SCA
OrColl
E
75
.S68
v. 30
no. 6
Oecenber
22, 2005
Spilyw
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
University of Oregon Library
Received onj 131-11-06
Spilyay tyioo.
Coyote News, est 1976 December 22, 2005 Vol. 30, No. 26
Warm Springs, OR 97761
50 cents
Warm Springs
may get new
bus system
(AP) - A new bus system could be
in place on the Warm Springs reserva
tion by next year, aimed at helping com
muters, the poor, seniors and residents
with disabilities.
Tribal leaders have been working on
the plan for the past two years, spurred
by a transit study which found that
more than 17 percent of unemployed
reservation residents cited lack of
transportation as the main reason they
couldn't find work. It was the second
leading reason given for unemploy
ment, after "unknown reasons."
The tribes arc awaiting final approval
of a state grant before buying vehicles
and putting out bids for contractors,
Tribal Social Services Director Gayle
Rodgers said.
The proposed service would be a
blend of the Dial-a-Ride model and the
fixed-route buses usually seen in metro
areas, Rodgers said.
From 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to
6 p.m., riders could pay a small fee to
schedule daily or weekly transportation
door-to-door. For the rest of the day,
the service would switch to a "check
point" system.
Under that arrangement, the bus
would stop at several popular desti
nations in Warm Springs, but have
flexibility to pick up passengers who
live away from the main route,
Rodgers said.
Family sues
for teen's
death at
Chemawa
(AP) - The family of the teenager
who died of alcohol poisoning in a
boarding school jail cell has filed a $24
million lawsuit against Interior Secre
tary Gale Norton, accusing government
officials of torture and conspiracy.
The death of Cindy Gilbert Sohappy
a little over two years ago resulted in a
Senate investigation and claims that Bu
reau of Indian Affairs officials ignored
the risks to children at Indian boarding
schools for years.
"The Department of the Interior,
and the BIA, even after more than 200
years of disgraceful, arbitrary, capri
cious and sometimes destructive con
duct toward the American Indian
people, has changed little," the lawsuit
said.
' The lawsuit was filed on December
6, the two-year anniversary of the
death of Sohappy at the Chemawa In
dian School in Salem.
The 1 6-year-old from Warm Springs
had a blood alcohol level of 0.37 per
cent - nearly five times the legal limit
for adults - when her body was found
in a holding cell for intoxicated students
that was supposed to be checked ev
ery 15 minutes.
Investigators found that nobody had
checked on Sohappy for more than
two hours, despite a video camera
monitor that recorded her convulsions
and death.
A spokeswoman for Norton in
Washington, DC, declined comment,
citing policy against discussing pending
lawsuits.
The family referred questions to
their lawyer, Foster Glass, in Bend.
Glass said the BIA and the Interior
Department have refused his requests
for more details about the death, even
information that has already been pub
lished by newspapers.
See LAWSUIT on t)
Law would help huckleberry habitat
By Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo
Through a proposed federal law
the Confederated Tribes could as
sert greater direct management of
huckleberry habitat in the Mt. I Iood
National Forest.
The Mt. I Iood bill would require
the US. Forest Service to enter into
an agreement with the tribes to en
sure healthy stands of huckleberries
and other traditional plant species in
the forest, which is part of the tribes' "
Ceded Lands.
Reasonable access to the huckle
berries by tribal elders would also
be ensured, according to the bill.
Tribal leaders have been strong
advocates of the Mt. Hood pro
posal. "We're concerned for the
huckleberries," said Tribal Council
Parade and tree brighten up the holidays
With weather in keeping with the
Christmas holiday, die second annual
Warm Springs Christmas Tree
Lighting and light Parade happened
last week.
In the cold temperature the pa
rade drew a smaller turnout in
comparison to last year's first-ever
event.
With the temperature dropping
to as low as 13 degrees E, the pa
rade included one Warm Springs
Fire and Safety tanker truck, which
carried Santa Claus, one decorated
car float, and a Fire and Safety am
bulance. The parade and tree light
ing were held Dec. 12.
