Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
March 30, 2016
Page 9
Seekseequa District
Agency District
Lee Harvey Tom
Gabriel Walker
Dear Members of the
Seekseequa District:
My name is Lee
Harley tom. I have been
nominated to run as a
Tribal Council represen-
tative of our district.
I am the son of the
late Christine Wewa Tom
and Elmer Tom Sr. I was
born and raised in Warm
Springs, and have lived
here my whole life on the
Metolius Bench in the
Seekseequa District. I
built my home there and
raised me kids Justin, Li-
ana and Kristen there.
I have a long line of
history and teaching from
my family members
serving on prior Warm
Springs Tribal Councils.
My grandfather, Sam
Wewa, served on the very
first Tribal Council. My
mother Christine Wewa,
uncles Melvin Wewa and
Wilson Wewa Sr., and my
cousin Wilson Wewa Jr.,
also served as represen-
tatives of our district.
I attended the Warm
Springs boarding school,
Madras junior and senior
high schools, and
Chilocco Indian School in
Oklahoma and Chemawa
Indian School. I have an
Associate’s Degree in
Building Technolog y
from Portland Commu-
nity College.
I furthered my education
in the construction field and
obtained my Building Inspec-
tor Certificate and Home
Appraisal Certificate from
Chemeketa Community Col-
lege, and have attended many
other classes and training in
Small Business Manage-
ment, Accounting and Lead-
ership.
I started work at a young
age in the potato and berry
fields, and with the Boys
Youth Camp, where were
worked for only $1 an hour.
I worked as a laborer behind
a shovel; I was a logger
(choker setter and timber
faller); worked for Warm
Springs Forest Products In-
dustries; and I’ve been a
rancher all my life, taking
care of my livestock.
The last 25 years I have
worked off and on the res-
ervation for the Carpenters
Union Local No. 306,
Washington State Union,
Southwest Union in Las
Vegas. I have been trainer
for apprentices; I have
been a building inspector,
Senior Housing Coordina-
tor, and served on the
Land Use Planning and
Range and Ag commit-
tees for six years. I have
been newly selected to
ser ve on the Tribal
TERO Commission.
I feel I could use my
vast experiences and
knowledge in many ways
to help the Tribe move in
a positive direction. There
are many issues right now
that need a strong voice
for the people to protect
our history and the sov-
ereign right of the people,
and especially for our
youth.
I would be extremely
honored if you would
vote for me to be one of
the Seekseequa represen-
tative on the War m
Springs Tribal Council,
not only to represent the
Seekseequa District but
all members of the Con-
federated Tribes of
Warm Springs in a re-
spectful and professional
manner.
Thank you,
Lee H. Tom
Dear Tribal members of
Warm Springs,
I’m Gabriel Walker
from the Agency District
running for the Twenty-
Seventh Tribal Council.
My lineage is from the
Wheeler-Greene-Stacona
family from my mother’s
side, Michelle Holliday.
I’m blessed and hon-
ored to be nominated for
such an important role in
our Tribe’s democracy. I
would like to thank the
members from my dis-
trict for the nomination.
I believe this election
is critical to our well-be-
ing, livelihood, and the
economy in future busi-
ness ventures. I stand
strongly for new direction
with a business sense plat-
form to help reach ob-
tainable goals for our
tribal economy, and all
memberships’ livelihood.
We’re facing real is-
sues within our tribes, and
they need to be ad-
dressed. Some examples
are:
High percentage of
poverty and unemploy-
ment;
No new avenues for
jobs;
Minimum wage gaps,
equal pay for woman,
minimal focus on the
small business sectors
within our economy;
And the overall confi-
dence in our Tribal Coun-
cil decisions and leader-
ship.
A lot of these con-
cerns are voiced by our
tribal membership and are
consistent topic within the
community. I know and be-
lieve it’s time to voice your
concerns. I will stand with in-
tegrity, humble-ness and com-
passion as a future leader for
our nation.
My platfor m for this
Tribal Council term is prima-
rily focused on the culture of
our livelihood and econom-
ics for the Confederated
Tribes of War m Springs.
Honor and live by our Treaty,
exercise our sovereignty as a
nation, and unite the tribes of
Warm Springs to stand to-
gether, as our ancestors stood
traditionally in the past.
I’m strongly advocating
doing what is right for our
people, our reservation and
future generation to come. I
stand with every other tribal
member to see the future in
business development—new
enterprises and creating
the small business sector.
This translates to jobs,
steady growth in wages,
and an increase in our
minimum wage to a liv-
able standard for our
membership.
We can no longer live
in poverty. As a future
leader in Tribal Council, I
will work with others and
make those decisions,
helping our membership
become self-sustaining
and out of the status quo
“living in poverty” in In-
dian Country.
I believe in creating a
true tribal member job de-
velopment program—
with tribal member pref-
erence, and embracing
our future leaders to gain
experience in all depart-
ments and enterprises.
I will stand with our
people, and we all need
stand together.
I encourage electing
and voting that best rep-
resents you. Your voice is
important and respected.
I’m interested to hear
from each of you no mat-
ter what tribe you reside
in, and I hope the other
candidates will do this as
well.
I appreciate your sup-
port and vote. Together
we will fight further more
into the future. God bless
our tribe and membership.
