Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
February 13, 2019
Page 9
Tribal Council election 2019 - Candidates
Valerie Switzler - Agency District
It has been an honor
to serve our community
as one of the Agency
representatives. I would
like to say thank you for
the nomination.
My focus has not
changed in the three
years working as your
representative: Lan-
guage, culture and edu-
cation have been the
driving force in the
work that I do.
With support from a
great team of people
who nurtured me be-
fore this journey that
started three years ago,
we have made great
strides to bring language
and cultural education
to the Warm Springs
community.
It was good news for
all of Indian country
when the Obama ad-
ministration signed the
Every Student Succeeds
Act. We worked closely
with the Oregon De-
partment of Education
in government-to-gov-
ernment meetings to
work towards legisla-
tion, now referred to as
Senate Bill 13.
Senate bill 13 pro-
vides for the production
and distribution of cul-
turally specific curricu-
lum about the nine tribes
and for the nine tribes
of Oregon. This fight
has been fought since
the 1970s, to have a
presence in the school
system and to revitalize
the language. We can
count many successes
for education that will
benefit our children for
generations to come.
This does not hinder the
planning of endeavors to
create a school-based cur-
riculum centered on our
way of life. While basic
teachings that stem from
the home still exist: Respect
for elders, a keen interest
in our natural environment,
and self discipline. With the
exception of a few who are
hurting because of what’s
happening to them, these
are evident in the language
classes taught at the Warm
Springs Academy.
Health has had its share
of hills and valleys. Alcohol
and drugs are a continuous
battle—One that has
touched every home on the
reservation including mine.
We look to find that one an-
swer to cure our people and
yet sometimes the most
important one of all—for
some of us—is relying on
our spirituality. We believe
in and call upon our Cre-
ator in many different
ways, but the important
thing to remember is to call
upon him. Our community
continues to work towards
healthy hearts, minds and
spirit. Our way of life has
more strengths to draw
upon than weaknesses.
Some people were
deeply disappointed when
Kah-Nee-Ta was shuttered,
and I was one to vote
to shutter the enter-
prise. With the current
management structure it
was not generating
money and had not
been ever. The last few
years it drew millions of
dollars—funding that
was meant for financial
stability for tribal ser-
vices—but Kah-Nee-Ta
operated with no strat-
egy to make it a stable
enterprise.
When I was elected,
the people wanted more
accountability from our
enterprises. And after
several investigations it
became apparent that
action was needed and
taken. Business devel-
opment and economics
is a great task to take on.
We all must work to-
wards making this a
thriving community. We
take our money off the
reservation, evident by
the line of cars that
drive across our bor-
ders every payday. We
need to keep our dol-
lars here. Look for op-
portunities to promote
and capture other dol-
lars that drive past on
Highway 26 everyday.
For several years we
took our eyes off the
young. We need to fo-
cus our energy on them,
to educate them in a rel-
evant and cultural way
for them to carry them-
selves on a good path in
whatever direction they
choose to take.
‘Be still like a moun-
tain and flow like a great
river.’
Valerie Switzler
Aurolyn Stwyer - Simnasho District
Aurolyn Stwyer ~ Na-
k’ishayat
Our ancestors have
prepared us for the eco-
nomic and other chal-
lenges for the next few
years. This will require
each Tribal Council mem-
ber to put every effort
toward our economic de-
velopment and job cre-
ation. We must include
the input by tribal mem-
ber stakeholders as well as
regular communications.
During my term on
the Twenty-Fourth Tribal
Council in the vice chair-
man capacity, I provided
a written quarterly report
for anyone who had an in-
terest. It was common
for me to drop by the
tribes’ media office to of-
fer updates.
My goal is to create
100 jobs per year, after we
secure grant funds to ad-
dress the infrastructure
needs. My suggestion is
to come up with the top
three ideas for business
development and host
General Council meetings
to gain an understanding
about the wishes of the
people.
My educational experi-
ence of two Master’s de-
grees in Business Admin-
istration and Human and
Organizational Systems is
paramount to my back-
ground as an entrepre-
neur. I have owned the
Red Skye LLC business for
16 years, during which time
I provided business consult-
ing services for such clients
as Portland Public Schools,
the City of Portland, and St.
Charles Hospital.
My store, the Red Skye
Trading Post, has been pro-
viding marketing and sales
of local arts and crafts for
the past six years. We have
processed over 1,200 mi-
cro-loans, and this has as-
sured for items to stay on
the reservation.
When my store isn’t busy,
I get to enjoy my passion for
the arts, beadwork and
painting. Last year I was
honored as a 2018-2019
National Artist-Mentor Fel-
low by the Native Arts and
Cultures Foundation.
This grant award is a gen-
erous amount of $30,000.
This has connected me with
additional sources of
funders. As one of the co-
founders of the Potlatch
Fund, my expertise is
fundraising.
