E Coosh EEWA: The way it is Page 4 Spilyay Tymoo February 4, 2015 Letters to the editor A thank you Thank you to the residents of Warm Springs. We traveled from Nevada on January 8 to Madras, to be at the services for our niece Clarice Tewee. Our sister Florene and her husband Har vey Scott worked hard to prepare for the services and burial. We would like to thank Hester and Jay for being there to help their mom and dad. And also to the many others who were there for the fam- ily. We are also grateful for the hospitality shown to us by the community while at the Longhouse and for “loading” us up with food for our trip home. We know our sister is far away from us but she loves her family in Warm Springs, and it’s always nice to visit her. We made it back home safely but our memories of being there for her will be in our hearts forever. Evalina Picotte, Carolyn Kenton, Eleanor Smith, Myra Smith and Debra Keats Yerington, Fernley and Gardnerville, Nevada From Landfill What’s an eighth of a mile worth? Have you ever noticed how trash breeds trash? Someone cleans out their car and dumps the litter in the parking lot or on the ground, and low and behold more trash appears. Individuals and depart- ments that start brush and trash piles illegally contribute greatly to the problem, since the piles of brush all of a sudden have couches, old televisions, beds and appli- ances. Illegal dumping costs the tribes both in time and money. Our disposal fees for commercial entities are some of the lowest around, and for residential, it is free, except for brush. Brush is $30 a ton for everyone. The illegal dump located between Lower Dry Creek Road and the landfill road started out as a brush pile, but look at it now. It is lo- cated about an eighth of a mile from the landfill. Why not drive the eighth of a mile and dispose of the trash and brush properly? People who have appli- ances and scrap metal can call the landfill, and we can pick up the items from your house. Refrigerators and freezers must be empty of all food. Metal should be set by the road. Landfill staff can also as- sist with removal of large bulky items as time allows. If you have items that need to be removed and have no ve- hicle to move the items, you can call the landfill at 541- 553-3163, and we will sched- ule a time to pick up bulk items. If you leave a message at the landfill, please leave your address and phone num- ber so that we can call you back to schedule. Warm Springs Landfill staff Managed Care The following important m e s s a g e s a r e f r o m Wa r m Springs Managed Care. If you leave When a Warm Springs Health and Wellness patient leaves the Warm Springs area, he or she is eligible for services for only six months (180 days) from the time they left. The patient is then eligible for only direct care services here at the Warm Springs Clinic, and loses any finan- cial support or coverage for hospital, doctor or other medical related bills outside of the Warm Springs Clinic. After those 180 days, your eligibility changes to “direct status,” and Warm Springs Managed Care will deny any claims for any medical ser- vices after the 180 days. You and any private insurance you have will be responsible for the payments. If you return to Warm Springs, you need to go physi- cally into the Health and Wellness Center and present written documentation to update at the clinic, and then be able to verify to Managed Care that you and your fam- ily members are again resid- ing permanently in Warm Springs; or, if you are tribal member, that you live within the Contract Health Services Delivery Area. It’s important to take this step to re-establish your Managed Care eligibility to regain services. For more in- formation contact Managed Care at the Health and Wellness Center: 541-553- 4948. Outside appointment When you are referred from the Warm Springs In- dian Health Services clinic to another provider, you need to be sure and have your in- surance ID card with you when you go to your appoint- Spilyay Tymoo (Coyote News, Est. 1976) Publisher Emeritus: Sid Miller Multi Media Specialist: Alyssa Macy Managing Editor: Dave McMechan Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the Con- federated Tribes of Warm Springs. Our offices are located at 4174 Highway 3 in Warm Springs. Any written materials submitted to Spilyay Tymoo should be addressed to: Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 489, Warm Springs, OR 97761. Phone: 541-553-2210 or 541-771-7521 E-Mail: dave.mcmechan@wstribes.org. Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $20.00 ment. This includes anyone with Health Comp or Blue Cross or other private insurance. If you are on the Oregon Health Plan, take your letter from OHP showing you, your children and other family members are currently cov- ered under their plans. If you don’t present your cards and this documentation, you may be charged an additional fee that Managed Care cannot cover. If you have questions about an outside appoint- ment, or want to lea more, contact Managed Care at the Health and Wellness Center, 541-553-4948. Sweet 16 Our family would like to thank everyone who assisted and celebrated at Malia’s Sweet 16 Birthday Round Dance on January 17 at the Simnasho Longhouse. We would like to thank her Mosom Irvin Waskewitch, Kokum Adele Fletcher and sister Christa Waskewitch who traveled from Canada to at- tend; Colin Chief for being our stickman on such short notice and doing a good job of organizing all the drum- mers; Lovie Colwash, Angela, Ferrellyn and Tatum, for vol- unteering as cooks, for your donations to the raffle, and your wonderful food. It was well received, made a lot of people happy, and took a huge load of worry off our family . To our closest neighbors and good friends Ken and Alyssa, Thank you for help- ing with the design and cre- ation of the beautiful poster, purchasing all of the decora- tions and raffle earrings, elk meat, and your help cleaning and decorating before and af- ter the event. Carla, thank you for the casserole you prepared for our guests and for your as- sistance at the raffle table. You all are true friends and blessings! Thank you Charlotte Herkshan for taking us un- der your wing and helping us with the salmon, deer meat, huckleberries and chokecher- ries, the cake, drinks as well as the gifts you brought and your help in cleaning the kitchen afterward. Thank you Huston, Antone and Ryan Moody for cutting the salmon so beauti- fully, you put many women to shame with your skills! Thank you Captain and Keith for the elk meat, drinks, moneybox and change, raffle items