P.O.Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
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C o y o te N ew s, est.
U n i v e r s i t y o f Or e g o n Library
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R e c ei ve d o nx 10-20-06
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VOCS makes
difference in
many lives
B y L eslie M itts
Spilyay Tymoo
Ever wonder why Victims o f Grime
can’t help victims o f all crimes?
So have many other people, accord
ing to M a rt M atthews, director o f
Victims o f Crime.
The problem, he said, lies in the
funding— Victims o f Grime is funded
by several grants that allow them to
assist people who have been^ffeOted
by “person crimes.”
Person crimes involve dim es like
assault, en d an g erm en t and abuse
(ariiong many others), while property
crimes involve crimes such as arson,
theft or trespassing.
The difference between the crimes
is what makes the services o f Victims'
o f Crime available to some victims and
not others— though they readily refer
other services to those that they can’t
assist
While they would like to help ev
eryone involved in any kind o f crime,
Matthews explained, “We can’t do that
because o f the constrain ts o f the
grant.”
. Victims o f Crime employi five ad
vocates, Matthews said, as well as an
advocate supervisor.
Viola G overnor is one advocate
who works with those involved with
elder abuse, whilp others like Sara Seott
work with vKthns.'Gf assault and oat-r
T heir office isn’t your typical Office
setting, either. Rooms are dedicated
to storing clotting donations and there
are play areas for children—that’s be
cause' they used to use their facility as
a shelter.
While they can’t do that anymore
because o f liability issuers, Matthews
said victims can be transported and
housed in off-reservation shelters.
In addition, he said,-‘they can help
if a victim has to go to court, or pro
vide tran sp o rtatio n to events like
doctor’s appointments or counseling
sessions;
' Rachel K. Smitif works as the Vic
tims o f Crime investigator and batterer
facilitator. H er job involves helping the
abusers rather than those who are
abused, and she believes they need to
hear an im portant message.
“They come in complete denial,” she
i said. After going through the program,
Smith said, m ost o f them change that
attitude. “For the m ost part they want
to talk; they need someone to talk to,’*
she explained. “I f I can get them to
say something happened, I feel that I’ve
accomplished a lot.”
During the program (which focuses
on creating a process o f change, for
those who batter), Smith said, “We talk
a lot about personal responsibility and
choice.” |
(Continued from page 1)
Unfortunately, it’s a program that
may be tu t due to funding issues.
But Smith believes in the program
‘so much that she’s willing to continue
running it by volunteering her time.
“We also n eed to ed u cate th e
batterers,” she said. “It’s a choice* but
there are programs that help.”
For victims, Matthews said, there is
24-hour access to advocates via an
emergency phone.
“Advocates will go to the hospital in
the middle o f the night; they’ll go to
the scene/’ he said.
Those who choose to seek assistance
through Victims o f Crime sign a con
fidentiality agreement that states who
they wish to share their information
with— and that doesn’t always include
the police department, Matthews said.
See VOCS on 7
Trust case settlement eases budget cuts
B y D ave McMechan
Spiiyay Tymoo
Settlement o f part o f the trust
case brought by the tribes against
the federal government has reduced
the need for some tribal government
budget cuts over the next few years.
There is still a need, though, for
some reductions, mainly because o f
a drop in tim ber revenue to the
tribes.
The Tribal Council will meet with
the membership in coming weeks at
district m eetings and a G eneral
Council meeting to discuss the pro
posed 2007 budget.
The Simnasho District will meet
on Monday, Oct. 16 at the Simnasho
Longhouse. The Agency District will
meet on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at the Agency
Longhouse. _
T he G eneral Coùncil m eeting is
scheduled for Monday, Oct. 30 at the
Agency Longhouse. For the meetings,
dinner is at 6 p.m. and the meetings
start at 7 p.m.
Settlement o f phase one o f the trust
lawsuit is expected to result in a $20
million payment to the tribes.
The settlement money can be used
over the next few years, from 2007
through 2010, in developing the annual
budget.
Use o f the settlement funds will help
minimize impacts to the community o f
the reduced timber revenue, said Ron
Suppah, Tribal Council chairman. In
tended use o f the settlement money is
described in the proposed tribal supple
mental budget for 2007, posted late last
month.
“The proposed budget projects in
creases for operation and economic
development o f $42,419 and decreases
in revenue sources o f $2.14 million,
and decreases in program operations
and other uses, o f approximately $1.82
million, resulting in a deficit posted
budget o f approximately $451,532,”
Suppah said in a budget letter to the
membership.
Ì The final budget will nèed to be: bal
anced, so the $451,532 deficit will have
to be eliminated.
Tribal managers and directors are
currently working On ways to eliminate
the deficit.
The situation would have been much
worse, in terms o f budget cuts, had it
n ot been for the settlement o f phase
one o f the trust case, said Ray Potter,
the tribes’ chief financial officer.
There is some department reorga
nization proposed in the 2007. KWSO
and the Spilyay, for instance, are moved
to Government Affairs, and the Tribal
Relations branch is eliminated. Records,
Mail and Reception, and Vital Statis
tics are in the Adminstrative Services
Center.
New culture
group at
high school
B y L eslie M itts
Spilyay . Tymoo ^
Film conveys serious message
B y L eslie M itts
Spilyay | Tymo o
Two standing ovations later;« the
students didn’t lôok nearly' as $iet-
yous as they had before the film
began in Bend’s Tower Theatre.
S tu d e n ts fro m M adras H ig h
School’s youth development team,
which is led by : tw o Warm Springs
students, premiered their new film
'“Sifeht Message” on O ctober 4 to
an audience that filled nearly .every
-seat in the theatre.
