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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2011)
SCfì OrColl E Acquisition Dept./Serials Knight Library 1299 University of Oregon Eugene OR 97403-1205 75 . S6Ô v. 36 no. 19 September 21 , 2011 ECR W S b Postai Patron September 21, 2011 Coyote News, est. 1976 Voi. 36, No. 19 Septem ber- Wanaq’i - Summer - Shatm U.S. Postage PRSRTSTD Warm Springs, OR 97761 50 cents No easy solution to Wasco Chieftainship question By Duran Bobb Spilyay Tymoo It became apparent at last week’s Wasco chieftainship protocol meeting that a tough choice faces the people in selecting the successor to adwai Chief Nelson Wallulatum. If the next chief is selected in the traditional manner o f lineage, then there are several candidates who are qualified. So far, the candidates announced at la s t w e e k ’s m eetin g are G eorge Clem ents, G arland Brunoe, Derek Tasympt, andJ.R. Smith. “I’ve heard there are a lot of people who aren’t satisfied with our candi dates,” facilitator Terry Courtney said at the opening of the meeting. “I felt that a lot of 30- and 40-year- olds don’t have a voice. If I had to vote right now, I’d have to vote for a relative. But we have many others that should be voted for. The chieftain lin eage has been passed on to all the Wasco men. Look around. There are some younger respectable men who have lived good lives.” If the selection process is by elec tion instead of lineage, then more is sues are raised. “The constitution says that the mat ter of selection is supposed to be by I f the selection process is bj> election instead o f lineage•, then more issues are raised... tribal custom,” Ginger Smith said. “We need to have a referendum to change that, that’s the bottom line.” “At the last meeting, I thought it was determined that it wouldn’t be by vot ing,” Austin Smith Sr. said. “Unless I missed a couple of meetings. Selection through a more traditional manner, isn’t that what we’re doing?” — Jefferson Green said. “I’ve been only to a few of these meetings. Sometimes I wonder if we elected the chief, how many people would want to be chief if it’s not a political position on Coun cil? Everybody has input on what they think a chief should be, like being present at the ceremonies... I don’t think it would be such a bad idea to have a woman chief. I don’t see other men at the dances and practices. It’s all women. They’ve been the backbone of our people for so many years.” Others at the m eeting, held last Monday evening, Sept. 12, stated dif ferent ideas about the chieftainship. See Chieftainship on page 7 Gaming Update Deer Ridge powwow this Friday A b o u t 50 p eo p le from W arm Springs are expected to attend the first powwow at the Deer Ridge Correc tional Institution. That is the number of people who requested the background check in order to attend, said corrections facil ity pastor Tim Woods. Two drum groups, one from Warm Springs and one from Tulalip, are also expected, Woods said. The powwow is this Friday, Sept. 23. Visitors can begin arriving at about 8:30 a.m. The powwow is expected to last until about 3:30 p.m. Deer Ridge, a minimum-security prison, opened in 2007. This will be the first powwow held at the facility. An average of five Native Americans from Warm Springs are among the 760 inmates at Deer Ridge. Another 25 or so are Native Americans from other tribes. Inmates at other corrections facili ties in the state have hosted powwows on a regular basis. This Friday’s will be the first at Deer Ridge. The inmates there have been plan ning the event for several months, m aking gifts for those who attend. There will be a salmon fire pit, the drums and traditional dance. The pow wow will be conducted in an outdoors area by the prison sweat lodge. The prison is located east of Ma dras on B Street. For information call 541-325-5999. Or email: tim.n.woods@doc.state.or.us “The freedom is to the people,” Courtney said. “You are the decision makers. The lineage is through all of us—we could all be considered candi dates if we followed lineage. We’re asking now what the people would like to do.” “I heard the men were going to have a m eeting,” Vernon Smith Sr. said. “Nobody ever invited me, and I’m from the Agency District of Wasco descent. I have chieftainship from both sides in my family, but we have to look at the younger people. Our time has passed. We had our chance, and blew it.” “I’m actually only one-eighth Wasco,” Max bet on Jan. opening By Duran Bobb Spilyay Tymoo Festival at the Gorge The first major construction job in Warm Springs for quite some time is moving forward steady and sure. “As of last week, we’re still on sched ule for the building to be completed by January 2012,” Kah-Nee-Ta board chairman Deepak Sehgal said. “We’re planning