Page 2
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
Inspiring speech at COCC commencement
Taw ‘TJ’ Fultz of Warm
Springs was a featured
speaker last weekend at the
Central Oregon Community
College graduation cer-
emony.
TJ got his Transfer De-
gree in Education in De-
cember, and walked with the
other recent graduates on
Saturday.
Michelle Cary, director of
the COCC Native American
program, recommended TJ
as a graduation speaker to
Andrew Davis, director of
Student Campus Life at
COCC in Bend.
Andrew agreed, and
asked TJ if he would like to
give a speech at the com-
mencement.
TJ had gone to Mariah
Stacona’s graduation cer-
emony recently at North-
west University in the Seattle
area, where he heard the stu-
dent speakers.
This gave him the idea
for his speech at COCC.
“Mostly I talked about
my journey, where I come
from, and lessons from my
mom,” TJ says.
His mom is the late Rita
‘Patches’ Roybal-Marchand.
TJ works as the Preven-
tion coordinator in Warm
Recent COCC graduate
TJ Fultz
Springs. Here are some of
the comments he made at
the COCC commencement:
Good morning every-
one. My name is Taw Foltz.
Most people call me TJ,
which is kind of funny be-
cause even though it’s only
one letter less, it’s much
easier for others to pro-
nounce and far easier for
them to remember.
I stand before you today
as do my fellow students, a
college graduate. Though
each of us has our own per-
sonal journey, I am going to
give you a glimpse of mine.
When I was a freshman
in high school I dropped
out. In the fall of the next
year I returned, and with
help from a few friends and
teachers from Madras High
School, I was able to gradu-
ate.
My college journey
started back in 1998 at
COCC. I come from a
small town located on a re-
mote Indian Reservation,
you may have heard of it,
Warm Springs, or for many
Kah-Nee-Ta.
I was raised by a single
mother, Patches was her
name. I want to bestow
upon you four life lessons
that I learned from this won-
derful woman that I con-
tinue to practice every day.
Lesson one:
My
mother told me that hard
work and dedication can
take you far in life, as long
as you are humble and stay
the course.
Life is going to try its best
to knock you down and
make you feel like giving up.
I was reminded recently
by a professor (Dennis
Lynn) in one of his
‘weekly reflections’ he so
eloquently wrote a few
weeks ago, that rings true
to lesson one.
The quote states “This
too shall pass” which to me
means that no matter what
you are given each day, good
or bad, will come and go re-
peatedly with time.
Remember, even when
things are bad, they will get
better, and when things are
going good, they will disap-
pear as well. You have to
remember your core values
and beliefs and stay true to
yourself.
Lesson two: Patches
taught me that kindness and
respect go hand in hand and
that in order to get respect
you must first learn to give
respect.
As you navigate through
life remember to follow the
Golden Rule which is the
principle of “treating others
as you would wish to be
treated.”
When you respect some-
one it gives them a sense of
self-worth and could change
their lives for the better.
Lesson three:
My
mother taught me to take
chances in life and to not be
afraid to make mistakes.
See GRADUATE on page 6
Summaries of Tribal Council
June 3, 2019
Roll call: Chief Delvis
Heath, Chief Joseph
Moses, Chairman Raymond
Tsumpti, Vice Chair Lola
Sohappy,
Brigette
McConville, Wilson Wewa
Jr., Anita Jackson, Glendon
Smith, Lincoln Jay Suppah,
and Raymond Moody.
Minnie Yahtin, Recorder.
· Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs update.
· Office of Special
Trustee update.
· Update on the water
line break with Public Utili-
ties.
· There was a short dis-
cussion about the Tribal
freezer inventory.
· Update on the water
line break with Indian
Health Services director,
engineer and Bureau of In-
dian Affairs by phone.
· Federal legislative up-
date call.
· Tribal attorney update.
· Motion by Anita adopt-
ing Resolution No. 12,597
authorizing the Tribal Coun-
cil Chairman, Vice Chair,
and Secretary-Treasurer/
CEO in consultation with
the tribal attorneys to take
appropriate action, including
the commencement of le-
gal action that seeks to re-
cover damages from the
party or parties responsible
for the damages resulting
from the Nena Springs Fire;
and that otherwise seeks to
protect the tribes’ resources
and interests; and permits
the authorized representa-
tives in consultation with the
tribal attorneys to engage
outside legal counsel to rep-
resent the tribes in any ac-
tion that may be com-
menced in Warm Springs
Tribal Court. Second by
Brigette. Question: All in fa-
vor, 9/0/0, Chairman not
voting. Motion carried.
· Motion by Glendon
adopting Resolution No.
12,598 approving exhibit A
(attached to the resolution)
and authorizes the Tribal
Council Chair, Vice Chair
or Secretary-Treasurer to
execute a finalized version
of attached exhibit A; and
Tribal Council agrees to
waive the tribes’ sovereign
immunity for the limited
purposes of this Agreement
under the terms contained
in the Consent Order as au-
thorized by WSTC Chapter
30. Second by Anita. All in
favor: 9/0/0, Chairman not
voting. Motion carried.
· Tribal attorney update
with John Ogan.
· Motion by Brigette to
adjourn at 4:50 p.m.
June 4
Roll call: Chief Delvis
Heath, Chief Joseph Moses,
Chief Alfred Smith Jr.,
Chair man
Raymond
Tsumpti, Vice Chair Lola
Sohappy,
Brigette
McConville, Wilson Wewa
Jr., Anita Jackson, Glendon
Smith, Lincoln Jay Suppah,
and Raymond (Captain)
Moody. Minnie Yahtin, Re-
corder.