We have some exciting
developments taking
place with new policies
for education. It’s good
to know that meetings
are taking place for tribal
member input.
This certainly reso-
nates with my experience
as a co-author of
Indianpreneurship, an
award-winning curricu-
lum. Plus, I have seven
years of experience as an
Adjunct Professor for
Business classes with
Heritage University at
Toppenish, Washington.
Other civic duties in-
clude serving as a tradi-
tional food gatherer,
serving on the Museum
Board of Regents as vice
chairman, the Jefferson
County Chamber of
Commerce, Board of
Directors as Secretary-
Treasurer, the Jim Pep-
per Native Arts Council
as vice chair man, the
War m Springs Horse
Network Board of Di-
rectors, the Jefferson
County Democratic
Party as vice chairman.
Most of these board
meetings are quarterly
and we have the capac-
ity to participate via
Skype or telephone. I am
more than willing to with-
draw from these board
positions to focus on ser-
vice for the people.
Naii.
Aurolyn Stwyer
Olney Patt Jr. - Simnasho District
As the 2019 tribal
council election ap-
proaches, the Confeder-
ated Tribes of Warm
Springs finds itself fac-
ing serious challenges on
a number of fronts—
both fiscal and social.
In the past three years
we have witnessed the
closing of two major en-
terprises and the failure
of two other enterprises
to get off the ground.
Unemployment is at
an all-time high, senior
citizen pensions were re-
duced from $435 a
month to $300 (roughly
33 percent), monthly per
capita payments are $25,
down from $100. Where
will it end?
I point out these dis-
heartening facts not to
pin blame, but to remind
voters that this has been
the tribes’ fiscal trajectory
for the past several elec-
tion cycles. We tribal
members cannot afford
to continue down this
path.
Business as usual will
not suffice. Now, more
than ever, the people of
Warm Springs need decisive
and motivated leaders in the
tribal council chambers to
address these and other is-
sues:
- Devise and carry out a
plan to reopen Kah Nee Ta
Resort.
- Restore Senior Citizen
Pensions to $435.
- Carry out the down-
town plan to provide gro-
cery shopping, hardware,
and entrepreneurial oppor-
tunities to tribal members.
- Get the cannabis project
going, as approved by refer-
endum, and hire tribal mem-
bers to key positions.
- Require written re-
ports to tribal members
for ALL tribal council
and committee travel,
plus a running tally of
travel costs.
- Provide clean and
safe drinking water for
Warm Springs and all
reservation communi-
ties.
- Reassert and protect
off-reservation hunting,
fishing and gathering
rights.
- Commence a
cleanup plan for the
WSFPI mill site and use
the site for retail devel-
opment and a possible
permanent riverfront
casino site.
- Develop business
spaces along the High-
way 26 corridor, from
milepost 84 to the
Deschutes River.
This is by no means a
comprehensive list of
priority issues, but it
would be a good start. Be
sure to get out and
CAST YOUR VOTE.
Olney Patt Jr.
Levi VanPelt - Simnasho District
Hello district members,
I am Levi VanPelt. I
am 61 years old, married
for 28 years with our
daughters, five grandsons
and one granddaughter.
I am a displaced
millworker, now em-
ployed at IHS as
groundskeeper.
I serve currently on the
Timber Committee. This
is my third term, and sec-
ond term as Chairman
I try be informed on
what our reservation is
dealing with. I go to most
district meetings, Justice
Team meetings, and
Natural Resource tours.
I have also helped out
with youth sports for
over 30 years.
I hope I will learn
more on this and other
matters at upcoming can-
didates’ forums.
Raymond Tsumpti - Simnasho District
I want to thank
Janice Clements for
nominating me, and
Eliza Jim seconding that
nomination to be the dis-
trict representative.
It’s been an honor and
a privilege to have the
confidence of the district
to be selected as their rep-
resentative.
I appreciate the dis-
trict members of hand-
ing down from generation
to generation the values
and principles held high
by past members who
have gone now.
These values and prin-
ciples are embodied in our
Ron
Suppah -
Simnasho
District
major documents. It has
been difficult to commu-
nicate this thinking to
others who don't under-
stand who we are.
I am glad to see other
Simnasho nominees who
have the same teachings
to be considered by the
district, to be a strong
representative, whatever
the outcome
I respect the districts
decision.
Raymond Calica-
Tsumpti Sr.
Agency
District
Candidates
I have but one re-
quest, and that is that
you get out and vote
for whomever you
feel will best serve
you.
Eugene Austin
Greene Jr.
Simnasho District
Candidates
Charles ‘Jody’
Calica
Raymond
Moody
Lincoln Jay
Suppah
Priscilla Frank
Tribal Coun-
cil Election ~
April 4,
2019 ~