News from Indian Country
Pgge 9 Spilyay Tymoo May 4, 2011
Tribe wins Klam ath salmon ruling
(AP) — A judge has ruled that
the California Department o f
Fish and Game’s deal allowing
ranchers to continue drawing
water from two Klamath Basin
tributaries in return for habitat
im p rov em ents does n o t do
enough to protect threatened
coho salmon.
The ruling from Judge Ernest
H. Goldsmith o f the Superior
Court o f California in San Fran
cisco tells the department to fig
ure out how many salmon are
actually killed by water withdraw
als from the Scott and Shasta
rivers in Northern California,
com e up with some effective
steps to improve salmon survival
in those rivers, and give the pub
lic a chance to comment on it
all.
“Despite (the department’s)
good faith efforts and potential
hardship to water users, the Court
must uphold the legislature’s man
date to preserve listed species and
conduct environmental review o f
all foreseeable consequences,”
Goldsmith wrote.
The department is reviewing
the ruling and considering its
options for moving forward,
said spokesw om an Jo rd a n
Traverso.
T he ruling issued April 20
came in a lawsuit brought by
groups representing salmon fish
ermen, an Indian tribe, and con
servation groups challenging the
legality o f the Shasta Valley and
S co tt River W atershed-W ide
Permitting Programs. The de
partm ent approved the p ro
grams in 2010 to bring about
100 farm s and ranches into
compliance with the state E n
dangered Species Act in an area
that had seen fierce pockets o f
resistance.
“This ruling does not put wa
ter back in the river or fish back
in the river,” ' said K lam ath
Riverkeeper Erica Terence, one
o f the plaintiffs in the cases. “It
just keeps at bay a program that'
quite possibly would have done
more harm than good.”
Federal threatened species
protection for Klamath Basin
coho led to the shut-off o f irri
gation water to more than 1,000
farms and ranches on a federal
irrigation project straddling the
O regon-C alifornia border in
2002, but did not affect irriga
tion on private lands in the Scott
and Shasta valleys. California
protected coho in 2005.
Historically, the Scott and
Shasta rivers offered important
habitat for coho salmon in the
Klamath Basin, but have seen
numbers falling to dangerously
low levels in recent years. Last
year the Scott — which regularly
runs dry from irrigation with
drawals, requiring thousands o f
young fish to be rescued — saw
only 881 adult coho return, ac
cording to the department. The
Shasta saw only 49. Two out o f
three years, no fish return to the
Shasta.
State recognizes Native Hawaiians
H O N O LU LU (AP) - Lay
ing the foundation for a Native
Hawaiian government, lawmak
ers agreed on legislation last
week that grants them recogni
tion as the indigenous people o f
the state.
The bill starts the process o f
registering Native Hawaiians for
their future government, and it
could lead to the formation o f
a political body overseeing their
affairs.
T he measure unanimously
cleared its conference commit
tee last Friday and advances to
final votes in the House and Sen
ate this week.
“It’s sending a message to the
indigenous N ative Hawaiian
population that we recognize
you, and you can do whatever
it takes to empower yourselves
so that you can achieve self-de
termination,” said Sen. Malama
Solomon, D-Hilo-Honokaa.
Native Hawaiians are the last
remaining indigenous group in
the United States who haven’t
been allowed to establish their
own government, a right already
extended to many Alaska Na
tives and N ativ e A m erican
tribes.
Federal legislation for Hawai
ian recognition hasn’t passed
despite more than a decade o f
efforts by Sen. Daniel Akaka,
D-Hawaii.
But this state initiative gives
Hawaiians a way to organize
themselves and decide on their
form o f government, without
having to wait for Congress to
act first. It also may spur the
federal government to act.
“It really is fundamentally a
very significant step for self-de
termination for Native Hawai
ians,” said Clyde Namuo, C EO
for the state Office o f Hawai
ian Affairs.
The bill calls for a five-mem
ber commission responsible for
creating a roll o f qualified Na
tive Hawaiians interested in par
ticipating in their government.
Those eligible for the roll in
clude N ative Hawaiians and
others who have maintained sig
nificant cultural, social or civic
connections to the Native Ha
waiian community.
Once the roll is established,
they could hold a convention
and create founding documents
o f their Native Hawaiian nation.