the transfer of the casino from Kah-Nee-Ta to the new building during the first three weeks of Janu ary.” Those plans are tentative due to the aggressive nature of project timelines. jobs availability, requirements, training, and where to go to file an application.” With the opening only four months away, Sehgal says time is o f the es sence. “There are still many hurdles to cross before we reach the finish line,” he said. Each setback could delay the open ing. Compact approved One hurdle was cleared a few weeks ago when both the Tribal Council and Gov. Kitzhaber signed the compact for the Highway 26 Indian Head Casino. “The document was sent to Washing ton, D.C. for final approval, and we’ll Names for gift shop, grill Passers-by along Highway 26 can be hearing back on it within the next see the new structure taking shape. The few weeks,” Sehgal said. The initial opening of the casino will new facility, located next door to the Plaza, will be the home of the Cedar be for tribal members and invited guests Basket Gift Shop, the Tulee Grill, and only, with a target date of January 23 the Plateau Restaurant. or 24. There will be a ribbon-cutting The venue names were chosen by ceremony and a celebration at that time. The grand opening, to be held entries submitted by tribal members. One winning entry, the Plankhouse Res around February 4 or 5, 2012, will be taurant, was reconsidered because it open to the public. was in use by another tribe. ‘W e have had great cooperation with Another way tribal members can the many sides of the tribal govern become involved with gaming project ment and the contractors in place on is by attending one of the meetings the project,” Sehgal said. “I want to which will be planned in the very near thank each of them.” future. In other Kah-Nee-Ta news, Harry “We’d like to start a better conver- • Taylor unexpectedly submitted his let sation with tribal members on job op ter of resignation last week, effective portunities,” Sehgal said. “There are go immediately. “Mr. Alan Post will be the ing to be jobs which will need to be acting general manager and the Kah- filled. So keep a look out for meet Nee-Ta board will begin the process of ings designed to inform members on hiring a new manager,” Sehgal said. By Dave McMechan Teleco prepares for beta testing Member art show, trail opening in Oct. at museum T he E igh teen th A nnual T ribal M ember Art Show begins on O cto ber 13. The deadline to submit your art work for the show is this Friday, Sept. 23, at 5 p.m. The exhibit grand open ing w ill be in the museum lobby on Oct. 13. Also in October at the Museum at Warm Springs: The Twanat Trail grand opening w ill be on Oct. 22, from 2-4 p.m. The trail, along Shitike Creek, features new interpretive signs. Call the mu seum for more information, 541-553- 3331. By Duran Bobb Spilyay Tymoo Dave McMechan/Spilyay Dallas Winishut (picture at top) gives a crafts demonstration at the riverside park at Cascade Locks, during the Festival of Nations; while Foster Kalama provides the flute music. The tribes and Cascade Locks hosted the Sixth Annual Festival of Nations the weekend of Sept. 10-11. The festival began as the tribes and Cascade Locks were first planning for development of a casino at the industrial park at the Port of Cascade Locks. Salmon restoration and indigenous traditions of the tribes are the focus of the annual festival. ) L If) i: * i to ik- With facility construction complete at the old apparel building, next month the reservation will take one more step towards the 21st century when Warm Springs Telecommunications Company fires up the equipment to begin beta testing. Beta testing allows a company to test a product or service by providing it to a few customers to try out. Last week the teleco staff began moving into the new office, located next door to Construction. “Finally we’re starting to get the cen tral office equipment installed,” Warm Springs Ventures general manager Jeff Anspach said. “We’ve purchased the meta-switch, which is the big switch University of Oregon Library Received ons 09-26-11 Spilyay tymoo board. This is state-of-the-art equip m ent, w ith all sorts o f bells' and whisdes.” This is an important step towards the goal of an opening date this No vember. “Generally, you have your first cus tomer as a beta tester who is on for a month while you work through the bugs in your system,” Anspach said. “You have to make sure it’s pretty air-tight before you end up taking on other cus tomers, so you know your system will perform as advertised. But we’re mov ing along pretty fast. Now, we start moving in and install the equipment be fore we deploy the plan.” The plan is two build two extra tow ers, one in Sim nasho and one in Seekseequa. See TELECO BETA TESTING on 7
