“i
E Coosh EEWA: The way it is
IDA initiative
helps save for
your dream
By Vesta Johnson, U SC
Masters in Social Work Program
Spilyay Tymoo December 12, 2012
Letters to the editor
munity who have embarked
on this venture in order to be
in a collaborative effort with
one goal and objective to ac-
compEsh.
Yes, you and your dream.
It is a fabulous and superb
o p p o rtu n ity fo r anyone to
participate in.
Like any program , there
are income requirements, but
th e old adage is “I t never
hurts to ask.”
T h ere are also program
limits individuals m ust adhere
to and be involved in, ,such
as the financial Eteracy classes
and your chosen asset specific
classes.
In the end, you the indi
vidual are the one w ho walks
away with knowing your hard
work, Saving and knowledge
wiE lead to accomplishing the
goal you set forth, w hether
the goal is hom e ownership,
hom e rem odel, education,
business start-up or expan
sion.
W hat is your dream? W hat
do you aspire to in your fu
tu re? M o st im p o rta n tly ,
know there are resources out
th ere to su p p o rt an d em
pow er you to m ove closer
and closer to obtaining your
dream! You can do it with
the ID A initiative!
Growing up on the reser
vation is different from grow
ing up anywhere else in the
world. A culture, or w hat is
n o rm al, is d iffe re n t from
other comm unities. N o t to
say it is right or wrong, but
just to say it is different from
other places.
There are ceremonies cel
ebrating the seasons o f the
year and the foods our Cre
a to r has b lessed us w ith.
There are rights o f passages
ceremonies; for instance, the
first kill ceremony. There are
n a m e -g iv in g c e re m o n ie s
where individuals receive an
Indian name passed on from
g e n e ra tio n to g e n e ra tio n
within a family or clan. We
are a unique and beautiful
race o f hum an beings.
W ith th e g e n e ro u s r e
sources our Creator has given
to us, supply and dem and
have finally arrived at the
door step o f W arm Springs
and we know as a com m u
nity we m ust take only what
we need.
Today, the economy is now
clearly affecting those who
live on reservations, as com
pared to years ago. During the
G reat D epression, my own
grandm other Atwai Lucinda
Elk hunting to m ost N a
Smith and her family didn’t
know there was a depression, tive A m ericans always was
as their existence was based much more than a recreation
upon m other earth and not and a collection o f tro p h y
racks as- it is for sportsmen.
the stock market.
In O regon, w hether on or H unting and fishing remains
o ff the reservation, we O r to be a part o f W arm Springs
e g o n ia n s are fo r tu n a te tribal culture, EveEhood and
enough to have state legisla a way o f Efe. Life revolves
tors w ho look out for the best around our tribal functions.'
interest o f their constituents. The Washat songs teU about
In 1999, O regon legislators the culture and heritage such
brain storm ed and came up as all cerem onies including
with a program where indi roots, first salmon, huckle
vidual state citizens could be berries, first kill, etc.
A ccording to the United
gin to save for their dreams.
Specifically, the five areas States C onstitution, treaties
individuals can dream about are “the Supreme Law o f the
and make happen by saving L and.” D espite all o f that,
our treaty hunting seasons are
and matching programs are:
1. H om e ownership down getting shorter. N o t very long
ago we had no seasons, h unt
payment assistance;
ing was always open. T hen
2. H om e remodels;
there was a season for a few
3. Education;
m o n th s, th en two m onths,
4. Business start-up; and,
,now days— the season is less
5. Business expansion.
O regon allows individuals than one m onth.
We need an extended elk
to contribute to the IDA Ini
tiative in order to supp o rt season. The elk are scattered
and help the state citizens ac- up in the high country this
year, and in the m o st p art
compEsh their dreams.
W hat do the individual didn?t start their migration yet.
contributors get out o f it you As elk hunters know, deep
may ask? Individual contribu snow makes the elk migrate.
tors o f the state IDA initia This elk season we had warm
tive get the satisfaction o f CaEfornia rain clouds and the
know ing they significantly HawaEan express rain clouds,
contributed to the weU-being n o t much snow, which made
o f individuals, famiEes, and h u n tin g d ifficult an d tim e
childfen, as weU as receiving consuming.
We need a-later or perm a
a tax credit.
