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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 2006)
E Coosh EEWA: The wgy it is * * * Spilyay Tymoo June 22, 2006 i Letters to the Editor Chieftanship We, the fam ily o f A lfred Smith Jr., want to thank Chief Nelson Wallulatum for meeting w ith us to inform us o f the Wasco tribal custom of choos ing a sub-chief. This was done in November, 2003 at his home in Upper Shitike Creek. Thank you, Nelson, for working with us and teaching the accepted way carried on through many family generations. As per your instructions, we went ahead and held the ceremony, dinner, and g iv e aw ay at the A gen cy Longhouse in the spring o f 2004. We would also like to thank the m any W asco elders who signed the document appointing Alfred Smith Jr. as the Wasco sub-chief. We are retaining all the pictures taken at the cer emony, as well as family pictures, and the complete family tree that goes back to the Wasco chiefs o f the C olum bia River. We w ould also like to especially thank the Wasco people and oth ers who attended the ceremony and shared in this historic event. From the family of Alfred Tribal Court each parent’s needs, wishes and desires, rather, the child’s wel fare, safety and best interests take precedence over those of the parents. A child’s welfare and need for governm ental protection should not be used to help sell n ew sp ap ers or w in aw ards. Child welfare and protection is sues influence a child’s develop ment into adulthood, and, when made public, reversing the nega tive influences they have on the child is made all the more diffi cult. Hopefully the child in volved here will not see this ar ticle reprinted or referred to in future “Looking Back” sections of The Pioneer. This article does a disservice to the weary yet dedicated em ployees w orking in the child ^ w elfare and p ro tectio n area who face an unrelenting num ber and complexity of cases. We hope that The Pioneer’s journal ists and editors will be more sen sitive to the effects their stories have on the people they write about, especially the children, and that in the future, publish ing fair, factual, truthful and balanced articles will be the stan dard. Sincerely, Anita L. Jackson, Chief Judge Marie A. Calica, Associ ate Judge B arbara Jim , A sso ciate Judge Warm Springs Tribal Court This letter comes as a re sponse to the May 10, 2006 ar ticle in The M adras Pioneer (The Pioneer) regarding a pend ing child w elfare case in the W arm Springs T ribal Court. Rather than print a fair and bal anced article, The Pioneer chose to present only the mother’s side of this story. The Children’s Pro One day my two sons ap tective Services and the Warm proached me, asking for my per Springs Tribal Court are bound mission to go wild horse racing by confidentiality laws and are with their uncle Yaht. unable, therefore, to discuss any Jim m y Jr. was 17 years and o f the particulars o f this case Jam ie was 15 years. M y first with the public; we can, however, thought was, “Oh no!” That’s a provide information about how wild, dangerous sport in rodeo. the Tribal Court works. “Why wild horse racing?” I told The Tribal Court is bound by them to let me think about it. tribal and federal law to protect Well, w hile thinking about the health, safety, morals, and this, it brought back memories w elfare o f children and their of my deceased brother Jake Jr. families. Court decisions are W hen my boys were younger made by applying the facts of my brother Jake already had the case to the law, and all the plans for them. He named all decisions in this case were made three of them. One would be a in that manner. Conjecture, in jockey, trainer and galloper on nuendo, emotion and unsubstan the racetrack. I liked that plan. tiated allegations cannot substi Our family has been around tute for rational thought and the horses all our lives. M y dad truth in court matters. Jacob Sr. grew up with horses. Child custody and w elfare He rode horses, raced on the cases are inherently emotional track. My dad’s racehorses have and the parties are often unable, won many, many races on rec or refuse, to make fair and ob ognized tracks and dirt tracks. jective judgments about the out Their uncle Jefferey did a good come. This is an understand job with wild horse racing and able element of human nature, saddle bronc riding. He broke and those of us who work in the his own horses. Anyway my boys did get a li child protection and w elfare arena know that at least one of cense in trainer, gallop Boy and the parties will be unhappy with were owners o f thoroughbred the court and program decisions. racehorses. I was hoping my A child cannot be split to satisfy boys w ould continue racin g Horse family horses, but it didn’t turn out that way. I gave my p erm issio n to Jim m y Jr. and Jamie to go wild horse racing with their uncle Yaht. This was their decision and what they wanted to