Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
March 16, 2016
Vol. 41, No. 6
March – Wiyalppt – Winter - Anm
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
April elections to decide Council, Constitution
The Bureau of Indian Affairs this
week is mailing the ballots to regis-
tered voters in the April 11 election,
regarding the tribal Constitution and
by-laws. The BIA is planning to mail
the ballots by this Friday, March 18.
Ballots must be returned to the
agency in the pre-addressed, post-
age-paid return envelopes provided.
The BIA must receive your ballot
no later than April 11. As stated in
the BIA election summary:
Official ballots must be received
at the Warm Springs Reservation
Post Office no later than 4 p.m. on
April 11. Also:
Officials ballots may be hand
delivered to the BIA election board
chairwoman Denys White Schjoll
until 4 p.m. on April 11. Her office
is in the administration building.
New Council could serve 3 years
Regardless of the outcome of
the April 11 vote on the tribal
Constitution, the Twenty-Sev-
enth Tribal Council could serve
a three-year term, according to
the BIA.
The membership will choose
the new Council during the tribal
election set for Monday, April 4.
If the membership on April
11 votes in favor of one or
more changes to the tribal Con-
stitution, these changes would
The time to register to vote in
this election passed earlier this week,
on Monday, March 14.
take effect 45 days after the
election. The tribes could in-
terpret this to mean that the
changes apply to the next Coun-
cil election, in 2019. Or the
tribes could decide to hold an
earlier re-election under the
changed Constitution.
Tribal Council nomi-
nees, please stop by the media
center with your candidate
statements. These will be in the
next Spilyay Tymoo.
This is a federal election, not a
tribal election. So if you have not
registered specifically for this elec-
tion, you are not eligible to vote in
the April 11 election.
The list of registered voters is
posted at various public locations on
the reservation, and on the tribal
website.
The election is in regard to 15
proposed amendments to the tribal
Constitution and by-laws. The 15
proposed amendments are being
voted on separately, as according to
federal law.
Voters must use the official bal-
lot contained in the BIA mailing.
If you do not receive your of-
ficial ballot in the mail, or acci-
dentally spoil or mutilate your of-
ficial ballot, contact the BIA at
541-553-2411. A replacement bal-
lot will be mailed to you as soon
as possible.
See ELECTION on 3
Veterans
parade
and expo
Madras High School girls
varsity basketball guard
Lynden Harry and
teammates leave the Warm
Springs Eagle Academy.
The academy students met
last week in the commons
area with the MHS players
and coaches, before the
team left for the state
tournament.
Coach Butch David
announced the winner of the
50/50 raffle that helped with
some of the travel expenses.
The Warm Springs Police
and the Fire Department
provided the escort for the
MHS athletes’ bus, as they
made their way out of town.
More on page 5.
Jayson Smith/Spilyay
Mill closure due
to rainy weather
The Warm Springs Forest Prod-
ucts Industries mill had to shut
down this month. The problem was
a log inventory shortage, because
rainy weather had made the logging
roads impassable.
The closure was expected to be
about three weeks, said John Katchia
Jr., mill director. The mill manage-
ment and board met with Tribal
Council last week to update the
Council on the closure.
The discussion also turned to the
long-term viability of the mill, and
its plan of operation. The goal has
been to make the mill at least a
break-even enterprise.
One way to help achieve this goal
would be to pay off the debt the
mill owes to its log selling partner.
This would allow the mill to ask for
bids from other potential selling
partners, mill board member Ben
Brisland said.
Because of the debt to the com-
pany, the mill is required to keep a
certain amount of log inventory on
the premises. This was also a con-
Any qualified voter who has reg-
istered to vote can contest the elec-
tion results. This must be done within
three calendar days following the
posting of the election results. The
challenge is to be made with the
BIA, stating the grounds for chal-
lenge.
