Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
December21, 2016
Page 7
Year in Review ~ 2016
This will greatly facilitate
a successful grant program,
as the tribes have a large
backlog of projects that are
in need of funding. A new
community center is just one
example. Meanwhile:
June
The Portland-based com-
pany Aerial Inspection Re-
sources conducted a series
of successful flights this
month at the Warm Springs
unmanned aerial systems
test range.
The testing included UAS
flights by the de-energized
power line on the reserva-
tion. A company from China
was also scheduled for test
flights on the reservation.
The Confederated Tribes
commemorated the One-
Hundred and Sixty-First An-
niversary of the signing of
the Treaty of 1855 in June.
This is the Forty-Sixth
Annual Pi-Ume-Sha, the
celebration having started in
1970.
The theme of the pow-
wow this year was: Food Gath-
ering—Usual and Accus-
tomed.
July
Truman Merrifield made
an historical achievement this
month at Central Oregon
Community College.
On July 1 he became the
COCC Student Body
President: Truman is the
first person of color to serve
in this position.
At COCC he is studying
Forest Resources Technol-
ogy and Wildland Fire/Fuels
Management: Truman is
also the first person from this
discipline to serve as COCC
Student Body President.
The Confederated Tribes
and Ventures hosted a
ground-breaking ceremony
for the Warm Springs Un-
manned Aerial Systems
training center is set for this
Spilyay photo
Masks at the Kindred Spirits exhibit, Museum at Warm Springs.
month at Kah-Nee-Ta Re-
sort.
The training center will
be located on the lower
floor of the resort, where
the gaming offices were lo-
cated when the casino was
at Kah-Nee-Ta. The space
had in recent years been
used for storage.
When the training center
is open in 2017, Kah-Nee-
Ta will be a key partner in
the Warm Springs UAS Cen-
ter for Excellence for Wild-
land Fire Management.
Elsewhere:
August
The 2016-17 school year
in the 509-J district will see
the start of the Bridges
Career and Technical
High School. Bridges will
have two sites: one in Warm
Springs and one in Madras.
The Warm Springs com-
ponent of the Bridges High
School will take the place of
the Roots alternative educa-
tion program. In other
school news:
The Confederated Tribes
and School District 509-J
continue to work toward a
new multi-year education
agreement. The current
agreement expires this sum-
mer. And this in July:
The tribal h o r s e r e -
moval program is in its fifth
year. During that time, the
program has removed thou-
sands of excess and unwanted
horses from the reservation.
Without the horse re-
moval program, the number
of excess horses on the res-
ervation would be 23,388 by
2020, according to the Range
and Ag estimate. Meanwhile:
Eight young people from
Warm Springs are working
with H e a r t o f O r e g o n
YouthBuild.
They are building houses
in Madras. Heart of Oregon
has developed a great work-
ing relationship with the tribes.
In time they are hoping to
build new homes on the res-
ervation. Meanwhile they are
planning a clean-up project in
Warm Springs in early Sep-
tember.
Tribal Council took up the
issue of new tribal mem-
ber enrollment, meeting
with Lucille Suppach of Vi-
tal Statistics and legal coun-
sel.
Part of this was to con-
tinue discussion of a resolu-
tion of the previous Tribal
Council, regarding a possible
referendum asking whether
to change the enrollment
baseline year. And this:
The Culture and Heritage
Department launched a
project to create a new dic-
tionar y
of
the
Ichishkeen language of
the Confederated Tribes.
The event was the result
of four years of planning and
funding effort, said Tribal
Councilwoman Val Switzler,
director of the Culture and
Heritage Department. The
grant for the work comes
from the National Science
Foundation, among the most
prestigious of funding orga-
nizations.
Culture and Heritage and
the tribes are partnering with
the University of Oregon on
the project
The Health and Human
Services Branch in August
provided Tribal Council with
a plan on how to improve
Children’s Protective
Ser vices.
The plan includes both
near and long-term changes
at CPS. The changes are
needed to provide the chil-
dren, families and community
with the best service possible,
said Caroline Cruz, general
manager of Health and Hu-
man Services. Also in August:
Great news for pet own-
ers: The tribes this month
began a partnership with the
Bend Spay and Neuter
Project. The project will host
clinics in Warm Springs once
a month, offering free spay
and neuter services for dog
owners.
October
The Mutton Moun-
tains geologic formation is
old and interesting; and one
with the promise of provid-
ing a geother mal energ y
source for the Confederated
Tribes.
A team of geologists and
a drilling crew have been
studying the Mutton Moun-
tains area for the past few
weeks. The geologists say a
geothermal energy project
appears to be possible. Energy
could be used by Kah-Nee-
Ta Resort, or sold to the
power grid. Meanwhile:
The Confederated Tribes
joined their partners in dedi-
cating the 279-acre R e d
Hills Conservation Area.
The tribes acquired the prop-
erty, located in the valley,
through the BPA habitat res-
toration program.
The process was compli-
cated, involving the tribes and
BPA, state Fish & Wildlife,
the former land owners and
other partners. There was
even some opposition, which
the tribes were able to over-
come.
(Continues below)
Best Music Video Rez Life
September
The Tribal Council ap-
pointed the C a n n a b i s
Commission of the Con-
federated Tribes of Warm
Springs. The commission is
the policy-making and over-
sight body for the tribes’ can-
nabis production program.
The Tribal Council ap-
proved the formation of a
new non-profit corporation.
Spilyay photo
Scott Kalama had an
incredible September.
First, he made the trip to
North Dakota to support
the Standing Rock Sioux.
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 Native
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
Lyrics Leaders.
R e z L i f e , seen on
Youtube, features his
song by that title, and
video mostly on the
Warm Springs Reserva-
tion. The month ended
with his acceptance of
the award, making Scott
War m Springs’ first
NAMA winner.
The Warm Springs Man-
aged Care program is remod-
eling a building on the cam-
pus to serve as a physical
therapy center. The build-
ing—by the courthouse on
War m Springs Street—
should be ready for business
by the end of this month.
The physical therapy cen-
ter will be a great addition to
Managed Care, as tribal mem-
bers will no longer have to
drive to Madras for therapy
sessions. The director of
War m Springs physical
therapy is Natalie Kiefer, a
Choctaw tribal member, and
doctor of physical therapy.
Meanwhile:
Judge Lisa Lomas was
named the new Chief Judge.
For the two associate judge-
ships, the Tribal Council ap-
pointed Wilma Smith and
Elizabeth Woody.
Warm Springs Telecom, gave
the presentation at Tribal
Council.
Tribal Council appointed
three judges to the Court
of the Confederated Tribes.
November
Tribal Council endorsed a
proposal by the Warm Springs
Telecom to become the des-
ignated Incumbent Local
Exchange Carrier, or
ILEC, for the entire reser-
vation.
Tribal planner Lonny
Macy and Adam Haas of
Converge Communications,
who helped establish the
November marked the
end of an era for the tribes,
as the property of Warm
Springs Forest Products
Industries was put to auc-
tion.
The two-day auction will
include hundreds of items.
These include heavy equip-
ment such as log loaders, tim-
ber saws, chippers, tools,
buildings—all the equipment
associated with the operation
of a lumber mill. Elsewhere:
The Twenty-Seventh Tribal
Council of the Confederated
Tribes hired Michele Stacona
as the new Secretary-Trea-
surer.