Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
April 30, 2014
Vol. 39, No. 9
April – Hawit`an – Spring - Wawaxam
Telecom in third year of growth
The Warm Springs Telecom has
seen great progress since beginning
operation in early 2012. The
Telecom is now serving about 80
percent of the residential market on
the reservation.
The enterprise also has several
hundred non-residential customers.
These include Indian Head Casino,
which was the Telecom’s first cus-
tomer; tribal administration and
most other departments; Power and
Water, Natural Resources, and some
telecommunication aspects of the
clinic.
The Telecom this week is estab-
lishing a new tower that will greatly
enhance the broadband service at
Kah-Nee-Ta. New towers are serv-
ing Simnasho, the Schoolie and
Sidwalter Flat areas, and
Seekseequa.
The primary focus is providing
the best phone and high-speed
Internet service to reservation cus-
tomers, said Jose Mantanane, gen-
eral manager.
There is potential for business
growth off reservation, but that will
happen after the reservation is fully
covered, he said. “We’re working to
close the digital divide that exists in
Indian country,” he said.
Many rural reservations have not
K-8 Academy
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Gabe Walker points out the location of one of the new Telecom
towers serving the reservation.
seen the benefits of telecommuni-
cations improvements over the past
decades.
Warm Springs is among the
tribes active in implementing state
of the art technology.
The Warm Springs Telecom is a
tribal enterprise, relying on its own
revenue for operation and expan-
sion. The telecom has 10 full-time
The importance of
future generations is
a strong theme at
the Telecom...
employees, and three working
through the Workforce Education
and Development Department.
Another recent development:
The Telecom will provide broad-
band Internet service to the
Warm Springs K-8 Academy.
Telecom won this school district
contract through the competitive
bid process.
The Telecom is currently in-
stalling fiber-optic cable to the
new school, from a connection
point by the Utilities Department
on East Tenino.
When finished, the K-8 school
will have a high-speed connection
to the 509-J schools in Madras.
This will allow for distance learn-
ing, for example. If a specialty
class is being taught only at Ma-
dras, the Warm Springs students
can participate without having to
commute. The connection will
also allow access at the Warm
Springs school to data bases at
Madras, said Josh Richesin, op-
erations manager and engineer.
The cable installation work is
being done at no cost to the
school. The goal is to provide the
students at the Warm Springs
Academy with the best quality
service for a Twenty-First Cen-
tury education, Mantanane said.
See TELECOM on page 12
Warriors Gathering at HeHe
Veterans and their family and
friends met at the HeHe Longhouse
for the Annual Veterans and Fam-
ily Healing Circle.
Larson Kalama and family have
organized this event for the several
years now. Many kinds of healing
practices—sweat lodge, talking
circle, washing and healing touch,
music and poetry among them—are
used at the gathering.
The Healing Circle brings vet-
erans and family from many ar-
eas to HeHe for the four-day gath-
ering. They camp in tents and
RVs at HeHe by the Warm Springs
River.
The Healing Circle is an
event of dedication: No fees
are charged.
Volunteers give their time to
cook and clean, and provide
healing service.
Veterans of all ages, several
of the Vietnam and the Gulf
wars, attended this year.
Rejuvenation and cleaning
service Saturday at the
HeHe Longhouse.
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Root Feast Rodeo
Barrel racing and wild horse racing at the Root Feast Rodeo, hosted
on Saturday by the Warm Springs Rodeo Association.
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
50 cents
Saturday
market
starting
The first Warm Springs Outdoor
Market of 2014 is scheduled for
this Saturday, May 4, at the campus
park.
The market this year is being
organized by a group of volunteers
who are forming a co-operative
business. Members include Marge
Kalama, Gerald Danzuka, Marcia
Macy and Pinky Beamer, among
others. The Warm Springs Com-
munity Action Team is helping with
the market.
“We’re so excited to get this
grassroots effort off the ground,
and thankful for those who com-
pleted our survey,” said Marge
Kalama. “The survey will guide us
and confirm our goals.”
The community action team was
the organizer of the market last
year, but has seen a staff reduction;
so the co-op group is stepping up.
Vendors can set up for free. The
co-op and community action team
will provide the tables and tents for
the vendors. Bring beadwork, roots,
crafts and other items for sale.
“If folks want to bring yard-sale
type items, that would be okay,” said
Chris Watson, of the community
action team. The Txtaimat Pama
Outdoor Market will be from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Honor
Seniors
Day May 9
The Confederated Tribes will host
the Twenty-Fourth Annual Honor
Seniors Day in May.
Honor Seniors Day will be from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Agency
Longhouse on Friday, May 9.
The Honor Day is a chance to
showcase the local attractions, such
as the Museum at Warm Springs,
Indian Head Casino, Kah-Nee-Ta
Resort and Spa, among the others.
A courtesy shuttle service is pro-
vided to all points of interest dur-
ing Honor Seniors Day. Each
person’s name tag also provides free
admission to the museum.
For information contact the
Warm Springs Seniors Department
at 541-553-3313, or 553-3520. Or
email:
fay.hurtado@wstribes.org
wilson.wewa@wstribes.org
(More on onor Seniors Day on 4.)
The Agency District has
a meeting scheduled for
this Thursday, May 1 at
the longhouse. The meet-
ing is to update district
members on recent de-
velopments of the Con-
federated Tribes.
Dave McMechan/Spilyay