Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
December 24, 2014
Page 7
2014 ~ A Year in Review
(The following is a look back at
some of the memorable news events
from the latter half of the year on
the reservation.)
June
Warm Springs tribal members
gathered at Willamette Falls for a
blessing ceremony for the lamprey.
The Branch of Natural Resources,
the Culture and Heritage Depart-
ment and Committee, and Tribal
Council were on hand for the bless-
ing.
The Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs hosted the Forty-
Fifth Annual Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty
Days in June, commemorating the
signing of the Treaty of 1855.
The Warm Springs Canoe Fam-
ily, N’chi Wanapum, officially
partnered with the Nisqually Indian
Tribe for Canoe Journey 2014.
Both tribes will travel on the
Journey alongside each other, shar-
ing pullers, cooks, drivers, vehicles,
sup-port boats, food and fuel.
Tribal Council directed to the
Fish and Wildlife Committee to de-
velop an off-reservation elk hunt-
ing season. Councilman Carlos
Smith said the off-reservation elk
season is needed to relieve some of
the hunting pressure on-reservation.
For the past two years the tribes
have conducted off-reservation sea-
sons for deer, during the month of
October. Council agreed to adopt
a similar program this year for elk.
Natural Resources conducted an
elk survey on the reservation in
December, but the results were in-
conclusive. Wildlife biologist An-
drea Karoglanian said the Decem-
ber survey found only 82 elk, not
enough to make a population pro-
jection.
Advocates of the motorsports
project were focusing on getting out
the vote. The question is set for a
referendum vote in July. The ab-
sentee ballots went out in the mail
this month.
Warm Springs Ventures and sup-
porters are making an added effort
to encourage participation in this
referendum, as the previous two
failed for lack of voter participa-
tion.
July
Construction crews are moving
tons of earth this month in the area
of Potter’s Ponds on Mill Creek.
This is a large-scale fisheries im-
provement project, similar to but
bigger than the 2009 Shitike Creek
improvement project.
The Bonneville Power Adminis-
tration is funding much of the
work, as a mitigation project, with
oversight by the tribal Natural Re-
sources Branch. Scott Turo, fish-
eries biologist, and Johnny Holliday,
project coordinator, are on site
daily.
In time, Mill Creek will provide
suitable habitat for a variety of fish
and wildlife species. Also in July:
Tens of thousands of acres
burned on the reservation. Fires
broke out on both sides of the res-
ervation, at Shaniko and toward
Mt. Jefferson. Elsewhere:
The Roots program is the new
alternative education program serv-
ing the reservation students. The
program is part of Madras High
School, based in Warm Springs.
The Roots director is Dawn
Smith, longtime educator and
former principal of Warm Springs
Elementary School. She is work-
ing with teacher Earl Simmons. He
has taught on the reservation for
the past several years, and is certi-
fied to teach agriculture at the high
school level.
Shoni Schimmel lived up to her
nickname in her first WNBA All-
Star Game. Showtime Schimmel
won the Most Valuable Player award
in the wild All-Star game last Satur-
day.
The War m Springs Canoe
Family made an historic journey
this summer. The N’chi Wanapum
family traveled to Bella Bella, Brit-
ish Columbia.
The Paddle to Bella Bella was the
Fifth Annual, and longest of the
Canoe Journeys for the War m
Springs family.
“It’s a great learning experience,”
Jazmine Ike Lopez was saying re-
cently. “You learn the old ways of
your own tribe, and the ways of
other tribes. You learn to work to-
gether as a family and a commu-
nity.”
August
The Confederated Tribes and
school district 509-J held the dedi-
cation and opening of the Warm
Springs K-8 Eagle Academy.
“This is the culmination of a dream
that began nearly half a century
ago,” said Austin Greene Jr., Tribal
Council chairman.
With the opening of the new
school, the tribes and school district
are now in a unique partnership in
the nation, Chairman Greene said.
Together, the tribes and district
planned for, funded and built the
k-8 academy.
More than anything, he said, the
school is dedicated to the young
people of the tribes.
Middle school students will no
longer have the long bus rides ev-
ery school day. And the elementary
school students now have a mod-
ern building in a better location.
There will be about 650 students at
the school when it opens in
september.
Meanwhile, Madras High School
and the school district 509-J hosted
the grand opening of the new foot-
ball stadium and track facilities.
The new stadium-athletic com-
plex is a large part of the school
distritct improvement package that
voters approved in 2012. The Warm
Springs Academy, and the MHS per-
forming arts center are also large
parts of the overall district improve-
ments. The performing arts center
will have seating for up to 600
people when it opens soon.
The Confederated Tribes re-
ceived a $1 million grant to upgrade
the public safety radio network.
The project will improve the po-
lice and fire radio system on the
reservation. The grant, from the
Department of Homeland Security,
will also provide for construction of
a telecommunications tower on the
Mutton Mountains area of the res-
ervation.
This is part of Homeland
Security’s ongoing efforts to support
state, local, tribal and territorial part-
ners. The total amount awarded to
the Confederated Tribes is
$1,069,200, through the Tribal
Homeland Security Grant Program.
