Pdge 8
M^y 4, 2011
Spilydy Tyrnoo, Wdrrn Springs, Oregon
Crime costs Weaselhead 15 years
B y Duran Bobb
Spilyay Tymoo
In one video game, the boss
escapes from jail and it’s the
player’s job to get him to the safe
house. If he fails, the player
can always hit the reset button
to start over.
In one song, the artist sings
about giving his eyes to Stevie
Wonder from behind bars.
In the real world outside of
video gam es and rap songs,
things are different. There is
no reset button, and life in
pumpkin-orange jumpsuits no
longer seems so glamorous.
“I don’t wish jail or death on
anybody,” W aylon M cK ie
Weaselhead said. “I know that
I’m going to miss out on a lot,
being in here. I’m in a rough
spot and I know it’s going to be
rougher. I just want to say, If
you don’t think that you can
handle the consequences, don’t
d oit.”
Weaselhead was sentenced to
15 years in prison for his role in
a shootout and car chase back
in May of 2010. After a Ma
dras officer stopped Weaselhead
and Aldo Antunez, the two sped
away in a white Ford Explorer,
firing shots at officers. The
chase eventually led to Charley
Canyon, where the two escaped.
“If there was a time machine,
I wouldn’t jump into it. If I
wasn’t caught, I’d still be out
there doing the same thing that
I was doing. Now this is some-
Waylon Weaselhead
thin g that I have to w alk
through. I can’t take it back.
It’s here. It was a pretty violent
crim e. I could have taken
someone’s life.”
For days, the fugitives fol
lowed the Warm Springs River.
But both of them knew, he said,
that they couldn’t run forever.
“I knew that I was going to
get caught somewhere, some
time. We had no money, we
were tired, and we had it set in
our hearts that we were just
waiting. You can’t run.”
During Paiyumsha weekend,
Weaselhead was caught.
“What’s worse is being locked
up all the way around. It does
get pretty depressing in here
sometimes. You do something,
knowing that it’s going to be the
same thing every day. That’s
rough. But now, this is my new
life I’ve chosen. This is where
my choices have taken me. I’ve
been in here for [almost a year]
now, and I’m going to be here
for at least 15 more years. I
just need to learn to accept it.”
Weaselhead grew up in Warm
Sprin gs, P ortland and The
Dalles. There was never a con-
stant father figure in his life, he
said. He remembers seeing a
lot of alcohol and drugs in his
youth. When he was 17, he tried
meth for the first time.
“To be honest, I didn’t like
it. I had a bad experience with
it. I’d rather be doing other
things. But sooner or later, it
just came back into my life. I
tried it and I got hooked.”
While searching for someone
to look up to, Weaselhead be
came involved with gangs. “Ev
erybody likes to think they’re
cool. I know I thought I was
cool. They say God has a plan
for everybody. I’m kind of dis
appointed in this plan he had for
me, so I guess the devil took me
under his wing.”
Occasionally, he did grow
tired o f liv in g the life that
seemed to take control of him.
“I’d tell people I needed to go
home for a while. My mom was
always glad to see me. She’d plan
road trips just to get me out of
Springs for a while. We’d have
a good day then.”
He tried repeatedly to find
work on the reservation and
eventually landed a job at Kah-
Nee-Ta. “It felt good to get a
paycheck, but you aren’t going
Shooting investigation continues
As of earlier this week, the
FBI continued its investiga
tion into the fatal shooting
that happened the night of
M arch 20 at the W arm
Springs Forest Products In
dustries mill.
D uring the inciden t, a
Warm Springs Police officer
shot and killed Vernon Buddy
Middleton Jr., 20, of Madras.
This happened at 10:40 p.m.
following a police chase. At the
time, Mr. Middleton apparently
had a warrant out for his arrest.
Two officers were put on
administrative leave, pending the
investigation.
One of the officers has
returned to duty, while the
officer who fired the fatal
shot, officer Levi Dowty, re
mained on leave, as of ear
lier this week.
Dowty has been with the
Warm Springs Police Depart
ment for three years.
to make a living washing dishes.
I wanted to straighten up for my
kids. I thought there was still a
chance for me.”
In his cell, he spends a lot of
time missing his family. “Some
times I feel like I can’t make it.
