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Received on: 05-0S-06
Spilyay tymoo
April 27, 2006
Coyote News, est. 1976
—
By Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo
Austin Smith Jr.
“We were on high alert,” Smith said.
“But we didn’t see action that day. Our
presence made the people feel safe.”
Voter turnout was high at nearly 70
percent, and there were no reports of
violence in Barwana.
Smith has served about half of jtis
four-year enlistment in the Marines. In
:
_
two years he may re-enlist for an
other four years, or he might go to
college. In the past he has worked
at the Natural Resources Branch,
and he is considering a career in that
field.
Meanwhile, though, he is focus
ing on his work in the Marines.
Smith is expecting to go soon to
Camp Pendleton in California for
training, and then he expects to re
turn to Iraq.
Iraq is different from some
people might think, Smith said. The
people there, he said, want peace.
Many of the insurgents who oppose
the U.S. are from neighboring coun
tries rather than from Iraq itself, he
said.
Smith and his battalion manned
a forward observation base in
Barwana. Their job was to investi
gate and look for known insurgents,
such as people who still support
Saddam Hussein. When found, the
insurgents are taken prisoner, Smith
said.
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Hundreds of people visited the
traveling history exhibition, Corps of
Discovery II, at the Museum at
Warm Springs.
On Monday of this week 20
busloads of students arrived for the
exhibition. The same number arrived
again on Tuesday. Along with the
many young people who enjoyed the
exhibit, many adults did the same.
During the four days that the ex
hibition was at the museum, several
tribal members gave presentations on
a variety of topics in the Tent of
Many Voices. Warm Springs Chief
Delvis Heath, Fred Wallulatum and
Wilson Wewa made the opening wel
come on Sunday. The Warm Springs
VFW Color Guard presented the col
ors.
Evaline Patt, Louie Pitt, Pat
Courtney Gold, Val Switzler, Rob
ert Miller, and George Aguilar Sr.
were featured speakers that day. Liz
Woody, Ed Edmo, Roberta Kirk,
Joseph Sheppard, Clay Penhollow,
Adeline Miller, Terry Courtney Jr.,
Briget Whipple, Arlita Rhoan, Rose
Charley, Mary Schlick, and tribal el
ders spoke in the Tent of Many
Voices during the exhibition.
Wasco Chief Nelson Wallulatum
on Sunday brought his regalia and
artifacts for display. “We were hon
ored that he and his family did that,”
said Carol Leone, museum director.
The National Park Service pro
vides major funding, exhibit design
and production, transportation, and
support staff through the Lewis and
Clark National Historic Trail, based
in Omaha, Neb.
Leander Williams, Douglas
Williams Sr., and Roberta
Williams (photo above right)
speak with Steve Morehouse, a
Lewis and Clark expert, at the
Corps II traveling exhibit.
Terry Courtney (photo at right)
was among the tribal members
who made presentations to the
audiences who visited the Corps
of Discovery II exhibits.
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P KSK TST D
Warm Springs, O R 97761
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Marine visiting from Iraq War
Great
turnout
fo r history
exhibition
Voi. 31, No.9
W SS
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50 cents
I B i
Austin Smith Jr. joined the U.S.
Marine Corps two years ago when
he graduated from Madras High
School. “I’m 100 percent happy with
the decision to join,” Smith was say
ing last week.
“Some people didn’t want me to
go,” he was saying. “But there are so
many benefits in the Marines. You’re
held to a high standard and you learn
to get the job done.”
Smith has been back home in
Warm Springs in recent weeks, af
ter having just spent seven months
in Iraq.
Lance Cpl. Smith is part of the
Third Battalion First Marines Divi
sion. Last December during election
time in Iraq, his battalion was in the
city of Barwana, in a region that had
seen much violence from al Qaeda.
Some were thinking the election
would bring more killings, so Ma
rines were stationed at the poling
places.
P.O. Box 870
VA/arm Snrinqs, OR 97761
Housing adopts
drug, alcohol policy
By Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo
The Warm Springs Housing Author
ity has adopted a new policy to help
fight against drug and alcohol abuse on
the reservation.
Under the new policy a person can
be evicted from housing in the juris
diction of the Housing Authority, if the
person engages in illegal drug use or
alcohol abuse.
A person can become ineligible to
participate in any Housing Authority
program for one year, if the person is
involved in illegal drug activity or alco
hol abuse.
