Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
May 28, 2014
Student going to History finals
by Patti Tanewasha
Spilyay Tymoo
A cross the country more
than 700,000 students partici-
pate in the competitions lead-
ing up to the National His-
tory Day competition.
Students start preparing in
November for the finals com-
petition, coming up in mid
June.
That is when Thyreicia
“Reicie” Simtustus will be
heading to Washington D.C.
Reicie is a Madras High
School student from Warm
Springs. In June she will
present her history exhibit at
the University of Maryland.
The theme for this year’s
National History Day is Rights
and Responsibility in Histor y.
Reicie’s topic focuses on the
American Indian Movement
from the years 1968-1978.
She was one of the only
Native American contestants
to enter the state level com-
petition. She presented her
exhibit in a series of contests,
and made her way to the state
competition in Portland—
where she took first place in
the Senior Individual Exhibit
Category.
I had the opportunity to
interview Reicie. Here are
some questions and answers
from our talk:
When heard the theme for
National History Day, what
topics started to come to mind?
Reicie: As a group we dis-
cussed what topics would fit,
and the discussion included
the United States civil rights
Reicie Simtustus
movement during the 1960’s
and 70’s.
Out of all the categories to
choose from why did you choose
AIM, from 1968-78 specifi-
cally?
Reicie: I chose the exhibit
category because I wanted to
show the many images that
documented the era. I knew
very little about this period
in history when I started.
Upon completion of my
project I felt proud to be
Native American. I learned
that the struggles the found-
ing people of the American
Indian Movement went
through were not as radical
as the media made them out
to be. They just wanted all
Natives to have the same
rights that the government
had responsibilities for.
Reicie says that what in-
spired her was listening to the
stories her Kuthla, Marcia
Simtustus, told when she used
to live in the Washington D.C.
area in the early 70’s.
Was this the first time you
had to present this kind of
project? Did you think you’d
make it this far in the competi-
tion?
Reicie: This wasn’t the
first project I had to present.
Last year I presented in Or-
egon History Day.
Oregon History Day was
more local, or anything in
Oregon. It was pretty com-
petitive. National History day
is more on a national level. I
thought I wasn’t going to be
first or second in the National
History Day Competition.
What was one of the les-
sons you have taken from work-
ing on your exhibit?
Reicie:
That
you
shouldn’t hesitate to the very
last minute to get every de-
tail down. To know the back
story behind the picture, and
what it’s saying.
From our local community
Reicie will be jetting off to
the East Coast to present her
exhibit in the National His-
tory Day competition on June
14-20 competition.
Thyreicia is seeking dona-
tions while holding fund-rais-
ers throughout the commu-
nity. For more information
regarding donations, contact:
Joie Simtustus at 541-460-
0021 or Courtney Lupton at
the Madras High School Na-
tional History Day Program,
390 SE 10th Street, Madras
Oregon.
Be a Finisher
Letters
Thank you
The Boys & Girls Club
would like to recognize the
sponsors of our “Great Fu-
tures Starts Here” event that
was held on Saturday, April
26:
The Tribal Council, Warm
Springs Power & Water,
Bruce Burnette, AT&T, Bean
Foundation, the War m
Springs Telecom, Composite
Products, Brightwood, Indian
Head Casino, Wenaha
Group, XL Distribution,
Kirby Nagelhout Construc-
tion, Warm Springs Market,
Karnopp Petersen LLP,
ezWireless and anyone else
that help sponsor things at
our fundraiser.
The events for the day in-
cluded an 18-hole golf
scramble, dinner, silent and
live auction. Our goal was to
raise at least $20,000.00 for
club operations and I’m happy
to say that we exceeded that!
I’d like to personally thank
all the sponsors, volunteers,
individual donors, golf teams
(Joe the pro for his expertise),
Gary Grunner (for the hole-
in-one truck), Kah-Nee-Ta
(for their hospitality), all event
attendees, the local businesses
in Madras, local enterprises
and all entrepreneurs that
donated items for the auction.
