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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 2012)
Spi'Iyay T ym oo, W arm Springs, O regon A u g u st 22, 2 0 1 2 Page 5 To the Agency District Wasco people regarding the Wasco Chief Agency District Wasco People: After holding nine dinner m eetin g s at th e A gency L o n g h o u se in 2010 an d 2011, and reviewing the re sults o f a survey mailed out to the Agency District Wascos in January, 2012, we have determined that an election be conducted to select the next Wasco Chief. Four o f the six candidates have agreed to an election. At informal polls conducted dur ing two separate Wasco meet ings in 2011, a majority were in favor o f going forw ard with an election to determine the next Wasco Chief. As Agency district Wasco representatives to the Tribal D epartm ent. We suggest that this hap pen immediately following the posting for 30 days o f the c u rre n t list o f re g iste re d Agency District members o f Wasco descent who are eli Council, we agree th at the process to choose a Wasco Chief should proceed with a vote among the Agency Dis trict Wasco people. The vote will be organized and co n ducted by the Vital Statistics gible to vote. Let the Creator guide our choice in these difficult times. < Stanley “Buck” Smith Jr. Eugene Austin Greene Jr. Lola Sohappy. Addressing objections raised to Chieftainship vote, and supporting Council members The Agency District rep resen tativ es to the T ribal Council have called for an election to determine the next Wasco Chief. It is a courageous decision and may n o t be readily un derstood or immediately ac cepted by some Agency D is trict members. This letter addresses many o f the objections that have been raised concerning a vote and is written in support o f their action. 1. T h e re are six a n nounced candidates for" the Wasco Chieftainship, all o f who claim a hereditary con nection to the chieftainship and who have their respec tive supporters in the Agency District. a. Each candidate’s family has followed tribal custom(s) by different means, in bring ing their nominee forward to be acknowledged as a candi d ate fo r o u r n e x t W asco Chief., b. T he selection process has been discussed in nine public meetings. c. P rio r to the seventh meeting Wasco people were in fo rm e d , by K W §O a n n o u n c e m e n ts an d flyers posted, that the deadline to nominate a Wasco Chief can didate was the September 12, 2011 meeting. 2. W hy should Agency D istrict Wascos vote to de te rm in e th e n e x t W asco Chief? a. The Wasco people and the Agency District have been led for the past 60 years by two Wa§co Chiefs selected by a vote o f the Wasco people. b. During the tenure o f the two previous chiefs, no Wasco objected that their selection by v o te was “u n c o n s titu tional” or n ot “in accordance with, tribal custom”. c. After nine public m eet ings, Agency D istrict mem bers could n ot agree on the specifics o f a “custom ary” selection process. During the first meetings Wasco elders discussed how the three pre vious Wasco Chiefs were se lected. d. T h e prev io u s W asco C hief didn’t appoint or an nounce a successor. e. A m ajority o f the at te n d e e s p o lle d at tw o o f these nine meetings on the chieftainship issue supported a voj:e. f. T he Wasco Chieftain ship survey indicates that a majority o f Agency D istrict W asco’s su p p o rt a W asco Chieftainship vote. g. Four o f the six nom i nees support a vote to deter m ine the next “recognized chief” o f the Agency District. h. A vote will serve to con firm one o f the 6 notninees as the next legitimate Wasco Chief.' i. T here is no m ore fair process than a properly con ducted election. July 10, 2012, per vital statis tics records. (As identified in the Constitution and Bylaws the W asco C hief serves as part o f the Governing body.) 4. Why should only Con federated Tribes o f W arm Springs members be eligible to vote? a. T he Wasco C hief will serve as a m em b er o f the C o n fe d e ra te d T rib es o f W arm Springs Tribal C oun cil, th e T rib e s’ g o v ern in g body. By the Tribes’ Consti tu tio n and By-Laws, n o n - m em bers ♦ have no voice in the selection o f members o f the CTWS Tribal Council. 5. Why is registration in the Agency District required to bp eligible to vote in the Wasco Chieftainship ejection? a. The Wasco Chief serves as a perm anent representa tiv e to th e C o n fe d e ra te d T rib es o f W arm S p rin g s T rib a l C o u n cil fro m th e Agency District. Wasco de scendants who are registered to vote in one o f the other two districts have had more than one year to re-register in the Agency District to be able to vo te in the W asco Chieftainship election. b. Elimination o f the re’- quirement that eligible Wasco voters be registered in the Agency District would enable m em bers w ho are primarily associated w ith eith er th e Seekseequa or Simnasho D is trict to' vote on the selection o f th e A gency D is tric t (Wasco) Chief. 