Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
June 11, 2014
Vol. 39, No. 12
June – Atixan – Spring - Wawaxam
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
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Warm Springs, OR 97761
50 cents
K-8 construction time at 5 weeks Canoe
A mong football fields in Cen-
tral Oregon, the one with the best
view is at the Warm Springs K-8
Academy.
In fact the views from the
classrooms are equally scenic and
impressive. And the rooms have
lots of windows. All of the class-
room learning areas at the acad-
emy have direct natural light from
outside. This was by design, said
school district superintendent
Rick Molitor.
Work crews are entering the
final phase of construction at the
new school. For example they
placed the sod last week on the
football field. The construction
is scheduled to be finishing on
July 18. The work is on time and
on budget, Molitor said.
The school will have new
desks and other furniture, and
new computers. There will be rib-
bon-cutting ceremony coming up
in September. This will be done
in conjunction with the back to
school barbecue.
Meanwhile the Warm Springs
Education Committee is seeking
input on the best future use of
the existing Warm Springs El-
ementary School (see page 12 for
story).
Journey
starting
Partnering this year
with Nisqually tribe
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Cedar Landscape crew rolls out the sod on the academy football field.
Focus on getting out the vote July 1
The motorsports referendum
absentee ballots went out in the mail,
and some completed ballots have
already been turned in.
But a number of absentee bal-
lots were returned as undeliverable.
Vital Statistics is attempting to lo-
cate these people in order to obtain
the correct mailing address.
A list of people whose ballots
were returned as undeliverable is on
page 7 of this publication. If you
know how to contact any of these
individuals, please call Vital Stats at
541-553-3252.
Warm Springs Ventures and sup-
porters are making an added effort
to encourage participation in this
referendum.
Finances, the environment
Tribal Council wants a valid vote
in order to determine the course of
action regarding the motorsports
proposal. Most voters in the two
motorsports referendums last year
were in favor of going forward, but
not enough voters cast their ballots,
requiring this third referendum.
If the upcoming referendum is
anything like the previous two, then
every vote, yes or no, is critical.
Passage of the July 1 referen-
dum would not approve construc-
tion of the motorsports park, but
would allow the team to determine
the environmental impacts, and how
profitable the enterprise could be
for the Confederated Tribes.
The tribal budget—specifically,
no new revenue source in many
years—and jobs are the main rea-
sons why most on Council, and
others in the community support
the idea.
Timber can never again pro-
vide the revenue that it once did
for the tribes.
Forest Products Industries
may not be able to provide a divi-
dend for 2015, according to a re-
cent report at Council.
Power and Water, preparing
for an additional purchase of the
hydro facilities.
See MOTORSPORTS on 3
The Warm Springs Canoe Fam-
ily, N’chi Wanapum, has officially
partnered with the Nisqually Indian
Tribe for Canoe Journey 2014.
Both tribes will travel on the Jour-
ney alongside each other, sharing
pullers, cooks, drivers, vehicles, sup-
port boats, food and fuel.
The cultural alliance between the
two tribes is nothing new—they
share hundreds of years of history,
said Jefferson Greene, Canoe Jour-
ney facilitator and youth recruiter.
The Journey partnership, though,
“will certainly be monumental
amidst today’s modern technology
and fast-paced civilization,”
Jefferson said.
The two tribes came together at
the Nisqually Cultural Center, where
Warm Springs was represented by
Aurelia Stacona, Cory Queahpama,
Daisy Begay, Dakota Stacona,
Donell Frank, Darrin Brisbois, Paula
Kalama and Jefferson.
“The two tribes exchanged gifts,
shook hands and verbally connected
in partnership,” he said. “The part-
nership could not have come at a
better time, as safety, cost, endur-
ance and human equity are in high-
est demand.”
The Canoe Journey this summer
is to Bella Bella, British Columbia.
The N’Chi Wanapum Canoe Fam-
ily are expecting to be gone for a
month on the Journey.
The Warm Springs and Nisqually
partnership is the first of its kind
between two tribes of significant
canoe family size.
When the two tribes met at
Nisqually, they brought all of their
options, assets and ideas to the table,
and realized the two would be sig-
nificantly more efficient together.
See CANOE FAMILY on 5
Eel Dance at
Willamette Falls
Pi-Ume-Sha
turning 45
this month
Warm Springs tribal members
gathered at Willamette Falls last
week for a blessing ceremony for
the lamprey. The Branch of
Natural Resources, the Culture
and Heritage Department and
Committee, and Tribal Council
were on hand for the blessing.
The tribes have harvested the
Pacific Lamprey, or eels, at
Willamette Falls and other Ceded
Lands sites since time immemo-
rial. Willamette Falls, just outside
Portland, remains one of the
tribes’ main eel harvesting areas.
(Continued on page 12)
Eel dance by the Warm
Springs Culture and Heritage
youth dancers.
Courtesy of Tom Banse, Northwest News Network
The Confederated Tribes will host
the Forty-Fifth Annual Pi-Ume-Sha
Treaty Days, Friday-Sunday, June
27-29. The powwow commemo-
rates the signing of the Treaty of
1855, signed 159 years ago this
month.
The Traditional Dress Parade will
be Saturday morning, June 28.
Grand Entries are Friday evening,
June 27, and on Saturday at 1 and
7 p.m., and on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Traditional dance contests are
through the weekend. (More on Pi-
Ume-Sha on page 2, 3 and 6.)