E Coosb EEWA: The w^y it is
Pgge 4-
Spilyay Tyrooo October 2, 2013
Letters to the editor
Cobell claims
D ear Tribal Members,
O n D ecem ber 11, 2012,
the Court filed an O rder that
directed the Claims A dmin
istrator to commence distri
bution o f payments to the
living members o f the His
torical Accounting Class no
la te r th a n D e c e m b e r 24,
2012. We commenced check
distribution the week o f D e
cember 17, 2012.
Distribution o f Trust Ad
ministration Class payments
will occur after the T ru st
Class eligibility appeals have
been identified and resolved,
and the C ourt has granted
perm ission to disburse the
funds. It is anticipated that
distribution will occur some
time in the fall o f 2013 at
the earliest.
F or m ore in fo rm atio n ,
please visit the Indian Trust
Settlement website:
IndianTrust.com
I f you have any q u e s
tions, please do not hesitate
to contact us. Regards,
Indian Trust Claims Ad
ministrator, 1-800-961-6109.
Compacting
I ’m writing because we’re
at an im portant crossroads
for the health o f our people.
In 68 years my generation
has seen tremendous change
in Warm Springs. I grew up
in Miller Heights. I left the
Rez only to further my edu
cation and returned to help
hiy people. I ’m w riting to
gain your support to “com-
j)iicti’-;(fcdct-al contract) for
all local Indian Health Ser
vices. Let me explain why.
For those who expected
well thought-out and sound
decisions from young elected
tribal members may be dis
appointed. The Tribal Coun
cil has no urgency in resolv
ing our immediate economic
plight. New jobs in particu
lar. It seems they’re lost in the
details and debating. For ex
ample, changing business/en
terprise documents when no
change is needed or neces
sary (10 Sept. 2013 TC min
utes). I wonder if these young
m en know our traditional
values and definitions o f ap
propriate behavior and de
cision-making? Walk the talk?
G ro w in g up o n th e Rez
teaches us how our people
think and process inform a
tion. We think different from
“white people.” Most im por
tant we are taught to decide
for those unborn, n o t our
selves. Reactive and short
term decisions are only band
aides.
In 1978 the Tribes’ first
health plan cited research that
found with “improvement in
economic conditions (jobs)
personal health improves.” I
want to ask our people, W ho
controls our health care? I ’m
talking about the long-term
direction o f our health and
how it affects the quality o f
our lives. I mean control o f
all our resources that oper
ate and provide staff for our
clinic.
Several years ago I asked
a former Tribal Council chair
man, and form er vice chair
this question. My question
fell on deaf ears. I hope this
newly elected body has an
open mind and heart. I asked
this w hen the tribe began to
cut jobs and lose revenue to
run our government. As the
general m anager o f Tribal
H ealth, I directed staff to
secure grants and outside re
sources to offset the loss o f
income. O ur strategy resulted
in o v er h a lf o f reso u rces
coming from the outside to
run tribal health.
A t th a t tim e the T ribal
Council had the opportunity
to take over control o f our
reservation health care. The
1972 Indian Self D eterm ina
tion A ct gave tribes the op
tion to take over any feder
ally ru n program . T he law
provides the tribe the option
to contract for part or all o f
federal Indian H ealth Ser
vices. O ur Tribal Council de
cided n ot to contract. They
chose to remain a “direct ser
vice tribe.” W hat this means
is that our clinic is controlled
an d m an ag e d by In d ia n
Health Services. An example
is several years ago the Tribal
Council passed a resolution
to remove the IH S /C E O for
lack o f confidence. The IHS
was moving savings from our
clinic to fund other tribes. I f
a federal employee is incom
petent and doing harm to our
people we cannot fire them.
Currently we have $10 to $12
million in savings that is un
protected and not in our con-,
trol. T he Tribal Council is
faced w ith the challenge o f
how we dig ourselves out o f
this hole. The threat cannot
wait another generation.
A t the beginning o f the
year I prepared a report for
the Health and Welfare Com
m ittee to b rie f th e T ribal
C ouncil on a list o f m ajor
health issues confronting us.
In April we followed up with
a priority list and decision
timelines to help transition
the next Committee and Tribal
Council. T he m o st critical
Spilyay Tymoo
(Coyote News, Est. 1976)
Publisher Emeritus: Sid Miller
Reporter/ Advertising Director: Yvonne Iverson >
Editor: Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the Con
federated Tribes of Warm Springs. Our offices are
located at 4174 Highway 3 in Warm Springs.
Any written materials submitted to Spilyay Tymoo
should be addressed to:
Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 870, Warm Springs, OR
97761.
Phone:541-553-2210
. E-Mail: dave.mcmechan@wstribes.org.
Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $15.00
question is loss o f income and
how to protect and preserve
the resources we have. W hat
is the strategy?
Another critical question is
what do we w ant to do about
o u r expired 20-year clinic
lease to IHS? W ith President
O bama’s health care and the
tribes partnership w ith the
State o f O regon starting in
O ctober we can protect, pre
serve and expand our health
care services. We can expand
our services and income with
federal M edicaid P rogram
expansion. The Fond D ’Lac
Tribe in Minnesota has been
hilling for services and turned
every dollar o f investm ent
into eight dollars o f income.
They’ve “compacted” for sev
eral years. We have the same
m em bership and economic
status. We have training re
so u rc e s to p re p a re o u r
people. O ur partnership with
the state puts Us in an excel
lent position. Especially since
the last Tribal Council decided
to compact for BIA Natural
Resources and Fire Manage
ment. We are ready.
Today with the Indian Self
D eterm ination A ct we can
assume all responsibility for
our health. The following are
th ree o p tio n s available to
Tribal Council:
1.
Stay the same; direct
service tribe.
2.
638 contract for the
balance o f IHS services not
already contracted.
3.
Com pact (different
contract process) assuming
full control with direct fund
ing coming from IHS head-
quartets. T he Pordand IHS
w ould provide supportive
technical assistance.
In-m e’ nai m u m a’; I want
to ask you to join me in sup
p o rt o f compacting the local
IHS clinic management and
operations. I ask you to talk
to our Tribal Council to take
urgent and thoughtful action.
T how qusch! (that’s all I
have to say); Wa tic s’ qcuit,
Sal Sahme
touched by the batdes they
identified, like poverty, preju
dice an d racism , physical
abuse, child abuse, sexual
abuse, negative stereotypes,
drugs and alcohol.
We id en tified o u r in d i
vidual warriors in term s o f
dreams and then listed the
steps needed to get to where
we wanted! T he kids were
g re a t an d th ey m ade m e
proud.
A o f them had the judges
in tears. So moving and great
dreams. You all would have
been proud!
We’ve got some beautiful
minds and resilient, ambitious
Native kids. They made me
miss the classroom and teach
ing
We also had 20 students
participate in the 3-on-3 bas
ketball tournament. The top
three team s were awarded.
We had a total o f six students
(two on each o f the teams)
in the top three.
We, W arm
S prings,
brought eight o f the 12 Stu
dent Awards home. W hat a
great experience for us all!
G et your students enrolled
with JO M and stay tuned for
more positive experiences for
th e N ative A m erican Stu
dents.
Deanie Smith
Memorials
D ear
fam ily
an d
friends,
I had planned a Me
morial on O ctober 26,
2013. H o w ev er, b e
cause o f unforeseen cir
cumstances I am post
poning it until further
notice. T he M emorial
w as
fo r
T om m y
D ic k so n ,
M ad en e
M e a n u s ,’ L u cin d a
Stwyer, Jimmy Wesley,
M artin a
Stw yer,
Madena Wesley, Roger
Stwyer, Charles Stwyer
and W inona Stwyer.
Neda and Jamey
Wesley and family.
Great job
T w e n ty -th re e stu d e n ts
from the 509-J school district
recendy attended the Oregon
Indian Education Association
Y o u th C o n fe re n c e in La
Grande. The students rep
resented the C onfederated
Tribes o f Warm Springs in a
very good way!
I am so proud o f all the
youth w ho attended the con
feren ce w ith th e Jo h n so n
O ’M alley-Education group.
They were awesome.
All 23 students competed
in the Speech com petition.
They all prepared a speech
(one to four m inutes long)
and delivered it in front o f a
judging p an el an d adults.
Warm Springs placed the top
two o f three awarded!
The theme o f the compe
tition was, “N u rtu rin g the
Warrior: Building Skills For
Success.”
We had a two-hour work
session at the hotel the night
before, and all the students
composed their own speeches.
Wow, talk about some great
ambition. We focused on the
idea th at W arriors com e in
different forms, and that the
battles they fight were n o t
typical batdes you see in the
movies.
* I w as so p ro u d an d
River treaty
The modernization o f the
Columbia River Treaty is in
the best interest o f our re
gion, the United States, and
the Columbia Basin citizens
who rely on this river.
T he draft recom m enda
tion released today by the U.S
Entity adds the ecosystem as
a primary driver, co-equal to
hydropower and flood con
trol, a feature that will make
the treaty a model o f inter
national water management.
The sovereigns, stakehold
ers, and other interested par
ties m ust w ork together as a
region to reach a consensus
that we can all support and
be proud of.
L eav in g th e C o lu m b ia
R iv er T reaty u n c h a n g e d
forces us all to lose, and lose
significantly.
