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Spilyay Tymoo
April 29, 2OÍ5
Letters to the editor
VFW Post
officers
T he E lliot Palm er P ost
4217 officers are an integral
p a rt o f m aking the W arm
Springs VFW Post success-
fol.
The officers are respon
sible for organizing, encour
aging, and developing a reli
able and cooperative environ
ment, to effectively maintain
a healthy strong membership
that will enrich, support, and
advocate for their local com
munity o f veterans and their
family members.
To be a m em ber and an
elected P o st officer, each
veteran has served honorably
in the A im ed Forces o f the
U n ite d S tates, a n d w as
awarded a recognized cam
paign medal as set forth in
the Congressional Charter o f
the VFW; or has served in a
w ar zo n e fo r 30 days o r
more.
T h e P o s t o ffic e rs are
elected to their position by
Post members. The new of
ficers for the Elliot Palmer
Post 4217 have been elected,
and took office on April 16.
O ur officers and their ap
pointed positions are:
C o m m an d er: T âm era
Calhoun (Persian Gulf).
Senior Vice Commander:
Austin Smith Jr. (Iraq).
Junior Vice Commander:
John Courtney (Iraq).
Q uarterm aster: Gerald J.
Danzuka (Korea).
C h ap lain : T im o th y D.
M yers (D e se rt S h ie ld /
Storm).
Service O ffic e r: K eith
Baker (Vietnam).
Judge Advocate: Gerald J.
D anzuka (Korea).
P o st Surgeon: T im othy
M yers
(D e se rt S h ie ld /
Storm).
O ffic e r-o f-th e -D a y :
Danny Martinez (Vietnam).
A d ju tan t: K e ith B aker
(Vietnam).
One-Year Trustee: Danny
Martinez (Vietnam).
Two-Year Trustee: Keith
Baker (Vietnam).
T h re e -Y e a r
T ru ste e :
Randolph Smith (Vietnam).
Please be aware that the
appointed positions for 2015-
2016 are currently underway.
Gerald Danzuka.
To leaders
To o u r T ribal C ouncil:
O ur community would like to
thank you leaders for your
strength during the traumatic
chaos our Tribe experienced
in the last two years. We en
co u rag e you to be m o re
timely, and to be stronger for
our people. Do n o t wait for
chaos, correct business before
there is negative im pact on
our people.
Tribal Council and Chiefs,
we would also like to correct
y o u r m isin te rp re ta tio n o f
your duties as leaders o f our
people. First and foremost,
you have an obligation to pro
tect and enforce our Tribal
Constitution and By-laws that
protect our tribal members.
You, as our Chiefs, Coun
cilman and C ouncilwom an
have been grossly misguided
if you interpret your duties
as leaders as only policy mak
ers. You, as our leaders are
obligated to the people and
the people’s governm ent and
corporations.
I f you w itn ess an d are
aware o f wrongdoing within
o u r trib al g o v e rn m e n t or
tribal corporations a n d /o r
businesses, your are obligated
to yo u r p eople to co rrect
w rongdoing to ensure the
p eo p le’s interests are p ro
tected.
Each time you turn your
eye away from bad deeds is
condoning those bad deeds,
and therefore are just as re
sponsible for bad deeds as
those committing them.
The people are no longer
go in g to to lerate “we are
policy makers, we do not get
involved in o p eratio n s o f
tribal governm ent or tribal
businesses?’ The recent inac
tion led to gross violations'of
our Tribal Constitution and
By-laws o f members o f our
tribe, violating the intent o f
our old leaders.
O ur Chiefs, you are advo
cates for your people. Your
obligation is even stronger
then an elected official be
cause' you serve for life. I f
there is inaction by the elected
officials, you above all are
obligated to take measures
and actions to correct wrong
doing in the interest o f your
people.
I f you cannot fulfill this
obligation, elected or lifetime
servants, you have an obliga
tion to step down. We as a
people, depend on you to pro
tect our interests. This in
cludes correcting boards and
com m ittees w hen you see
them doing wrong things, like
collecting board and commit
tee fees that are n o t in line
with the intent of that com
mittee or board; or, involv
ing themselves in chaotic poli
tics that do n ot serve the in
terest o f the people.
This is also critical that
you leaders do n o t go back
to “business as usual” m en
tality. I f you continue to al
low bad things and bad busi
ness to continue, this will lead
back to chaos within our com
Spilyay Tymoo
(C o y o te 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
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COCC Student Profile
Student making career in natural resources
Trum an Merrifield is
a Forest Resources Tech
nology major at Central
Oregon Community Col
lege. H e graduated from
M adras H ig h in 2007,
and returned to college in
2013.
T ru m a n p lan s to
transfer to O regon State
for a BS in E nvironm en
tal Science upon receiv
ing his AAS.
H e also currently re
ceives training through
N o rth ern A rizona U ni
versity on Tribal E nvi
ronm ental Management.
“I always w anted to
w o rk fo r N a tu ra l R e
sources,” Truman says.
“I started as a wildland
fire fighter for four years.
T hen I wanted to learn
m ore about our natural
resources— plus I wanted
a better financial support
sy stem th a n seaso n al
work offered me.”
Even as a young child,
T ru m an w as. draw n to
nature* He would wan
der through the outdoors
at Warm Springs and no
tice that the snow was less
and less— N o t as much
snow to play in!
H e was observifig cli
m ate changes even be
fore he knew the term.
T ru m a n w o rk s fo r
N atural Resources in the
Water and Soil D ep art
m ent as a Resource Tech
nician on w ater quality
data and stream flows.
H e recently received a
munity.
