helping turn that belief around that the Warm Springs com munity is a dangerous place." Urbana Ross brought up several other points to the school board: - She recommended a tribal repre sentative be on the search committee for the new superintendent. "I think they need a Tribal Council chairman as a representative from Basketball team headed for Iowa By D. "Bing" Bingham Spilyay Tymoo Jaylyn Suppah is excited and wor ried about the upcoming invitational Sacajawea Tournament. She's excited because the team will be facing some of the top players in the nation, and there will be some national level basketball talent scouts looking for new blood. She's worried because she's in jured and might not get off the bench. "I don't know if I'm going to get to play... that bums me out," she says. Jaylyn Suppah has a dream. She wants to go pro: WomenTNadnar Basketball Association. "I'd have liked to be the first In dian in the WNBA, but I hear there's going to be an Indian in there pretty soon," she says. That's OK, second is fine. She just wants to play pro ball. She was ten years old when she realized she was serious about bas ketball. Her uncle started his team and he was serious about his game. "He was really serious about bas ketball, so it made me serious about it," she says. Basketball runs in the family. "My grandpa played basketball all his life, all my aunts and uncles played and all my cousins play... it's some thing my family's done," she contin ues," I don't think any of them have ever set goals like I have... like I wanna do." And the Sacajawea Tournament - in Souix City, Iowa, Dec. 17-21 -will be a good place for Jaylin, and other tribal members, Susan Ahem and Carina "Spud" Miller, to test themselves. "This tournament is against some of the best talent in the nation," says girls basketball coach Bruce Reece, "it's one of those invitational tour naments that will let you know if you're able to play with that kind of talent or if you're just an average ball club." " ' ' """" "" ; A . i J v , " i v",-. . ' ' ' ' L - ' : . .-V ; - . . ' V', 1 v fu?. ;, 1 -3': Jaylyn Suppah &ng BinghanVSpilyay Reece isn't a betting man, but he wouldn't be surprised if the Madras High girls basketball team is better than "just average." "The talent is still here and the girls know how to work hard and they know how to play basketball," he says, "I ex pect us to do very well." Meanwhile the team members are spending their extra time before the tournament on brushing up their skills. "I need to work on my ball han dling," says Susan Ahem, "just touch ing the basketball as much as I can." And playing or not, Jaylyn Suppah is ready to go. If she plays, she'll do her best in front of the scouts. If not, she'll find another way to stay on the court, out in front of the scouts and hard at it until she reaches her dream. Community mourns loss of girl Cindy Gilbert The Warm Springs community was greatly saddened to learn of the death of young tribal member Cindy Gilbert Sohappy. Ms. Gilbert Sohappy passed away on Saturday, Dec. 6. She was 16 years old. Ms. Gilbert Sohappy was known for her involvement in school activities, includingjunior ROTC, basketball and track. Through her ROTC involvement, Ms. Gilbert Sohappy took part in many parades in the community. She marched in the Veterans Day and Pi-Umc-Sha parades. At school she was a good student, and loved by school staff and teach ers. She worked with senior citizens. She loved music, and spending time with family and friends. Ms. Gilbert Sohappy grew up in warm springs, and attended local schools. Recently, she transferred to Chemawa Indian School in Salem. The cause of death of Ms. Gil bert Sohappy is being investigated. This week, services were being held at the home of Lola Sohappy, grand mother of Ms. Gilbert. Warm Springs on that search so there is tribal input." - After the new superintendent is in place, "What types of activities are going to fall through the cracks for our Native American students and the pro gram provided to our students? I'm concerned about that." - Madras High is on the watch list for high number of expulsions. Because of the high number of native kids in volved, she expressed her concern that school authorities find themselves de veloping a 'zero tolerance' level for Warm Springs kids. Please see SCHOOL on page 8 U.S. officials drop out of dam relicensing BEND, Ore. (AP) U.S. Depart ment of Interior officials have dropped out of relicensing talks for the Pelton Round Butte dam complex this year, claiming the negotiations would take too much time and too many resources, according to public documents. By failing to participate, the agency risks losing a say in negotiations over provisions for the new license for the three-dam complex, wrote Julie Keil, director of hydropower licensing for Portland General Electric (PGE). . PGE and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs have applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory "Commis sion to operate the dams for the next 50 years. Relicensing the dam provides a unique opportunity for officials to re store native fish runs in the Deschutes watershed. Endangered steelhead and chinook salmon are two species that will benefit, according to biologists. PGE and the Confederated Tribes are trying to resolve controversy over a variety of issues involved in the li censing, including preserving water quality; getting migratory fish above and below the dams; conserving wildlife habitat; and determining who will pay for conservation efforts. Interior officials wrote in a Nov. 14 letter that they had to devote the months of November and December to responding to a FERC environmen tal study on the relicensing. The letter said officials would resume negotiations in 2004. Interior Department officials, PGE executives and others involved would not comment because of a confidenti ality agreement governing the negotia tions. However, letters filed with the energy commission are available to the public. The Interior Department's let ter states that officials will continue to work internally to prepare for negotia tions in January. But Kcil's letter said: "Interior should have no expectation that it will be possible to engage in fur ther substantive settlement discussions in 2004." Night Out is Thursday The Warm Springs Alcohol Preven tion Program, and the Youth Develop ment and Recreation departments arc proudly sponsoring the Third Annual Christmas Indian Night C )ut. The event is set for Thursday Dec. 11 at the Agency Longhousc. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. and the powwow and games to begin at 7 p.m. Random drawings throughout the evening will be held for great gifts and prizes. These Departments cordially in vite community members to come and participate, eat and dance during the powwow.