Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon November 20, 2019 Mini powwow with ECE Native Child Protection Act up for first hearing The House Subcom- mittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States is holding a legisla- tive hearing this Wednes- day, November 20. The Native American Child Protection Act, H.R.4957, is the only item on the agenda. The bipartisan bill up- dates the Indian Child Pro- tection and Family Vio- lence Prevention Act, which first became law in 1990 to help tribes and the federal government ad- dress child abuse in Indian Country. The National Congress of American Indians the largest inter-tribal advo- cacy organization in the U.S., is welcoming the bill. “The National Con- gress of American Indians firmly believes that Ameri- The Early Childhood Education Center celebrated last week with a mini-powwow at the Agency Longhouse. Jayson Smith photos Summary of Agency District 2020 budget meeting November 5, 2019 Agency District 2020 budget meeting sum- mary: Meeting called to order at 6:04 p.m. by Louie Pitt, roll call: Chief Alfred Smith Jr., Glendon Smith, Anita Jack- son and Chief Delvis Heath. 2020 membership budget presentation: · Warm Springs Timber Company LLC. · Indian Head Casino and Plateau Travel Plaza. · Warm Springs Tribal Credit Enterprise. · Warm Springs Ventures. · Warm Springs Compos- ite Products. · Secretary-Treasurer Branch. · Chief of Operations Branch: Vacant. · Human Resources Branch. · Finance Branch. · Human Ser vices Branch. · Education Branch. · General and Adminis- tration Branch. · Tribal Council/support staff/Committee summary. · Tribal Court. · Cannabis Commission. · Gaming Commission and Surveillance. · Community Assistance. · High Lookee Lodge. · Housing. · The Museum at Warm Springs Meeting adjourned at 11:15 p.m. The Senior Wellness Center is having Senior lunch at noon this Thursday, November 21. On the menu: Thanksgiving at the Longhouse. Seniors 60 and older eat for free, 59 and under are $5 and youth under 13 are $3 at the Senior Wellness Center. Page 7 can Indian and Alaska Na- tive children are the future of Indian Country,” said CEO Kevin Allis, who is a citizen of the Forest County Potawatomi Community. “Tribal governments are re- sponsible for protecting, teaching, and guiding their youth, providing services to families, and creating sup- portive environments where children can flourish.” “The federal government has a solemn trust responsibility to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable mem- bers of Indigenous commu- nities: children,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), the chairman of the sub- committee who introduced H.R.4957 last month. “Despite this, there are extremely limited resources for tribes to develop cultur- ally-specific child abuse and neglect treatment, inves- tigation, and prevention programs. That is why I am proud to introduce the Native American Child Protection Act to ensure that Indigenous communities have the re- sources they need to keep Native American children safe and healthy.” “Indian Country has lacked adequate resources to identify and address violence towards children for far too long,” added Rep. Paul Cook (R-Cali- fornia), who is the top Re- publican on the subcom- mittee and an original co- sponsor of H.R.4957. “This bipartisan legis- lation will provide funds to ensure that tribes have the resources they need to protect children from ne- glect and abuse.”