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Acquisition Dept./Serials
Knight Library
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1205
75
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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
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Warm Springs, OR 97761
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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.
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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