Spi'Iyay Tyrooo, Warm Springs, Oregon
November 10, 2005
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Early VOCS director recalls challenges
By Sarah Frank
Victims of Crime Scrvicci
spoki recently to Mona Bat
who was tht second director of tbt
Victims of Crimt Strvictt
(VOCS). Sht bad tht following to
say about htr work with tbt pro
gram: I started in 1990 as a volun
teer trying to help with filing and
correspondence. The program
received a grant for a children's
advocate. No one applied for
the position so Deborah Jack
son asked me to if I wanted the
position. In JulyAugust 1991
Deborah left the program.
Another temporary director re
placed her for a month or two.
I was asked to apply and reluc
tantly did, and worked till Au
gust 1997.
I worked as a volunteer, ad
vocate and I helped with Na
tional Indian Justice Confer
ences on the planning commit
tee. At that time we had 30 vol
unteers, with 20-25 active. We
trained them to respond to cri
sis calls, mainly domestic vio
lence calls. Some of the volun
teers wanted to do more in 1994
so they began doing child advo
cacy and rape crisis. This is when
we first start talking about the
need for a Transitional I lome.
Sister Pauline, Laura Switzlcr,
Patty Gabriel and Lillian Brunoc
went to visit places for a safe
home. The first place was at the
present Small Business Center.
Pam Keo was the first director
of the Women's Shelter. After
Pam were Corinna Sohappy and
Barbara Jim.
This was a time of maturity
and I saw what was happening
to victims, both tribal members
and non-tribal members that
were on the reservation and off
of the reservation. We worked
closely with Prosecution. Pros
ecution assisted with custody is
sues. I was fortunate to have my
mom and sister to support me
because sometimes my back
bone would gel. My Mom would
pray for me all the time. Mom
would tell me, "You have a very
hard job and there are a lot of
people that don't like what you
are doing, with the changes that
you are all making. It's not just
these individuals, it's the whole
community."
She'd tell me I'd have to be
in prayer all the time. I'll never
forget what my mom and sister
did for me. I know wc stepped
on a lot of toes. We'd have to
mentally, emotionally and spiri
tually prepare ourselves for our
job.
Wc helped those off the res
ervation with referrals andor
assistance to get them home.
Recommending them to work
with other programs, and net
work with other tribes through
out the United States. I loved
my job, but I had to step out
and take care of a family mem
ber. Tht Victim's of Crimt Staff and
tht many tvlunfeer's know tv bard
work and dedication that Mona did
for tht program and tht clients. U"t
would like to recognise htr forth aur
somt work sht did and continues to
do at her present job.
Santos recognized for community spirit
F.ach year the I'irst
Peoples Fund recognizes art
ists for their unselfish work
to bring spirit back to their
communities through their
artistic expression, commit
ment to sustaining cultural
values and, ultimately, service
to their people.
This year tribal member
Apolonia Susana Santos is be
ing honored with the Com
munity Spirit Award of the
I'irst Peoples Fund.
The award will be pre
sented to Santos on Decem
ber 3 at the Journey Museum
in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Santos works in painting
and sculpting, and is the art
director of the exhibits at
Kah-Nec-Ta High Desert
Resort and Casino.
"Susana has always been so
generous with herself," said Su
san Balbas, who nominated
Santos for the Community Spirit
Award. "Through sharing her
skills and talents with others,
especially with youth, she has
assisted directly in the transfor
mation of many lives through
artistic expression and cultural
teaching."
The First Peoples Fund each
year recognizes four exceptional
American Indian artists with the
prestigious Community Spirit
Award. The recipients receive a
gift of $5,000. Along with
Santos (Tygh, Vakama), recipi
ents this year arc David Moses
Bridges (Passamaquoddy
Wabanaki), Nellie Two Bulls
(Oglala I.akota), and Lois
Chichinoff Thadei (Aleut).
"Recognized as culture
bearers within their commu
nities, the artists arc nomi
nated by members of their
communities," said I.ori
Pourier, president of the First
Peoples Fund.
"Those that exemplify the
idea of community spirit are
selected by an independent
panel of American Indian re
viewers." Works by the four award
recipient artists will be fea
tured in an exhibit, "Collec
tive Voices from the Four
Directions," that will open
at the Journey Museum on
Dec. 3.
Domestic violence myths and truths
The following information is
from tht Victims of Crimt Str
victs offict:
Myth: The victim is at
fault if she is intoxicated.
Truth: The victim may
have made better choices if
were not under the influence,
but this does not make them
personally responsible for the
fact that the perpetrator
chose to commit the crime.
Myth: It's the alcohol
andor drugs' fault
Truth: Drugs and
alcohol do not cause the
crime, but they makes the
crime more likely to happen.
It predisposes the perpetrator to
act out, and it predisposes the
victim to be more vulnerable.
fThe victim is less aware of what
is going on and less able to re
spond appropriately while under
the influence. Criminals by their
sociopathic nature take advan
tage of both of these issues).
Myth: Domestic violence is
just about physical abuse.
Truth: Domestic violence is
about power and control.
Myth: She should just leave
him.
Truth: Survivors face many
barriers to leaving their abusive
partners. This is especially
true on Indian Reservations
due to the lack of resources
and the survivor's desire to
remain with family and
friends on the reservation.
(Mort domestic violence myths
and truths in the next
Spilyay.)
If you or someone you
know is suffering from
abuse please call us at 553
2293, or call the
Warm Springs Police Depart
ment at 553-1171. No one
deserves to be beaten or as
saulted in any manner.
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Micro-Grant program
helps small businesses
By Brian Mortenaen
Spilyay Tymoo
One plans to do a reforesta
tion project. One needs an up
grade of her accounting soft
ware after four years. Several
need art supplies.
Each is among the 1 1 people
who received $2,500 Micro
Grants through the Warm
Springs Small Business Center
in a ceremony and meeting Nov.
1.
Because of tribes-wide em
phasis on accountability in fund
ing, the $27,500 granted was
removed from a $100,000 fund
that had been frozen in June.
The Small Business Develop
ment Center staff had to pro
vide evidence in the form of
financial records, that showed
past funding had been responsi
bly spent and that tribal mem
bers who had received the
grants are still in business.
"We had to do a financial
report of how the funds were
used since the inception of the
granting, and how we are going
to account for the funds," said
Maria Godines, a business
coach at the Small Business
Development Center. Godines
worked directly with the pro
spective grant recipients.
She and Jolene Atencio, di
rector of the business center,
stated their case before a man
agement group that included
Chief Operating Officer
Lauraina Hintsala, Secretary
Treasurer Charles "Jody"
Calica, and Chief Financial Of
ficer Ray Potter. Hintsala ap
peared at the Nov. 1 ceremony
to release the funds.
"It was a challenge, and per
sonally I think that Jolene and
Maria have done a good job on
this," Hintsala said. "I'm glad we
finally got to the point where we
can unfreeze the funding for the
1 1 recipients. I'm hoping that it
can be more than that, and I
think it will be."
For now, though, the remain
der of the $100,000 designated
for projects such as the Micro
Grant is on hold, Godines said.
The committee in charge of
the Micro-Grant program also
includes Lori Fuentes of the
Tribal Credit office, Bobby
Macy of the Warm Springs
Market, and Warm Springs
Business and Economic Devel
opment Department Director
Mike Clements. The committee
had to agree to make the Micro-Grant
checks out to vendors
of products and for items the
recipients planned to buy and
use for their business ventures.
"The primary reason for that
is accountability from the tribe's
side," said Atencio.
See BUSINESSES on page 10
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