Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
September 28, 2016
Vol. 41, No. 20
September – Wanaq’i – Fall - Tiyam
Best Music Video Rez Life
S cott Kalama had an incredible
month. First, he made the trip to
North Dakota to support the Stand-
ing Rock Sioux. “Something was
telling me I had to go,” Scott was
saying the other day.
He drove 18 hours to North
Dakota, joined by Miss War m
Springs Keeyana Yellowman and
CharlieAnn Herkshan. This was an
adventure, he says, seeing the many
tribal nations together in force.
By chance while there, Scott met
some of the people from the Na-
tive American Music Awards—not
knowing at the time that he would
be seeing them again soon.
Scott was back in Warm Springs
no more than a few days when he
heard he was in the running for a
NAMA award in the Best Music
Video category. This was for his
work on Rez Life, featuring Scott
as Blue Flamez, and the Beats Lyr-
ics Leaders.
Rez Life, seen on Youtube, fea-
tures his song by that title, and video
mostly on the Warm Springs Reser-
vation.
So later in September, Scott
made the trip to the NAMA cer-
emony at Seneca Allegany Casino
in New York. There he met other
Native artists and actors, including
some of the people he had seen at
the North Dakota protest. And
Scott with the award at
Counseling, where works in
Prevention.
Red Hills
Dedication
T he Confederated Tribes last
week joined their partners in
dedicating the 279-acre Red Hills
Conservation Area. The tribes
acquired the property, located in
the valley, through the BPA habi-
tat restoration program.
“We started the process in
2012,” said Tribal Council Chair-
man Austin Greene, master of
ceremonies.
The process was complicated,
he said, involving the tribes and
BPA, state Fish & Wildlife, the
former land owners and other
partners.
There was even some oppo-
sition, which the tribes were able
to overcome: “Because we want
this property to stay in perma-
nent conservation,” Chairman
Greene said.
Tribal Natural Resources will
manage the Red Hills property
for fish and wildlife. The land is
located next to an existing con-
servation area, 1,350 acres in size.
The habitat is savannah oak, in-
creasingly rare in the valley.
During the dedication, Tribal
Councilman Jody Calica recalled
conversations with former tribal
leaders like atwai Chief Wallulatum
and Eugene ‘Cougar’ Greene. They
would talk about the tribes’ usual
and accustomed places, the Indian
names and current names, and how
the areas were used.
Red Hills joins the other tribal
conservation areas, he said, as a
legacy to the leaders who worked
to protect the tribes’ natural re-
sources.
Joining Tribal Council and
Natural Resources at the dedica-
tion were the Fish & Wildlife Com-
mittee; Lorri Bodi from BPA en-
vironment, fish and wildlife; Curt
Melcher, director of Oregon Fish
& Wildlife; Stan Speaks and Body
Shaw from the BIA regional office,
and many other guests.
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Branch of Natural Resources general manager Bobby Brunoe
speaks at the dedication about the tribal usual and
accustomed places, and the cooperative effort that led to the
Confederated Tribes’ Red Hills Conservation Area.
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
The old commissary would be renovated and possibly relocated.
private funding sources and foun-
dations,” he said. Another promis-
ing point: A well-known architecture
firm, and a landscape architect,
have agreed to donate their services
pro bono, Mr. Watson said.
A successful grant to the ANA,
he said, would fund the renovation
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Tribal Council in September
worked with management, Finance,
the enterprises and departments on
the proposed 2017 budget.
The team came up with a bal-
anced proposal that the membership
can review in October before the
district meetings.
Secretary-Treasurer Glendon
Smith was expecting to have the
budget message to the members in
the mail early this week.
Meanwhile, Tribal Council set the
district meetings for later in Octo-
ber. The scheduled dates are:
Monday, October 24 -
Seekseequa District meeting on the
2017 tribal budget. Seekseequa Fire
Hall, 6 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. meeting.
Tuesday, October 25 - Agency
District meeting on 2017 budget.
Agency Longhouse, 6 p.m. dinner,
7 p.m. meeting.
Wednesday, October 26 -
Simnasho District meeting on 2017
budget. Simnasho Longhouse, 6
p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. meeting.
Register
to vote
by Oct. 18
Plan developing for Old Commissary building
The Warm Springs Community
Action Team has been working with
the membership and tribal Planning
on ideas for use of the old com-
missary building.
The building is a historic struc-
ture, currently located behind the
post office. The Community Ac-
tion Team heard ideas from mem-
bers at a recent open house, and
during other community events.
Based on the input, the idea is to
have retail space in the downstairs
of the building, and business office
space above.
Ideas range from a coffee shop,
a barber shop, flower shop, artisan
areas, among other ideas, said Chris
Watson, Community Action Team
director. “We’ve had 60 or 70 ideas,”
he said.
To help fund the project, Mr.
Watson is pursuing a grant through
the Administration for Native
Americans. “And I’ve spoken with
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
District
meetings
on budget
D.McMechan/Spilyay
when he came home he was Warm
Springs’ first Native American Mu-
sic Award winner.
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
work, plus staff for Warm Springs
business support and development.
“The idea is to provide the space
for businesses,” he said, “and to pro-
vide them with resources to help
them succeed.”
Another issue is location of the
old commissary: Because of park-
ing, and to make the building
better for visitors from the high-
way, the structure may have to
be moved.
The ANA funding piece will
be key to the overall project: In
a best case scenario, of the grant
comes through, the work could
begin in October.
The first year and a half would
involve the renovation work.
Then the building could be oc-
cupied, overseen by a program
manager, with help from a small
business coach, and IDA manager.
The Community Action Team
has been interested in develop-
ing a retail-business office build-
ing for some time now. An initial
idea was to use the old elemen-
tary school, while the focus now
is on the old commissary.
The team is scheduled to meet
with Tribal Council this month on
the idea.
The last day to register to vote
in the November 8 General Elec-
tion is October 18. Ballots will be
in the mail for resident voters on
October 19, according to the
Jefferson County Clerk’s Office.
There are currently 985 regis-
tered voters in Jefferson County
precinct 14, which includes much
of the reservation.
If you have moved or changed
your mailing address, please update
your address with the clerk’s office,
as ballots cannot be forwarded.
Voters in the county, including
precinct 14, will see six proposed
measures on the ballot, all of them
having to do with marijuana.
Two of the measures ask whether
the county shall prohibit medical
marijuana processing sites and dis-
pensaries in unincorporated areas
of the county. The other four
county measures ask whether the
county shall prohibit recreational
marijuana producers, processors,
wholesalers and retailers in unincor-
porated areas of the county.
None of these measures would
directly impact the tribal cannabis
project, as county jurisdiction does
not extend to the reservation. In
fact passage of any of these mea-
sures could indirectly benefit the
tribal project, as there would be
fewer providers in competition.
Tribal members living in Madras
will see the county measures on their
ballot, and measures proposed by
the city of Madras.
See ELECTION on 5