do and I wanted to support them. I’m glad their uncle Yaht was there to work and teach them about the sport. One time I rushed to Mollala to watch my boys in a wild horse race, then drove all the way to G rants Pass, w here my two other sons, Jason and Clinton, were with our race horses. I ar rived at Grants Pass at 4 a.m. and we hauled our racehorses out at 10 a.m. to the Prineville racetrack . M y B ron co w as needed to haul our horses to the next race meet. We had a lot of good, w onderful experiences with our horses. Another time my two sons told me about some discourag ing words. While wild horse rac ing they met some negative and discouraging people. But by the grace o f God they also m et some encouraging people. En couraging words that uplifted them. I told my boys to never mind them negative people and “take to heart” the people who were encouraging them with the sport of “wild horse racing.” My two sons are now 24 years and 26 years and are still wild horse racing. It’s very dan gerous w hen you have eight teams in the arena with wild horses bucking, kicking, biting and fighting to get away. My boys always go to Tygh Ridge to wild horse race. I don’t understand how my boys’ team placed third in the finals when both times out they crossed the finish line first. The other two teams crossed the line second and third, both times out and they placed first and second in the finals. Some of the other teams ap proached my boys and shared w ords o f not understanding how the results came out as they did. My boys are going to keep on doing their best in this sport of “wild horse racing.” Melinda Frank. A message Hello, Warm Springs. I am writing to speak my mind about the ups and downs of living in a small community. Mostly the downs. To start I want to ex p ress m y feelin gs on the unprofessionalism on the part of some of the people in higher positions. For them to believe in hearsay, and implicate others in drug use, drug dealing with no formal proof just really upsets me. I see and hear it a lot about how much this person sees so and so with a new boyfriend or girlfriend and not liking it. But to try and say they know that person and to slander or libel them is just uncalled for. To judge a person should be left up to the trained judges in our jus tice system. You don’t walk in my shoes, nor do you walk in my mates shoes. You are on the outside looking in. Maybe you should not even be looking if you want to judge us, label us, shun us, and try hurting us with your petty gossip. Oh yes we are no angels, we have pasts. But we are m oving on from that to gether. Its not up to you what we decide to do with our lives. You see w hat you want, you hear what you want, but please don’t always say what you want. We don’t want everything you do. I am mostly upset to hear secondhand about m yself and my mate being “watched” be cause we are drug users and dealers. Not true, I have been employed at my job for 11 years. And have never failed a drug test or had to worry about one. But to slander my mate for the things she is dealing with in her personal life and some of the debts we are paying to the com munity for our mistakes. To say I know your other half and he is my good friend but on the other hand take it out on her and say h u rtfu l and u ntrue things and test her. I ask you test me too if you are going to im plicate me also. You are in posi tions where confidentiality and professionalism are a must, so please heed my message. I am not judging you or labeling you, anybody in this community who this has to do with. You should know who you are. I ask in clos ing, talk to either one o f us, preferably both of us before you go spreading rumors with no merit. We have nothing to hide. Misery loves company but we don’t want your company, be happy with yourself before say ing how unhappy you are with everyone else. Thank you, Or lando Stevens. Our sponsors My world’s been shut behind some doors, the shame so great the evil pours. Can love so true be know to me? Can’t wait to have my heart set free. Each day I pray my heart will find what’s really felt and not in mind. “Lord send an angel to guide the way, to open my heart as I kneel and pray.” When doors come open and evil goes out, I’ll teach it to all what the heart’s about. T h ere’s only one way, it ’s through genuine love. It hap pened to me through the Man Above. By Otis Johnson. Fire safety H ello from W arm Springs Fire and Safety, your fire depart ment. We often don’t realize that our vehicle exhaust system can start a devastating wildfire that can destroy homes and our natu ral resources. Keep this in mind while enjoying the outdoors this holiday weekend. Fire conditions in the north west still remain extreme even though the forecast calls for rain and cooling temperatures. We can help prevent these destructive fires this weekend by following some simple guide lines: Keep vehicles off dry grass: Exhaust systems