U p p e r b a sin re s id e n ts
could be forced to unfairly
bear a greater burden through
greater demands on their res
ervoirs. D im in ish ed w ater
quality and quantity issues
will frustrate the Columbia
Basin’s on-going salmon res
toration efforts, and the re
gion will be unprepared to
address climate change. We
cannot allow any o f these to
Births
Makeena Robins on-
' Angeles 1
S alvador R o b in so n -
A ng eles an d M au reen
Winishut o f Warm Springs
are pleased to announce
the birth o f their daugh
ter M akeena R obinson-
Angeles, born on Septem
ber 22, 2013.
M akeena’joins sisters
Marilu, 8, and Esperanza,
4.
Rylan Robert Wells
Jaro n M. and Megah
K. Wells o f Madras are
pleased to announce the
birth o f their son Rylan
Robert Wells, born on Sep
tember 22, 2013.
G randparents on the
fath e r’s side are Travis
W ells o f M adras, and
Tam m y W ilson o f Ma-
happen.
The U.S. Entity, in collabo
ration with numerous parties,
has been reviewing the Co
lumbia River Treaty to advise
the U.S. D epartm ent o f State
on the treaty’s future after
2024.
A draft o f the regional rec
o m m e n d a tio n has b een
released for review and com
m ent. T he U.S. E ntity and
Sovereign Review Team be
lieve that this recommenda
tion is ready for regional re
view, ,
The Columbia Basin tribes
remain dedicated to the inclu-
sio n o f eco sy ste m -b a se d
fu n ctio n in a m odernized
treaty and are comm itted to
working with the other sov
ereigns, stakeholders, and in
terested parties to develop a
path forward that we can all
support.
For the past 50 years, the
region has tried to optimize
hydropower and flood con
trol w ithout consideration o f
th e eco sy stem . T h a t has
failed. The time to redefine
the future o f the Columbia
River is now.
Paul Lumley, executive
director, Columbia River In
ter-Tribal Fish Commission.
Apologies
I apologize to the comm u
nity o f Warm Springs and the
Pi-Ume-Sha grounds for the
day o f 6-29-13.1 know it was
w rong, being like that in a
public place. I was just cel
ebrating and got a little out
o f hand. A nd I was just mind
ing my own business and get
ting something to eat and go
ing hom e again, but I still got
caught up. But once again I
apologize to the community
o f W arm Springs once again.
Sorry to Pi-Ume-Sha grounds.
It w on’t happen again. Sonny
Yahtin.
I would like to apologize
for trying to cash a check for
the am ount o f $1,680 on or
a b o u t th e day o f Ju n e 6,
2013. I have made a wrong
choice trying to cash a check
that didn’t belong to me. I
would also like to apologize
dras.
G randparents on the
m other’s side are Bryan
and Jean H inton o f Texas.
Joseph Michael
Holliday
Jaylon Holliday Sr. and
Hillary Camas o f Warm
Springs are pleased to an
nounce the birth o f their
so n J o s e p h M ichael
Holliday, b o rn on Sep
tem ber 13, 2013.
Joseph joins brother
Jaylon Jr., 2.
G randparents on the
fa th e r’s side are Jo el
H o llid ay an d C orey
C lem en ts o f W arm
Springs.
G ran d p aren t on the
m other’s side is Eugenia
Alire o f Madras.
to. th e victim , F.T., and to
W arm S prings M arket. I
have been charged with forg
ery, perjury, and theft. I also
had to sit jail time and I am
on bench probation for my
wrongful actions. Again I am
sorry for my wrong actions
and will learn from these mis
takes. B ut once again I am
sorry and hope all victims will
accept my apology. Mackalin
Kalama.
I am so,rry for not respect
ing the Traditional Treaty Day
Powwow. I do realize this was
the Forty-Fourth Annual cel
ebration. I ask for your for
giveness and again I am sorry.
Sincerely, Alexander Sandy
Henry.
Designated
Smoking Area
The tribal adminis
tration building now
has a designated smok
ing area located be.-
tween the Tribal Coun
cil chambers and the
o ffic e o f th e C h ie f
O p e ra tio n s O fficer.
This is the outside area
on the east side o f the
building.
A ccess be o p en
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
M onday through Fri
day. A ccess w ill be
through the lobby area
door, located between
the Tribal Council and
m a il-re c e p tio n e n
trance area. Benches
and ashtrays will be
provided in the smok-
ihg area.
This directive from
the Office o f the Sec
retary-Treasurer took
effect on Monday.
The next deadline to sub
mit items fo r publication
in the Spilyay Tymoo is
Friday, October 11.
Thank you fo r writing!
(—
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Legal Aid Services
of Oregon, offering
free legal service in
some cases, can be
reached at 541-385-
6944.
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