I’ve got nobody, it’s just me. I
think of my kids and I want to
say to them, Keep on going to
school, you’re young, follow
your dreams. They’re going to
be men and women when I get
out.”
Weaselhead has heard about
certain programs that will be
availab le to him in prison.
“They say there are courses that
will teach you the trade. You
could finish your education. I
could have a fighting chance to
at least have something with me
when I finally get out. I don’t
plan to walk out with nothing.”
Weaselhead will be tested at
the intake center at Coffee
Creek. Facilitators there will
decide where he will serve his
sentence.
Commissary okayed
for W.S. jail inmates
Tribal Council approved
the setting up of a commis
sary for the inmates of the
Warm Springs Jail.
The commissary will allow
inmates to purchase personal
hygiene and other items that
are otherwise not provided to
them.
Council took the action
following a recommendation
by W arm Springs P ublic
Safety B ranch M anager
Stanley Suenaga.
Along with the commis
sary, Tribal Council approved
the setting up of a separate
bank account for inm ate
funds.
Such funds in the past
have been kept in a secure
safe at the Corrections build
ing.
A specific and separate
bank account will allow for
better oversight of the funds,
said Suenaga.
Alcoholics
nonymous
Wann Springs Community Counseling
Wednesday - 12-Noon & 7:00 p.m.
Saturday-10 a jn.
Jefferson County
Republicans' Night Out
Saturday, May 7 , 6:00 p.m.
The Inn at Cross Keys Station
66 NE Cedar Street
Madras, Oregon 97741
Allen Alley
Keynote Speaker
Chairman, Oregon Republican Party
Oregon Business Leader
John Huffman
Oregon State Representative, District 59
Master of Ceremony
Invited Guests Include: Congressman GREG WALDEN and State Senator TED FERRIOLI
Dinner choices: Prime Rib or Salmon
Gov. appoints Liebe regional ERT coordinator
Annette Liebe has been ap
pointed as the coordinator for
Central Oregon’s Regional So
lu tio n s C enter by Gov.
Kitzhaber.
The governor’s Economic
Revitalization Teams (ERTs) are
made up of agencies working
together in community solutions
teams.
The teams identify priorities
in so lvin g problem s w hich
hinder economic development.
During his first term, Gov.
Kitzhaber brought state agencies
together into teams to encour
age integrated state service at the
local and regional level.
As part of her duties, Liebe
will find ways to solve problems
that hinder economic develop
ment throughout Central Or
egon.
This includes attempting to
establish a business relationship
with the Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs.
Liebe earned her law degree
from the University of Oregon
and has work experience from
the DEQ.
“Her experience and prob
lem-solving skills will serve the
Governor well in helping get
Oregonians back to work,” Greg
Wolf, Intergovernm ental and
Regional Solutions Director said.
Regional Solutions Centers
are located in universities and
community colleges throughout
the state to provide a neutral
forum, access to research and
data, and opportunities to con
nect students with “real world”
experience on projects.
According to the Deschutes
Economic A lliance, the first
phase of a 1,000 day economic
recovery plan will be launched
on Sunday in an attem pt to
change Central Oregon from
“poverty with a view” to “pos
sibilities with a view”.
One of those initiatives in
cludes developing mutually ben
eficial business opportunities
with Warm Springs.
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330 S.W.
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Madras
Judge approves farmers settlement
(AP) - A federal judge has
approved a $680 million settle
ment between the Agriculture
Department and American In
dian farmers who say they were
denied loans because o f dis
crimination.
The two sides agreed on the
deal last year subject to court
approval. U.S. D istrict Judge
Emmet Sullivan approved the
terms last week.
Individuals who can prove
discrimination could receive up
to $250,000 from the govern
ment.
The agreement also includes
$80 million in farm debt forgive
ness for the Indian plaintiffs and
a series of initiatives to try and
alleviate racism against Ameri
can Indians and other minori
ties in rural farm loan offices.
The law suit, nam ed after
George and Marilyn Keepseagle
of Fort Yates, N.D., was filed in
1999 and contends Indian farm
ers and ranchers lost hundreds
of millions of dollars over sev
eral decades because they were
denied USDA loans that instead
went to their white neighbors.
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