Museum hosts annual Huckleberry Harvest
The Museum at Warm Springs
hosted the Thirteenth Annual Huck
leberry Harvest at Cascade Locks.
Some of the Harvest activities
happened at the Cascade Locks pa
vilion, and some on the sternwheeler.
“It was great. We had so much
fun,” said Carol Leone, museum di
rector.
The silent auction was held on the
sternwheeler, as was the dinner. The
Huckleberry Harvest is the princi
pal annual fundraiser for the mu
seum. “We had a great auctioneer,”
said Leone.
A special auction raised $10,000
for an audiovisual upgrade at the
museum.
During the Huckleberry Harvest,
artist Lillian Pitt (left) and Tamera
Moody (in regalia) visited with
former Oregon governor Vic
Atiyeh and wife Delores.
Greg Leo photo for Spilyay
Community discusses adoption election
well as potentially adopting a census
role other than the 1940 census role,
she added.
Many of the decisions are depen
dent on community opinion. “It could
mean a lot o f things based on what we
rollment— for instance, Stwyer said, if
tribal members decide to include those
affiliated with the Columbia River tribes
for automatic enrollment, about 29
currently on the adoption list would
qualify
coming adoption election.
hear at these meetings,” Q ueahpama-
Com m unity m em bers voiced a va-
A general council meeting was held
last week to give Tribal Council a
chance to hear the opinions of people
in Warm Springs.
Madeline Queahpama-Spino, direc
tor o f Vital Statistics, spoke to the large
crowd about several options being con
sidered for the next adoption election.
Three district meetings are being
held in order to give people a chance
to voice concerns, Queahpama-Spino
said. “We’ve had some good input,”
she added.
Approximately 238 people were in
cluded on the original adoption list,
Queahpama-Spino said, while 48 ap
plied after the election was set.
Currently, aspects like the residency
requirement are being evaluated^ as
Tiety oC
'm ecouSseAF
Spino explained.
It is particularly important to develop the meeting.
Anita Jackson spoke of her struggles
a consistent method of handling adop
to get her son 'enrolled, and said she
tion elections, she added.
“Enrollments can get really emo believes the process should be easier
tional,” Queahpama-Spino said, and that for tribal members.
“I f you’re an enrolled member, your
creates a need to have clear methods
child should be eligible for automatic
o f handling the adoption elections.
Aurolyn Stwyer, vice chairwoman of enrollment,” Jackson said.
She also spoke o f the lengthy pro
the Tribal Council, also addressed the
crowd, and said that having enough cess in v o lv ed in enrollm ent. In
voters is particularly important to the Jackson’s opinion, “At the rate we’re
going, by the time these kids get en
adoption election.
The 2002 adoption election was in rolled they’ll be dead.”
Maxine Switzler encouraged Tribal
valid, she said, because not enough
Council to keep the residency require
people turned out to vote.
Several options are being explored ment intact.
She urged people seeking to enroll
and could potentially involve making
some people eligible for automatic en- their children to keep them in the com
B y L eslie M itts
Spilyay Tymoo
Community members gathered at
the Agency Longhouse recently to dis
cuss their concerns regarding the up
munity, and added, “Let’s give these
young people a chance to show that
they can raise their children in the
Indian way.”
Daisy Ike spoke o f economic
shortcomings the tribes could face
if too many are enrolled and encour-
'ageaj3e^fdTdptfTO;ct^ainst‘caix>
lessness when having children.
“There is not going to be enough
money to educate everyone— its al
ready short,” Ike explained.
O th e r com m unity m em bers
spoke o f the problems schools are
facing because they are unable to
fully represent how many Native
students are attending if those stu
dents are unable to identify them
selves as a tribal member.
Schools are facing the loss o f
funding because o f that problem,
some said.
Currently the process to conduct
an adoption election has lasted four
years, according to Queahpama-Spino.
Tribes create a ‘Place for Kids’ Club
Action taken to ease
impact of closure of
Boys and Girls Club
The local Boys And Girls Club is
closing and a new tribal club will be
opening in its place.
The Central Oregon Boys and
Girls Clubs Board o f Governors
announced the closure of the Warm
Springs Boys and Girls Club.