H ere is an example: Indi nently extended elk season,
viduals can save a minimum because the phenom ena wiU
o f $25 a m onth and have a o ccu r again in th e future.
m atch o f up to fo u r times H unting and fishing remain
that am ount deposited into the primary means o f subsis
their savings account. For in tence for many Indian fami
stance, if you saved $25 a Ees.
FilEng our tags helps o ut a
m onth, you could potentiaUy
have up to $100 per m onth lot, and with extra high u n
contributed to your dream. employment and an economy
T hat am ount o f savings adds Eke it is w ith budget cuts on
up, as one m onth would total the horizon, m ost o f us can
$125 o f cold hard cash di n ot depend on nepotism , our
natural resources, or the over
rectly into your account!
With the IDA initiative you p o p u latio n o f con su ltan ts,
can obtain valuable financial high bonus employees, non-
Eteracy and support through tribal m em ber employees, or
white hard hats.
the program.
RespectfuEy,
T he program is free and
Anthony LittleLeaf
requires a team effort to ac-
compEsh your dreams! There
are m any people in our com-
Elk season
Positive event
T h e F irst A nnual R ock
Your Moes gathering proved
to be successful. This was a
gathering o f friends and fam
ily, held N ovem ber 15 at the
Community Center.
V olunteers w ho stepped
forward áre sincerely appre
ciated. D epartm ents that sup
ported our positive event for
the children and famiEes in
cluded KWSO, Comm unity
Health, and the Community
Center staff.
I apologize to aU w ho may
have taken offense and w ant
you to know that the children
had fun and everyone en
joyed their meal and music.
Thank you for participating!
Be proud, Wear you mocks!
F ro m Marge, Rachel,
and Joey (we had fun cook
ing the meal for everyone).
Christmas Wishes...
In this
together
To the tribal membership,
I would Eke to encourage
our m em bership n o t to feed
into the negativity beginning
to circulate again due to the
Tribal Council election season.
We have to be able to shun
this behavior as the old people
did in the past. As long as we
harbor it, or Esten to the nega
tivity, is h o w lo n g it w ill
breath in our comrnunity. I
say over and over, negativity
is evil, we cannot feed into it,
because w hen we allow evil
to dweU in our community or
within our membership, then
this evil can cause bad things
to happen within our commu
nity and our membership.
I would Eke to thank those
people, w ho w ent out and got
their education and are giv
ing back to this tribe and con
tr ib u tin g to o u r trib a l
economy, because it was the
tribe th at invested in their
education. .1 am s° disap
p o in ted in those people in
w hose education o u r tribe
invested, and w ho now feel
the tribes owe them a Eving,
or they feel entitled to mis
treat their people and their
leaders.
W hen I left to further my
•education, my m other and fa
th er told m e to rem em ber
your tribe is investing in your
future so you can give back
to the people and contribute
your knowledge to the tribal
leaders and never to forget
my traditional teaching;. My
parents also told me n o t to
becom e a “professional stu
dent” by Eving o ff the edu
cational monies. I was to get
m y e d u c a tio n , g et g o o d
grades and graduate fast as
p o ss ib le a n d g et b ack to
work.
I did that, I received two
Associate Degrees in, a year
and a half, made the D ean’s
Est and worked three jobs dur
ing the time I was in coEege.
I have been in my current job
for nearly 20 years, helping
people overcom e the same
struggles I experienced in Efe.
I feel fortunate to have a
job and am so thankful for
the support tribal leaders, the
tribal organization' and my
family have given m e to be
successful.
Yes, our Tribes are strug
gling, but as a People we need
to be strong for our feUow
m em bership and our tribal
leaders. We have to get away
from the negativity. We are
Warm Springs artist Travis Bobb looks forward to the holidays!
aE in this together, hard times
and good times.
O ur past elders taught us
to pull together as famiEes.
Maybe in these struggles we
can learn to rely o n each
other again based on our old
teaching. Spreading rum ors,
often n o t true, to beEtfle our
leadership and dem ean our
m em bership is n o t à tribal
way o f Efe. Those w ho con
tinue to do this, it is up to
you to change that behavior.
