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Spilyqy Tymoo, Wqrm Springs, Oregon December 23, 2004
Page 7
A look Mdk ait U
news of 2M4
(I'be following is a month-hy-month account of
some of the news tvents that occurred on the reserva
tion during the past year.)
January
The year 2004 began with the reservation cov
ered in snow. The winter storm that hit the area
a year ago was the worst in recent memory.
Road conditions were treacherous and, tragi
cally, two lives were lost in Warm Springs as a
result of the snow - one person died in a car
accident, and one person died from exposure.
Because of the weather, for several days
schools were closed down, and work days for
tribal employees were canceled, delayed and cut
short. In a near-fatal incident, two men work
ing in the woods clearing roads were stuck in
their rigs for two nights and days with nothing
to eat. They almost died, and they would have
died if a rescue team had not arrived just in
time. In other news from January 2004:
Tribal Councilman Raymond Tsumpti be
came the new general manager of the Warm
Springs Public Safety Branch. There had been
no permanent Public Safety general manager
for the past few years.
An overflow crowd attended Tribal Council
Chairman Garland Brunoe's Community Round
Table meeting: The meeting focused on the Or
egonian newspaper articles on Warm Springs. The
crowd filled the Tribal Room and spilled out
into the hall at High Lookee Lodge.
Later in the month Tribal Councilman Zane
Jackson resigned his position on the Council.
Jackson, 80, had served longer than any other
elected member on Council. He resigned just
three months before completing his 33rd year
on Tribal Council. He cited health reasons as
the basis for his decision to resign.
February
Oregon lawmakers, upset over the death of
a student at the Chemawa Indian School in Sa
lem, were probing the school's safety policies
and pressing federal regulators for more infor
mation. Sen. Ron Wyden's office called the BIA
and sent letters to Indian Health Services seek
ing information about the safety and use of the
school's holding cells, where drunk students were
once placed to sober up. Sixteen-year-old Cindy
Gilbert Sohappy died in one of those cells on
Dec. 6, 2003. Other news from February:
For several years - at least since the late 1980s
- tribal and school district officials have dis
cussed the need for a new elementary school at
Warm Springs. A few years ago - in 2001, when
tribal members approved an $8 million elemen
tary school construction plan - it seemed as if a
new school were close at hand. After passage
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of the 2001 referendum, there was talk that a
new elementary school would "be open by the
fall of 2003," according to a news account at
the time. But 2003 began with the project still in
negotiation between the tribes and the school
district. Funding and budgets have caused the
delay. Elsewhere:
Eagle-Tech Systems became a new tribal en
terprise, providing the technical services that it
previously provided as the Office of Informa
tion Systems (OIS). Eagle Tech System (ETS)
promotes a technical work force and infrastruc
ture in Warm Springs through the Community
Telecommunications Center and contracting op
portunities, said Lloyd Phillips, general manager
of ETS. This change from tribal department to
enterprise makes ETS eligible for government
contracts while limiting the tribes' liability, said
Phillips.
March
3
Voting members of the Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs in March elected the Twenty
Third Tribal Council of the tribes.
Candidates elected from the Agency District
were Garland Brunoe, Stanley "Buck" Smith
Sr., and Rita Squiemphen.
Candidates elected from the Simnasho Dis
trict were Earl Squiemphen, Ron Suppah, and
Raymond Tsumpti.
Candidates elected from the Seekseequa Dis
trict were Reuben Henry, and Carol Wewa. In
other election news:
Leona Ike is seeking the Democratic nomi
nation for Position 3 on the Jefferson County
Board of Commissioner. Ike is the only candi
date seeking the Democratic nomination for this
position. The three-member county board of
commissioners sets governmental policies and
laws of Jefferson County. Ike would be the first
Native American to serve on the county board.
The primary election is in May. Elsewhere:
Leaders of the Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs have written to Gov. Ted
Kulongoski, asking him to start negotiations on
the building of a Columbia River casino. In the
letter, Garland Brunoe, chairman of the Tribal
Council, explains that the confederation has the
right to build on casino-eligible trust land just
east of Hood River, which residents oppose.
The other option, he writes, is to build on
nonreservation land in nearby Cascade Locks,
which would require the governor's approval.
The Confederated Tribes had been planning to
develop a new casino since before Gov. John
Kitzhaber left office in January 2003.
Additionally, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission denounced the Bonneville
Power Administration's proposal to cut salmon
protective measures at The Dalles, Bonneville,
John Day and Ice Harbor dams. The commis-
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sion says the BPA plan to cut summer spill over
the dams could kill 140,000 fish.
