Image provided by: Oregon Historical Society; Portland, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2009)
P.O. Box 870 Warm Springs, OR 97761 :TY May 21, 2009 Coy o ie News, est. 1976 Voi. 34, No. 11 ECRWSS Postal Patron U.S. Postage PRSRTSTD ».a.... springs, OR 97761 50 cents Parties mark first year of Fish Accords Native nations host Oregon 150 festival The two-day Oregon 150 festival at Celilo and The Dalles saw a great turnout o f trib'al members and guests. The weather was perfect, and the gathering was a reunion o f many friends. The two-day festival included a canoe arrival and salmon bake at Celilo Park, and a powwow and parade at The Dalles. Nearly 100 tribal members rode and walked in the parade. The Confederated Tribes o f Warm Springs hosted the event, with the other tribes o f the Columbia Paver joining Warm Springsfor the celebration. The canoe arrival on Friday was met by Warm Springs and other tribal leaders with the traditional welcoming. The canoepaddlers, including Warm Springs members, were welcomed ashore to takepartin the salmonfeast at the park. EM lin i ' i • J* ’ H I 7 /vi ' 9K Wr 3 - I O t v s a i- / w f UJfis M b V At right, the canoes arrive at Celilo Park. Below left, the traditional parade In downtown The Dalles; and below right, dancers at the powwow at The Dalles Fairgrounds. Dave McMechan/Spilyay Selena Boise/Spilyay Greg Leo for the Spilyay Departments state goals, accomplishments By Dave McMechan Spilyay Tymoo T he departm ent directors and staff o f the Chief Operations O fficer m et last week with tribal m em bers at the Agency Longhouse. T he m eeting provided the depart m ents a forum to present accomplish m ents so far this year and to outline upcom ing projects and priorities. A t the longhouse the departm ents had charts and handouts explaining their various roles in serving the m em ber ship o f the Confederated Tribes. T he departm ent directors and their lead sta ff m ade b rief presentations re g a rd in g their goals and accomplish m ents. T ribal m em bers th en had a chance to make comments and sugges tions, and to ask questions. C hief O perations O fficer G erald Smith explained that the purpose o f the m eeting was for the departm ents and him self to hear from the mem bership about tribal services. D uring the annual budget meetings in the fall, Smith said, “We hear people say, ‘Why even have the meetings? T he budget is already done. W hy ask us now?’” T he hope is to avoid this scenario w hen the 2010 budget process begins, Smith said. Earlier, Smith provided his depart m en t directors w ith m inutes o f the budget meetings from last year. “We have to listen to the people,” he said. “We have to learn, and hope that next year we do better.” Smith introduced his own staff, sec retary Laurel Wheeler, and newly-hired grant writer Jolene Estimo. T he departm ent directors and staff then gave presentations outlining their services to the community. D o n Courtney, the general manager o f the Utilities D epartm ent, said a main message he wishes to convey is that, while his departm ent continues to pro vide vital services to the membership, the departm ent also needs the help o f the community. “We need your help in letting us know w hat needs to be done,” he said. “And we need your help in letting Tribal Council know that we need funding to m eet our goals.” June Smith, director o f the Boys and Girls Club, spoke o f her group. “We serve between 50 and 70 kids on an average day,” she said. T h e club is funded partly by a grant and partly by the tribes, she said. T he H um an Services departm ents th en provided inform ation o n their services. Andy Leonard, director o f the Recreation D epartm ent, gave an u p date about the activities and program s at the comm unity center, including the new w orkout equipm ent, and the plan for International League Basketball to come to W arm Springs. R e b e k a h M ain, d ir e c to r o f Childrens Protective Services, in tro duced her staff, and explained the ser vices and program s o f CPS. T he m ain message o f CPS, she said, “is that the future rests with our chil dren.” Dave Conroy, director Vocational Rehabilitation and other social service program s, discussed a critical funding issue o f his program s. Jo h n Brown, director o f Commodities, talked about the food services that his departm ent provides. C om m unity C ounseling d irec to r Jolene Waters presented her department services, and then Roberta Queahpam a introduced herself as the newly-hired director o f Com m unity Health. Judy Charley discussed her program , Com munity Health Education. Walter Langnese, chief prosecutor and acting general manager o f pub lic safety, discussed his branch. A n issue facing pubhc safety, he said, is that a growing populating leads to m ore crime incidents, while funding has n o t kept up with that increase. PoEce chief Carm en Smith in troduced his staff, and his division supervisors gave b rief presenta tions. D a n M artinez, c h ie f o f Fire and Safety, discussed his depart m ent, followed by Myra Orange, director o f Culture and Heritage and representative o f the E duca tion Branch. Corey Clements dis cussed W orkforce D evelopm ent, foUowed by Mark Matthews, direc to r o f Victims o f Crime Services, and Lawrence Macy, director o f High Lookee Lodge. M em bers’ com m ents D uring the pubEc com m ent pe riod, tribal elder N eda Wesley said there should have been m ore pub Ec notice o f the meeting. O ther wise, she said, “the department pre sentations were wonderful.” See DEPARTMENTS on 11 T he partners w ho developed the landmark Columbia Basin Fish Accords returned to the river to m ark the one- year anniversary o f the signing o f the agreem ent. Close to 400 people at tended the event, held at the historic fishing viUage at D allesport on the banks o f the Columbia River. T rib a l C o u n c il C h a irm a n R o n Suppah attended on behalf o f the C on federated T ribes o f W arm Springs. Suppah has a been key advocate in the developm ent and im plem entation o f the landm ark Accords. T he Columbia Basin Fish Accords replace the decades o f divisiveness over salmon recovery efforts in the Co lumbia Basin. T he A ccords provide specific, sci e n ce -b ased im p ro v e m e n ts fo r th e region’s fish, said N. 'Kathryn Brigham, chair o f the C olum bia River In ter- Tribal Fish Commission. “I t was a year ago th at the tribes, as sovereign nations, and the federal action agencies reached an agreem ent to restore habitat for the Colum bia B asin ’s salm o n p o p u la tio n s,” said Brigham. “Today we are w orking together, com bining our experience and exper tise and solving problem s.” T he Accords supplem ent biological opinions for salmon and steelhead Ested as endangered through firm com m it m ents to im provem ents in the hydro system, h abitat and hatcheries. T he Accords include clear benchm arks for biological benefits, and secure funding for ten years. Tribal, state and federal partners have launched new projects and ex panded existing projects throughout the Columbia River Basin during the first year o f the Accords. Projects underway through the A c cords include: improvements in passage and assurance o f sufficient w ater for the WaUa WaEa River’s salmon popula tions; restoration o f sockeye runs in Redfish Lake; instaUation o f lamprey passage systems at the BonneviEe Dam; and several other projects designed to restore critical habitat from the estu ary to the tributaries. Tribal and federal leaders signed the A ccords on May 2, 2008 at C o lum bia H ills State Park, u n d e r the w atchful eye o f Tsagaglalal, o r She Who Watches. T he A ccords are the direct result o f tw o years o f extensive n eg o tia tions betw een tribes, states and fed eral action agencies th at have respon- sibiEties for operating and m aintain ing the federal Colum bia River pow er system. Request to upcoming graduates T he Education Com m ittee is preparing for the 2009 Gradua tion Banquet, which wiE be June. I f you wiE be graduating soon, please b rin g y our diplom a o r G E D to Joelden Surface, E du cation Committee secretary, at the Tribal CouncE office. H e wiE make a copy, and your nam e wiE be added to the ban quet guest Est.
