99
,W362
S64x
V. 33
no. 2
Jan 17,
2008
SOU L i b r a r y
S p i l y a y ty m o o = C o y o te n ew s
J a n u a r y 1 7 , 2008
R e c e iv e d o n : 0 1 -2 3 -0 8
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SBS iT
Spi lyay Ty m e -
P.0. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
SOUTHERN OREGON UNN. E « R * B K R w æ
5“
ftSHLAND. OR 22222
Coyote News, est. 1976
M B M
January 17, 2008
Voi. 33, No. 2
„
P o stage
PRSRTSTD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
50 cents
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Casino process takes a step forward
B y D a ve M cM ech a n
S p ilya y T ym oo
The Confederated Tribes o f Warm
Springs received word from the fed
eral government last w eek that the BIA
can proceed w ith the environm ental
review process that could lead to the
tribe building a casino resort at Cas
cade Locks.
The word from the Interior Depart
m ent was that the BIA w ould proceed
with the Draft Environm ental Impact
Statement (DEIS) process, which evalu
ates the im p act o f d evelo p in g the
project at the Cascade Locks site.
The next step in the DEIS process
will involve a series o f public hearings
on the DEIS.
H earings w ill lik ely be in W arm
Springs, Cascade Locks, Hood River,
east Pordand, and Stevenson, Wash., ac
cording to officials. Specific dates and
times were not yet known, but the hear
ings m ay happen within the next few
months.
“It’s good news that the Secretary is
considering this,” said Tribal Council
Chairman Ron Suppah. “I’m happy for
the project, and hope it m oves for
ward.”
Council Vice Chair Aurolyn Stwyer
commented, “During this process, the
tribe has faithfully and m ethodically
done everyth in g as recom m ended.
We’ve done a lot of work, and that is
paying some benefit.”
Some applications rejected
W hile allowing Warm Springs and
seven other tribal proposals to proceed,
the Interior Department last week also
denied 11 off-reservation casino pro
posals by other tribes, and sent back
an o th er 11 ap p licatio n s as in co m
plete.
A m ong tribes that w ere rejected
were the Muckleshoot, Colville Con
Miss Warm
Springs Pageant
set for this Friday
See MISS WARM SPRINGS on 5
“All we were asking for is a hearing
on the merits o f the case,” said Chuck
Daughtry, general manager o f the Port
o f Cascade Locks. “It’s a big step.”
The port and city o f Cascade Locks,
and H ood River County officials are
supporters o f the tribes’ proposal. A
main benefit would be new jobs in the
community, said Daughtry.
The tribes’ proposal also has the
support o f Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who
two years ago signed a gam ing com
pact w ith the tribes.
See CASINO on 8
After 33 years, youth conference
returning to Warm Springs
B y L e s lie M itts
S p ilya y T ym oo
B y L e s lie M itts
S p ilya y T ym oo
A new Miss W arm Springs will be
crowned during the Miss Warm Springs
Pageant this Friday evening, Jan. 18.
The event w ill be held in the commu
nity center social hall, with dinner start
ing at 5 p.m. and the pageant beginning
at 6:30 p.m.
T he crow n ing o f the new M iss
W arm Springs means that Sallie Polk-
Adams will be ending her reign. The
year was filled w ith conferences and
meetings, Polk-Adams said, and a few
powwows.
Her favorite activity from the year
was a conference w ith the National
Indian Education Association in Spo
kane.
“I got to meet so m any different
people that I hadn’t m et at any o f the
conferences I’ve ever been to,” Polk-
Adams explained.
The conference featured a variety
o f different activities, she added, in
cluding many that aren’t always fea
tured in conferences.
“It was fun for pretty much every
one,” she said. With activities like hip-
hop dancing workshops, flute playing
and a comedian, the conference also
featured speakers on topics about com
munity and Indian life. “A lot of real
stuff,” Polk-Adams said.
In addition, those attending the con
ference were able to spend time relax
ing with other Native Americans from
the northwest.
Part o f the highlight o f the confer
ence, Polk-Adams said, was to be able
to “just interact with different Native
Americans throughout the northwest
and see w hat their culture is like.”
One o f her biggest challenges, Polk-
Adams said, involved scheduling and
arranging time for all o f the events she
attended as a representative o f the
tribes.
For that reason, her advice to the
future Miss W arm Springs is to get
those types of things setded at the be
ginning o f her reign.
“Get your agenda planned way ahead
in advance, that way you know w hat’s
going on and where you’re going,” she
said, and also be aware o f whether or
not you need to prepare a speech or
wear your crown.
Another challenging aspect o f her
reign involved learning to deal with criti
cism, she said. W hen faced w ith criti
cism at first, Polk-Adams said, “I didn’t
know really how to handle m yself.”
In the end, she said, “I felt like I did
a good job. A few other people have
told me I have too.”
federated Tribes and the Lower Elwha
in W ashington state, and the Burns
Paiute Tribe in O regon. T he Burns
Paiute proposal called for a 42-acre site
in Ontario, Ore. The Interior D epart
m ent said applications by the tribes
were incomplete.
The Confederated Tribes o f Warm
S p rin g s’ p ro p o sed site at C ascade
Locks, 40 miles east o f Pordand on the
Columbia River, is within the Ceded
Lands o f the Confederated Tribes of
W arm Springs.