April
The Confederated Tribes publicly unveiled
their conceptual designs for a casino - should
one be built - in Cascade Locks. The 500,000
square foot building would cover 25 acres in
the existing industrial park east of town. It was
deliberately engineered to blend with the sur
rounding viewscape, according to tribal offi
cials. The plan was accomplished by recreating
the long-and-low look of a tribal fishing vil
lage. The facade of the structure is broken up
with varied anglesland concave entrances that
feature basalt rock, natural wood and water
falls. (See the drawings at upper right.) Else
where in the news:
It is not hard to know Olney Patt Sr. as
a tribal leader. A strong and principled man,
he worked tirelessly for his people. This
month the tribes marked his 90th birthday
with a special celebration in honor of Patt's
life and accomplishments.
The Confederated Tribes may be able
to gain an advantage in bidding on many
types of government contracts. Warm
Springs Ventures, the tribes' business de
velopment corporation, is looking into it.
May
Taking office this month, the Twenty-third
Tribal Council appointed a new secretary-treasurer
and a new chief operations officer. This is
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traditionally the first order of business for the
new Council, along with appointing a new Coun
cil chairman and vice-chairman. The new.sec-retary-treasurer
is Jody Calica. The new chief
operations officer is Lauraina Hintsala. Calica
will be in Idaho for the next couple of weeks,
as he has been working as the superintendent
of the Northern Idaho BIA Agency. He is fin
ishing up his work there before moving ba,ck
to Warm Springs. Calica was nominated for the
position of secretary-treasurer by Paiute Chief
Joe Moses and then? was approved by vo'te of
the Council. ::"
Hintsala was nominated for the chief opera
tions officer position by newly-elected Coun
cilman Reuben Henry. The nomination was then
approved by Council vote. Hintsala had been
working as the tribal member recruitment and
development manager for Kah-Nee-Ta High
Desert Resort and Casino. She has worked' in
several departments of the tribes, including
Higher Education and Human Services, over
the past 24 years. This experience would help in
serving as the new chief operations officer, said
Hintsala. "It's been in my career path for seveial
years," she said of the COO position. "But-'I
didn't realize it until it happened. It's a big 'job,
but I'm enjoying it." In other news this month:
Many parents and young people of the
Warm Springs community were happy to hear
that the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Or
egon were reopening the Warm Springs dub.
The club is opening in partnership with Warm
Springs Elementary School, and club activities
are housed at the elementary school. ? r i
There was a large turnout of people at fhe
Agency Longhouse on a Saturday afternoon this
month. There were memorials in the morning,
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tlirt of the Wasco Chieftainship had also been
scheduled for the afternoon, but the meeting
was canceled. Chief Nelson Wallulatum had to
attend a service for a friend at Grand Rondc.
In other news:
! Russ Alger retired this month as director of
theWarm Springs Indian Health Services clinic.
Ali5e; had been with IHS in Warm Springs for
the'past 21 years. During that time, health care
'ori the reservation has seen great improvement.
And this:
j Julie Quaid has joined the Jefferson County
,509-J School District Board of Directors.
Quaid works for the Warm Springs Education
Branch.
June
I ' Charlene Moody has made a lot of people
proud - her family and friends, the Simnasho
.'community, the whole Confederated Tribes.
iMoody is among the very best high school girls
track and field athletes in Oregon. At the recent
,2004 OSAA Oregon Track and Field Champi
onships, Moody won first place in the shot put
!compctition. She threw the eight-pound ball 38
feet, one and a quarter inches. The throw was
impressive because it was raining. The class 4A
;3A state track and field championships were held
in Eugene. Several thousand people were in at
tendance, despite the rain. In other news:
A highway improvement project will correct
the sharp turn on the U.S. 26 Pelton grade be
tween Warm Springs and Madras. The construc
tion work began last week and was expected to
be completed in three months. Cost of the
project is $1.3 million, according to the Oregon
Department of Transportation. Elsewhere:
.The Housing Authority building was broken
into, and between 150 and 200 keys to the Hous
ing units were stolen. All of the locks on the
tribal, low-rent and seniors units had to be
changed. In other news:
: Members of the new Tribal Council heard
comments on a wide variety of subjects at the
General Council meeting this month. Some of
the more heart-felt comments came during dis
cussion of the Summer Youth Work program.
Summer Youth is a tribal program administered
by Workforce Development, wh" ich is under the
tribal Education Branch. This year, Summer
Youth has a standard for eligibility based on stu
dent grade-point average. The idea has been
around for a while, and it was was implemented
this year. The standard requires students to have
!at least a 2.0 grade point average in school to be
eligible for summer youth work. Marcia
Minthorn said the standard discriminates against
children who may be in the most need of help
from the tribes.
July
-3 J
.1 jWarm Springs was the scene this month of a
rare gathering. At the gathering were individuals
,and organizations that often disagree, and at
times strongly disagree over issues involving natu
ral resources. The gathering in Warm Springs
was rare because all those present were in agree
ment on an important natural resource issue.