The parade began in the park
ing lot across from Warm Springs
Elementary School, then traveled
east on Wasco, turning south on
Warm Springs then south on
Paiute Street in front of the post
office and market, turning south
on Hollywood and ending at the
Community Center.
Hot dogs and hamburgers were
barbecued on the Community Cen
ter lawn but taken inside for any-
Members
By Brian Mortensen
Spilyay Tymoo
A group of just under 50 tribal
members met recendy to discuss the
tribal gaming enterprise, treaty rights,
and Tribal Council travel costs. The
meeting, attended by two Council
members, happened Dec. 8 at the
Agency Longhouse.
Members who spoke at the meet
ing expressed concern over the cost
and delay in construction of the
Cascade Locks casino. Some at the
meeting said that Tribal Council
should not only listen to the wishes
of members, but should listen and
respond.
"We've talked about these dollar
issues. What I have to say is that I
don't think we should have a big
question mark over our heads,"
Roland Kalama said. "I think we
should start making some demands,
and start putting them on paper."
Kalama said, "Our (tribal) orga
nizational chart, which most of you
have looked at, shows on top that
we are the head of the Tribal Coun
cil Then after the people is the Coun
cil" He said a new casino should be
closer to home, on the reservation
along Highway 26. "What's the dif
ference between the freeway along
the Columbia and our own highway
Chairman Ron Suppah.
Part of the problem, said Suppah,
is that tribal members over the past
several years have had a harder time
finding healthy huckleberries in the tra
ditional gathering areas. The hope with
the Mt. I Iood Bill is for the tribes to
assert greater control in management
of the huckleberry habitat in the na
tional forest, he said.
The past several years have seen
increasing exploitation of huckleberries
by non-Indians who sell the berries for
profit. As a result, the berries are being
commercialized, and the competition is
leaving fewer berries for Indians. Tim
ber harvesting practices are also a fac
tor. Huckleberries are among the most
essential traditional foods of the tribes,
and for this reason proper management
I i J' '
I , M J r.
Nalani Brisbois, 7, speaks with Santa
presents.
one to enjoy and warm up with hot
chocolate.
Holliday, as Santa, sat at one end
discuss casino, Council
here - what will probably turn into a
freeway in probably 10 years anyway,"
said Kalama.
On this point, at other meetings on
gaming, tribal officials have said that
no other potential casino site on reser
vation would generate enough revenue
to make such a venture worthwhile.
Other sites on the reservation would
generate only as much, or just slightly
more than Indian Head Casino at Kah-Nee-Ta,
according to a study commis
sioned by the tribes. (See gamingpiece on
page 4.)
Casino, travel documents
Two documents were handed out at
the Dec. 8 gathering. One document
was headed, "Memorandum Agreement
with Cascade Locks," that included 13
alleged allowances the tribes have
agreed to pay the city of Cascade Locks
after the casino is built.
The other document was a 14-page
summary apparendy accounting for
travel-related expenses for each of the
1 1 members of the Tribal Council as
of Sept. 30 of this year.
Wilson Wewa, a Seekseequa District
resident who works at the Seniors Pro
gram, alluded to the casino-related
sheet, saying the document indicates the
tribes will be giving Cascade Locks "a
blank check" for infrastructure im
provements. Regarding the travel-expense docu
is also essential. The Mt. Hood bill
would help address the issue across
75,000 acres at Mt. I Iood.
The bill is sponsored in the Congress
by Rep. Greg Walden, Republican of
Hood River, and Rep. Karl
Blumenauer, Democrat of Portland.