“It restores a modicum o f
dignity to the first people o f
these islands, whose kingdom
was stolen illegally,” said Sen.
C layton H ee, D -K a h u k u -
Kaneohe.
A previous effort by the O f
fice o f Hawaiian Affairs, called
K au In o a , gath ered abou t
110,000 signatures o f people
showing interest in a Hawaiian
governing entity.
The people on the Kau Inoa
list could form a starting point
$47 million event center for Ft. Hall
F O R T HALL, Idaho (AP)
— T he Sh oshone-B annock
Tribes have broken ground
on the $47 million Hotel and
Events Center on the Fort
Hall Indian Reservation.
“This project is a good
thing not only for the tribes,
but also for southeast Idaho,”
said Tribal Executive Direc
tor Angelo Gonzales.
Officials said the 164,000-
square-foot development is
expected to be finished by
May 2012 and will be an eco
nomic boon to the tribes and
surrounding communities by
attracting headliner events as
well as offering a convenient
place to stay for Fort Hall
Casino visitors.
Tribal officials held the
p u blic event W ednesday
$1.5M to family
of slain
woodcarver
SE A T T L E (AP) - The city
o f Seattle will pay $1.5 million
to the family o f a hom eless
woodcarver who was shot by a
police officer last summer, a
killing that helped prompt a top-
to-bottom federal review o f the
city’s police department. Officer
Ian Birk shot John T. Williams
last August after the N ative
American woodcarver crossed
the street in front o f Birk’s pa
trol car while holding a piece o f
wood and a small knife. Birk
later said Williams had threat
ened him, but a review board
ruled the shooting unjustified.
though pre-construction work
started a month ago due to fa
vorable weather.
T h e cen ter is being built
near the In te rs ta te 15 F o rt
Hall exit.
“It will enhance what the ca
sino already has to o ffer our
patrons,” said Andrea Ramone,
the casino's interim general man
ager. “This has been years in the
making and it's something excit
ing to see.”
Leah Rigby, executive direc
tor o f the Blackfoot Chamber
o f C om m erce, attended the
event.
“We
cam e
(to
the
groundbreaking) as a chamber
board to show our support for
the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes’
progressive economic develop
ment,” she said. “This will help
their com m unity and will
eventually help the surround
ing communities too.”
The groundbreaking at
tracted a good turnout.
“I ’m glad to see a great
number o f people came out
here — not only tribal mem
bership, but people from
the surrounding area who
came to see what we're do
ing h ere,” said F o rt Hall
Business Council Chairman
Nathan Small. “I t’s good to
see people from surround
ing areas are appreciative o f
th a t and su p p o rt (th e
tribes).”
Tribal officials said a sec
ond phase o f the project in
volves expanding the casino,
though no date has been set
for that.
for creating the new roll o f
Native Hawaiians, if they decide
to join, Namuo said.
In all, th ere are about
400,000 Native Hawaiians in
the world, with about half o f
them living in Hawaii.
“The Hawaiian people will
have their own destiny they can
create for themselves instead o f
having other people telling them
what they need to do,” said Rep.
Faye H an o h an o , D -P a h o a -
Kalapana.
Funding o f $110,000 over
the next two years will be paid
by the Office o f Hawaiian A f
fairs, which will administer the
roll commission, Namuo said.
The roll commission would
be ap p ointed by Gov. N eil
Abercrom bie, with one com
m issio n e r fro m each o f
Hawaii's four main counties
along with one at-large com
missioner.
Solar power
for Reno-Sparks
Indian Colony
H U N G R Y V A LLEY, Nev.
(AP) - The Reno-Sparks Indian
Colony is going solar.
Tribal officials plan a ribbon
cutting ceremony Saturday for
a recently installed 140-kilowatt
solar power system that will gen
erate a substantial amount o f
the electricity for the colony's
community education center in
Hungry Valley north o f Reno.
It’s one o f three solar power
systems they are building with
the help o f more than $1 mil
lion worth o f rebates from NV
Energy’s SolarGenerations pro
gram.
T rib al chairm an A rlan
Melendez says it will save the
colony an estimated $39,000 in
annual energy costs.
Cedar tree carved
for canoe family
S U Q U A M IS H ,
W ash. name was Tana. Stobs means
(AP) - Leaning over the cen man in the Salish language,
ter o f a partially carved 32- Williams said.
