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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2012)
P.0. Box 870 Warm Springs, OR 97761 Tym r C oyote News, est. 1976 May 16, 2012 ECRWSS Dnota| Patron 1?nnCo Matihew S SWPark A Ve Portland OR 97205 Postage SRTSTD DR 97761 Voi. 37, No, 10 May - Xawit’an - Spring - Wawaxam 50 cents Not enough voters for school referendum B y D ave M cM echan Spilyay Tymoo T he tribal school referendum on M onday did n o t m eet the one-third v o ter tu rn o u t requirem ent for a valid referendum. T here were a total-of 3,066 bal lots presented to tribal m em bers w ho are eligible to vote. O f the to tal ehgible, 648 m em bers voted. A m inim um o f 1,022 was re quired, so the referendum fell short by 374. O f those w ho did vote, 501 were in favor, and 147 were against. As the referendum was n o t de feated, b u t failed for lack o f re sponse, the question can be voted on again at a later time. The previous two referendums, the tribal adoption elections o f a few years ago, also did not meet the mini m um num ber o f votes. T h e lack o f tu rn o u t does n o t necessarily indicate'a lack o f inter est in the ballot question. Instead, o p p o n e n ts o f re feren d u m s can choose n o t to vote, rather than to vote no, as this can be a m ore suc cessful strategy, in light o f the mini m um response requirement. half the am ount over the ensuing 20 years. D espite approval, this m easure was n o t carried out, as the tribes and d istrict could n o t agree on questions such as school location, total cost and the repaym ent obli gation. Share of cost School district bond T ribal Council voted in March to p u t the school m atter to a tribal referendum. The Council resolution states-, - “The Tribal Council believes that the only way a new k-8 school is to be constructed on the reservation is through a partnership with the school district, providing fo r an equal sharing between the tribe and the school district o f the total cost o f a new school, w ith anticipated federal participation...” The referendum this week was M eanw hile, th is w eek , th e Jefferson County School D istrict election was on Tuesday. Results o f this vote were n o t available at press time for this publication. T he school district bond asked for close to $27 million. A bout $10 million would have been for a Warm Springs school. A perform ing arts center in Ma dras was also on the district ballot, along with im provem ents at various district schools and facilities. uuran BODD/spiiyay Most people who voted were in favor, but turnout was too low. th e second tim e tribal m em bers have voted on a new school for W arm Springs. The quiet heroes, the caretakers B y D u ra n B o b b Spilyay Tymoo Traditionally, there has always been at least one m em ber in each family on the reservation who takes on the d u ty o f carin g fo r th e elderly; Sometimes, the caregiver will for feit opportunities that others have to rriake sure an elder can- live a m ore com fortable life. T h è se are c alled th e n a k t kwanintla in the Sahaptin language. “It’s one w ho Cares for an elder in a home,” language instructor Arlita R hoan said. T here are currently fewer than 10 form al, o r paid, caregivers, in W arm Springs, according to D iane Lofting, administrator for the Senior and D isabled Services branch o f D ep artm en t o f H um an Serviced (DHS) in Madras. “A nother program that we have is called the relative adult foster home,” Lofting said. “We have three people in that program from Warm Springs w ho are paid by the hour. T he difference between this p ro gram and being a caregiver is the hours. In the foster hom e, a p ro vider puts in m ore hours— up to 24 hours- a day.” T h e re is a n o th e r class o f caregiver, like A braham H unt, w ho volunteers his time and services to care for his elderly father. T do this o u t o f lo v e and re spect for my dad,” Abraham was saying recently. “I feel better about myself know ing th at my dad has taken his m eds and is resting com fortably after eating a good meal. I don’t do this for pay.” O r as Charles Eastm an (Santee Sioux) says. on the D H S caregiver website: “Children m ust learn early on the beauty o f generosity. They are taught to give w hat they prize most. In their simplicity, the Indi ans gave away all that they h ad ... to relatives, guests, to other tribes and clans— but above all to the poor and the aged, from w hom they can hope for no return.” LRaye Picard Squiemphen took care o f her father G eorge Picard Sr. after he suffered numerous heart attacks, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. “We were taught that it is the duty o f the oldest daughter,” she says. “So I had to fill put