We need you leaders to
protect our tribal interests. If
you are aware o f bad people
working for the tribes, then
we depend on you to get the
bad people out. D o your jobs,
fo r n o t ju st your p eo p le’s
sake, b ut for the sake o f our
Creator who is witness to all
th a t has gone on and still
watches into the future. That
is our teaching, that is our way
o f life.
Nye, Leona A. Ike-Smith
Truman Merrifield
Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Com m ission paid in
ternship;, and is surveying
different logging units on
soil moisture, density, and
plant association w ith the
different effects o f logging
has on understory plants and
snowpack.
H e ties th is to F irst
Foods, which is extremely
im portant to the tribes. He
is using the stories from his
elders, such as his grandfa
ther H arrison Davis Sr., and
science to show the effects
climate change is; having on
the reservation.
H e sees that the deer and
elk populations are being
moved around a lot, and the
S p rin g s o n M ay . 6, fro m
noon to 3 p.m., at the Warm
Springs Power & Water E n
terprise.
Come get a glimpse into
so m e' e x c itin g n ew a p
proaches to being balanced.
C all 5 4 1 -4 7 5 -4 3 2 5 fo r
more information, or visit the
website:
letstalkdiversity.org
There will be another train
ing on May 21 at the Madras
Library annex building.
Be adaptive
Let’s Talk
Diversity
T he L et’s Talk Diversity
Coalition has been making its
m essage h eard w ithin o u r
community. The goal o f the
coalition is to change hearts
as well as behaviors.
Jaylynn Suppah is part o f
that voice. ■ Three and a half
years ago, she saw the coali
tion flyer, and felt the desire
to be part o f the team.
Today, Jaylynn is the coa
litio n o u tre a c h a ssista n t,
reaching the seventh- and
eighth-graders o f the Warm
Springs Eagle Academy.
Healthy living and modi
fying to healthy relationships
is the main goal. Programs
will be assisting this change,
from cultural teachings to
m odern day eating choices
and the togetherness o f be
ing a community.
Please join the Let’s Talk
Coalition Diversity team at
their next training in Warm
4
I don’t like being paralyzed
as I now am and will be for
the rest o f my life. I cannot
use the left side o f my body
as I used to, b u t I ’m very
grateful to have learned in the
Unihorn program in Eugene.
I learned and was told in
the program I can be adap
tive,. and use the other side
o f my body. The other side
o f my body is n ot paralyzed.
To be adaptive is a pow
erful description. I can be
adaptive by Writing with my
other hand, and taking notes
when I should. I can get into
the Unihorn van when we go
anyw here, th e n slide o u t
when we get where we’re go
ing. It’s all about being adap
tive everyday.
Evette Patt, 50 K o u rt
D r., ap t. 3, E u g e n e O R
97404
Send yo u r letters fo r
the next Spilyay. by Fri
day, M ay 8. Thank you
fo r writing.
Root Feast was held earlier
this year because o f an early
spring.
Drier winters mean longer
and hotter fire seasons and
n o n e o f this is g o o d fo r
Warm Springs.
Trum an hopes that with
his education, he can bring
his knowledge to protect sov
ereign and treaty rights.
Protecting and preserving
are two o f his passions, and
they are tied, directly to treaty
rights and climate change.
Truman was recently hon
ored with an Intertribal Tim
ber Council Scholarship. He
is only thé third person from
Warm Springs to receive this.
H e has also received a
First powwow
To the Native American
people and powwow folks,
Indian casino, Tribal Coun
cil, and the public:
We’d like to extend an in
vitation for your to attend
our First A nnual Powwow,
for which preparations are
currently underway. As this
is o u r first tim e, we have
need o f a master o f ceremo
nies, drummers, dancers and
vendors. A security check is
required for all attendees.
You may contact Chaplain
Hodney or Chaplain Cardona
at 541-922-2087 for infor
m ation on how to get ap
proved to attend. They can
also provide a list o f materi
als that can be donated. We
COCC Foundation Schol
arship: Only one in four
students receive this.
Truman recently spoke
at the C lim ate Change
Conference in Portland
sponsored by Affiliated
Tribes o f N orthw est In
dians, on the effects o f cli
m ate chan g e o n first
foods and cultural values.
“We need to u n d er
stan d w h ere we com e
from , so we need to un
derstand our culture,” he
says. “I f we don’t learn
it our beliefs will disap
pear.”
His daughter Jaycee, a
kindergartner at W arm
Springs Eagle Academy, is
le a rn in g h e r language
through after school pro
grams, from Truman, and
from her m other Winona
Tohet.
Both parents involve
Jaycee in the traditional
gatherings, and share time
in root digging and hunt
ing with their daughter.
They teach Jaycee the
importance o f family, cul
ture and education.
Trum an knows he and
his family are still learn
ing, b u t he k now s he
wants to Create a healthier
and better future for his
family and the community
he loves.
(A rtic le courtesy o f
G in a Kickeps';zflStd'tive
Am erican Program Coordi
nator, COCC.)
are reaching out to the N a
tive people for help and sup
port to make this first pow
wow a great success, and we
would greatly appreciate any
help you might be able to pro
vide: traditional Native foods
(salmon, deer, elk, buffalo,
dried or smoked eels, berries,
etc.), and materials for mak
ing regalia.
Thank you for taking the
tim e to read this, and for
your assistance with our Sum
m er o f 2015 F irst A nnual
Powwow. A definite date has
not yet been established, so
please be on the lookout for
further notification.
All my relations, R obert
Boise, Two Rivers x C orrec
tio n al In s t., 82911 B each
A ccess R d., U m atilla O R
97882.
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Fourth graders from the Warm Springs Eagle
Academy spent the morning of Earth Day cleaning
up Elmer Quirin Park.
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