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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2019)
Page 2 Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon December 18, 2019 Focus on reservation in 2019 was the water I n the Warm Springs tribal community water is sacred and vital to tribal existence, cultural practices, health and welfare, and eco- nomic development. An ex- ample of its prominence: The final word of the prayer before a meal is ‘chuush.’ In 2019—from spring into summer—the Confed- erated Tribes experienced a prolonged boil-water re- quirement. The cause of this crisis was the ageing do- mestic water infrastructure on the reservation—from the treatment plant on the Deschutes, to the water lines through the Agency area. The tribes have been aware of the need for im- provements to the system. An issue has been responsi- bility, as the original water pipes were installed decades ago by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. And for this reason the argument would be that the BIA is responsible, as the original system is theirs. Complete replacement of the older pipes would cost millions—with a new treat- ment plant estimated at more than $20 million. The magnitude of the issue came into focus this year, during the months of the boil-water condition. The Twenty-Eighth Tribal Council had just taken office when the water contamina- tion was detected. Working with Management and Utili- ties, Council declared an emergency and allocated the funds to make the repairs. For obvious reasons the water crisis was a hardship for the tribes, the residents and households that rely on the system. Yet the crisis has also prompted action at both the state and the federal goverment levels. First, the Oregon legisla- ture in July approved $7.8 million in funding to the Confederated Tribes for three key water projects on the reservation. Gov. Brown signed the bill into law, with the funds becoming available most likely in 2021. The $7.8 million was much more than the tribes had ever received in a state bill of this kind. The rev- enue will come from the Oregon Lottery. Oregon Sen. Cliff Bentz and Rep. Daniel Bonham were advocates for the tribes’ inclusion in July legis- lation. The appropriation provides $7.8 million for three specific projects: The wastewater plant up- date ($1.3 million); the water meter project ($2.5 million); and the water distribution project ($4 million). Then more recently—just last week, in fact—U.S. Sena- tors Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced legisla- tion to improve water quality and services for tribal com- munities in Oregon. In announcing the legisla- tion the senators cited the Warm Springs crisis in par- ticular. Native American tribes in Oregon and across the West are suffering from inadequate water infrastructure, the law- makers said, with aging drink- The Year in Review ~ 2019 ~ 132 students graduate. Forty-six of the students, roughly 35 percent, were Native American. This year 100-percent of the students at the high school who were eligible to graduate completed their re- quirements. The school dis- trict Bridges Career and Technical program, directed by Jessica Swagger, helped more than 30 Native stu- dents meet the graduation requirements. The following is a review of some of the news that happened in 2019 on the reservation, continued from the previous Spilyay: June This month saw the be- ginning of the ‘water crisis’ on the reservation, when many houesholds were on the boil-water notice. The nature of the prob- lem was not clear in early to mid-June, though chlori- nated water was found to be seeping into Shitike Creek. The initial indication was that the water line from the east part of Agency to the west had broken beneath the creek. Tribal Council, Utili- ties and Management were working on a solution, with a ‘worst-case scenario’ a real possibility. Later in the month, Tribal Council approved the ex- penditure of $300,000 for the emergency repair of the 14-inch water main break under Shitike Creek. Meanwhile, Warm Springs Emergency Management opened the bottled water cen- ter. Elsewhere in June: The month of June 2019 saw the 50-year milestone of Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days, as the very first Pi- Ume-Sha happened in 1969. Honoring veterans was one of the reasons for the first Pi-Ume-Sha: In 1969 many young tribal mem- bers were serving in the Vietnam War. The Treaty was signed in 1855, on June 25. The ac- tual anniversary this year was on Tuesday—celebrat- ing 164 years since the sign- ing. And this: The 1865 Treaty Nul- lification Act—formally and finally to nullify a fraudulent treaty with the Confederated Tribes of the War m Springs—in June passed the United States Senate. ing water treatment and dis- tribution systems subjecting the communities to serious problems such as failed pres- sure relief valves, burst pipes and unsafe drinking water. “As the crisis on the Warm Springs Reservation illustrated, Native American communities in Oregon are facing serious water infra- structure challenges,” Sen. Merkley said. “We need to invest in replacing outdated pipe sys- tems, to help ensure that tribal nations have reliable access to safe drinking wa- ter for years to come.” Continued Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden were spon- sors. The next step is to go to the U.S. House of Rep- resentatives, where Rep. Greg Walden supports the bill. “A black cloud will be lifted by this legislation,” said Tribal Council Chairman Raymond Tsumpti. “So fu- ture generations will not have to endure it.” Tribal Council, with gov- ernmental affairs director Louis Pitt for the past year especially have made the fed- eral 1865 nullification a pri- ority. 2019 Review continues on 7 Jayson Smith/Spilyay At the spring 2019 Lil’ Miss Warm Springs Pageant, Jessica Bruised Head crowns Senior Lil’ Miss Warm Springs Shantelle Henry. Everyone wants to see Kah-Nee-Ta back in opera- tion. Beyond that point, though, the issues are com- plicated, and the opinions many and diverse. The re- sort has been closed since last summer. At Tribal Council in June, Management presented of- fers from outside entities that have expressed interest in partnering with the tribes in the management and op- eration of Kah-Nee-Ta. Council is now studying the information, and weigh- ing the options. An idea that many have expressed is the opening of just the Village area. And this in June: The Madras High School Class of 2019 saw Jayson Smith/Spilyay Record number of Warm Springs graduates in June, 2019 at Madras High School. Summaries of Tribal Council December 4, 2019 The meeting was called to order at 10:05 a.m. by Chair- man Raymond Tsumpti. Present at roll call: Chief Delvis Heath, Chief Alfred Smith Jr., Lincoln Jay Suppah, and Chief Joseph Moses. Minnie Yahtin, Re- corder. Tribal attorney update with Karnopp Petersen. · Executive session, 10:06-11:20 a.m. · Tribal attorney update with John Ogan. · Executive session, 11:20-11:55 a.m. · Update on special cir- cumstance hunts. Without further discus- sion the meeting adjourned at 12:31 p.m. December 5 The meeting was called to order at 9:05 a.m. by Chair- man Raymond Tsumpti. Present at roll call: Raymond (Captain) Moody, Lincoln Jay Suppah, Anita Jackson, Chief Delvis Heath, Chief Joseph Moses. Minnie Yahtin, Recorder. · Human Ser vices Branch update withCaroline Cruz. · Natural Resources Branch update with Robert Brunoe. · Presentation of relief check by Coca Cola. · Personal time off (PTO) donations: · Ine the tribal Manage- ment Plan the Secretary- Treasurer has authority to approve or disapprove these requests for PTO donations. · Human Resources is updating the Personnel Manual on this area. · Public Safety Branch update with Carmen Smith and Ron Greggory. · Public Utilities Branch update with Travis Wells. · Education Branch Up- date with Valerie Switzler and Carroll Dick. Meet and greet with Jon Jenkins and Wakinyan re- garding Kah-Nee-Ta. Tribal Council agenda dis- cussion. Motion by Jay to adjourn at 5:01 p.m.