Thank you all for your
continued support and mak-
ing our event a successful
one.
Sincerely,
June A. Smith, club man-
ager.
Beads, Native American Gifts,
Museum, Deli, Grocery, Ice,
Fishing Permits, Western Union,
Check-Free Bill Pay, ATM and
Much More!
2132 Warm Springs St., Warm
Springs - ph. 541-553-1597
Salena Sahme is hold-
ing a Fathers Day Raffle,
with proceeds to help her
enter the Portland Mara-
thon. She would need a
hand cycle to finish the
race. Salena and family
have been raising funds
at the War m Springs
Market, where the raffle
drawing will be held on
June 10 (need not be
present to win).
To purchase a ticket
you can reach her 541-
325-1838 or 541-615-
0847. Tickets are $5
each; three for $10; or
five for $20.
Page 5
Many attend elders’ workshop
Elders hosted a grief and
loss workshop for the com-
munity May 17-18 at the
Shaker Church.
The workshop was well
attended, and the food was
excellent. “We were blessed
with the presence of young
and old, with flute music by
James Greeley, plus his dad,
a veteran and artist, Hamilton
Greeley,” said Aurolyn
Stwyer.
Also among the many par-
ticipants were Tuk’ushman
and his wife Heidi, who trav-
eled from a ceremony in
Washington.
The elders did all of the
fundraising for the workshop.
The participants made angel
cards, flower arrangements,
painted rocks, and shuptaki
(miniature suitcases) for their
letters to loved ones in
heaven. The day ended with
releasing the balloons, and
banana splits.
“We are truly blessed to
have the love, devotion and
Courtesy photo.
commitment by these elder
sisters, Hilda Culpus, Char
Herkshan and Neda Wesley,”
Aurolyn said.
Hilda (seated), Char
Herkshan and Neda
Wesley.
Federal prosecutions increasing
There will be an increase
in prosecutions in U.S. Dis-
trict Court of cases origi-
nating on the Warm Springs
Reservation.
This announcement
comes following consulta-
tions by Warm Springs
Chief of Police Dennis
White III with the U.S.
Attorney’s Office in Port-
land.
The increase in federal
prosecutions is part of an
effort to curb possession,
sale and use of illegal drugs
on the reservation, and to
slow the increase in violent
crime.
Federal prosecutors have
started and will continue to
increase prosecutions for
possession and sale of even
small amounts of Schedule
2 narcotics, which includes
methamphetamine, cocaine,
prescription narcotics, and
heroin.
Habitual domestic vio-
lence, a more recent federal
crime, occurs when a per-
son with two prior domestic
violence convictions in any
court is charged with domes-
tic violence for a third
time.
Federal prosecutors
have and will continue to
prosecute felony attempt-
ing to elude a police of-
ficer. Some individuals
from Warm Springs have
already been charged,
prosecuted and convicted
of these crimes in U.S. Dis-
trict Court.
Convictions for the
above crimes usually re-
sult in prison time fol-
lowed by a term of fed-
eral supervised release.
Drop off unwanted prescriptions
A medicine return drug
collection unit has been
placed in the lobby of the
Warm Springs Police Depart-
ment. The purpose of this is
to provide a place where un-
wanted prescriptions can be
deposited for disposal.
Safe disposal will keep the
unwanted prescription drugs
away from children and the
water supply. Accepted drugs
are:
Medications, vitamins,
prescription patches, prescrip-
tion ointments, over the
counter medications, sample
medications and pet medica-
tions.
Not accepted: hydrogen
peroxide, inhalers, thermom-
eters, blood aerosol cans,
ointments (liquid or lotions)
and medications from busi-
nesses and clinics. Sharps or
needles are not accepted.
This collection unit is avail-
able and accessible to the
public 24 hours a day. Should
you have questions, please call
the Warm Springs Police De-
partment at 541-553-3272.