can heat up to 1,000 degrees and ignite adjacent grasses and shrubs. Check your spark arrester: Before heading outdoors clean your ATV spark arrester. This w ill reduce the chance o f a spark starting a wildfire. Be prepared: Carry a shovel and a fire extinguisher in your vehicle and ATV. We can all make a difference in reducing human-caused fires during this season o f high fire danger. From Warm Springs Fire and Safety. We would like to thank our sponsors in Madras and Warm Springs for helping us to attend the young basketball tourna ments in Grand Ronde and Se attle. T h an k you to W arm Springs Forest Products Indus tries, C lif f’s A uto, E rickson T h riftw ay, M adras M arin e, M iller Ford N issan, Petals & Posies, and G loria’s Espresso. Last but not least, Earl, Rita and Valeria Squiemphen. W ithout your support we could not have placed second at Grand Ronde, and third at Seattle. M any thanks. Sammi O’Reilly. The Man above For all my life I’ve wondered why I’ve felt a longing need to cry. Congratulations I would like to say congratu lations to Felicity VanPelt, who just graduated from high school in White Swan. After the diffi culties of just growing up, she made. Congratulations to Mayanne Mitchell, who went to school at H askell. She has a very high grade point, and was also in the W ho’s Who on College Cam puses. C o n g ratu latio n s to A llen M itc h e ll, w ho has a 4.0 at Haskell. I would like to congratulate them all on their accomplish ments. I’m so proud that they have done so well. Maxine Switzler. Be careful I hear the pine trees scream ing. Listen to what they say: A fire is burning us up and we can not run away! We are hom e for m illions o f w ild ones in th is w ood: birds, tree frogs, chipm unks, squirrels, w ho’ve left us while we stood. Run! Run, cousins! Hop and fly! Escape this wicked day. Do not look back to your shady rests for we cannot run away. The flames chew at our roots and lap our sap away. They gnaw into our hearts, but we cannot run away. We shout and scream in ter ror for help if someone could stop this fire burning, deep, deep into our wood. Alas our charred remains fall in ashes all around. The heat will germinate our seeds lying on the ground. W hen our pine tree babes grow up, list’ to what they say. Don’t let fire kill them for they cannot ru n away. D ancing Light. ; v ___________I ____________ ) Serving in Iraq Hello, my name is Lawren Slockish. My father is Wilbur Slockish Jr., and my mother is Suzie Slockish. For those o f you who don’t know, I have been de ployed over to Iraq. I have been gone since Oct. 2 of 2005 and I won’t return till eith er M arch or A p ril o f 2 0 0 7 .1 am just writing to let some o f you know that if you would like to write me the address is: Spc. Slockish Lawren B Btry 1/125 strike CSC Scania APO AE 09331 So if you feel like writing me, even just to say hello, I w ould really appreciate it. Thank you. Sincerely, Spc Slockish, Lawren. Spilyay Tymoo (Coyote News, Est. 1976) Publisher Emeritus: Sid Miller Editor: Dave M cMechan Management Successor: Selena T. Boise Advertising Manager: Sam Howard Staff Writer: Brian Mortensen Media Advisor: Bill R hoades Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the Confeder ated Tribes of Warm Springs. Our offices are located in the white house at 1100 W asco Street. A n y written m aterials subm itted to Spilyay Tymoo should be addressed to: Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 870, W arm Springs, O R 97761. Phone: (541) 553-1644 or 553-3274. FAX No. (541) 553-3539. E-Mail: spilyaytym oo@ wstribes.org. Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $15.00. cS. -ay»- C ongratulations, students! C on gratu lation s to Shay la Trank and Shirley Allen. On June 3 they received their degrees. Shay la re ceived h er 'A ssociates o f S cience” De- gree in Envi ronmental Sci ence, Fisheries and W ildlife fro m S alish Kootenai College. Shirley received her “Bacherlor o f Science” degree in Elementary Education from the University o f Montana Western. We are very proud o f you two. The graduation ceremonies were beautiful. Our fam ily was happy to be there to witness this event. Grandmas Anna and Norene, aunties Margie and Jolene. C on gra tu la tio n s K ayann Katchia fo r g ra d u a tin g f r o m F la n d rea u Indian School. From the H erksh an s. We would like to recognise and congratulate our daugh ter Tianna Herkshan on obtain ing a 3.8 GPA the f i r s t two trim esters and a 4.0 th is la st trimester. We are both very p rou d o f yo u . Keep up the g o o d w ork ! L o v e , D a d and D anni. \ Thank you fo r writing to the Spilyay Tymoo. C on gra tu lation s to our d a u gh ter/s ister N icole Herkshan f o r graduating on M ay 23 f r o m Flandreau Indian H i g h School. We are all very proud o f y o u ! L ove, D ad, D a n n i, P a u l, T ia n n a , R a c h e lle , C h a rlie a n n , D a lto n , K ahne, Cheydon an d T asha.