"We had these governments, private utilities,
jarni- fish and river people coming together to
5$lerjrate," said Jim Manion, general manager
jrj.Warm Springs Power Enterprises. "You
Jdaif't see that very often."
fHfjie purpose of the meeting - held on the
rbjiihds of the Museum at Warm Springs -fa
to celebrate the signing of an agreement
foy'te long-term management of the Pelton
iRdiahd Butte Hydroelectric project. The Con
secrated Tribes and Portland General Electric
are co-owners of the dams, which are licensed
for operation by the Federal Energy Regula
tory Commission (FERC). Over the past few
years, the tribes and PGE have been working
)vith government agencies and other interested
parties toward a 50-year renewal of the FERC
license. The gathering last week demonstrated
that all the parties now agree on the important
Jlsjles regarding future operation of the dams,
ffrj agreement is a final major step toward the
""ifiting of the new license.
J I jAmong those in attendance at the signing cer
Jcrtony were representatives of the Confeder
al Tribes and PGE; federal agencies indud
ang' the Forest Service, the BIA and BLM, the
Jational Marine Fisheries, and the Fish and Wild
life'services. jj:Tribal leaders opposed a plan by the
Bonneville Power Administration to reduce the
amount of water spilled over the Columbia and
Snake River dams this summer. The opposition
came from leaders of all the tribes of the Co
lumbia Basin. Of the BPA plan, Ron Suppah,
Council Chairman of the Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs, said, "It's like they have deaf
ears. They're willing to sacrifice the fish for fi
nancial benefit."
Staff members at the Chemawa Indian
School would not be charged in the death of
Cindy Gilbert Sohappy, who was 16 when she
died of acute alcohol poisoning. Involuntary
manslaughter charges were considered against
workers who had contact with Sohappy on the
night she died last December, said Bill Williams,
an assistant U.S. attorney in Portland. Williams
said there was not enough evidence to charge
the workers, who left Sohappy alone in a cell
for three hours at the Salem boarding school
run by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Construction started this month on a new
gymnasium at the Warm Springs Elementary
School. A construction contractor has been
hired, and the timeframe for completion is
around December, said school board member
Jeff Sanders. The project has an estimated cost
of $1.3 million.
During a visit to Kah-Nee-Ta, Gov. Ted
Kulongoski said the Confederated Tribes and
the state are making progress in their discus
sions to establish a new tribal casino, but he
would not comment on its probable location.
"I'm confident we're going in the right direc
tion," said Kulongoski. "We would both like
to see it happen sooner rather than later, but we
want to make sure we do it right."
August
Tribal fishermen have traded salmon along
the shores of the Columbia River for many years.
Now, they're hoping to expand their market.
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commis
sion is exploring the feasibility of building a $8.6
million fish-processing and retail center that
would include 500 jobs and allow the tribes to
sell more of their wild catch directly to stores
and the public, instead of to other processors.
"Tribal fishermen have always been victimized
by low prices," said Olney Patt Jr., executive
director of the inter-tribal fish commission. "If
they have a way to process the fish, and have a
value-added product, that may increase the
profit." In other news:
Jim Soules, a police veteran who started his
career in Warm Springs, was named Chief of
Police for the Warm Springs Police Department.
Chief Operations Officer Lauraina Hintsala and
Secretary-Treasurer Charles Calica made the an
nouncement in a joint statement. Elsewhere:
The GeoVisions mobile command center
trailer is becoming a regular sight at wildfires in
the region and beyond. During a wild-land fire,
the center produces high technology mapping
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and other data, maintaining an almost up-to-the-minute
report on the progress of the blaze.
High tech mapping is an essential service of
GeoVisions, but the tribal enterprise has grown
into other fields as well.
For instance, before this month's Log Springs
Fire began, a GeoVisions work crew completed
a wildfire fuels reduction project in the Simnasho
area. This project helped prevent the Log Springs
fire from traveling into the Simnasho commu
nity. GeoVisions worked with Tribal Forestry
on this project.
The enterprise also had a line crew out on
the Log Springs fire, which burned about 10
days on the north part of the reservation.
GeoVisions also has an archeology survey crew.
In other news:
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The Gorge casino plan was
again a focus of news
attention during 2004.
These are conceptual
drawings of the proposed
casino. The drawing at left
shows the main entrance;
and below, a view of the
overall structure.
ltt paming ipausiun (m.
The Warm Springs Tribal Gaming Enterprise
Board of Directors has selected Garland Brunoe
as general manager of Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert
Resort and Casino. Brunoe is a current Tribal
Council member, and director of the tribes'
Compensation and Benefits managed care pro
gram. In the past, Brunoe also served as a gen
eral manager of Kah-Nee-Ta.
The long-awaited Bear Drive housing project
is back on track. When complete, the project
would add 25 new housing units to the reser
vation. The Bear Drive development is feder
ally funded through Housing and Urban De
velopment (HUD) and was first proposed in
2002.
(Review of the rest of 2004 is in the next edition
of the Spilyay Tymoo.)
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