r
n
Spilygy Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
November 16, 2011
Pdge 7
FCC staff visit KWSO, teleco Grant helps VOCS offer
transitional housing assistance
KWSO staff with Blackwell (left) and Flannery (fourth from right).
S taff from the Federal
Communications Commis
sion Consumer and Govern
mental Affairs Bureau, Of
fice o f Native Affairs and
Policy, visited Warm Springs
last week.
FCC sta ff m em bers
Geoffrey Blackwell and Irene
Flannery were in the region
for the National Congress of
American Indian conference
in Portland.
After the conference they
made stops at KWSO radio
and the new central office for
the Warm Springs Telecom
munications Company.
The FCC Office of Na
tive A ffairs and Policy
(ONAP) was established just
over a year ago.
The office was created to
promote the deployment and
adoption o f communications broadband in Indian Coun
services and tech n o lo gy try. The best evidence indi
throughout tribal lands and Na cates that the broadband de
tive communities.
ployment rate on tribal lands
They also work to ensure ro is less than 10 percent, and
bust governm ent-to-govern- anecdotal evidence suggests
ment consultation with feder that actual usage rates may
ally-recognized tribal govern be as low as 5 to 8 percent,
ments and increased coordina compared to 65 percent na
tion with Native Organizations. tionwide.
The creation of ONAP was
The FCC regulates inter
one of the recommendations of state and international com
the National Broadband Plan.
munications by radio, televi
One of the goals in the Na sion, wire, satellite and cable
tional Broadband Plan is to in •in all 50 states, the District
crease access to broadband in of Columbia and U.S. terri
Indian Country.
tories.
There are 4.1 million Ameri
It was established by the
can Indians and Alaska Natives C o m m unicatio ns A ct o f
in the United States and more 1934 and operates as an in
than 565 federally recognized dependent U.S. government
tribes with their own unique agency overseen by Congress.
political and tribal structures.
b y Sue M atters
There is minimal access to
3 separate incidents result in guilty pleas
Three defendants pleaded
guilty last week in federal
court to separate felony as
saults that occurred on the
Warm Springs Reservation.
M onty Tewee, 21, o f
Warm Springs, pleaded guilty
to one count of assault result
ing in serious bodily injury.
Tewee assaulted his five-
week old baby by squeezing
the baby, which caused the
baby to suffer multiple bro
ken ribs, a lacerated liver, and
extrem e physical pain, ac
cording to the prosecutor.
The extent of the baby’s
injuries required him to be air
lifted from St. Charles Medi
cal Center in Bend, and then
to Oregon Flealth and Sci
ence University in Portland
for specialized trauma care.
Sentencing in this case is
scheduled for January 23.
Knifing incident
Also this month, Krystal
Lee Finnley, 20, o f Warm
Springs, pleaded guilty to one
count of assault with a dan-
gerous weapon with intent to do
bodily harm.
Finnley was at her residence
on the reservation when she
heard that a certain person was
at a nearby residence, accord
ing to the prosecutor.
Finnley then went to that
residence to confront the per
son about a past dispute. After
a short conversation, Finnley
took a knife from her pocket
and sliced the throat of the per
son she confronted.
The person almost died, as
the wound from Finnley’s knife
came extrem ely close to the
victim’s carotid artery. The vic
tim survived after receiving 11
staples in his neck to close the
wound. Sentencing in this case
is scheduled for January 17.
Drunk driving wreck
Also in November, Doriann
L. M iller (also know n as
Doriann L. Allen), 23, of Warm
Springs pleaded guilty to one
count of assault resulting in se
rious bodily injury.
Miller was driving her car in
Warm Springs when a Warm
Springs Police officer saw
her commit a traffic viola
tion, according to the pros
ecutor.
The officer activated the
overhead lights on his police
vehicle to pull over Miller’s
car. Instead o f stopping,
Miller attempted to elude the
police at a high rate of speed.
Miller’s passengers asked
Miller to stop the car, but she
refused. Miller eventually lost
control of her vehicle and
crashed. As a result of the
crash, one of the passengers
in Miller’s car was paralyzed
and can no longer use her
legs. An analysis of a blood
draw from Miller after the
crash revealed that her blood
alcohol content was 0.187,
far in excess of the legal limit.
Sentencing is scheduled
for February 6, 2012. These
cases were investigated by the
Warm Springs Police Depart
ment and the FBI’s Office in
Bend.
Weaselhead pleads guilty in shooting case
Waylon McKie Weaselhead
has p lead ed g u ilty to three
counts of assault with intent to
commit murder. The maximum
sentence for these crimes is 20
years in p riso n , a fine o f
$250,000, and three years of
supervised release.
«•The incident in question be
gan on May 20, 2010, when
Warm Springs police officers
received information that Ma
dras police officers were in pur
suit of a white Ford Explorer.
The report was that the people
in the vehicle had shot at the
officers. Later, Warm Springs
police officers observed the sus
pect v eh icle drivin g on the
Warm Springs Reservation, and
two police vehicles gave chase.
During the high speed chase,
Weaselhead, 23, the front seat
p assen g er in the E xplorer,
leaned out the window with a
rifle and shot at the pursuing
officers.
A bullet went through the
front windshield of one of the
p o lice cars. A nother b u llet
struck the driver’s side door of
officers Gilbert and Elliot’s ve
hicle. Waylon Weaselhead was
arrested in June 2010. In plead
ing guilty, the defendant admit
ted that he shot at the officers
with the intent to kill them, and
that he was doing everything he
could to try and escape.
Sentencing is scheduled for
December 7.
cases, saying the lack of author
ity has m eant m any serious
crimes have gone unprosecuted.