The students, along with Bend-
based H udson Productions and vari
ous anti-crkrie agencies, began pre-
production on the film nearly a year
ago-
“Silent Message” focuses o n child
sexual abuse. *
, A 30-minute documentary on the
making o f the film aired before the
film itself—documenting the labofr
that went ipto the project as well as
séveral first-pérsbh accounts about
child sex abuse. ,
The emotion in the . room was evi
dent as a young girl spçke o f experi
encing years o f abuse——som ething
from the real world that reflects the
reasons students chose to make “Silent
î^essage.”
The filing- features three characters
from the same high school w ho each
face different experiences with sexual
abuse— “Clint/’ a star wrestler struggles
with violentf eaCtions after recent con
ta c t w ith fu s abuser (and father).
“M aria” reaches o u t to '’.counselors
about her history o f abuse only after
realizing that her younger sister may
be her father’s next victim.
Thé third part o f the film focuses
on “Lily.” A shy girl, lily is still being
abused regularly by an uncle. , A t the
end o f the film, Lily takes her own life
after being raped at a party and dis
covering that she is pregnant.
W arm Springs re sid e n t Alyssia
M eanus-Thompson stars in the filmas
Lily, along with several students from
the youth development team who
worked as crew members or back
ground actors on the film.
/ C o m m u n ity -m em ber F o ste r
Kalama plays Lily’s;iincle— One who
attempts to reach out to her because
he suspects' she is being abused. - ■
Involved team members include
Niick Katchia, Tonya Boise, Victoria
Katchia and LaRonn Katchia.
In addition, comm unity i mem
bers Rebecca and Shelly Taylor and
Rena and Marilyn Suppah were in
volved in the film.
A crowd o f professionals was.on
hand to discuss the crimes involved
with sexual abuse and how to seek
help,-while interviews with profes
sionals in the victim’s assistance and
law enforcement fields aired during
the documentary.
Following the film, members o f
the youth development team took
the stage for a quespon and answer
-session. •
See MESSAGE on 11
Gaming board considers Kah-Nee-Ta future
The Warm Springs Gaming E n
terprise B oard o f D irectors and
management held their board retreat
recently at Welches. One o f the main
purposes, o f the retreat was to dis
cuss thè future o f Kah-Nee-Ta re
sort w ithout a casino, add the next
steps in the development o f a mas
ter plan.
The directors m ust begin explor
ing options to enhance the appeal o f
Kah-Nee-Ta once the tribal casino
moves to the Columbia River Gorge.
The hope is that by expanding or
improving the resort, it would be able
to achieve higher revenues, espe
cially in the o ff and shoulder sea
sons, and do so in a m anner that
would yield a positive free cash flow*
said K en Smith, gaming board çhair-
man.
The hope, he said, is thatK ah-N èe-
Ta would be able to finance its own
recurring capital expenditures and ex
pansion, which are necessary to keep
Kah-Nee-Ta competitive in the market.
- To begin with, significant funds will
be needed for a “face lift” to bring the
property up to standard.
“We need to determine potential
products and services that will move
Kah-Nee-Ta into a more competitive
position in the m arket place,” said
Smith.
A num ber o f ideas have been iden
tified, such as condom inium s/ time
shares, upgraded full service spa, ex
pansion o f the golf course an d /o r con
stru c tio n o f a- ch am p io n sh ip g o lf
course, multi-dimensional water park,
family entertainment, expanded RV
grounds / parks, airstrip or airpark,
expanded defined trail system. *
Jeff Ford, chief executive officer
o f K ah-Nee-Ta, was assigned to
provide a report within 60 days on
the costs that will be associated with
developing m ore inform ation on
each option.
The gaming bcjard also exchanged
ideas related to the management prir
orities for 2007, followed by a re
p o rt on the A ugust 29 G eneral
Council meeting on the gaming en
terprise.
The master plan for Kah-Nee-
Ta is an ongoing process and the
board will be seeking input from
tribal members as the project moves
forward.
A new after-school cultural group
will soon allow female students to learn
more about their culture.
Timur Gaston, title seven teacher at
Madras High School, is bringing to
gether students and Warm Springs com
munity members in order to help gifls
learn about beadw otk, dancing and
more.
The first step, she said, is to hold an
informational meeting and allow the
group to choose a name.
Next she hopes to involve comm u
nity members who have the knowledge
to pass on to the students.
Foster Kalama, a liaison for MHS,
runs a cultural group for boys that
involves teaching them about playing
the flute and drum s (am ong m uch
m ore), G aston said. B ut the girls are
currently lacking that kind o f oppor
tunity.
“I ’ve had several girls say they’re
interested,” G aston said.
Several women from the commu
nity have expressed concern to school
officials that the girl’s cultural needs are
not being met, according to Gaston.
T hat concern .-is what led her to start
up the group this year.
T he group already has, two sewing
machines they acquired from the school
as well as numerous craft supplies do
nated by Shirley Smith.
“W hat I need are other tribal mem
bers that are willing to give up an af
ternoon,” G aston said, because she
needs people willing to instruct the girls
and share any kind o f knowledge that
they have.
" Many o f the girls already have cer
tain skills, she said, that they learned
from parents or grandparents. But that
isn’t the case for everyone, G aston
added.
Part o f the class will focus on mak
ing traditional regalia for those who
don’t have any or who have outgrown
what they did have.
; A main concern is how to get sup-
plies-r—while G aston said she is work
ing on finding grants to cover the costs,
she said that donations are always wel
come and needed.
To become involved or to make a
d o n a tio n , c o n ta c t G a sto n at
tgast6n@509j.riet or by phone at 475-
7265, extension 390.
While e-mail is the best form o f
communication, Gaston asked that you
wait to call until after 3:15 when school
is out for the day.
G aston also said the com m unity
members are welcome to attend the
group once it begins meeting.