University of Oregon Library
Received on! 05-03-04
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SCA
OrColl
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75
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v. 9
no. 9
April 9,
004
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
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Postal Patron
Warm Springs, OR 97761
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Warm Springs, OR 97761
Coyote News, est. 1976
April 29, 2004 Vol. 29, No. 9
50 cents
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Louie Pitt, director of tribal Governmental Affairs, gives a basket of fruit to Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D
Ohio), who is running for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Kucinich visited Warm Springs last week,
as he traveled through Central Oregon. He spoke at the Community Center. In greeting the Congressman,
Pitt said the tribes are not endorsing a particular presidential candidate, but instead are showing appreciation
that Kucinich took the time to visit the reservation.
Gaming enterprise is doing well
By Margie Tuckta
Columbia Gorge casino
Special operations officer
How is Kah-Nee-Ta doing lately?
Kah-Nee-Ta continues to make a profit
and has held its own in recent times of
economic difficulty.
The year 2003 ended on a good note
with the enterprise exceeding budgeted
net income projections, that being a 39
percent increase in profits over 2002.
Kah-Nee-Ta also paid a $2.5 million
dividend to the tribe, and will do so
again this year. For more details on the
2003 year, watch your mailboxes as
annual reports will soon be mailed to
all tribal member head of households.
The enterprise started this year with
inclement weather, which always affects
the business. January had large amounts
of snow, which kept many people close
By D. "Bing" Bingham
Spilyay Tymoo
It's not hard to know Olney Patt as
a tribal leader. He was a strong, prin
cipled man who worked tirelessly for
his people. He was capable of taking a
stand - however unpopular - if he
thought it was right.
But what kind of man was he at
home? That's less well known.
"I never knew my dad as a leader,"
says Orthelia Patt, "I only knew him as
a father and someone who worked hard
to provide for his family. In later years
I found out what a great leader he w as
for the people."
The Patt household w as filled with
expectations. Respect was to be given
to everyone, parents and guests alike.
It didn't matter if the family was in
camp pushing catde over the Mutton
Mountains or sitting around the home
fires respect was paramount.
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to home. Fortunately the month was
followed with a highly positive Febru
ary. The recent month of March was
more so-so, ending with a lackluster
spring break. Yet overall Kah-Nee-Ta
still did well during the first quarter of
2004.
The enterprise again exceeded its
budgeted net profit producing a favor
able result, while also surpassing the
same first quarter period of last year.
In order to assist the enterprise in
achieving its financial objectives, grow
the resort's room sales and conference
business, Carlos Smith has accepted the
position of director of sales.
Carlos will head up the group sales
office in Portland, and oversee all re
lated efforts. Group sales is vitally
important and critical to Kah-Nee-Ta's
current and future success, and is an
However, the respect went both
ways. The children were taught to re
spect themselves.
"We were taught not to be ashamed
of being Indian," Orthelia says. The
Patt home was bilingual, Sahaptin and
English. The children were often used
as interpreters for grandparents when
they were shopping.
At a very early age, Olney Patt
taught his children to ride and take care
of horses. They learned to drive trac
tors, trailers and trucks. They had an
upbringing in both worlds, modern and
traditional.
After the death of his father, when
Olney was very young, his grandpar
ents raised him. He was very close to
his grandfather and spent a lot of time
listening to his stories. I fe and his grand
father would ride horseback to and
from Simnasho school evetr day.
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Dave McMechanSpllyay
intricate part of the enterprise.
Additionally, Janell Smith is Kah-Nee-Ta's
new director of human re
sources. Being with the tribe for 16
years, she brings a wealth of experi
ence and understanding in employee
relations and operations.
And Margie Tuckta, who has
been involved with tribal gaming
since May of 1995, has shifted her
focus towards the gaming expansion
project. Tuckta will be assisting the
board of directors and the gaming
expansion point team in a variety of
ways, as the volume of work steadily
increases.
The tribal member recruitment
and development program continues
to be at the forefront of Kah-Nee-Ta's
plans.
See KAH-NEE-TA on page 16
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Olney Patt Sr.
Orthelia remembers hearing her fa
ther say, "The winters seemed more
fierce then,' but they still rode home in
the winter darkness.. .it didn't matter,
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Ventures eyes elite
contracting status
By Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo
The Confederated Tribes may be
able to gain an advantage in bidding on
many types of government contracts.
Warm Springs Ventures, the tribes'
business development corporation, is
looking into the matter.