Previously, members o f
foot-long western red cedar,
master carver Ray Natraoro’s the Tana Stobs family have
eyes moved down the grain o f used a fiberglass canoe. For
this year's even t at the
the old growth tree.
Using a level, string and Sw inom ish Indian T ribal
in
Skagit
pencil, Natraoro focused on C om m unity
the center o f the monstrous County, Armstrong and his
log, trying to determine where family will use both the fi
cuts should be made to con berglass model and the one
tinue its transformation from being carved by Natraoro.
“I t ’s pretty exciting be
a 10-ton tree into a classic
cause before we’d do switch
Salish-style tribal canoe.
The 800-year-old tree and outs,” Williams said. Because
N atraoro are from B ritish o f the canoe family’s size—
C olum bia. T h e tree came W illiam s and A rm stro n g
from the Elaho Valley, north have 32 cou sin s in the
o f Vancouver, on territory area— members took turns
owned by the Squamish Na in the one boat.
Now everyone can par
tion.
N atraoro was joined by ticipate at the same time—
Gary G onzales and Simon inclu d ing som e o f the
Reece, two other Squamish youngest members, like Wil
members in Suquamish last liams’ 6-year-old daughter.
Watching N atraoro and
week. They were in town to
carve a dugout canoe for other family members work
Tana Stobs, a canoe family in on the canoe last week, Wil
Suquamish that includes mem liams com m ented on the
bers o f the Suquamish and canoe’s presence in the fam-
Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes. ily.
“This canoe is going to be
“It’s a rare gift, these ce
there
long after w e’ve all
dar tre e s,” said N ick
Armstrong, a Tana Stobs fam gone,” she said.
T h e canoe is the 18th
ily member. “We had the word
out there that some day we’d carved by Natraoro, who was
com m issioned to carve a
like a traditional canoe.”
A canoe family is a group canoe for the recent Winter
o f extended family members Olympics in Vancouver, B.C.
and close family friends who T h e tradition o f carving
participate in annual Tribal traces back seven genera
Canoe Journeys, in which na tions in N atraoro’s family.
tive people travel from their He previously carved two
homes to a common destina canoes for the Suquamish
tion within the Coast Salish Tribe, one in 2001 and an
other in 2002.
territory.
N atraoro uses m odern
T h e family first partici
pated in the journey in the tools, including chain saws
sam e year A rm stro n g ’s and adzes, to shave away at
brother Santana was killed in the trunk.
T he tools replicate the
a car accident. The journey
gave the grieving family a fo stone adzes and chisels used
cus, sister Faith Williams said. by his ancestors to build the
They chose Tana Stobs as dugout canoes. Anders were
their canoe family name to also used to do the intricate
honor Santana, whose nick- carving work.
national
women’s
health week
May 8-14,2011
C ELEBR A TE
NATIONAL W OM EN’S
HEALTH WEEK
Make an appointment
at IHS to update your
Adam Walsh Child Protection and
SafeteyAct registration and notification
By provision o f the Adam
Walsh Child Protection and
Safety Act, the Confederated
Tribes are also publishing the
sex offender registration list.
A person is required to
register with the administra
tor if the person has been
convicted o f a sex crim e,
and resides or works in the
community, or visits here on
a monthly basis. This applies
to tr ib a l and n o n -tr ib a l
members.
The sex offender registration
office phone number is 541-
553-2214. T he administrator’s
office is located at 2146 Warm
Springs Street, Warm Springs
(upstairs in the tribal Court
building).
T h e follow ing nam es are
added to the C o n fed erated
Tribes o f Warm Springs list o f
registered offenders under the
Adam Walsh Child Protection
and Safety Act (name followed
by date o f birth):
Andrea Lee Morales, 5-
13-66.
Take Charlie Waheneka, 5-
12-76.
Leroy Dale Allen, 3-13-
69.
Lucas Caleb Ike, 4-17-60.
The sex offender registry
o f the Confederated Tribes
o f W arm Springs can be
viewed at the website:
http://
warmsprings.nsopw.gov/
screenings
Aim for 2 1/2 hours of
phyiscal activity per week
c§§ Eat healthy foods
Take time to focus on you
See www.women'shealth.gov
Or call RaNeva Dowty
541-553-1196 Ext. 4091