Thank you for taking time
to read this. Leona A. Ike
Holiday spirit
T he Confederated Tribes
o f W arm Springs and Indian
H ead Casino are dedicated to
making a positive and reward
ing difference in the Eves o f
the Warm Springs community
members and people in our
neighboring communities.
O ur goal is to provide con
tributions to tribal m em ber
youth and senior citizens in
the health, education, com
munity developm ent and en
vironment.
This hoEday season Indian
H ead Casino is sponsoring a
Christm as P arty-on Friday,
D ecem ber 14 for the Warm
Springs Foster ChEdren and
their foster parents. This is in
c o lla b o ra tio n w ith th e
ChEdrens Protective Services.
Also, a canned food drive
wiE be done throughout the
m onth o f D ecem ber for the
W arm Springs Senior C iti
zens. Custom ers can drop o f
non-perishable canned foods
at the Casino Players Club.
Every Monday in December,
if you bring in one o r two
canned food items, you can
receive $5 in Slot Play, See
Players Club for m ore infor
mation.
My apologies
HeEo, Warm Springs. It has
taken me a long time to gather
up my thoughts together for
aE o f you. B ut here it is. I Eke to thank my big sister thè
would Eke to say, “I am sorry most, for staying by my side.
if I have ever w ronged you To my Ettle brothers, my Ettle
or your famEy.”
siste rs, w h o I k n o w p u t
I . know I have done a lot through sonde nerve-wreck
o f w rong to a lo t o f people ing, as I can reaEy get under
by stealing things in the past. their skin: I would Eke to say
It hufts to knpw w hat I was I love you guys with aE my
d o in g it fo r w as “ d ru g heart. A nd to my w om an I
love you with everything I ’ve
money,” etc.
A nd it took me m ore than got. I don’t w ant to lose you,
five "years to b e tru s te d You are the whole reason why
am ongst those such as my I started on this road in the
family. I t breaks my h eart first place. I w ant to be able
that I was so selfish and didn’t to give you everything, to
become à famEy man. To take
care.
I am now here in treat care o f you and yo u r son
m ent, to better myself. WhEe means a lot to me.
A nd to the tribe, for those
I was down there I told ev
erybody for about a year and w ho I have left out, you are
a h alf now that I ’ve been try in my heart!- A nd to my best
ing to stay sober. I ’E say no bro’s, I love you, I sing the
to drinking and smoking, and good songs for you, Mr. MB,
those w ho really know me Mr. SB., Mr. SP, you guys
know I ’ve been saying no to mean a lot to me. I pray about
you a lot. I pray for every
drugs.
A id I would Eke to thank one in a góod way. I love aE
■the wom an who has opened o f you.
To many o f them (a’hoe’s)
up my eyes to doing aE this. I
love you with aE o f my heart. to everyone.
I w ouldn’t be in this state o f
Cody Lesina.
m ind if it were n o t for you.
You m ean the world to me.
W hat I was doing in Efe was
wrong. You showed me that
th ere is a b e tte r life th an
drinking and smoking.
I t has cleared my mind. D ear Members o f the Warm
A nd now that I ’m sober and Springs Reservation,
clean I know w hat it’s Eke to
It has com e to our atten
be a m an about things. A nd I tio n th a t y o u have n ev er
still would be doing the same been thanked by our N ative
things and n o t caring, like American S tudent U nion for
drinking, etc., if it were not your generous donations o f
for this one woman w ho has salm on to our annual spring
changed my Efe completely. powwow.
I f it w ere n o t fo r h e r I
O n behalf o f the S outh
w ouldn’t be able to be p u t ern O regon U niversity N a
ting my Efe together.
tiv e A m e ric a n S tu d e n t
W hen I get out I ’E have U nion 2012-13, we ap o lo
' my own apartm ent' in P ort gize fo r th e failure in the
land, and a job after I get out p a st to show gratitude for
o f this 60-day program.
yo u r generosity. A n d sec
W ith that said I w ould Eke ondly, we express our appre
to apologize to aE I have hurt ciation for your donation to
o r wronged. A nd to my fam the spring powwow.
Ey I thank you so m uch from
Sincerely,
the b o tto m o f my heart. I
The Southern Oregon
reaEy w ant you guys to know University Native Ameri
that I love aE o f you. I would can Student Union
Thank you,
W.S. Tribes
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