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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2011)
“1 Spilyay Tymoc March 9, 2011 C oyote News, est. 1976 U.S. Postage PRSRTSTD Warm Springs, OR 97761 Voi. 36, No. 05 March - Wiyatppt - Winter-Anm Counselor finds new hope, faith B y D u ra n B o b b Spilyay Tymoo MSTCAffi A t one time Michelle Wells-Elliott wondered if she still had a soul left, as a prisoner o f addiction. “I was homeless,” she said. “It was that bad. I was doing, a lot o f jail time. I was running the streets. I just didn’t care anymore.” At the height o f her addiction, Michelle lost her mother. “That’s my biggest regret. I was in full blown addiction while my mother Was on her death bed.” Guidance came to Michelle in the fo rm o f a c o u rt o rd er, w h en Heather Crow-Martinez was sent to do an assessment on Michelle in jail. “I remember people would see m e back th e n ,” M ichelle said. “They’d think— ‘O h, I can’t believe this is what she has become. This is where she’s at in her life.’” Heather became Michelle’s m en tor. “It was nice to just have sup port. She had faith in me. She held my hand from the beginning, and 1 never had that kind o f faith while I was using.” Michelle went to treatment at Vi sions o f H ope in Redmond on Feb ruary 14,2006. The program lasted 28 days, but the lessons for life con tinue. “I moved on to a half-way house. I was scared, o f course. Being in residential treatment is such a safe haven. You’re surrounded by people Branch Matthew 1200 SW Park Ave. Portland OR 97205 Duran Bobb/Spilyay Gaming update Architect on board N ’Chi Wanapam Family ready for second canoe season March 26 dedication planned at Indian Park Michelle Wells-Elliott recently celebrated her fifth year in recovery. Having earned her CADC1, she facilitates recovery classes in Madras. striving for a comm on goal.” In the days to come, Michelle found a new goal, having realized that what might have been considered a weak ness in the past could be a strength for tomorrow “I started COCC in the summer o f 2008, majoring in addiction studies. It was tough! I ’m not going to lie.” In D ecem ber o f 2010, M ichelle tested at the state level, to become a certified drug and alcohol counselor. “In order to earn your CADC1, you need to complete a 250 question test. T hat was hard to obtain.” H er husband, Richard Elliott, and 50 cents her three children Desirai, Tosha and Richayla ignited new inspiration in Michelle. “It’s amazing how much support they were to me through this time.” Michelle knew that she was on the road to being a better person. “I was learning how to live a differ ent way o f life, other than having drugs to cope. I learned different ways o f dealing with stress and ev ery day living. I was getting myself back. I was getting my family back. I was stepping up.” Please see COUNSELOR on 10 tice runs are from Pelton Park to In dian Park. There>are about 50 members o f the N ’Chi Wanapam family. This includes B y D ave M cM echan the pullers and the ground crew. Spilyay Tymoo The family welcomes new members, said G reene. “This is a com m unity The N ’Chi Wanapam Canoe Family project, open to everyone,” he said. “We’re recruiting pullers age 13 and is preparing for its second season on over,” he added. The N ’Chi Wanapam the water. The plan is to add a second canoe canoe has seating for 18 pullers. The by the time o f the summer 2011 Tribal family currently has 25 pullets. Nine Canoe Journey, said Jefferson Greene, teen made the journey last year to Neah Bay. N ’Chi Wanapam coordinator. More pullers are needed as a backup This year the Canoe Journey will be the Paddle to Swinomish 2011. The crew for N ’Chi Wanapam, plus more destination, the Swinomish Indian Res for the second canoe, he said. - The Canoe Family is working with ervation, is in northern Washington on the master canoe carver o f the Tulalip Skagit Bay. The Paddle to Swinomish will be on the second canoe. This project needs from July 25-31. The Warm Springs to go to Tribal Council for approval, Canoe Family will probably begin the and then construction would take about journey at Celilo Village, as they did last two months, said Greene. The tribal canoe is funded by the year with the Paddle to N eah Bay, said C onfederated Tribes as part o f the Greene. The Canoe Family has planned a Museum at Warm Springs, carrying out canoe dedication for Saturday, March ' the museum mission o f preserving and 26 at Indian Park. T here will be a sharing tribal heritage. Donations are salmon bake and giveaway, and canoe also welcome. • > Besides the practice runs on Satur heritage and cultural presentations. Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Nisqually and days, the family members participate Tulalip tribal members are expected to in tribal cultural activities throughout the week. O n Sunday they hold Washat attend. The N ’Chi Wanapam family will be Service at the Agency Longhouse. making practice runs on Saturdays un Please see CANOE FAMILY on 8 til the Paddle toSwinom ish. The prac Girls at State Tournament B y D u ra n B o b b Spilyay Tymoo wording for minor changes to the co’m- pact. Tribal Council will present the m inor changes in the compact to the After interviewing three firms, the governor, govemment-to-government. Temporary Casino Planning Team has, “So,this project is moving along at tentatively hired the Worth G roup out 100 m iles p er h o u r,” Sehgal said. o f Nevada as the architects for the “There is no time to waste, and there temporary casino. are a lot o f different moving parts in The architectural firm, with offices volved.” in Las Vegas, Reno and Denver, spe Kah-Nee-Ta is working with three cializes in Native American casinos. different banks to secure financing for The Worth G roup have been in busi the project. The board will also meet ness for over 20 years. “We’re in the with Warm Springs Tribal Credit. process o f getting those contracts Because the project is an expansion done,” Deepak Sehgal, Chairman for o f Kah-Nee-Ta, moving the current the K N T board o f directors, said. casino to a temporary location along The board will also meet with four Highway 26, the resort will secure its general contractors for the project. own funding for the project. “We have some names in that hat. We “And this is a business enterprise,” have also told them strictly, we want to Sehgal said. “So we are looking for sup make sure tribal members are given the port on utilizing the BIRF (Business In opportunity to bid on different parts vestment Revolving Fund) dollars that o f the project.” are available for business enterprise.” Those bids might include grading, The temporary casino is expected to installing footings or building sidewalks bring 200 new jobs to the community or landscaping, or other appropriate o f Warm Springs. “T here’s also the parts o f the project, Sehgal said. opportunity for tribal members to go “We are trying to use tribal exper into business for themselves. There are tise as much as possible. For example, empty spaces at the plaza. Someone Travis Wells will be helping with the civil might think about a gas station or a engineering. We’d like people to know convenience store.” that We’re committed to the member Tribal representatives will meet with ship on this. We have the construction architects on Thufsday o f this week at enterprise here, and I know Housing’s the proposed location for the tem po c o n stru c tio n crew does w o rk o’n rary casino. projects. In addition, there are local “And itd o e sn ’t stop there,” Sehgal contractors right here, so we’re going said. “We’re also planning a meeting to try to use those folks as needed.” for Simnasho in the near future. We “We aim to d e sig n a n d b u ild want people to know that we’re being unique places that speak to the hu very open about this project, moving m an spirit,” a representative o f the the casino. W orth G roup said. “We’re proud that “I f anybody would like to have a o u r p rojects create such a unique meeting with their family any time dur sense o f place.” ing the process, we’re even open to The Kah-Nee-Ta board has hired .that. Just get a hold o f Harry Taylor, Cultural Resources in Warm Springs to Scott Moses, J.P. Patt or myself and conduct the cultural field surveys. we’ll get together.” Tribal attorneys are working on the A Courtesy o f MHS. The Madras White Buffalo girls varsity basketball team—Valerie Smith, Norene Sampson, Inez Jones, Joella Smith, Rosie Suppah, Raylene Jones, Coach Oster; Abby Scott, Cheyenne Wahnetah, Lucy Suppah, Rachel Simmons, Misty Spino and Ashley Kaltsukis (from left)— are at the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) 4A Girls Basketball State Tournament this week. They play Banks this evening, Wednesday, March 9, at 6:30 in Gill Coliseum in Corvallis. Listen to KWSO 91.9 FM for live coverage. With a victory, the White Buffalos would play the following evening at 6:30 against the winner of the Brookings Harbor-Cascade game. The championship game is on Friday at 6:30. Cascade Locks state compact officially approved The Cascade Locks gaming compact between the Confederated Tribes o f Warm Springs and the state o f Oregon beeame official on March 1. O n that day, the notice o f approval o f the com pact appeared in the Federal Register. There will still need to be a “two- part determination” befofe the critical step is taken to bring the Cascade Locks site into trust, after which the gaming plan can move forward. The two-part determination test o f the In dian Gaming Regulatory A ct requires a finding that the proposed gaming en terprise is in the best interest o f the tribes and its members, and does not harm the neighboring communities. Regarding the compact, the tribes and the state submitted the document to the D epartm ent o f the Interior for approval in November o f last year. The compact sets out terms o f agreement between the tribes and the local com munity o f Cascade Locks, regarding law enforcement, fire protection, the number o f slot machines, among other issues.' The compact is an updated version o f one that the state and the tribes negotiated in 2005, which the federal governm ent rejected, because the land was not yet in trust. i