· Culture and Heritage
Committee update.
· Fish and Wildlife Com-
mittee update.
· Museum At War m
Springs update.
· Warm Springs Housing
Authority update.
·Warm Springs Compos-
ite update.
· High Lookee Lodge up-
date.
· Project Management
Group:
· Motion by Anita ap-
proving Tribal staff and
ICF/PDG to meet with
IHS and BIA to discuss
their contributions and pro-
posed projects and report
back to Tribal Council;
Work with ICF regarding the
funding for Project 1 and
Project 2 (addressing the
water situation).
Currently there is a MOU
with ICF but do not have
an agreement about specific
project funding. Recom-
mended that tribes work
with ICF to get that in place
for this emergency situation.
Work with ICF regarding
TERO requirements for the
project. Internal conversa-
tions have already been had
regarding the use of tribal
employees with construc-
tion experience (BPU,
War m Springs Housing
Authority, Warm Springs
Construction); focus devel-
opment efforts on Project
3 which includes $1 million
commitment from the state
and HUD Imminent Threat
grant.
This will also be the fo-
cus of the June 12 Fund-
ing Summit. Second by Wil-
son. Question. All in favor:
8/0/0, Chairman not vot-
ing. Motion carried.
· Early Childhood Edu-
cation Center employee fur-
lough notice discussion:
· Chief Operations Of-
ficer, Secretary-Treasurer,
ECE General Manager will
meet tomorrow to work to-
wards resolving this issue.
Motion by Glendon to
adjourn at 5:15 p.m.
June 6
Roll call: Chief Delvis
Heath, Chief Joseph Moses,
Chief Alfred Smith Jr.,
Chair man
Raymond
Tsumpti, Vice Chair Lola
Sohappy,
Brigette
McConville, Anita Jackson,
Glendon Smith, Lincoln
(Jay) Suppah, and Raymond
(Captain) Moody. Minnie
Yahtin, Recorder.
· Health and Human Ser-
vices update.
· Education update.
· Public Safety update.
· Development update:
· A resolution will be
drafted to include items for
Tribal Council consideration.
· Tribal Court update.
· Request for an advance
lease payment:
· Will be discussed at a
later date to give the Secre-
tary-Treasurer time to get
information from Realty
and/or BIA Superintendent.
· Motion by Captain to
adjourn at 4:41 p.m.
June 19, 2019
Parade on the Fourth
The Recreation De-
partment will host the
Fourth of July Parade,
this year with the theme,
Oohrah—Honoring Ma-
rines.
Parade line-up will be
at 9 a.m., judging at 10,
and the parade start at
11. The parade goes
from the campus to the
Community Wellness
Center, where there will
be a barbecue and fam-
ily games.
For more information
call Recreation at 541-
553-3243.
Great deals in June at
Heart of Oregon store
Stop by the Heart of
Oregon Corps Thrift Store
in Madras during June for
some great deals.
The Thrift Store is pre-
paring for an extensive re-
model that will begin on
June 30. Until then, the
store will be clearing all con-
tents for the prior to its
month-long remodel closure.
Through June all items at
the store are $1 or less, with
the exception of some fur-
niture items. Furniture items
will be marked down drasti-
cally.
The Heart of Oregon
Thrift Store is not be ac-
cepting donations during
June. The store asks that
the public hold onto dona-
tions until the store re-opens
on August 1.
During the July remodel,
the store will be receiving
much-needed new floors as
well as some repairs to the
interior.
Heart of Oregon em-
ployees and student-volun-
teers will continue to work
through the remodel. The
store will also be accepting
monetary donations from
the public during the closure
to help cover the cost of
goal-engagement bonuses
for thrift store student-vol-
unteers.
The Heart of Oregon
Corps Thrift Store will show
its appreciation for customer
and donor support by host-
ing a Customer Appreciation
Event on August 3, after the
store re-opens.
The store will provide
light refreshments and will
be thanking the public for
its continued support. More
details on this event will be
released in July.
The Heart of Oregon
Corps Thrift Store is deeply
integrated in the Jefferson
County community. In ad-
dition to providing job-skills
training to youth experienc-
ing disabilities, the store also
serves Jefferson County’s
homeless and low-income
population with the Wooden
Nickel program.
As part of this ongoing
service project, the store
partners with Jefferson
County agencies who work
with low-income and home-
less individuals and families.
In the 2017-18 school year,
the store program helped
777 low-income and home-
less families with $13,466 in
donated
merchandise
through the program.
“Our customers and do-
nors are essential to the
Store’s vitality, and we want
to make sure everyone
knows we’re not closing per-
manently,” said Linda Gra-
ham, Heart of Oregon
Thrift Store Manager.
“We look forward to re-
opening in August and con-
tinuing to be part of the
Madras community for
years to come.”
About Heart of Oregon
Corps Thrift Store: Heart
of Oregon Corps is a re-
gional nonprofit that inspires
and empowers positive
change in the lives of young
people through jobs, educa-
tion, and stewardship. Heart
of Oregon Thrift Store is a
program of this regional
nonprofit that follows its
mission by engaging students
experiencing disabilities in a
retail-based job-skills training
program.
These youth are enrolled
students within the Jefferson
County School District and
the state Youth Transition
Program through Oregon
Vocational Rehabilitation
Ser vice. The program
serves youth by preparing
them for employment in
their communities, helping
them build confidence, lead-
ership, and connection to
their community.