In contracting with private compa
nies, the federal and state governments
set aside some funding for businesses
classified as "8(a)." The purpose of the
set-asides is to promote the develop
ment of minority-owned businesses in
the U.S., as 8(a) companies are minority-owned,
said Tom Henderson, Ven
tures chief executive officer.
In many instances, said Henderson,
the contracting government agency has
a hard time finding a qualifying 8(a)
company willing and able to take on
the contract. In other words, he said,
the demand clearly exists for these types
of companies.
So far, Henderson and others at
Ventures have met with representatives
of the Small Business Administration
(SBA) in regard to the 8(a) contracting
requirements. "After meeting with the
SBA," said Henderson, "I'm feeling
Tribes release casino
designs for
PORTLAND (AP) - The Confed
erated Tribes have released two design
options for a planned casino in the
Columbia River Gorge, one for each
possible site for the gaming operation.
The final decision on placing the
casino is up to Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
People visiting the Columbia River
Gorge National Scenic Area could see
a low-rise, earth-tone casino in Cascade
Locks or an eight-story, stone-and-glass
building outside Hood River.
Hood River County Commissioner
Carol York presented the drawings to
the Columbia Gorge Counties Coali
tion in Stevenson, Wash.
The coalition of economic develop
ment directors, city officials and gorge
commissioners from the six Oregon and
Washington counties seemed impressed
by the subdued nature of the designs.
Both casino options lacked the Las
Vegas look of neon and water foun
tains spouting from concrete ponds.
The Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs have made it clear since 1998
that they want to build a casino in the
gorge, an 85-mile stretch of which falls
inside a two-state federally protected
because his grandparents wanted him
educated."
Olney's grandfather died when he
was 12 years old. After the death, he
helped his grandmother finish cleaning
the house.
"To this day Olney Patt relives the
sad experience of leaving his grand
mother," says Ordielia, "He heard his
grandmother sit and cry as he hiked to
catch the bus at Chemawa Indian
School."
Family was important to Olney and
not just his, but everybody's. Orthelia
continues: ,
"He had a real special place for chil
dren who lost their parents. He always
gave them gifts. He would make sure
mom had extra gifts on hand to use
if he felt kids were being left out. We
actually had to give up some of our
gifts for them. I le didn't want to sec
very confident."
The 8(a) contracting idea is exciting
for Ventures because of the potential
for many types of contracting oppor
tunities. An idea that is emerging is for
Ventures to be the 8(a) holding com
pany for various business entities that
exist under the enterprise. For instance,
Ventures, owned by the tribes, in turn
has purchased a tile company, and a
human resourcespersonnel software
company. Tribal Construction is also
under Ventures.
If Ventures attains the 8(a) contract
ing status, then these entities under en
tures could realixe a great advantage in
bidding on some government contracts.
Ventures and the companies under
Ventures are minority owned, as they
are owned by the Confederated Tribes.
Other entities could come under
Ventures, and then also qualify for the
8(a) contracting status.
There are Native companies in
Alaska that best serve as the model,
said I lendcrson. In the Northwest there
are very few examples.
Achieving 8(a) contracting status, he
said, "could open the door to more
revenue generation."
the gorge
national scenic area. Much of the sce
nic area is tightly regulated, but the
guidelines do not apply to Native Ameri
can lands or to the cities' urban growth
boundaries within the scenic area.
The Cascade Locks casino would sit
in an industrial park not far from a
wood-pellet mill and the Columbia
River. The low-rise building incorpo
rates basalt rock and wood planks in
its design, an artistic modeling of a
Native American fishing village. Park
ing would be both above and under
ground. The architects gathered ideas from
Warm Springs tribal history, culture and
members for the design, projected to
cost $300 million, York said.
The 500,000-squarc-foot building is
planned to include a conference cen
ter, Native American museum and
hotel.
Inside, small shops and restaurants
would surround the slot machines and
gaming tables. It also would have a
swimming pool, spa and waterfalls sur
rounded by tribal cultural designs, such
as petroglyphs and pottery. (See the
drawings on page 3).
90th birthday
people being left out."
Being left out wasn't a problem for
Orthelia when she was very young. Her
father was working as a welder. She
would sit and watch the clock, waiting
for him to come home. The minutes
would drag by. Her father always
walked home and as the time ap
proached, she raced out the door to
meet him.
Each time he would pick her up and
carry her back to the house. The best
part was when he shared the dessert
he always saved for her. For Orthelia,
these were special times.
I lowevcr, other times were hard.
Orthelia was too young to under
stand what it meant for the tribes when
Olney broke the tic vote for the Celilo
Falls inundation money.
Set OLNEY PATT on page 16