The Housing Authority will also be
gin inspecting housing units within its
jurisdiction for the presence of meth-
amphetamine.
If an unsafe level of methamphet-
amine is detected in the residence, then
the unit will be deemed unsafe for hu
man occupation. The resident must then
leave while the unit is decontaminated.
The occupant will pay cost of decon
tamination.
The Housing Authority adopted the
new policy in large part because of the
epidemic of methamphetamine, or
crank. The policy applies, however, to
all illegal drug use, and alcohol abuse.
The occupant can be evicted not
only for violating the policy personally,
but also for allowing some other per
son such as a guest to violate the policy
in the Housing Authority unit.
There are nearly 400 housing units
under the Housing Authority jurisdic
tion, so the new policy could have a
large impact on the reservation. The
housing units include tribal, HUD, and
mutual-aid residences.
Methamphetamine on the reserva
tion “is not just a problem for the po
lice and the courts,” said Jeff Sanders,
executive director of Housing. “This
is an issue that affects every family and
every individual.”
The inspections for the presence of
methamphetamine in the residence will
be part of the periodic unit inspections.
Inspections may be conducted out
side of the periodic inspection time, if
the Housing Authority has probable
cause to believe that meth is being used
or made in a particular residence. In
such cases the occupant will be given
notice that the inspection is going to
take place.
Sanders said the methamphetamine
inspection policy is mainly one of
safety. Use of methamphetamine in a
residence can leave a residue in the
carpet, the furniture and curtains.
“If there are children in the house,
they can breath in the meth residue,
and this creates health problems,” said
Sanders. “This is one of the main rea
sons why I wanted the Housing board
to adopt this policy.”
A similar policy has been adopted
on other reservations, said Sanders.
Some tribes have gone farther in fight
ing against methamphetamine, includ
ing the banishment of offenders from
tribal land.
He said he does not believe that
anyone is making methamphetamine in
a Housing Authority unit, but people
are using it and selling it in the units.
People should be aware of the new
policies, as the consequences for a fam
ily could be serious. As an example, if
one parent is using meth in the resi
dence, then the family may be evicted.
“It is unfortunate that these things
have to happen,” said Sanders. “But we
are looking toward zero-tolerance of
meth.”
The new policy is also intended to
deter underage drinking. On a weekly
basis in some neighborhoods, Sanders
said, there are teenage drinking parties
that often result in further criminal,
sometimes violent activity.
“We’re saying enough is enough to
criminal activity that is happening in
these units,” he said.
Parents of young people need to be
aware of the policies, as the family can
face eviction if the children violate the
policies.
“I realize parents can have a hard
time keeping control of their teenage
children, but if there is more pressure,
then maybe the parents will take more
of a part,” said Sanders.
For second straight year,
salmon staying away
Dave MeMechan/Spilyay
For the straight second year, the spring chinook salmon that normally leap by
the thousands up the fish ladders of Bonneville Dam toward spawning grounds
are virtually absent.
Fishery experts say the run has been late before, but it’s off to such a weak
start that the tribes had to haul some of last year’s salmon out of the freezer for
the “First Foods” ceremony that marks the return of the fish.
As of earlier this week, only 488 adult chinook had been counted at the dam.
The ten-year average at this point, which includes a couple of bumper years, is
about 73,088.
The tribal share of this spring run has been calculated at 6,188 fish. By the
recent weekend ceremony at Celilo Village near The Dalles, tribal fishermen had
caught only 20.
A late surge remains possible and more should be known in early May, when
about half of the run normally would have passed the dam.
Sport fishermen below the dam have told scientists the fish are in the river,
but they have not moved over the dam.
For reasons not well understood, salmon don’t spawn until they return to the
places where they were hatched. Then they die. Some spawn below the dam but
most spawning grounds extend as far as Idaho and into numerous Columbia
River tributaries above Bonneville Dam.
Preseason estimates for last year were for 254,100 salmon to make it past
Bonneville Dam. Only 106,900 did so.
This year’s prediction is 88,400 — still a fairly healthy run if it shows up. In
recent years, the run has been as low 42,000 in 1999 and as high as 438,000 in
2001. As with last year, the salmon are apparently waiting for some biological
trigger to send them up the stairstep-like ladders, past a counting window and on
their way upriver.
The spring run is described as famously finicky about water conditions and
other factors.
Data from the count are used to predict future runs and have been fairly
accurate until last year. (By AP and Spilyay staff.)