Spilyqy Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
March 18, 2004
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Warm Springs team
By Shawnele Surplus
Community Advocate
Upon their inception, the
Warm Springs Community Ac
tion Team (WSCAT) and the
Central Oregon Partnership re
searched what we call "Root
Causes of Poverty." Among the
nine root causes that we identi
fied was a lack of "civic engage
ment." People in poverty, due to
demands on their time, energy
and money as well as being dis
illusioned with society, do not
engage in their communities as
much as those who are not in
poverty.
Unfortunately, this under
standable decision results in a
lack of "voice" for those in
poverty and they are often over
looked, or the solutions to issues
of poverty are irrelevant to
them.
Currently, the WSCAT is en
gaged in two projects with the
intent of breaking this root cause
of poverty. In spring of last
year, WSCAT staff was ap
proached by staff from Rural
Development Initiatives (RDI)
to apply on behalf of Warm
Springs to participate in com
munity leadership training.
While the curriculum for this
training was created by the Ford
Family Foundation out of
Roseburg, RDI had been se
lected to deliver the training
throughout rural Oregon.
As requested, the WSCAT
applied, and Warm Springs was
selected along with Madras.
Eventually RDI and WSCAT
staff selected a handful of
people to act as the "nominat
ing committee" for actual par
ticipants in the program. When
the nominating committee met
last month, they selected a num
ber of people in the community
(from youth to elders, from all
tribes, and from all walks of life
- some people selected are al
ready looking to lead, others are
those considered to be emerg
ing leaders) who have been con
tacted about participating in the
program and have completed
their applications.
Of these, ten will be selected
Early Bird Easter
Treasure Hunt
Where? The Museum at Warm
Springs.
When? Saturday, April 11 from 11
a.m. till 2 p.m.
Seek to the heart's content.
to participate in the program.
After completion of this pro
gram, these people will be ex
pected to use their newly honed
skills to conduct a project with
their "classmates" before begin
ning to help prepare for the next
group of trainees to begin the
program next year.
The plan is to conduct at least
three such classes in the next
three years, eventually impact
ing the entire Warm Springs
community. Because there has
been so much interest from
Warm Springs youth in leader
ship training, the WSCAT is
working with RDI and the Ma
dras area Community Action
team to investigate the feasibil
ity of a school-year long leader
ship training program for our
youth.
Get out the vote
Another project that the
WSCAT is pursuing in hopes of
increasing civic engagement is a
"Get Out the Vote" project.
Traditionally persons in pov
erty as well as Indians on reser
vations do not have a high rate
of voter turnout. As a demo
cratic society, the opportunity to
vote is not only one of our
greatest assets, but it is truly pow
erful. This spring the WSCAT and
community partners like KWSO
and Governmental Affairs as
well as interested community
members will be out and about
helping Warm Springs residents
get registered to vote. We will
be going door to door as well as
having booths at community
events. Come get registered and
pick up your Native voter
bumper sticker later this spring.
After, our initial registration ef
fort we are bringing in a repre
sentative from Project Vote
Smart to talk about the differ
ent tactics that candidates and
proponents and opponents of
political measures use to confuse
issues and frustrate voters.
We will also be hosting com
munity forums for candidates to
come to Warm Springs and tell
us how voting for them will ben
efit our community - and re-
How? Bring your own
container and hunt for
treasures hidden in the
west field of the museum
grounds.
Brenda Scott
At the Scckseeiua District
meeting, Brenda Scott said she
hopes all members of the dis
trict vote for the candidate they
will support on Council. When
a person is serving on Council,
said Scott, the person can get
picked on by people who are un
happy with a situation. "People
think it's an easy job," she said,
"but it's not."
A key problem facing the
tribes, Scott said, is money. All
programs - education, public
safety, health and so forth - re
quire money. "It is the Tribal
Council's job to find that
money," she said.
In the end, Scott said, she
encouraged people to vote for
the candidate they support, and
then show support once that
person is in office.
working on root causes of poverty
minding them that Warm
Springs does have a voice and
intends to use it.
We will also be requesting
platform information on topics
important to Warm Springs.
Keep listening to KWSO and
reading the Spilyay to get that
information.
Finally, we are requesting to
have a ballot box placed in
Warm Springs and will be gath
ering ballots for those who can't
make it to the ballot box to cast
their votes.
Root causes of poverty
The "Root Causes of Pov
erty" that the WSCAT is ad
dressing are:
1) A Family I listory of Pov
erty. When one grows up sur
rounded by poverty, it's often
the only environment they know
and when, in turn, they grow up,
it's the environment they most
often re-create in their own fami
lies. 2) Chronic Poverty, Those
who are severely disabled, ad
dicted, or the very elderly and
poor often lack the capacity to
help themselves economically or
socially.
3) Limited Economic Oppor
tunity. Without the opportunity
to work, grow and advance, or
to make sufficient wages to sup
port a family or own a home -poverty
and its effects often
follow.
. 4) Inadequate Educational
and Training Opportunities. In
a society that favors and pays
gmall Hands to Hold Love ... Not Tire
Fact: Children from age two to seventeen start fires
that endanger lives, cause injuries, death and burn
millions of dollars in property.
Fact: Children under the age of three cause a
majority of these fires and lose their lives in the
process.
This does not have to happen. Parents need to teach
their children about the dangers of fire and create a
fire-safe home.
Install Smoke Detectors ... Plan an Escape Route
AMERIND offers Home and Fire Safety Training to Children in
Indian Country.
Contact AMERIND'S Loss Prevention Team for more information:
AMERIND:
Wilson Wewa no longer sit in that position
anymore.
We need strong leadership on We need people that under
our whole Council. stand the issues.
We used to be the lead reser- We need leaders that will go
vation in the Northwest and we out and speak up.
for knowledge and skills, access
to education and training is im
perative. 5) RacialCultural Isolation
or Discrimination. When cul
tures or races of people are ex
cluded from full participation in
opportunity, social and economic
divisions follow.
6) Weak Family Structures.
When young people arc without
the support and nurture of a
loving and supportive family,
educational values often break
down; substance abuse, crime
and anti-social behavior can in
www.amerind-corp.org 800-352-3496
A Consortium of Tribes
t - em
crease; and a sense of discon
nection from the community
often ensues.
7) Weak Traditions of Civic
Engagement and Limited Social
Capital.
8) Limited Community
Awareness of (or interest in)
P( vcrty. Kn Aving about a pr b
Icm and being concerned about
it are the first steps in solving
that problem.
9) Catastrophic Life Events.
The degree of control a person
has over the occurrence can be
minimal to none. I lealth crises,
Credit problems!
We finance
most everyone!
fsmimi An Gtmir'
Protecting Tribes and
SoutlianOivgon
University hosting
spiingpowwow
The Twelfth Annual
Spring Powwow of the
Southern Oregon Univer
sity Native American Stu
dent Union is set for April
10-11.
( i rand F.ntry will be at
noon and 7 p.m. on Satur
day, noon on Sunday. Din
ner is at 5 p.m. Saturday.
1'riendly competition is
set for all categories. All
dancers, drummers and
vendors are welcome.
All events are held at
McNcal Pavilion in
Ashland. For more infor
mation call the S( )U Native
American Student Union at
552-6463.
accidents, employment changes
such as a plant closing. Initializ
ing events can also be caused
by poor decisions or bad judg
ment. If you're interested in join
ing us to help engage the com
munity, or are interested in any
of our projects, then give us a
call at the WSCAT office at
553-3 14H, or stop by our office
in the Plaza.
You can also join us at our
meetings on the first and third
Thursday of every month at
4 p.m.
A
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Their Families
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