Page 8
December 28, 2011
Spiiy^y Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
2011 Year in Review
—
(This is the conclusion o f the
2011 review o f notable events on
the reservation.)
In Ju n e the N atural R e
sources Branch presented its
recommended allowable tim
ber cut to Tribal Council.
N atural Resources recom
mended an allowable cut of 31
million board feet per year. This
figure represents the harvest
level that is sustainable for fu
ture generations, according to
the Natural Resources Branch.
Warm Springs Forest Prod
ucts Industries, meanwhile, rec
ommended an allowable cut fig
ure of 43 million board feet.
The mill could not operate with
an annual harvest of 31 million
board feet, and would have to
shut down, WSFPI officials say.
Also in June, Tribal Council
approved the construction start
for the new water system to
serve the Sim nasho-Schoolie
Flats community.
Arsenic in the existing domes
tic water supply at Simnasho is
above the EPA safety standard.
Simnasho residents have been
using bottled water for drinking
and cooking purposes for the
past four years.
A permanent solution to the
problem req u ired secu rin g
$2.05 million in funding. The
funding now is in place, said
Don Courtney, Utilities director.
Meanwhile:
Gov. Kitzhaber officially ex
pressed his support for a law
that would enhance the jurisdic
tion of tribal officers. The pro
posed law would provide tribal
police officers in Oregon with
the same powers and protections
provided by Oregon law to state
and local law enforcement of
ficers. Non-Indians could then
be cited for committing crimes
in Indian country, on the reser
vation. And this:
In June the Warm Springs
Housing Authority announced
the closure of nine of ten prob
lem findings identified last year
by the Northwest Office of Na
tive American Programs.
Housing officials said they
expect the one remaining find
ing to be resolved in a matter
of weeks. Back in September
of 2010, HUD said the agency
would adjust some of or all of
the tribes’ future Indian hous
ing block grants if the findings
were not remedied.
This news from Finance:
Balancing the tribal budget
this year and next year could re
quire employees to take one
unpaid day off per pay period.
This would be similar to furlough
days implemented by other units
of government within the state.
The furlough-day proposal has
been suggested by tribal staff
during the past two budget plan
ning cycles. Elsewhere:
Officials are investigating the
cause of the Upper Dry Creek
fire, which burned over 1,300
acres and forced the evacuation
o f dozens o f fam ilies from
their homes last Thursday. Ac
cording to officials, 2011 has
been Oregon’s wettest spring in
117 years. Under the right con
ditions that means fuel for fires.
Elsewhere:
StoryCorps is recording in
terviews in Warm Springs in
July. StoryCorps is a national
nonprofit organization dedicated
to recording, sharing, and pre
serving the stories of Americans
from all backgrounds and be
liefs. And this news:
The Warm Springs canoe
team made their Second Annual
Canoe Journey in July. The
N’Chi Wanapam canoe family
left Warm Springs on July 9, and
arrived later in the month at
Swinomish, Wash. The Paddle
to Swinomish 2011 canoe land
ing and welcoming ceremonies
were held over the course of a
week, hosted by Swinomish In
dian Community. The Confed
erated Tribes of Warm Springs
in 2010 rejoined other tribal
canoe families when they took
part in the Paddle to Makah.
The tribes in July were still
considering the possibility of de
veloping a biomass energy plant
on the reservation, although
now there are some significant
challenges facing the project.
Financing, an assurance of suf
ficient fuel, and time are the
m ain challenges facing this
project.
August
V ____________
J
The new Warm Springs li
brary is now open on campus,
in the Family Resource Build
ing. Meanwhile:
Native American inmates at
the Deer Ridge Correctional
Facility announced plans to host
a powwow in an outdoor area
at the facility. This will be the
first powwow hosted by the in
mates at Deer Ridge. In other
news:
Tribal Council this week ap
proved a settlement regarding
bonds the tribes issued in 2003.
The tribes issued the bonds in
order to pay for the purchase
o f one-third o f the Pelton-
Round Butte hydroelectric facili
ties. Elsewhere:
Tribal Council has given the
nod to a recommendation by the
tribal legal team to move for
ward with the next step in par
ticipation to Senate Bill 412.
The bill was recently passed by
Oregon legislature, providing
tribal police with limited au
thority off reservations for two
years, including power to con
tinue pursuing suspects who
leave tribal land, and to take
action when a crime is commit
ted in front of them.
Close to 2,400 fire-fighter
personnel were on the reserva
tion in Septem ber, b attlin g
range and wild land blazes
that burned across m ore
107,000 acres.
A t tim es the flam es ap
proached very close to homes,
but only one structure, a shed,
was lost. More than 300 homes
were threatened at different
times. Some rural homes, such
as in the Sidwalter and Schoolie
flat areas, came close to catas
trophe.
Defensible space around the
homes, and the effort of the fire
crews, are credited with saving
the stru ctu res, said Dan
M artin ez, c h ie f o f W arm
Springs Fire and Safety.