and guidance in getting this together. We know we can always count on you both for anything and we appreci- ate it. To Shirley and Delvis Heath Sr., thank you for the wonderful stew that you brought to the dinner, it means a lot to Malia and to us that you are always there for her. To uncle Raymond and Beulah Tsumpti, thank you for the donuts—it is always good to see you. Thank you Domonique Craig for helping us decorate so beautifully and for always being a positive presence in our family. Thank you Cena Wolfe and family for the donation of the water, and Eveline Patt for your donation and continued support of our young people and family. To all the invited drum- mers and to all the up and coming drummers, we thank you each personally for trav- eling to get here and singing songs that open that ceiling and allow Prayers to be heard. Thank you to everyone that purchased raffle tickets during the event. We are especially grateful Looking forward to Valentines Day with Travis Bobb. to all the people who came out and danced, especially those who came out even during your times of sorrow and mourning. To see you all there to celebrate with us was a humbling experience. Malia said later that she knew each and everyone of you as you each have touched her life in some way. If we missed anyone, for- give us; thank you from hearts. We hope you all en- joyed the occasion as much as we did, and we look for- ward to having one for Yesenia in about 8 years. Sincerely, Michael and Cecelia, Malia, Yesenia, and Ava Collins Better life Because of my life deci- sions and the bad choices I have made… I hurt the ones I love, and the ones who al- ways care, because of my own selfish ambitions. Most of all I hurt my five precious gifts that the Cre- ator has given. I just want them to know it wasn’t their fault because they’re just chil- dren who had no decisions. I apologize to my parents, siblings, children, and all loved ones that I have given any grief or any kind of hurt. Because I always found, and know that they will always be there and always been there from the start. I know making a change is the route I need to go, be- cause my life has been down a path of destruction. I chose that path, because my selfish- ness kept me from realizing others and even my own love and affection. Because I know I have fallen short of His glory, and with that I proclaimed Jesus Christ as my savior. In the eyes of my Savior I’m a per- fect jewel in His crown… I love you all forever and even more. Your daughter, sister, niece and mother, Marissa Rose Kalama. PS: I apologize to my friends and community for any grief I may have given you. God bless you all. Our sacred stuff, and time to start thinking about spring cleaning Alyssa Macy It is often said that the best things in life don’t cost money. It is experiences and relation- ships that in the end mean the most. Many tell their personal sto- ries by what they have—you know, “stuff.” Over many years, I accu- mulated a lot of stuff. It fur- nished my apartment, drove me around, draped on my body, and in some cases, made me look smarter as it sat there on my shelf. You know what I’m talk- ing about—that intellectual type book you purchased and never actually read. You see, I had entered into a sacred relationship with my stuff without even knowing it! My couch, armoire, kitchen table, bedroom set, and all the things hanging on my walls, squirreled away in boxes, and in my closet became the things that told my story and occu- pied my time. But of course I never thought that. Then one day, a close friend came to visit me in my fancy Chicago apartment with my fancy stuff, where I received the most honest reality check I had been given in a long cost and stress, I worked re- ally hard to have it. time. In 2010 I decided to quit She said, “You have such a nice apartment, everything my job, sell my vehicle and is so well coordinated. You worldly possessions (now fill- bought your furniture at ing a 24’ truck) and move to New York City. It was Crate and Barrel! You the biggest leap of drive a nice a car, Spilyay faith I’ve ever taken travel and have Frye Speaks and letting go of my boots. You are totally stuff was a scary and making it.” No mention of the stressful experience. Friends and fam- work that I was doing ily lined up to buy my in the Midwest or abroad. No comments from stuff at great discounts and her about my good qualities eventually I whittled down like my ability to crack jokes my belongings to 10 large at inappropriate times, my boxes. In those boxes was the work ethic or my community real sacred stuff—my buck- involvement. Unknowingly to skin dress, photos and year- me, my sacred stuff was tell- books, Pendeltons from my father, eagle feathers, my ing my story. Acquiring things often baby moccasins. I arrived in New York by came at a high cost. It took a few years to pay off that big train with five boxes. With no screen TV, and a significant job and little worldly posses- portion of my paycheck went sions, I learned how to clothe myself with my personality; to vehicle payments. There were more than a to house myself with my few times when my expenses strengths, personal and work exceeded my income. I spent experiences; and to feed my way too much money on soul by truly believing in my clothing, a habit I picked up own abilities. New York was tough but as a sixth-grader when I thought I needed to wear Es- I learned that I didn’t really prit and Cross Colors like the need all that stuff after all. We live in a materialistic “cool” kids. My sacred stuff made me world, something very differ- feel better and despite the ent than our ancestors. Me- dia tells us that we need to consume and we do. Our homes are cluttered, and yards have become the burial sites for broken down stuff. We’ve invested our emo- tions and memories into things, and given them mean- ing and control over our life. The reality is, most things we acquire we can live with- out. Not purchasing or letting go of stuff not only opens up space in the home but in the mind. It teaches us to let go of the things that don’t serve us. It’s freeing and opens you to one of the most precious thing in life… time. Rick Warren is the author of The Pur pose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?, an intellectual type book I own and did read. He said, “Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time.” Our wisest investments are our relationships, experiences and community. Take a moment, look around you, and give your- self that reality check. Per- haps its time to start spring cleaning a little early!