This summer brought several
weeks of very hot weather. It was
in mid July, at the height of the heat
wave, that the Warm Springs wa-
ter treatment plant almost reached
capacity. The plant was producing
as much drinking water was pos-
sible—close to 4.3 million gallons a
day. This was just barely enough to
meet the demand.
September
Tribal Council adopted regula-
tions for off-reservation hunting.
Tribal Council has authorized off-
reservation hunting on lands ceded
Courtesy photo.
The Warm Springs Canoe Family arrives at Bella Bella in July.
pursuant to the June, 1855 Treaty.
Tribal members this year need just
the tribal tags, plus tribal identifica-
tion, to hunt on the ceded lands.
Jim War ne was in War m
Springs this month. Warne played
for the 1987 Rose Bowl-winning
Arizona State Sun Devils. He was
offensive lineman in the NFL for
the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Li-
ons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After his career in professional
sports, he went in to acting, and got
his Masters degree in Rehabilitation
Counseling.
Warne was in Warm Springs
working with Warm Springs Voca-
tional Rehabilitation, and talking
with young people about living a
healthy and successful life.
The Museum at War m
Springs received word of a
$140,000 grant from the Spirit
Mountain Community Fund of the
Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde.
The money will be used for up-
grades to mechanical systems at the
museum, where the water system
in particular needs attention. The
current system is outdated and
wasteful.
October
Tribal Council posted a proposed
tribal budget for 2015. The posted
budget projects an increase in rev-
enue from the current year. This is
a welcome change from recent years
of budget reductions.
For the 2015 budget, Tribal
Council is proposing to transfer
$450,000 to the senior pension
fund, and $450,000 to the revenue
reserve fund.
Tribal Range and Agriculture has
been working to reduce the envi-
ronmental damage caused by the
unclaimed horse population on
the reservation. Range and Ag has
rounded up about 1,300 horses this
year, and is going for 1,500 to 1,600
by the end of the year, said Jason
Smith, Range and Ag manager.
The Warm Springs unmanned
aerial vehicles testing program
is showing real potential for revenue
and jobs on the reservation.
Three new jobs could be open
within a few months, said Don
Sampson, interim chief executive
officer of Warm Springs Ventures.
These initial jobs are possible
because the Oregon Infrastructure
Finance Authority is providing
funding for development of UAV
testing in the state.
November
Officials with the Turkish Coop-
eration and Coordination Agency
visited Warm Springs in October.
The agency, called TIKA, con-
tributed $150,000 for the new wa-
ter tower that serves the k-8 Acad-
emy and Greeley Heights neighbor-
hood.
TIKA helps projects in many
countries, often helping with
projects that have to do with water.
Warm Springs Managed Care
and the Indian Health Services
clinic reported significant cost sav-
ings over the past 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.
December
The need for greater Native cul-
tural presence at Madras High
School was a suggestion at the
Jefferson County School District
509-J board meeting.
“Talking as a parent, the school
doesn’t reflect any Native Ameri-
can presence,” said Warm Springs
Academy teacher Gina Bluebird
Stacona, whose daughter attends the
high school. “I think that contrib-
utes to the dropout rate.”
Some Impact Aid funding should
be used to increase the Native
American cultural aspects of the
high school, she said.
(A paid advertisement)
DECEMBER 24, 2014
PRESS RELEASE
Tribal members from the Confederated Tribes (CTWS) of the Warm Springs Reservation of
Oregon are initiating a proposal to amend the tribal government Constitution and By-Laws. The
stated goal is to create an environment of unity, trust, and respect while electing leadership.
This initiative is by members that want change to how candidates are elected into Tribal Council.
The group states, “We need a one person one vote process to select leadership that will provide for
the needs of the membership and Confederated Tribes.”
The initiators are exercising the Tribal Constitutional Bill of Rights: “may enjoy without hindrance,
freedom to worship, speech, press and assembly.” The group will request the federal Bureau of
Indian Affairs hold a secretarial election for the proposed amendments. The proposal would amend
the Constitution and By-Laws Tribal Council organization, qualifications, salaries, and meetings and
procedures.
The group is following the CTWS Declaration of Sovereignty (6/25/92) that states,
“Ultimate sovereignty is vested in the people, who received that sovereignty in the form of laws
given by the creator and the land itself. Our people have delegated only limited authority to the
Tribal Council and reserved the rest of our national sovereignty to ourselves.”
The amendment group believes passage will mean a more effective and efficiently operated
government:
• Tribal Council elections will be secretatrial.
• The number of council members would change from 11 to 9.
• Elections would change to at-large voting (1 person-1 vote).
• Three members would rotate after the first three year term; followed by annual elections
replacing the next three positions (due for election).
• There would be no lifetime terms.
• The Chiefs would run for Tribal Council if nominated.
• Voting age would change from 21 to 18.
• The council would receive a salary and serve only as elected officials.
• The Secretary-Treasurer and executive officers would be hired under the CTWS salary adminis-
tration program following the tribal preference policy.
The group’s spokesperson, Mike Clements states, “I believe these amendments will provide a
modern method to nominate, consider and elect leadership. We believe this will bring growth,
wellness and unity to the membership.”
(This is a paid advertisement)