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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 26, 2014)
Spilyay Tymoo Coyote News, est. 1976 November 26, 2014 Vol. 39, No. 24 November – Anaku Ipach’aanxa Yaamash Health care expansion helping budgets Warm Springs Managed Care and the Indian Health Services clinic have seen significant cost sav- ings over the last year. This happened because many tribal members have signed up for health care coverage. Having this coverage gives the individual more choices in health care services, and also provides budget savings to Managed Care and IHS, as there are added billing options. The saving at Managed Care over the past year has been signifi- cant, said Mike Marcotte, program director. It was about this time in 2013 that the tribes and IHS began a cam- paign to encourage tribal members to apply for additional health care coverage, mainly Expanded Medic- aid. This was part of the effort to implement the Affordable Care Act. A team at the clinic, and one at the Warm Springs Library and Health Resource Center, became trained in assisting people in signing up for health coverage. Both of these teams are still available for anyone wanting assistance in sign- ing up for health coverage. Earlier, Medicaid was available to a person whose income was at the poverty level. Expanded Med- icaid made this coverage available to a person up to 138-percent of the poverty level. This expansion al- lowed many more people to access the coverage. Deborah Jackson, business of- fice manager at the Warm Springs clinic, estimates that over the past year more than 3,500 residents have either signed up for health care cov- erage, or been re-determined for coverage. Re-determined means the person’s information—income, household, etc.—has been up- dated. The trained assistors helped many of these people through the process. In the past, if a tribal mem- ber were referred to a service at a facility in Bend, for in- stance, then often the Managed Care program would cover these costs. See HEALTH CARE on 7 Eagle Academy Assembly P.O. Box 870 Warm Springs, OR 97761 ECR WSS Postal Patron U.S. Postage PRSRT STD Warm Springs, OR 97761 50 cents 38th Holiday Bowl tourney The Warm Springs Indian Holi- day Bowling Tournament will cel- ebrate its Thirty-Eighth Anniversary this Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 27-29. The Holiday Bowling Tourna- ment Committee will host the event at Lava Lanes Bowling Center in Bend. This year’s tournament is in Memory of Jaclyn “Puff ” Langley. The family requested the Women’s C Division in the Masters event be dedicated to Jaclyn. The committee appreciates very much the families’ coming forth to recognize these individuals who added so much to the sport of bowl- ing. The Committee will also have some unannounced specials as well for 2014. See HOLIDAY TOURNEY on 6 Car Lights Parade, Tree Lighting Dec. 4 D.McMechan/Spilyay The Warm Springs Eagle Academy celebrated Native American Month last Friday with an assembly in the school gymnasium. The performers included Foster Kalama (far left above), and hoop dancer Kaiwin Clements (left). Brutis ‘Bigg B’ Baez photos Ventures projects coming up in 2015 Next year will be an important one for Warm Springs Ventures, the economic development enterprise of the Confederated Tribes. Ventures will be implementing the next stage of the unmanned aerial vehicle program on the reservation. Getting the UAV program off the ground is just one of a number of projects, said Don Sampson, in- terim chief executive officer of Ventures. Other items on the Ventures 2015 agenda are the carbon seques- tration project, and development of a Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) and agreement. Carbon sequestration has the po- tential for bringing in new revenue to the tribes, while TERO has the potential to create jobs for tribal members. Another project that the tribes will be looking at in 2015 is adop- tion of a uniform commercial code (UCC). Companies wishing to do business on the reservation, such as the UAV companies, would find it much easier to do business here if a tribal UCC were in place. Tribes that work successfully with outside entities have these codes, Sampson said, “because the busi- nesses that come in want to know there is a fair playing field for them to work on.” Ventures will be working on a draft tribal UCC to present to Tribal Council. Sampson is serving as interim chief executive officer of Warm Springs Ventures, until the time when a new permanent CEO comes on board. Sampson is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla, of the Walla Walla tribe. “ That is a huge op- por tunity w e ar e missing.” Don Sampson on TERO He went to Humboldt State and the University of Idaho, and became a fisheries scientist. He served as vice-chair and then chairman of the Umatilla Board of Trustees. He was chief executive officer of the Co- lumbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Com- mission for five years, and then served as chief executive officer of the Umatilla Tribe from 2003-2010. “Most of that work was in eco- nomic development,” he said. He helped with the development and later expansion of the Wild Horse Casino, and development of the Coyote Business Park, travel plaza, museum, Cayuse Technolo- gies, among other projects. “We saw unemployment go from about 40 percent to less than 15 percent in about 20 years,” he said. The number of Umatilla businesses went from two or three to 15. After retiring from the direc- torship of the Umatilla tribes, Sampson took a position with the Institute for Tribal Government at Portland State University, which he still holds. TERO One of the more promising employment projects that Ven- tures is pursuing is establishment of a Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance and agreement. See VENTURES on 3 The Warm Springs Car Lights Parade and Tree Lighting are sched- uled for next Thursday evening, Dec. 4. The parade theme this year is, “Santa’s Workshop, Spirit of Giv- ing.” The line-up for the Car Lights Parade is at 5 p.m. at the old Warm Springs elementary school. Judging is at 6 p.m., and the parade starts at 7. Tree lighting and caroling to fol- low—bring the whole family! The parade and tree lighting are hosted by Warm Springs Recreation, with Native Aspirations. You can reach them at 541-553-3243. Holiday happenings The Thirty-Ninth Annual Warm Springs Christmas Ba- zaar is set for Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Com- munity Center gym and social hall. Find those perfect gifts for the family, while enjoying the home- made goods. The bazaar is spon- sored by Recreation. The Museum at Warm Springs will host the Native American Heritage Art Market, celebrating Native American Heritage Month. The market will be on Saturday, Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Vendors interested in setting up can contact Tamera Moody at 553- 3331. The Chemawa Indian School Craft Show is coming up on Dec. 6, at the Chemawa school gym. Ven- dors can contact Karen Serna at 503-399-5721. Warm Springs Recreation will presents Christmas Indian Night Out on Monday, December 22 at the Community Center. Bring your favorite dish for a 5:30 potluck with the social dance and drummers Jam starting at 6:30.
