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.