There are 15 proposed amend-
ments, divided into four categories:
1. Organization of Tribal Coun-
cil, with 11 proposed Constitutional
amendments;
2. Qualifications for office, with
one proposed amendment;
3. Salaries, with one proposed
amendment; and,
4. Meetings and procedure, with
two proposed amendments.
tributing factor that led to the re-
cent shut-down, John Katchia said.
The mill is making payments to
the tribes in order to make up for
missed payments from last year.
One way to pay off the debt to the
log selling company would be to
suspend the back payments to the
tribes, board and management said.
Instead, payments would go to
the company, and the debt could be
paid off this year, they said.
The situation at the mill has re-
percussions through the organiza-
tion. Part of the mill debt, for in-
stance, is to the Credit enterprise,
and some is from the tribes in the
form of a Business Investment
Revolving Fund (BIRF) loan.
Importantly, the WSFPI pay-
ments to the tribes help fund the
Senior Pension Fund. The WSFPI
payments are from a trust asset, the
timber. So the pension payments
to the seniors are not taxed.
The Pension Fund could be re-
plenished with non-trust tribal funds.
See WSFPI on 3
For Better Health
Focus on treatment,
prevention of diabetes
Diabetes is a main health
concerns on the reservation.
Hundreds of tribal members
are dealing with the disease, and
many are focused on prevent-
ing diabetes. The Indian Health
Service and the tribes are help-
ing in the fight, with the Diabe-
tes Program and Diabetes Pre-
vention.
“We all believe in these pro-
grams,” said Montell Elliott,
Prevention coordinator, who is
also the interim Diabetes Pro-
gram director.
“I had pre-diabetes, and I’ve
been able to prevent it,”
Montell was saying recently.
Others on the staff have gone
through the programs as well,
and are now working to help
others.
Some of the staff are
lifestyle coaches, working one
on one with the clients. Some
people have been in the Pre-
vention program for many
years, and have avoided the dis-
ease.
Exercise is a big part of the
solution, Montell says. A study
has shown that exercise is more
effective than medication in pre-
venting diabetes.
Walking is the usual place to
start with exercise. “We usu-
ally start out with 150 minutes
of walking per week,” Montell
says.
Montell is an Alaska Na-
tive—Haida Tlingit. She has
been with the tribes for 23 years
now.
Health report
The Joint Health Commis-
sion annual report looks at the
leading causes of death on the
reservation, year by year.
See HEALTH on 7
The Eugene Greene Sr. Ameri-
can Legion Post and Auxiliary Unit
48 this month will host the First An-
nual Welcome Home Vietnam Vet-
erans Parade and Expo.
The inaugural Vietnam Veterans
Parade and Expo is set for Wednes-
day, March 30. The parade is sched-
uled for noon, and the expo will be
from 1 to 5 p.m.
The event is part of the local
recognition of Welcome Home
Vietnam Veterans Day, March 30.
The Warm Springs American Le-
gion Post #48 and the Auxiliary are
organizing committee and hosts.
Veterans are invited to attend
from around the region. One vet-
eran is expected from as far away
as the United Kingdom, said AJ
Atencio, of the American Legion
Post. There will be a Color Guard,
and motorcycle group from
Redmond, said Charles Tailfeathers,
also of the Post.
The day is scheduled to start with
a veterans and families gathering at
the gymnasium at the old elemen-
tary school. The parade line-up will
be on the campus, at 1109 Wasco
Street. The expo will feature infor-
mation and assistance on services
to veterans. For more information
go to wsala48.org—Or call 541-
460-8212.
The American Legion Post 48
and Auxiliary are hosting Bingo tour-
naments on Tuesdays and Thurs-
days. The tournaments are to raise
money for the March 30 event.
There is a $100 jackpot for the
Bingo nights. On the final night be-
fore the Parade and Expo, the jack-
pot will be $300. (See page 6 for
Bingo details.)
The Warm Springs American Le-
gion Post has close to 20 active
members. Another project they are
working on is a Veterans Memorial
at the grounds of the Museum at
Warm Springs.