many forms, j do a background check, and com plete a--phy&ical to make sure that I w as c a p a b le o f liftin g h im i f n eed ed ... and it was needed.” George Picard Sr. was the only tribal membei; to ever receive his private airplane pilot license, LRaye rem embers with a smile. “T he job o f caring for Someone doesn’t pay very m uch, so it isn’t the driving motivation there,” LRaye says. “I like to think that I was paid in a very different w ay... I had qual ity time with my dad, alone, and that makes up the difference. I love him, and I would do it all again if I ; had to.” See CAREGIVERS on page 7 In 2001, m em bers approved an $8 million expenditure for a school, provided the 509-J district repay Fish matters brought to Council attention Terry Courtney Sr., Wasco tra ditional fisherman, and Bruce Jim, chairman o f the tribal Fish and Wildlife Committee, spoke with T rib al C o u n cil m em b ers last week about fisheries. O ne topic o f discussion was the marking o f the spring chinook hatchery fish. This practice, mass marking o f the hatchery fish, is having the effect o f giving down stream sport fisherm an a harvest advantage over the tribes, said Jim. H atchery fish are marked as juveniles by having their adipose fin clipped. H atchery fish also have a coded wire im planted in the snout, w hich can be used to determ ine where the fish origi nated. These practices in them selves are disrespectful to the salmon, said Courtney. T he marking o f the fish is not b e n e fitin g th e trib es,- b o th C ourtney and Jim comm ented. “T hè marked fin is m ore favor able to the state than it is to the tribes,” Jim said. T he state Fish and Wildlife D e p a rtm e n t sets th e sp rin g chinook harvest based on a .catch o f marked fish. T he total allow able harvest is split betw een the tribes and non-tribal fishermen. Jim said the system allows for a larger catch for the downstream sport fishermen, compared to the a m o u n t th a t rem ains fo r the tribes. ■ W hen m arked hatchery fish re tu rn u p stream , they are re moved at the hatchery, such as at the W arm Springs N ational Fish Hatchery. T he wild fish are allowed to migrate upstream to spawn naturally. T he clipped fin is how the fish are identified as either hatchery or wild. See FISH on page 7 Great potential for campus development B y D ave M cM echan Spilyay Tymoo T h e cam p u s area o f W arm Springs would be ideal for new busi ness development. The campus is centrally located in the com m unity and has Highway 26 running along the n o rth side. T he area would serve local residents and people passing through town on the highway. T he tribes are now moving for ward with plans to develop the carii- pus area. A set o f preliminary plans w ere presented at a hearing last week at the Agency Longhouse. Tribal planner Lonny Macy ex plained that the BIA has the respon sibility to rem ove the old buildings and infrastructure at the campus. This w ould be a first step toward new developm ent, clearing the way for hew commercial buildings. Last year, the BIA asked whether the tribes w anted to take ownership o f the old buildings and infrastruc ture. T he tribes declined the p ro posal because the buildings are o ut dated, containing asbestos and other problems. Dave McMechan/Spilyay The nine-acre campus is the central are of the local community. T he water lines and other infra structure, while currently serving som e buildings in th e area, also need to be replaced, Macy. said. The BIA has n ot acted to remove the old structures; so the tribes are moving forward, intending to bring the BIA on board as the project progresses. “T he tribes are very interested in eco n o m ic d e v e lo p m en t, and keeping money on the reservation,” said Macy. Tribal leaders, he said, want to see development at the cam pus, or dow ntow n area, w hich is identified as the best place for new business and related development. “T he BIA has n o t m oved on the tribal request,” Macy said, “so the tribes need to do some o f the pre liminary work ourselves. But it is (the BIA’s) job to do this. We w ant to develop the area, and we’re hoping this helps to get the BIA in gear.” The preliminary plans include an infrastructure inventory map, iden tifying th at all the infrastructure needs to be replaced. O ne o f the planning maps shows the campus area divided into three main areas: a primary local service area, a tourist area, and a tribal cel ebration park. T he local service area could in clu d e b u s in e s s e s su c h as a Laundromat, pizza parlor, sandwich shop, as examples. T he tourist area m ight include a restaurant, plant nursery, crafts, pottery store, etc. A nd the park w ould be for open space. See DOWNTOWN PLAN on 2
