E Coosh EEWA: The way it is
Page 4
Spilyay Tymoo August 19, 2015
Letters to the editor
The fire
response
A thank-you goes to all the
fire fighters and camp crews
who helped fight the
Countyline 2 fire. The effort
of these fire teams kept a bad
situation from getting much
worse.
On the reservation, two
families lost their homes to the
flames, and one person lost
all his possessions in a trailer
that burned.
Some neighborhoods had
to evacuate, with families
spending time at the Red
Cross-Health and
Human Services Spilyay
shelter. But things Speaks
could have been
much worse:
The drought conditions,
and high winds during the first
days of the fire, made the
Countyline 2 blaze very hard
to contain. For a time there
was a potential for major
structural loss, such as hap-
pened with other fires in the
region.
Generous donation
Jim Lane, owner of the
Prineville Men’s Wear store,
is a good friend to tribes. He
has known Wasco Chief JR
Smith for some time. Jim
gave Chief Smith a very nice
Pendleton blanket when JR
became Chief.
Then more recently, Mr.
Lane made a donation for
people who have lost belongs
during the County Line 2 fire,
or are in need of help with
clothing.
Mr. Lane gave the tribes
five Prineville Men’s Wear gift
cards, value of $150 each.
This story goes to show,
Hard times can bring out the
best in people.
Tradition of service
On another topic: A recent
report shows that American
Indians enlist in the military
at higher per capita rates than
any other racial or ethnic
group in the U.S.
The report, from the De-
fense Department, says that
the high rate of service trans-
lates to the military’s special
forces:
Four percent of the en-
listed Navy SEALs are Native
Americans, while Native
Americans represent just 1.2
percent of the general popu-
lation, according to the U.S.
Census Bureau.
So Native Americans are
far more likely to advance to
the elite units than other
groups. Additionally, another
53 Native Americans serve in
the Special Operation Forces.
Head Start celebration
Warm Springs Head Start
this month is celebrating its
Fifty Year anniversary, with an
all-day celebration on Mon-
day, August 31, at the com-
munity center.
At Commodity
The Warm Springs Com-
modity Food program will
now be open at 7 a.m. daily
and through the lunch hour,
12-1 p.m., for food pickup.
Any questions, or if you
need a delivery, feel free to
call the Commodity Program
at 541-553-3422.
Enterprises
Warm Springs People,
Gaming and Kah-Nee-
Ta began as separate business
ventures for the Tribe and
subsequently merged based
on two things:
1) politics to push out
board members who couldn’t
be manipulated; and,
2) to bring financial bal-
ance to Kah-Nee-Ta.
Gaming’s sole intent was
to generate revenue for tribal
government with focus and
priority funding for Public
Safety, Social Services and
Education.
However, due to political
maneuvering, it became and
automated money machine
for Kah-Nee-Ta. There has
been argument that the casino
borrowed money from Kah-
Nee-Ta to build the current
building; however, the reality
is all money generated at the
old casino facility is what paid
for the new casino.
The Council never voted
to close Kah-Nee-ta. In fact,
it was a board member who
subsequently resigned who
recommended that the tribe
close Kah-Nee-Ta.
Kah-Nee-Ta is a seasonal
enterprise with expected lay-
offs beginning in late fall, as
it has always done. What is
expected of Kah-Nee-Ta, is
for it to stand on its own as it
should and has done in the
past. Kah-Nee-Ta has always
found itself in the red; how-
ever, we have had three gen-
eral managers in the past that
proved it could generate
profit. So it will take an ef-
fective general manager to
generate revenue for Kah-
Nee-Ta.
We, as a people, must give
no energy to the negative
Facebook page created to
spread continued false gossip
to separate us as a people. I
would recommend to the
Kah-Nee-Ta board to termi-
nate all employees participat-
ing in embarrassing our tribal
business with their personal
agenda to create community
chaos.
Most importantly, termi-
nate the creator of the
Facebook page. We, as a
community are tired of you
who generate bad feelings.
Maybe when you are not ben-
efiting from “tribal” dollars,
you will learn to appreciate
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: david.mcmechan@wstribes.org.
Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $20.00
your tribe.
We have a lot of commu-
nity members who need
work, so we could fill your
shoes real fast.
War m Springs Forest
Products Industries, good
work to all you workers who
took the measures in a posi-
tive way, through innovative
decisions to keep this busi-
ness operational. Kah-Nee-
Ta, you could learn from
WSFPI, this is how a business
is operated.
Leona A. Ike-Smith,
tribal member
Lost item
Lost at the Agency
Longhouse
(four
months ago): A green
Five Back Pack, con-
tents very important.
Return, no questions
asked. Contact Wendell
Green, message phone,
541-553-1538.
Birth
Major Walter Summerhalder
Michael Summerhalder Jr.
and Tia Bean of Madras are
pleased to announce the birth
of their son Major Walter
Summerhalder, born on Au-
gust 1, 2015.
Major joins brothers
Derick, 20, Ohshay, 19,
Jyden, 11, and Justus, 6; and
sister Sha’Rita, 13.
Grandparents on the
father’s side are Tina Smith
of Madras, and Rose
Summerhalder of Madras.
Grandparent on the
mother’s side is James Bean
of Calif.
