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
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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.