Officials at Cascade Locks were en
couraged by the recent Interior Depart
ment news.
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
In February, Simasho will host Thirty-First Annual Lincoln’s Birthday
Powwow. The powwow court candidates, such as Mileena Edwards
(above) are preparing for the event through the sales of raffle tickets
that support the powwow contests. (See candidate statements on
W arm Springs will be hosting the
N orthwest Indian Youth Conference
this May, and plans are progressing
quickly.
Tribal Council heard a report last
w eek from the conference planning
committee.
The Northwest Indian Youth Con
ference originated in W arm Springs 33
years ago.
According to Aurolyn Stwyer, a tribal
council representative who is working
with the committee developing the con
ference, the conference w ill provide a
great opportunity for W arm Springs as
w ell as provide a boost to the local
economy.
“We’re looking at working together
in a systematic way with the commu
nity in making this a successful confer
ence,” Stwyer told the other members
o f Tribal Council.
Teepees will be provided at the pow
w ow grounds and rooms are set-aside
at Kah-Tee-Ta Resort, and Stwyer said
they are also hoping to w ork with mo
tels in Madras in order to arrange lodg
ing.
Registration for those attending will
be $65, and that means significant rev
enue for the tribes.
Typically over 1,000 youth attend
the conference each year.
In addition to revenue created with
registration, food vendors will be avail
able at the powwow grounds and that
m oney w ill serve as revenue for the
tribes as well.
“W e’re really excited about the op
p o rtu n ity to b rin g th is to W arm
Springs,” Stwyer said.
In the past, representatives from the
Confederated Tribes o f W arm Springs
have always traveled to the youth con
ference, which is hosted by a different
reservation in the northwest each year.
H igh school and m iddle school
youth, including many students who are
involved with the high school Indian
Club, are volunteering to help lead the
conference. So far, over 30 students
have volunteered.
Local youth w ill be planning and
hosting the entire conference, and some
will undergo leadership training with the
Ford Foundation.
Jaylyn Suppah, from OSU extension,
is w orking to plan and prom ote the
conference and said they w ill be hold
ing planning meetings w ith local stu
dents throughout the month and until
the conference in May.
The theme for the conference in
volves the ancestors and the strength
they provide for the future.
Those organizing the conference are
planning to dedicate portions to the
m ental, physical, spiritual and em o
tional aspects o f life.
See YOUTH CONFERENCE on 8
pages 4 and 5).
Tribal members encouraged to apply for state health plan
As a community, W arm Springs
has the fewest number o f partici
pants receiving the Oregon Health
Plan, but those interested could ben
efit from the resource.
The Department o f Human Ser
vices is preparing to open Oregon
Health Plan Standard to a limited
number o f people through a new
process called the Oregon Health
Plan Standard Reservation List.
The Oregon Health Plan Stan
dard provides health care coverage
to low income, non-pregnant adults
19 years and older.
M artiRai Ramsey, contact repre
sentative for Indian Health Services,
said, “W e’re eligible but no one is
accessing it.”
People interested in applying for
the health plan standard benefits
must place themselves on the Or
egon Health Plan Standard reserva
tion list.
They can get on the list by con-
Its Importantfor people to
get signed up because it’s an
alternate resources. It brings
more revenue into the
Warm Springs Health and
Wellness Center. ”
MartiRay Ramsey
Indian Health Services represenatives
tacting Ramsey at Indian Health Ser
vices to complete and submit an Or
egon Health Plan reservation request
form, calling a central phone bank, or
subm itting their inform ation online.
The reservation list will be open from
January 28 through February 29.
After the list closes, the Department
o f Human Services will randomly draw
a predeterm ined num ber o f names
from the reservation list and send
health plan standard applications to
those individuals w hose nam es are
drawn.
The Human Services departm ent
will repeat the monthly random draw
ing and mailing o f applications until a
sustainable number is reached.
“It’s im portant for people to get
signed up because it’s an alternate re
source,” Ramsey said. “It brings more
revenue into the Warm Springs Health
and Wellness Center.”
In addition, Ramsey said, “It gives a
bit o f relief to the managed care pro
gram. The business at Indian Health
Services can bill the Oregon Health
Plan for services that people receive
at the clinic.”
If people are referred elsewhere or
need specialty services, Ramsey added,
the Oregon Health Plan would cover
those services as well.
In Ramsey’s opinion, “As a commu
nity, it is important to exhaust all re
sources.”
Only Oregon Health Plan Standard,
due to its limited openings, w ill require
the reservation list process.
Anyone interested in applying for the
Oregon Health Plan Plus or other De
partm ent o f Fluman Services medical
assistance programs can complete an
health plan appEcation at any tune to
see if they qualify for coverage.
Ram sey works with the community
to get them signed up for the Oregon
Health Plan and Medicare.
People can reach Ramsey at 553-
1196, extension 4193, if they have
questions.
Starting in March, the state o f Or
egon will be drawing 2,000 names per
month.
AppEcations will be sent to those
whose names are drawn to see if they
quaEfy for the Oregon Health Plan.
That part o f the process w ill last
from March to November.
For more inform ation, or to apply,
yisit www.oregon.gov/DHS/open.