Martinez commended all the
fire crews who helped, as well
as the com m unity, w hich
showed great support for the
responders. In other news:
An im p o rtan t deadline
passed in Septem ber in the
C obell vs. Salazar class action
lawsuit. All individuals who be
lieved they are entitled to par
ticipate in the setdement—as a
member of the trust adminis
tration class, and who are re
quired under the terms of the
settlement agreement to submit
a claim form—were required to
mail a properly completed and
signed form to the claims ad
ministrator postmarked by Sept.
16.
Tribal Council and manage
ment are in a preliminary stage
of considering the possible de
velo p m en t o f a m un icip al
solid waste gasification facil
ity. If the project moves for
ward, the facility would be lo
cated on the tribal trust prop
erty at the Madras industrial
park. The tribes would lease the
property to the developer-opera-
tor of the gasification plant, said
Jim Manion, manager of Warm
Springs Power and Water Enter
prises. In other news:
October
V________________
J
Tribal Council agreed in Oc
tober to move forward with a
plan to develop a bio-mass en
ergy plant on the reservation.
Council extended the site license
for the com pany, .Oregon
Bioenergy LLC, that is planning
development of the facility. The
bio-mass plant will be located
south of the landfill-transfer sta
tion, in the Dry Creek area. And
this:
fish trap: This was the first fish
to accomplish the feat, as part
of the réintroduction project.
And this:
A t this m o n th ’s W asco
Chieftainship Protocol meet
ing, facilitator Charles V. Jack-
son presented the people with a
recommendation compiled by
the fam ilies o f nom inees,
George Clements, Alfred Smith
Jr., G arland B runoe, D erek
Tasympt, Grant Clements Sr.
and John Katchia Sr.
“No small group or handful
of people can make a decision
for the entire group of Wascos,”
Jackson said. “Even though not
all of us come to these meet
ings all the time, I think at some
point we need to realize that we
have to make a decision and
move forward. We want to hear
your concerns, and whether you
have thoughts about this recom
mendation, either pro or con.”
Tribal Council and the 509-J
school district board were talk
in g o f the need for a new
school in Warm Springs. The
idea for a new school serving
the reservation has been on the
table for about a decade. Fund
ing has been the obstacle to get
ting the project beyond the dis
cussion phase. To build a new
K-8 school in Warm Springs
would cost an estim ated $18
million, said Rick Molitor, school
district superintendent.
An idea mentioned at Tribal
Council last week is for the
school district to come up with
half the money, and the tribes
to come up with the other half.
Tribal Council could put the
issue to a vote of the member
ship by referendum. The school
district would go to its voters for
a bond levy. The current Warm
Springs Elementary School is
decades old, some parts dating
back to the 1930s. The location
by Highway 26 is also problem
atic for safety and other reasons.
November
V
________ J
The Warm Springs TeleCo
made great progress toward
serving the reservation. New
staff were on board, and the
new teleco office opened at the
industrial park were.
Danica Greene and Gabriel
Walker joined general manager
Jose Mantanane on the staff of
the teleco. Walker is the sales
and marketing coordinator for
the enterprise. Greene is the
teleco customer service m an
ager. She and Walker are the first
teleco employees hired after op
erations manager Mantanane,
who started in April.
After eight public meetings,
the Wasco people remain divided
on how to proceed with the se
lectio n o f the next W asco
Chief.
Charles V Jackson once again
served as the facilitator at this
month’s chieftainship meeting,
guiding the people through an
other draft proposal, signed by
four of the six eligible candi
d ates— G arland
B runoe,
George Clem ents Sr., G rant
Clements, and John Katchia Sr.
As part of the draft proposal,
criteria for determining eligible
voters may be modified to re
quire a m inim um o f 1/16
Wasco blood. Vital Statistics
would be utilized to assist in the
voting process. No w rite-in
votes would be allowed. A spe
cial panel of Wasco elders would
oversee the process and hear
appeals. Also in November:
The National Congress of
American Indians met in Port
land in November. This was the
first time in 36 years that NCAI
met in Portland, giving many
Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs members a chance to
attend some of the activities.
This month Tribal Council
heard an update on various as
pects o f the gaming enter
prise. The Council met with
new Indian Head Casino gen
eral m anager Ken Billingsley,
and the new ly-hired general
m an ager o f K ah -N ee-T a,
Carlos Smith.
Construction of the casino is
progressing as planned, and the
gaming board announced that
February 4, 2012 w ill be the
dedication day for the new ca
sino. A grand opening will hap
pen later in the month. Tribal
Council then toured the build
ing with Billingsley, Smith and
other staff.
Year of progress for teleco
Warm Springs Forest Prod
uct Industries and the tribal
Natural Resources Branch an
nounced they may have devel
oped a plan to keep the mill
operating for at least the next
few years. WSFPI and Natural
Resource representatives met
with Tribal Council this month,
and reported they may have
come up with a timber harvest
plan that would meet the mill’s
needs. In other news:
This month saw a milestone
in the endeavor to bring migrat
ing fish back to the rivers above
the Pelton-Round Butte dams.
On October 9, an adult summer
steelhead returned to the Pelton
WSTC’s Gabe Walker, Jose Mantanane and Danica Greene at the new offices.