Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
March 27, 2019
Page 7
Baseline census referendum leaves question unanswered
by Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo
This month the 1980
Baseline Census referendum
made at least two things
clear: Voter turnout itself
is key for tribal referen-
dums; and the automatic
enrollment question remains
a pending question before
the tribes.
There are three kinds of
tribal questions the member-
ship is called upon to decide:
The Tribal Council elections,
referendums conducted by
the Confederated Tribes,
and referendums held by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The Tribal Council elec-
tions and BIA referendums
have no minimum voter
participation requirement,
while a one-third turnout is
required for a valid tribal
referendum.
Were the one-third re-
quirement to apply, the
popular Council elections
would no doubt exceed the
minimum. The same could
probably be said of the rare
BIA referendums—such as
the one a few years ago sug-
gesting major changes to the
tribal Constitution and By-
Laws.
On the other hand, more
often than not, tribal refer-
endums usually fail for lack
of one-third voter participa-
tion. In recent years the
cannabis referendum of late
2015 is the exception, gen-
erating well over the one-
third minimum.
More common are the
last two adoption elections,
the ill-fated Nascar racetrack
referendum, and the recent
vote on the 1980 Baseline
Census: Fewer than one-
third of eligible voters cast
a ballot. A real question—
one that is hard to quan-
tify—is how many mem-
bers do not vote as a way
of saying ‘No.’
This month the 1980
Baseline Census referen-
dum is a great example: Of
those who cast a ballot the
large majority were in favor:
Overall numbers were 537
in favor, and 180 against.
The Baseline ques-
tion, and therefore
the standard for
automatic enroll-
ment, are funda-
mental matters for
the tribes, estab-
lishing who qualifies
for membership.
The 717 total ballots
were quite a bit short of
the 1,555 votes needed to
meet the one-third of the
eligible.
Tribal Council last week
approved the results, as pre-
sented by the tribal Election
and the Counting boards.
This led to discussion of
the future of the 1980
Baseline Census question.
The overwhelming ma-
jority of those who voted
were in favor of the pro-
posal, said Kahseuss Jack-
son, Councilman on the
previous Tribal Council.
The Twenty-Sixth Tribal
Council, Mr. Jackson said,
approved the 1980 Baseline
Census adjustment.
Previous Councils had
taken similar actions, he
said: Tribal Council in 1975
established the 1940 tribal
census as the baseline; and
Council in 2008 adjusted
the Baseline Census to
1960.
In 2016 the Twenty-
Sixth Tribal Council by reso-
lution 12,157 adjusted the
Census Baseline to 1980. A
short time later, three Coun-
cil members called for a ref-
erendum on the question, as
provided in the tribal Con-
stitution.
Councilwoman Carina
Miller said the Tribal Coun-
cil should review the proce-
dure by which resolution
12,157 was put to referen-
dum.
Council Chairman Aus-
tin Greene Jr. said he would
like a full quorum for this
discussion. Election of the
Twenty-Eighth is imminent,
Chairman Greene said; and
a full quorum of the
Twenty-Seventh Council
should be present for dis-
cussion of any action of
such significance.
The Baseline question,
and therefore the standard
for automatic enrollment,
are fundamental matters for
the tribes, establishing who
qualifies for membership.
The matter, of some con-
troversy, can be summa-
rized:
The 1938 constitution
states that a person could be
automatically enrolled in the
Confederated Tribes if the
person had one-quarter In-
dian blood.
The tribes in 1966
amended this provision to
say that a person could be
automatically enrolled if the
person had one-quarter
blood of the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs.
By resolution in 1975 the
Tribal Council established
the baseline for determining
blood quantum. The
baseline was the 1940 tribal
census.
This meant that the quan-
tum of Indian blood, regard-
less of tribal ancestry, of a
person on the 1940 census
is considered Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs
blood.
A descendant of a per-
son whose name is on the
census can then count all of
that ancestor’s Indian blood
as Confederated Tribes
blood, for purposes of de-
termining automatic enroll-
ment of the descendant.
By resolution in 2008
Tribal Council updated the
baseline to the 1960 census,
with the same effect: The
quantum of Indian blood
of a person on the 1960
census is considered Con-
federated Tribes blood. And
descendants look to that to
determine their own quan-
tum of Confederated Tribes
blood.
On April 25, 2016 the
Twenty-Sixth Tribal Council
by resolution again voted to
update the baseline, to the
1980 census. Four days later
this resolution was subject to
a referendum challenge by
three Council members.
Miss Warm Springs ~
My Reign in Review
By Thyreicia
Simtustus
M y Indian name is
Mystun-peyo-yayaahn. That
translates to ‘Eagle Plume
Woman’ in my maternal
grandmother’s tribal lan-
guage.
I’m an enrolled member
of the Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs, where
Warm Springs and Wasco
make up my bloodlines.
I’m a direct descendant
of Chief Tommy Thomp-
son of the Wy-ampum at
Celilo. My mother is Joie
Simtustus. Her mother is
Marcia Simtustus, who is
from atwai Amos and Dor-
othy (Thompson) Simtustus.