The Boys and Girls Club was
scheduled to close today, July 31.
According to the Central Oregon
Boys and Girls Clubs Board o f
Govenors, the Boys and Girls Club
is closing for financial reasons.
With the declining regional eco
nomic picture, the Board of Gov
ernors concluded that continued
subsidization of the Warm Springs
branch jeopardized the financial sta
bility of other local clubs.
The club’s Warm Springs Local
Advisory Board approached Warm
Springs Tribal Council on July 17 to
Leslie Mitts/Spilyay
Jiana Smith-Francis, Amyah Miller, Kyeowna Miller, and Anessia Smith
play in front of the Place for Kids Club.
advise them o f the situation.
Recognizing the service that the club
provides to youth and families, Tribal
Council passed resolutions in support
o f transitioning the former Central
Oregon Regional operations o f the
Warm Springs Boys and Girls Club to
a tribally operated stand-alone program.
Short term funding is being pro
vided to allow the Local Advisory
Board time to create a viable plan
for continuing club operations.
The Warm Springs “Place for
Kids” Club will be open as o f to
morrow, August 1, 2008, in the
same location as the current Boys
and Girls Club, at the Vernon Jack-
son Home.
The new club will continue to
operate with the same staff, sched
ule and activities for children.
The clubs provide daily activities,
snacks and fun to kids ages 6 to 18,
although the majority o f youth who
attend are 6-12 years o f age.
“The transition will be seamless,”
says club director June Smith.
“We will continue to offer af
ternoon activities to school age
youth through August 22 and re
turn to our school year schedule
in September.”
The tribes will honor fees paid
to the Boys and Girls Club as fees
for the Place for Kids Club.
Patt
resigning
from
CRITFC
Olney “J.P.” Patt Jr. has announced
his resignation as the executive direc
tor o f the Columbia River Inter-Tribal •
Fish Commission (CRITFC).
Patt said he chose to resign because
o f p erso n al and family co n sid er
ations.
He concludes a five-year tenure that
witnessed the emotions of the 50-year
commemoration o f the loss o f Celilo
Falls; a growing sea lion predation con
troversy; and the completion o f three
historic agreements with federal, state
and Canadian parties.
A m em ber o f the Confederated
Tribes o f Warm Springs, Patt cites a
desire to return to the Warm Springs
Reservation to be nearer his 94 year
old father, Olney Patt Sr.
Patt Jr. spent much o f his political
career as a member o f the Tribal Coun
cil, and served as the Council chairman
from 1998-2003.
He will seek to return to Warm
Springs tribal service, and desires to stay
directly involved in fish and wildlife
policy.
“The time is right for this personal
and professional transition,” he said. “It
has been an honor to serve the tribes
through this esteemed organization.”
CRITFC is organizationally sound
‘vnihVrcsh multi-year agreements and
a robust implementation agenda, said
Patt.
“It’s a time for new blood, new en
ergy and fresh ideas,” said Patt. ‘T know
CRITFC will secure a new director with
all those skills”.
•
Patt has d Presidential appointment
as a U.S. Commissioner to the Pacific
Salmon Treaty.
He will continue to fulfill the duties
o f that appointment.
Fidelia Andy, CRITFC executive
committee member, commented:
“We respect Olney’s wishes to be
closer to family and tribe. We’re deeply
appreciative o f his five years o f ser
vice to the four treaty tribes”.
CRITFC will immediately begin a
nationwide search for a new executive
director with emphasis on candidates
from its member tribes.
Kathryn Brigham, CRITFC’s newly
elected Chairwoman, said the Commis
sion hopes to complete its search and
selection by October.
Employee
appreciation
day next Friday
The 2008 Employee Appreciation
Day will be on Friday, August 8.
Appreciation Day will be at the
Community Center field.
E stim ated start time is 10 a.m.
Lunch will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Activities will be throughout the day,
until about 4 p.m.
Please register for activities with
tribal Mail and Reception, 553-3333.
Activities include:
Tug o f war, canoe race, softball, 3
on 3 basketball, kickball, three-legged
race, balloon toss, gunny sack race,
cook off, watermelon eating contest,
talent show, dunk tank, limbo contest,
and karaoke. An Elvis impersonator is
also scheduled to perform.