Although tribal judges can
now impose tougher sentences
6-18 months assistance
THAP will provide eligible
participants with rental, child
care and transportation assis
tance on a m onthly basis as
needed.
Participants maintain their
transitional housing for at least
6 months up to 18 months of
assistance depending upon the
need.
Child care and transportation
assistance will assist with costs
incurred by a participant while
establishing an independent life,
achieving self-sufficiency, and
rebuilding their self-esteem.
For child care support, the
client will identify a local child
care provider who is not a fam
ily member, or utilize Warm
Springs Early Childhood Edu
cation Day Care to provide child
care services during periods
when they are at work, attend
ing educational classes to earn a
diploma or degree, or participat
ing in other voluntary support
services (counseling, therapy
sessions, etc.).
VOCS will make payments
directly to the child care pro
vider for an amount not to ex
ceed $25 per week per child.
Transportation assistance will
be for the client to maintain ac
cess to job sites, educational fa
cilities, job interviews, counsel
ing services, grocery shopping,
etc.
Gas card usage is determined
where the employment site or
educational facility is located. If
the site is located within 30 miles
of their residence, they will re
ceive up to $50 a month; and if
the site is located more than 30
miles from their residence, they
will receive up to $100 a month.
Eligibility for these services
will be based on the same crite
ria for determining the transi
tional housing assistance and will
be based on:
1. The financial need of the
victim who if fleeing abuse, and
2. The commitment of the
victim to make a significant life
change.
Process explained
The THAP process is as fol
lows:
1. Initial intake process with
the victim that includes a needs
assessment, importance of vic
tim client confidentiality, safety
planning, signing the release of
information.
2. Potential program partici
pant will be interviewed by the
VOCS advocate supervisor and
a THAP advocate to determine
their level of commitment to
maintaining safety by ending an
abusive relationship.
Staff members will discuss
the requirements of the pro
gram, evaluate whether the pro
spective participant is eligible for
THAP.
If approved, the financial
needs assessment completed by
the applicant will be reviewed
and verified by the VOCS Ad
vocate Supervisor.
TH AP w ill only p rovid e
housing assistance to victims and
their dependents that are flee
ing an abusive relationship and
are unable to financially acquire
housing on their own.
Family size, estimated house
hold expenses, special family
needs, the client’s own resources,
and contributions from family
and friends will be evaluated. If
the needs assessment indicates
that the applicant will be unable
to secure housing without assis
tance, the advocate supervisor
will approve the THAP appli
cation.
Eligibility for child care as
sistance will then be determined.
These services will be available
for at least 3 months after the
client acquires a permanent resi
dence.
A fter the assessm ents the
THAP Advocate will have the
participant enter into the THAP
agreement.
The agreement will provide
the participant with information
on time lim its for receivin g
housing assistance, maintaining
personal safety and program
expectations. Also included will
be identified reporting require
m ents that docum ent the
participant’s efforts to acquire
perm anent housing, maintain
employment or pursue educa
tion.
The agreement will specify
resources and support services
available from the VOCS pro
gram including the explanation
o f the m onthly progress re
v iew s to be c o n d u c te d by
VOCS staff.
For further assistance or in
formation, contact VOCS Ad
vocate S u p erv iso r D orothy
K alam a, or one o f the two
THAP A dvocates, Charlene
Smith and Janell Wallulatum,
541-553-2293, or stop by at
VOCS at 1132 Paiute St.
(Note: This article is from Warm
Springs Victims o f Crime Services.)
PIONEER ROCK
& M ONUM ENT
Specializing in Native American Design
201 Crafton Rd
PO Box 348
Goldendale, WA 98620
509-773-4702
LET US SA V E YOU TIME & MONEY
Tribal courts lack power over non-Indian abusers
(AP) — A high-level Justice
Department official pushed last
week for tribal courts to have
more power in prosecuting non-
Indians in dom estic violence
The Warm Springs Victims
of Crime Services program has
received a 3-year transitional
housing assistance project grant.
The grant provides funding
through September of 2013.
Federal funding is from the
Department of Justice’s Office
o f Violence against Women.
Under this grant, VOCS staff
coordinates three project activi
ties:
Transitional housing, child
care, and transportation assis
tance. The services are avail
able to eligible program partici
pants; or qualified victims of
domestic violence, sexual as
sault, stalking and dating vio
lence.
Approved transitional hous
ing assistance expenses will be
paid by:
1. Issuing vouchers,
2. Working with vendors who
will bill the tribal Finance De
partment or accept purchase or
ders, or
3. Providing direct payment
by check from the tribes to the
ven dor (such as a ren tin g
agency, landlord or child care
provider) but not directly to the
program participant.
Transportation services will
either be facilitated through pre
paid Shell brand gas cards or
transportation provided directly
by a VOCS advocate.
This allows clients access to
em ploym ent, job interview s,
education, support services and
other necessary activities.
The Transitional H ousing
Assistance project (THAP) will
work with eligible victims to pro
vide housing through the use of
rentals located on the reserva
tion or adjacent communities,
p rim arily M ad ras/ Jefferso n
County and Deschutes Counties.
Victims apply for funds through
VOCS.
The target population will be
victims (tribal and community)
o f dom estic violence, sexual
assault, stalking and dating vio
lence, who either reside on the
reservation, or are fleeing abu
sive relationships or dangerous
situations in other jurisdictions
and are returning to their homes
on the reservation.
Warm Springs THAP w ill
also take referrals from our col
laborators and outside agencies
(tribal and non-tribal); and will
continue to provide victim ser
vices to Native American/Alas
kan Natives who are referred
from other off-reservation vic
tim assistance programs on lo
cal, stand national levels.
in such cases under a law passed
last year, the courts still have no
authority to prosecute domes
tic violence offenders who are
not members of tribes.
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