This past fall Walden and
Blumenauer toured the forest area that
is the subject of the bill. During part
of the field trip, they were accompa
nied by members of the Confederated
Tribes. Representatives of the tribes
included F.valine Patt, of the Museum
i
at Warm Springs; Ixniie Pitt, director
of Government Affairs; Bobby
Brunoe, general manager of Natural
Resources; and Jody Calica, secretary
treasurer. Discussion with the congressmen
focused on "first foods" such as the
Brian MortenserVSpilyay
Claus about potential Christmas
of the Community Center, where
children could sit on his lap and pcti-
tion him for gifts this Christmas. OSU
ment, Wewa said the tribes had spent
half a million dollars on Council travel
through August.
"And there've been tribal programs
that have been cut, and we're having
to make cuts in order to survive as a
tribe," he said. "We want the Tribal
Council to make cuts, too."
Floyd Calica, who works for the
gaming committee, said that Warm
Springs, as represented by Tribal Coun
cil, must represent itself at the national
level.
"Council members need to be at the
table representing the tribes," said
Calica. "We need to be there for our
water, our fish and our law enforce
ment." He added that he has always been
able to gain the ear of his local repre
sentatives in Tribal Council, and that
they have been willing to discuss, on a
one-to-one level, the nature of their
travels.
Regarding the use of funds from the
McQuinn timber blowdown lawsuit,
Calica likened the Tribal Councils cur
rent position to that of the Tribal Coun
cil that faced the decision regarding the
settlement money from the inundation
of Celilo Falls. The question then, as
now, was whether to invest the money
toward the future, or pay it as per capita.
In hindsight, he said, "We are thank
ful for some of the unpopular deci
sions that were made back then."
huckleberries and salmon. The provi
sion in the Mt. Hood bill regarding
Native American traditional foods is
referred to as "the first foods initia
tive." Warm Springs Chief Delvis I leath
and Paiutc Chief Joe Moses testified
on behalf of the tribes at a hearing on
the bill in I Iood River. "We believe that
Mt. I Iood is a very special place that
deserves special attention, which you
have addressed through the balanced
approach we se in your legislative con
cept," said Moses.
Secretary-Treasurer Calica, Chief
Operation Officer Lauraina I lintsala,
and Louie Pitt of Government Affairs
gave testimony on behalf of the tribal
interest at a hearing on the bill in Port
land. See BERRIES on page 13
Extension 4-H and the Warm
Springs Recreation Department
teamed up once again to sponsor
the event.
Just as was done last year after
the parade, those assembled sang
Christmas carols with the help of
Rick Ribeiro, pastor of the Warm
Springs Presbyterian Church.
This year, though, instead of gath
ering around the lit Christmas tree
on the Community Center lawn, the
group sang carols inside where it was
warm.
"It was too cold to sing around
the tree, but the food was barbecued
outside while everyone was inside,"
said Carol Allison, of the Recreation
Department.
Organizers were Arlene Boileau
and Minnie Tulalakus from 4-H.
Also: Carol Allison, Andy
Leonard, Austin Greene, Sena Wolfe,
Jermaine Tuckta, Tearon McDonald,
Preston Tom, and Brutus Baez of
the Warm Springs Recreation De
partment. by Brian Mortensen
budget
it
...I think we're looking at
revenues never imagined.
We 're looking at revenue in
excess of $100 million to
the tribes. "
Floyd Calica
(Speaking about the Gorge casino proposal)
Calica conceded that the process
toward construction of the casino
was going "very slowly," yet he was
confident in that the process would
still be completed by 2007, and that
legislation on the floor of Congress
prohibiting off-reservation Indian
casinos would include a grandfather
provision allowing the tribes to build
at Cascade Locks.
"Everyone has made mention of
debt service, and we're looking at seven
or eight years of debt service," Calica
said. "What kind of revenues are we
looking at beyond that? I think we're
looking at revenues never imagined.
We're looking at revenues of in excess
of $100 million to the tribes."
Tribal Council members Rita
Squiemphen and Carolyn Wewa at
tended the meeting, as did Paul Young,
Bureau of Indian Affairs Superinten
dent at Warm Springs.