6. H ow will the winner o f the Wasco Chieftainship election be determined? a. The nominee w ho ob tains the m ost votes cast will be declared the w inner and the next Wasco Chief. b. Should there be a tie; then a runoff election will be conducted within a month. c. If, in th e future, the Wasco Chief falls ill or oth erwise can no longer fulfill his duties, th en the runner-up will act as Interim Chief un til the Wasco Chief can re sume his duties or until a per m anent successor can be se lected.. 7. T he Wasco Chieftain ship vote, while not a Tribal governm ental election, will be conducted in a m anner consistent w ith procedures for Tribal elections. a. A list o f Tribal m em bers o f Wasco descent w ho were registered to vote in the < ■ T Legal Aid Services of Oregon provides free assistance to low- i n c o m e O regonians in many civil cases. Speak w ith an attorney during drop-in hours 1 to 4 p.m. on the first Monday of the month at the Warm Springs Community Action •Team building, 1136 Paiute Ave, Warm Springs. Or call 385-6944 Monday through Thursday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (at lunch from noon-1 p.m.) < ____ > R SVP Lola F reem an Hagman, 541-546-6423, or Loretta Toothman Williams, 541-410-4602.(Friday night - No host at The Pumphouse in Terrebonne, 6 p.m. / I J til 11 at the Warm Springs Plaza. The arcade has games, air hockey and pool tables, espresso and smoothies. ■L An A gency D istric t meeting will be held dur ing the last week of Au gust, 2012 to notify Agency. D istrict m em bers of the upcom ing Wasco Chief tainship vote. Charles V. Jackson ijttttL / 1 • AH Products Prepared Fresh Daily • Entrees Roasted Daily • Featuring Hand Cut USDA Choice Steaks REAKFAST - LUNCH - DINNER - s , MHS 40 Year Class Reunion You are invited to the Madras High School 40-year class reunion on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Juniper Hills Park (top of Ashwood Rd./B St and Bean Drive. This will be a potluck. the election to ensure its fair ness. e. O n the day o f the elec tion voting will be conducted, at the Agency C om m unity Center from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. f. Ballots will be deposited into a ballot box. Ballots will: be co unted after the polls have closed. O nce the bal lots have been counted and the election results certified by the special election panel, the ballots shall be secured and stored in a vault for a period o f 90 days. g. T h e special e le c tio n panel will announce the results o f the election the next regu- lar weekday m orning. T h e special election panel and the Director, Vital Statistics, will advise the Tribal Council o f the results o f the election at the next regular Tribal C oun cil m eeting The Wasco Chief shall be sworn in to office at that time by the BIA Super intendent. 3. W ho will be able to vote in a Wasco Chieftainship election? a. Confederated Tribes o f Warm Springs members who are recognized as Wasco de scendants and who were reg istered to vote in the Confed e ra te d T rib es o f W arm Springs, Agency D istrict on Teepee Arcade open at Plaza T h e T eep ee A rcad e is open Sunday thru Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 m ost recent Tribal election on July 10, 2012 will be posted by the Vital Statistics D epart m ent at the main Tribal Ad ministration Building 6 weeks prior to the election. b. < A m em ber whose name doesn’t appear on the list but believes that he/she meets the qualifications and w ants to vote in the Wasco Chieftain ship election may challenge the listing by submitting a let ter and any supporting docu mentation to the Vital Statis tics D ep artm en t at least 4 weeks prior to the election. The decision whether a mem ber is eligible to vote in the election shall be made by the Vital Statistics E nrollm ent Officer at least 3 weeks' prior to the election. c. The election will be con ducted by secret ballot. Bal lots shall be printed listing all six candidates arid shall be available for off-Reservation and Absentee Ballot requests at least two weeks prior to the Election.- Write-in votes will n ot be allowed, to be in com pliance w ith paragraph #1 above. d. Wasco people will ap point a 3-5 person “Special Wasco Chieftainship Election panel” o f Wasco elders who shall m onitor all aspects o f A ll Hajar Credit Cards Accepted • Senior Menu • Children's Menu • Daily Specials 237 S.W. 4th Street, Madras • 475-6632 OKU 6 am - iopm DAILY OSCAR'S EXPERT AUTO REPAIR C o m p le te S e rv ic e Foreign & D om estic Serving Central Oregon Community * Warm Springs You need to get back on the road call Oscar’s Expert Auto Repair. Towing available...If you fix the car with us, we give you the towing for half price. Call Oscar or Byron for more info 541-390-1008 821 S W 1 1th St. ~~ R edm ond 541-923-3554 w w w . au torepairredm ond. com
