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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2004)
University of Oregon Library Received on: 01-27-04 Spllyay tymoo. OR. COL I.. E 75 . SR8 v. ?9 no. 2 January 22, 2004 jJcWstion DeDt Q . 'Postal ran w i Warm Springs, OR 97761 U.S. Postage Bulk Rate Permit No. 2 Warm Springs, OR 97761 Coyote Aens, erf. P75 January 22, 2004 Vol. 29, No. 2 50 cents Spiiyzsy yuiuu Tribes plan for tourism By Dave McMechan Spiljaj Tymoo Tourism can be a great source of revenue and jobs, as shown on the res ervation most clearly by Kah-Nee-Ta. The Confederated Tribes are begin ning to develop an action plan that will identify ways to ensure long-term sus tainable tourism on the reservation. Kah-Nee-Ta will no doubt play a central role in this plan, but the tribes also are looking for new ideas for im proved tourism. Tribal members will be asked to provide their suggestions. The ideas that meet the principles of sustainable tourism could be in cluded in the action plan. In developing the plan, the tribes will be working with Rural Development Initiatives Inc., a non-profit organiza tion that helps small Oregon commu nities with development projects. Sal Sahme, of Warm Springs Business and Economic Development, is a member of the board of Rural Development Initiatives (RDI). He believes the de velopment of a sustainable tourism plan will be a good thing for the tribes. Timber cannot provide economic stability to the tribes, as was true dur ing years and decades past. So there is a need to further diversify the local -economy, said Sahme. "We've had a decade of downsizing and budget cuts," he said. "Now we're forced to look at other ways to bring jobs to our people. And I think we have to look to tourism as a way of helping the local economy." In working on the tourism plan with RDI, the tribes will have the help of an organization that is at the forefront of sustainable tour ism planning, said Sahme. "We have a highly professional and respected or ganization working with us," he said. Kathleen Jaworski, executive direc tor of RDI, said her organization will be assisting the tribes in developing a plan that the community members are happy with. RDI, she said, will not dic tate what the plan will include. "RDI is the background facilitator. We won't be determining the results," said Jaworski. A series of community meetings will guide the development of the plan. An important meeting for community members to attend will be on Thurs day, March 25, at the museum, meet ing time to be announced. See TOURISM on page 12 A close call in the snowy woods Two men nearly perish; rescuers arrive just in time By Dave McMechan Spilyuy Tymoo It was the biggest snowstorm in years and the men were stuck for two days and nights out in the woods with no shelter and nothing to eat. They almost died and they would have died if a rescue team had not arrived just in time. This near fatal adventure hap pened shortly after New Years to Leland Thompson Sr. and Chesley Yahtin Jr. "I was getting ready to die there until I heard the snowmobiles," said Thompson, 60. He and Yahtin were almost frost bitten. Thompson had a body tempera ture of just 90 degrees. A doctor who examined him said that Thompson would have died if he had spent an other three or four hours outside in the snow. This is an example of how cold they were: When Yahtin was rescued, he was found walking in the snow with just one shoe on. Because of the numbness, he didn't realize that one of his shoes was off. Thompson and Yahtin are doing well now. Yahtin is already back to work, and Thompson said he is ready to get back on the job. Both men work at clearing roads. They were on a contract for the mill around New Years. At the time one of the road grading trucks was stuck in the snow about seven miles from I ligh way 26, in a northern area of the res ervation near Mt. Wilson. Thompson parked his truck near the highway, and they rode in on a Cater pillar tractor. There was a rig called a Powwow justaround the corner This year will mark the first time that Sisiley Sasha Scott will serve on the Lincoln's Birthday Powwow Court. Scott, 15, began fancy danc ing last year. Earlier this year she was ap proached by elders about serving on the powwow court, and Scott agreed. She takes part in all of the cul tural activities of the tribes. She has been a part of root gath erings all her life. From a very young age she could identify the different kinds of roots. She also does beadwork on her powwow clothes, and her father is teaching her to make knives with antler handles. Scott is the daughter of Debra and Francis Scott. She is in her fresh man year, attending Madras High School. She is of Warm Springs, Wasco, Grande Ronde and Sioux ancestry. Scott was born and raised in Warm Springs, In the photograph at right she is wearing a dress that is 100 years old, made by atwai Lucy Miller and atwai Naomi Wagner. Rosie Tom made the bag. Sisiley Scott is selling raffle tick ets for the Lincoln's Birthday Pow wow, which will be next month. . The tickets are $1 a piece, or 6 for $5. You can call 325-1543 to make a purchase. 