Page 6 Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon August 31, 2016 Great earning opportunity through IDA program Community Counseling hosted some end-of- summer community events in August. Tobacco Prevention hosted the 2K16 Color run (right), and the Guiding Butterflies and Mighty Warriors hosted a potluck and barbecue by the fields at the community center (pictures below). There were drums, games, dancing and door prizes. By Brevin Holliday, Native Aspirations & the Warm Springs Community Action Team Do you want to get $4,000 for saving $800 in as little time as six months? The IDA program helps lower- income people in Warm Springs purchase assets and become more self-sufficient by opening an IDA account. The assets you can purchase in- clude small business capital assets, a home, education, a car, and more. Before signing up, you should know that there are eligibility re- quirements to get into the program. The requirements are based on household income, and vary de- pending on your family size: The larger your family size, the more income you may earn and still be admitted into the program. If accepted into the program, there are two possible savings plans: In the first plan, which is matched with federal and state dol- lars, you can save $800 of your own money within a six-month minimum savings period. If it takes you longer to save the $800, that is okay; sometimes it takes community members up to two years to save this much. You put in $1; you get matched 5 to 1. In 6 months, if you’ve saved $800, you will have $4,000 in matching funds to use towards the purchase of an asset. How great is that? With this plan your $4,800 can pay for several things including: purchasing a home, starting or im- proving a small business, or get- ting college education and/or job training. The other savings plan, which is matched by state of Oregon dollars, allows you to purchase the items mentioned above, or also to buy a vehicle or renovate a home. Jayson Smith photos/Spilyay If you are a disabled person, it also may allow you to buy assistive equipment enabling you to be com- petitive in a job or business. This plan allows you to save up to $1,200 of your own money over a minimum 13-month period, at the same 5:1 match rate as the first plan, receiving $6,000 in matching funds. After you’ve completed your first IDA account, it is possible to re-enroll in a new IDA account. Over your lifetime, if you re- main eligible, you may receive up to $20,000 (up to $3,000 per year) from the Oregon IDA Initiative. In each new account after you’ve completed your first IDA, you will be able to save up $1,200 over a 13-month minimum savings period. You can use the money to purchase any items listed above. If you decide to enroll in the IDA program, there a couple of things you will need to accomplish, including financial skills courses and courses on utilizing the asset you hope to purchase. If you open a business IDA ac- count, for example, you will be re- quired to complete the Indianpreneurship course. The Indianpreneurship book used in the course accurately rep- resents the challenges, experiences, and opportunities we face as Na- tive American entrepreneurs. De- pending on what kind of IDA ac- count you have, there are other classes you may be required to complete. I highly encourage people who are thinking about continuing your education after high school, start- ing a small business, buying a car, or buying or renovating a home to enroll in the program. The IDA program is something that is beyond doubt a valuable program many community mem- bers can greatly benefit from. If you have any further ques- tions regarding the IDA program, please call the Community Action Team office at 541-553-3148. Tribal fall fishery the largest of the year Fishers from the War m Springs, Yakama, Umatilla and Nez Perce tribes are taking to the Columbia River for the opening of the 2016 fall fish- ery, the largest tribal fishery of the year. With an estimated 778,000 upriver chinook returning dur- ing the fall run, tribal fishers could harvest over 200,000 fall chinook throughout the season. This would be roughly 3.4 mil- lion pounds of salmon in the marketplace. The growth of the fall fish- ery over the years is the direct result of tribal restoration ef- forts that have steadily in- creased the number of adult salmon returning to the Colum- bia system. The public will be able to enjoy this harvest through a number of different avenues. The majority of tribal com- mercial harvest will be sold to wholesale fish dealers. These fish will end up in stores and restaurants throughout the Pa- cific Northwest. Individuals will also be able to purchase salmon, steelhead and coho directly from Indian fishers at locations along the river, and at select farmers mar- kets in larger metro areas. Sales should last into Octo- ber with peak abundance from just before Labor Day through mid-September. In addition to the 778,000 fall chinook that are destined for areas upstream of Bonneville Dam, fishery man- agers are also predicting over Courtesy CRITFC Jordan Wheeler (right) and Jordyn Brigham (left) harvest fall chinook from nets along the Columbia River. 149,000 summer steelhead, 19,700 natural-origin Snake River fall chinook, and nearly 200,000 coho. “The fall harvest represents many things to the tribal fishers along the Columbia River,” said Patrick Luke, chairman of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. “The fall fishery is the eco- nomic backbone for our fishing communities, is the continuation of knowledge and tradition that has been passed down through generations “This fishery represents de- cades of hard work and dedica- tion to rebuilding salmon runs,” Mr. Luke said. “The unique rela- tionship between the tribes and salmon is one that can be traced back to time immemorial. That relationship is why the tribes will always fight for healthy salmon runs and to ensure that sustain- able fish returns will continue to bless the Columbia River basin and its residents.” The fall fisheries are moni- tored consistently throughout the season and harvests adjusted so the fisheries remain within the limits established under the U.S . v. Oregon fisheries man- agement agreement. The U.S. v. Oregon fisheries management agreement has the goal of protecting, rebuilding, and enhancing upper Columbia River fish runs, while providing treaty Indian and non-Indian harvest at a level appropriate to ensure the sustainability of the resource. The tribal fishery offers an abundant supply of fish for the public through over-the-bank sales. Common sales locations include: Marine Park in Cascade Locks; North Bonneville, one mile east of Bonneville Dam on the Washington shore; Koberg, just east of Hood River; and Celilo Village. The public should visit CRITFC’s salmon marketing website: critfc.org/harvest Or call the salmon market- ing program at 888-289-1855 before heading up the Colum- bia River. You can find up-to- date information on sales loca- tions, availability, and purchas- ing tips. Follow @ColumbiaSalmon on Twitter for updates and sales information. Museum’s Kindred Spirits ending soon There is still time to visit the Museum at Warm Springs exhibit Kindred Spirits: The Artist Journey of Lillian Pitt. The exhibit will run through September 10. Next up in the Changing Exhibits Gallery will be the Twenty-Third Annual Tribal Member Art Exhibit, opening on October 20. To learn about submitting artwork in the member art show, you can reach the museum at 541-553-3331. Community notes A fundraising raffle is going on now for the 2016 Chasan Walker Memorial Basketball Tourna- ment. For tickets you can contact Jake & Julie Suppah, Annette Ball or Cyndi Leclaire on Facebook. The drawing will be on September 24. The Ninth Annual MAC Dash Sprint Triathlon is coming up on Saturday, September 10. Organizers are looking for vol- unteers to help during the event. All volunteers will receive a free t- shirt and lunch. You can also sign up now to compete individually or on a team. The MAC Dash consists of a 500- yard swim, 12-mile bike ride and 3-mile run. And there is a free mini-MAC Dash for children 10 and younger. Find out more and register at macdash.org Proceeds from the MAC Dash support the Madras swim and wa- ter polo teams.