Indian Business Talk
New classes
and comments
on Chow-tun
and E-itis
Credit Building 101 – Tues-
day, August 25 from 6-7:30
p.m. at the Credit Enterprise
building, presented by the Mid
Oregon Credit Union. Please
call 541-553-3201 to reserve
your seat in the room.
We can handle 30. Learn
how to build a good credit his-
tory. Learn how to repair
credit. Learn what works best
and how to avoid the scam
artists. Adults, this is for you
and for your Highschoolers.
Come one; come all. The ben-
efits can last a lifetime.
Pathways Home – Starts
Tuesday September 15, from
5:30-7:30 p.m. for seven
weeks at Credit Enterprise.
Co-sponsors are the Warm
Springs Housing Authority,
Community Action Team and
Tribal Credit Enterprise. Call
541-553-3148 to reserve your
seat.
This comprehensive course
will help you become a savvy
successful homebuyer and ho-
meowner. You will learn how
to find, value, finance and
maintain a decent, safe, sani-
tary and healthy home for
your family.
We now have eight certified
instructors from the train-the-
trainer class that was held at
Kah-Nee-Ta in July. We are
fired up! We will all be there
at one time or another for
you. Come join us.
Life balance a key to health for Courtney
by Montell Elliott
Coordinator, W.S. Diabetes
Prevention Program
Don Courtney is an
advocate of maintaining
life’s balance. Don ex-
plains that balance in-
cludes spiritual, mental,
emotional and physical.
The Diabetes Preven-
tion Program helps with
the physical.
Don started classes in
May of 2007, and has
continued to be active in
the program for eight
years.
He recently ran the
Cascade Lakes Relay.
And at the Glo Run in
Warm Springs he ran
dressed as Elvis.
Don also continues to
be selective when making
food choices, remember-
ing to include fruits, veg-
etables and water. With
the help of his coach, he
has looked into recipes
that include less fat and
salt, including traditional
foods such as smoked
salmon.
He joined the Diabe-
tes Prevention Program
because of test results in
the borderline range for
blood sugar results, which
is a diagnosis of pre-dia-
betes.
He then was referred
to the Diabetes Preven-
tion Program, and
learned more about it.
He recalls thinking, ‘It
sounds like a pretty good
thing.’
In class he learned
about his then-favorite
jalapeno burger being
Indianpreneurship –
Starts Wednesday, September
14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and
continues for 10 weeks at the
Credit Enterprise.
It is sponsored by Credit
and the Community Action
Team. This class also meets
the requirements for the In-
dividual Development Ac-
count program.
We will talk about the ex-
citing stuff and the dull stuff
about doing well in business.
With any luck at all, we will
make the dull stuff exciting.
If we do our job well, you
will probably do better in busi-
ness. That is our goal. Your
instructors are local and we
will have SBA and SCORE
representatives for special
presentations. Call 541-553-
3148 to sign up.
E-itis & Chow-tun. They
translate as an affliction of
too much Yes or too much
No. Either would work
against success in credit build-
ing, home buying, or
Indianpreneurship.
Too much No, no, no be-
comes nothing getting done
and no chance for success. All
Yes, yes, yes opens too many
doors to failure.
Education, training, and
experience can replace an
overabundance of caution
(Chow-tun) or enthusiasm (E-
itis) with reasoned judgment.
We hope these upcoming
classes will help lay founda-
tions for those reasoned judg-
ments and your success.
Bruce Engle, Loan
officer, Credit Enter prise
Courtesy photo.
Running is a favorite for Don Courtney.
very high in fat (at least 44
grams, most of a day’s worth
of fat). By the way, he says,
he hasn’t had once since...
Reading labels to fit into
a fat budget was a learning
experience that has made
Don more conscious of what
he purchases at the grocery
store.
Diabetes classes also
taught him about balance of
what is taken in for energy,
such as portion control, fat
intake and water, as well as
leaving things out, like fried
foods.
The class was his favorite
part, because of the learn-
ing. The series of topics in-
terested him, because of his
belief that education is im-
portant.
Topics include nutrition,
becoming active, problem
solving, stress and motiva-
tion.
Having one-on-one
coaching, continuing to meet
every other week, has been
very helpful in keeping his
balance.
Don notes that every
winter he used to gain be-
tween 10 to 15 pounds.
This year he was able to
maintain his optimum
weight.
In closing, as a mes-
sage to those reading this,
Don says ‘Just Do It.’
“If you have a family
history of diabetes or
have been told you are
borderline or diagnosed as
pre-diabetic, it is up to
you to do something
about it.”
The next class starts in
October, though you need
to get signed up by Sep-
tember 18.
The Diabetes Preven-
tion Program is located on
campus in the white build-
ing by the Family Resource
Center.
The phone number is
541-553-7718.
‘Ignorance shows its ugly face,’ of all places at
Shearers Bridge, submitted by Dave Belgard.
Visit from Alaska
Courtesy Lewis Pitt
Members of the Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation of
Alaska visited Warm Springs in July. They
toured the reservation enterprises, and met for
an information meeting with Warm Springs
Ventures.
They presented Tribal Council (including Paiute
Chief Joe Moses, above) with carry bags with
the corporation name and logo of their Native
Alaskan corporation.