#Vote4Gabriel
Kind Regards,
G ab r i e l
Wa l ke r
#3273
Simnasho District
Seekseequa District
Evaline Patt
Greetings everyone.
My name is Evaline
Patt from the Simnasho
District. I grew up in the
Northend of the reser-
vation on Schoolie Flats.
My parents are
Atwais Amos Simtustus,
Sr. and Dorothy Thomp-
son Simtustus. I was sec-
ond oldest of eight sib-
lings, five brothers and
two sisters.
I have had two chil-
dren, William “Hobo”
Patt, who has four chil-
dren, and Jordan J. Patt,
who is now an angel in
heaven.
I have ser ved on
Tribal Council during
this latest ter m, the
Twenty-Sixth Council,
and would like to serve
again.
I have worked for the
tribes in a career as an
Acountant, then in the
field of Archives, pre-
serving photos, tapes
and paper documents
regarding the three tribes.
After building two
careers, I gained experi-
ence and knowledge of
the various aspects of
the tribal organization.
This has been valuable,
and I feel most helpful
in working as a Tribal
Council member.
I have worked for the
tribal organization for al-
most 40 years in various
areas, such as Account-
ing, Kah-Nee-Ta Ac-
counting, and at the
Museum at War m
Springs.
I have served on the
Education Committee
for 12 years, and the Land
Use Planning Committee
for three years. I served as
a board member for the
Credit Enterprise since
1997, and the Warm Springs
Housing Authority since
2013.
I knew that Tribal Coun-
cil as the governing body of
the tribal organization, the
topics and issues would be
wide and the responsibilities
would be huge. Going into
the Twenty-Sixth Council
term there were many chal-
lenges with the most critical
being the dwindling of rev-
enues.
As I’ve learned, building
revenues is not an overnight
deal, and the Twenty-Sixth
Council has initiated two
programs to generate rev-
enue for the tribes. And
change is necessary as time
progresses, as long as we
continue the path set out for
us by the former Council
members’ vision for self-suf-
ficiency of the Confeder-
ated Tribes of Warm
Springs.
Continuing with the
distinct identities of the
three tribes in their tra-
ditions, culture and lan-
guages, I think will carry
us to the future in that
way.
I would appreciate
your vote for me to
serve again on Tribal
Council. I am an elder
with many years experi-
ence working for the
tribes, ready to take the
responsibilites and face
the challenges, keeping in
mind our present and
future generations. I
have good work ethics,
and am conscientious of
time. I am grateful for
my parents teachings,
learning honesty, trust-
worthiness and knowing
right from wrong. My
parents taught me to
have a belief in the Cre-
ator.
I will devote my time
ser ving as a Tribal
Council member. I ap-
preciate hearing from
the people in the com-
munity and tribal de-
partments. I think that
it is for the people that
this tribal organization
has formed.
We are rich in the his-
tory of where we come
from. Our ancestors
went through hard times
for us, for what we are
today. Assist me in
working for the survival
of our people in the fu-
ture.
Thank You.
Evaline Patt
Vesta Johnson
Nixmghski, I tookti
kadux, and how oo oo, my
Native
name
is
Chuckwush—my English
name is Vesta Johnson.
My parents are Delford
Johnson and Ginger
Smith. One thing each par-
ent taught me was to be
proud of who I am—I am
very proud of my Paiute
and Wasco blood. I am so
excited for the potential
opportunity to be your
voice for the Seekseequa
District.
One past Tribal Coun-
cil person really impressed
me with her service to our
district—that was atwai
Carol Wewa. She shared
information with us in the
district, and I think that
was excellent of her to do,
as it kept the door swing-
ing both ways—Informa-
tion from Council to the
people, and the people’s
voice going back to the
chambers. That is the best
example I can share of
what effective communi-
cation looks like.
I have valuable work in
finance, counseling, health,
real estate, domestic vio-
lence, and successful private
business owner sectors. I un-
derstand teamwork as I have
military service in the U.S.
Army, and am a veteran.
Tools I have in my tool
box to help do a spectacular
job include: an Associates,
Bachelors and Masters de-
grees. I am also currently a
law school student. When
time permits I will complete
my last year as a PhD in
Clinical Psychology, and an-
other PhD in Education Psy-
chology. Equally or more im-
portant is my education from
my elders. One of my favor-
ite teachings is from an el-
der who taught me that “Ev-
eryone has value.” I take this
teaching to heart.
Agency District candidates:
Wissy Smith.
Terry Squiemphen.
Mike Clements.
Seekseequa District:
Wendell Jim.
Reuben Henry.
If elected when I go
into the chambers: I will
go there carrying your
wishes—your dreams,
your voice—not mine. I
feel there is so much work
to be done here in our
community that I don’t
want to travel, unless it is
an imperative to create
jobs, create business op-
portunities, or substan-
tially help our people in
some way—I want to be
in chambers getting it
done!
I feel in a public office,
the people are the most
important, and my goal
would be to have at a
minimum a district town
hall for updates. Together
we could make our dis-
trict, our community and
our tribe a viable and suc-
cessful tribe, as it once
was in the past.
It is time for a change.
Your voice, not mine,
must be heard. I am a
goal-oriented person, and
when I set my mind to
help others—it happens!
Sincerely,
Vesta Johson.
Simnasho District:
Raymond ‘Captain’ Moody
Emerson Squiemphen.
Ron Suppah.