4 V . J u i B3 I , : Pk. . - T A 4 ,' it : 7 qi i I D I f 1 Sisiley Scott Dave McMeohanSpilyay skidder, also used on roads, that was also stuck in the snow in the area. The trouble happened when the Cat ran out of diesel. And the grader wouldn't The radio in the Cat didn't work because the signal was blocked by Mt. Wilson. Yaluin had a cell phone but there was no service in that remote area. It was snowing and the snow on the ground was already deep. It seemed best to wait for help rather than risk a long walk toward the highway. See RESCUE on page 12 Board helps students to stay in school By Dave McMechan Spilyciy Tymoo There are many reasons why stu dents miss school, and some of these causes of truancy can be fairly easily corrected. The key to resolving some of these cases is communication. I lere is an example: The student was missing school because her clothes were wet. It was the middle of winter, and the family had no clothes dryer. The clothes would hang on the line and not dry in time for the student to make it to school. The problem could have lasted for a long time, but the Warm Springs Tru ancy Board was made aware of the reason why this student was missing school. Through the board the family made arrangements to use a dryer at the el ementary school, and the problem was resolved. Other families are without electric ity, or without clothes for the child, in creasing the likelihood of problem tru ancy. The Truancy Board is a way for the community to be involved in improv ing school attendance, said Butch David, school district liaison for Warm Springs. The Truancy Board is a kind of last resort before more serious action -involving courts and fines - is taken in cases of persistent truancy. Instead of appearing in covt the family of the truant student can meet with the Truancy Board and explain their situation. See TRUANCY on page 12 Smith enjoying move to Kah-Nee-Ta By Dave McMechan Spiljay Tymoo Janell Smith had an opportunity to move from an organization that was cutting back on its budget, to one that is growing. The transition has been a good one. "I don't know if I could have gone through another year of downsizing tribal government," she said. Smith worked for 16 years in tribal Compensation and Benefits. She held various positions in the department, including most recently the position of manager. She resigned from the job at the beginning of this month, and now works as the director of human re sources for Kah-Nee-Ta Resort and Casino. At Comp and Benefits, Smith worked closely with tribal government employees of all departments. In re cent years - with departments adopt ing significant budget cuts the work had become especially difficult Janell Smith About that time Margie Tuckta, former Kah-Nee-Ta human resources director, took a new job with the re sort. Smith was approached about fill ing the vacancy, and she mentioned it to Garland Brunoe, her boss at Comp and Benefits. "He said it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," said Smith. Smith feels good about being a part of the tribal gaming and resort enter prise. For one thing, she said, the enter prise is preparing for expansion, a much different experience from working in tribal government. There are other differences, as well. For instance, she said, the resort is clearly a for-profit venture, unlike the tribal government. When tribal employ ees were given paid leave time because of the snowstorms, the Kah-Nee-Ta employees enjoyed no such luck. Re sort workers who couldn't make it in had to take leave without pay. "You feel bad for them, but the re sort is there to make money. That's a mission of the enterprise," said Smith. Another thing she has noticed about working for the resort. See SMITH on page 12 Chemawa investigation continues SALEM (AP) - An investigation into the death of a Chemawa Indian School student has revealed the teen ager died of acute alcohol poison ing, officials said. Autopsy results released Thursday by the FBI showed the student, who was found deceased in a holding cell, had no other intoxicant in her sys tem. Cindy Gilbert Sohappy, member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, died Dec. 6 after school staff detained her in one of the schools four holding cells for being drunk. The death was considered acci dental, said Beth Anne Steele, a spokeswoman for the FBI. An investigation into Sohappy's death continues, however. Two dormitory managers, one se curity staff member and a school administrator remain on administra tive leave. Nedra Darling of the Bureau of Indian Affairs said earlier this week that preliminary numbers showed that attendance at the Salem boarding school has fallen from 413 students at the beginning of the fall school year to 340 after Christmas break. Web site mentions holding cell Chemawa Indian School has 13 teachers and almost 60 staff members, according to federal reports. One Bureau of Indian Affairs of ficer and four security guards are in cluded as part of the school's staff. They are responsible for patrolling the campus and enforcing the school's drug and alcohol policies, according to Chemawa s Web site. "Depending on the offense, the vio lator may be held in the security office's holding facility," the Web site says re garding students who violate the drug and alcohol policies. Officials have refused to say whether the policy of locking students in the holding cells for alcohol viola tions had changed since Sohappv's death.