Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
October 11, 2017 - Vol. 42, No. 21
October – Anwicht’ash – Fall - Tiyam
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Welcome adventure at Kah-Nee-Ta
The tribes are taking a step to-
ward a new beginning at Kah-Nee-
Ta. Along the way the resort will
receive attention that is overdue.
A major investment in Kah-Nee-
Ta requires a partner. Tribal Coun-
cil and the resort board met last week
with Tom Hansen and Michael
Gaskin, senior partners with AV
Northwest.
Over the past several weeks the
parties have worked on an agree-
ment that will lead to a long-term
lease of Kah-Nee-Ta to AV North-
west. For its part the company will
invest about $17 million in the re-
sort.
“We see Kah-Nee-Ta regaining its
premier status as a family destina-
tion resort,” Mr. Hansen said.
Central Oregon is one of the
three top visitor areas in the U.S.,
he said. There are eight resorts in
the region with only Kah-Nee-Ta not
Spilyay Courtyard and entrance to the convention rooms at the Kah-Nee-Ta Lodge.
doing well financially. Major im-
provements at the resort, and a
new marketing strategy will correct
the situation, Mr. Hansen said.
Kah-Nee-Ta has stayed open
over the past few years through
tribal loans, not a viable approach.
Tribal Council and the board have
known that 2017 would be a turn-
ing point for the resort.
They agreed early in the year
that closure of Kah-Nee-Ta at the
end of this season would be nec-
essary if they could find no alter-
native. The resort employs many
tribal members, and closure would
be another fairly devastating blow
to the reservation economy.
Courtesy KNT
Some months ago the Kah-
Nee-Ta Board of Directors
reached out to AV Northwest, and
the parties began researching and
negotiating a possible agreement.
They have now reached terms
calling for a lease of 25 years,
during which time the manage-
ment of the resort would be un-
Harrowing account of Las Vegas tragedy
Felicia Lopez drove down to
Warm Springs from Spokane,
where she lives with her family.
As a graduation gift she was
going to the Route 91 Harvest
Festival, the big three-day Coun-
try music show in Las Vegas.
She stopped in War m
Springs to meet up with her sis-
ter Alexis Salazar, friend Reina
Estimo and Alfred Estimo.
Then the four of them drove
down together to Las Vegas.
They stayed at the Hooters
Casino Hotel, a couple of
blocks from the concert venue.
During the concerts, Reina,
Alexis and Felicia liked to get
close to stage, maybe just ten
people back from the front.
Rather than deal with the
crowed Alfred would stay more
Felicia Lopez, Reina Estimo, Alfred Estimo and Alexis Salazar at the
music festival, Saturday before the mass shooting.
toward the back. Of course ev-
eryone had cell phones, so they al-
ways knew where each other were.
The show on Sunday evening
was the main attraction, starring
the headliner Jason Aldean. It was
a little after 10 p.m., and Aldean
was just going into his fourth song.
“I heard a popping noise,” Alexis
says.
As they were close to the stage,
they saw smoke from one of the
speakers. Maybe it was a smoke
bomb, “Then we heard the
screams,” she says.
The woman standing directly
behind Reina was shot in the
chest. She was wearing a white
shirt, now red with blood.
In the panic of the crowd
they got on the ground. Reina
and Alexis lay on top of Felicia.
“You could feel the bullets all
around,” Alexis says.
Reina braced herself on the
ground. She didn’t think about
dying, “but I thought I was go-
ing to get shot. I was bracing
myself to get shot.”
The firing stopped for a mo-
ment and Felicia got up and
jumped a fence.
(See LAS VEGAS on 7)
Western Regional Finals
The Western States Regional In-
dian Finals Rodeo brought high
level rodeo action to Central Or-
egon. Sponsored by DMJ Cattle,
the 2017 Western States Regional
Finals brought riders from around
the Northwest to Central Oregon.
Here are the results (in order of
finishing) as tallied by Cheryl Tom:
Saturday, September 30
Sheep riding: Mackenzie
Jones, White Swan, Wash. Auda-
cious Speedis Blueback, Warm
Springs. Boots Racoon, Mykael
Sam, Jason Jim (tie).
Wild cow milking: Tie for
first:
Justin Tom and Daniel
Gilbert; Mike Holyan and Koedy
Florendo; Clay Ramone, Hoopa,
Calif.
Bull riding: Joe Escalera, Tule
River, Calif.
Calf roping: Jade Smith,
Centerville, Wash. Jordan Dove,
Pendleton. Chance Guerrero,
Wadsworth, Nevada.
Photos by Linda Larson
Miss Warm Springs
Katrina Blackwolf,
at the opening of
the Western
Regional Finals.
Ladies barrel racing: Ashley
Picard, Pendleton. Maryanne
Frazier, Touchet, Wash. Jana Isaac,
Whiteswan. Duana Wheeler, White
Swan.
Ladies breakaway: Jenna
Johnson, Warm Springs. Courtney
Small, Pryor, Mont. Cheyenne
Dove, Centerville. Ana Howard,
Bishop, Calif.
Team roping: Dustin Suppah,
Warm Springs, and Jesse Reese,
Warm Spirngs. Cody Barney, Kla-
math Falls, and Cort Herrera,
Pendleton. Mike Holayan, Warm
Springs, and Casey Glazier,
Carson City, Nevada. Travis
Thom, Schurz, Nevada, and Tad
Williams, Reno.
Clint
Bruisedhead, Warm Springs, and
Chance Guerrero, Wadsworth,
Nevada.
(Results continue on 5)
der AV Northwest.
The hope is to have the lease
finalized by the end of this year.
With the lease in place, AV North-
west will make substantial infra-
structure and other improvements
at the resort, including at the Vil-
lage.
The list of projects is exten-
sive—a new heating and cooling
system, new paint, improvements
to the rooms, pools, restaurant and
café, to name just a few. An inter-
esting part of the plan is a new
hydro- and physical therapy cen-
ter at the Village. The hot springs
would be put to use in the treat-
ment of young people who are
recovering from muscular and
other conditions.
Marketing and customer rela-
tions are areas of expertise for Mr.
Hansen.
(Please see KNT on 6)
District
meetings
in Oct.
The district meetings on the
2018 budget are scheduled to be-
gin next week. The first meeting
is currently set for Monday, Oc-
tober 16. This is the Simnasho
District meeting at the Simnasho
Longhouse. Dinner at 6 and the
meeting at 7.
The next meeting is scheduled for
the following Monday, October 23.
This is the Agency District meeting
at the Agency Longhouse. Dinner
at 6 and meeting at 7.
The Seekseequa District meet-
ing, at the Seekseequa Fire Hall is
scheduled for the following
evening, Tuesday, October 24.
Dinner and meeting same times as
above.
Tribal Council posted a proposed
2018 budget at the end of last
month. The document is posted
around the community, and mem-
bers are receiving a budget summary
by mail. The Council proposal, as
recommended by management and
Finance, is a balanced budget.
Further details will be provided
at the district meetings, to be fol-
lowed by a General Council meet-
ing.
Another upcoming meeting is in
regard to the Minor’s Trust. This is
scheduled for the Agency
Longhouse on Friday, November 3.
There are two sessions: from 9 to
11 a.m., or from 6 to 8 p.m. On the
agenda:
Minor’s Trust account review,
management of funds, update; and
Minor’s Tr ust account access
online.
A meeting is scheduled on
Wednesday, November 15, on the
Will and Funeral Agreement, from
6 to 9 p.m. at the Agency Longhouse.
On the agenda: Will process and
update; and Funeral Agreement re-
view for the tribal membership.