My father is atwai Daniel
Chavez. His mother is
Earlynne Squiemphen, who
is from atwai Earl and Rita
(Smith) Squiemphen.
I’m 20 years old, a sec-
ond year student at Central
Oregon Community College,
where I’m majoring in
Avaition. I plan on becom-
ing a pilot for a major air-
line.
Swimming and ranching
life activities are my passions,
when I’m not working full
time or attending college
classes full time.
Travels
Here are some of the
things I’ve done as Miss
Warm Springs over the past
year and few months, many
of them on horseback:
Miss Warm Springs 2018 Reicie Simtustus, with family Joie
Simtustus and Lovie Colwash, address Tribal Council.
Celilo at the Columbia
Gorge Museum in The
Dalles.
Museum at War m
Springs Twenty-Fifth Anni-
versary Powwow.
Plateau Travel Plaza soft
opening.
April
Travel Plaza Grand
Opening.
Museum at War m
Springs Honor Dinner in
Portland.
Lil’ Miss Warm Springs
Pageant.
Veterans Parade and
Expo in Warm Springs.
May
Honor Seniors Day.
Miss War m Springs
Coronation and Fundraising
Banquet.
February
Jefferson County Rodeo
Court Coronation.
Lincoln’s Powwow Round
Dance at Simnasho, and the
Lincoln’s Powwow.
Tribal Government Leg-
islative Day in Salem.
LaPine Rodeo Queen
Coronation.
Eagle Watch at Round
Butte Overlook Park near
Culver.
June
Rose Festival Grand Flo-
ral Parade in Portland (on
horseback, winning second
place).
Delta Park Powwow in
Portland.
Horse Parade at the
Museum at Warm Springs.
Pi-Ume-Sha Powwow
and Parade.
Crooked River Round
Up Parade and Rodeo
Grand Entry, accompany-
ing the Grand Marshal, in
Prineville.
Oregon Rescue Horse
Challenge demonstration at
Powell Butte.
March
Revisiting the Ghosts of
July
Hot Summer Nights in
January 2018
January 31: Miss Warm
Springs Pageant.
Simnasho.
Fourth of July Parade in
Warm Springs.
Wildhorse Casino Pow-
wow at Pendleton.
Jefferson County Fair
and Rodeo.
August
Burns Northern Paiute
Powwow.
Crow Fair Centennial
Celebration, Crow Agency,
Montana.
Airshow of the Cascades
in Madras.
Kah-Nee-Ta Farewell
Parade and last salmon
bake.
September
Pendleton Round Up
Dress Parade (second
place).
Affiliated Tribes of
Northwest Indians fall con-
ference at Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho.
Ski Bowl Tribal Member
Appreciation Day at Mount
Hood.
War m Springs Public
Safety Community Barbe-
cue.
October
Middle Oregon Treaty
of 1855 display opening re-
ception at the Museum at
Warm Springs.
Oregon Historical Soci-
ety photo shoot at Sidwalter.
Adam Beach meet and
great at the Warm Springs
Academy.
Bend Film Festival,
meeting Native filmmakers.
Treaty of 1855 Confer-
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Thyreicia with photos taken at some of the events she attended during her year
plus as Miss Warm Springs. She shared these with the Tribal Council.
ence at the Museum at
Warm Springs.
Jefferson County Queen
Coronation.
November
Veterans Day Parade.
Veterans Appreciation
Dinner at Simnasho.
Native American Heri-
tage Night at Central Or-
egon Community College in
Bend.
Thanksgiving Powwow
in Warm Springs.
February
Lincoln’s Powwow.
Simnasho Elders Lunch.
Isaiah Florendo and
Siddalee Spino-Suppah
Honor Dinner.
Tribal Government Leg-
islative Day at Salem.
December
Car Light Parade, Warm
Springs Christmas Parade.
NDN Night Out.
New Year’s Powwow.
January 2019
New Year’s Powwow at
Simnasho.
Deschutes County Ro-
deo Queen Coronation,
Redmond.
March
Miss Northwest Pro Ro-
deo Assocation Queen
Coronation Bend.
Spilyay note: For nearly
all of these events Thyreicia
and family paid the travel
expenses out of pocket.
They held fundraisers,
such as the Coronation Din-
ner, and wish to thank all
those who have supported
them, financially and other-
wise.
Thyreicia, with her
mother Joie Simtustus and
aunt Lovie Colwash, met
with Tribal Council on Mon-
day, for a final review before
the 2019 Miss Warm Springs
Pageant.
Following the review,
Tribal Council from their
budget donated to the Fare-
well Dinner for Reicie, com-
ing up at the Pageant this
Wednesday evening, March
27 at the Agency Longhouse.
“It’s been great seeing you
at the events over the past
year and couple of months,”
said Tribal Council Chairman
Austin Greene Jr.
“We’re all very proud of
you for how you’re repre-
sented the tribes.”
See Many thanks... on 8