P.0. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Tym r
C oyote News, est. 1976
May 16, 2012
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Portland OR 97205
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DR 97761
Voi. 37, No, 10
May - Xawit’an - Spring - Wawaxam
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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