Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
2020 U.S.
Census
kicks off
in W.S.
The Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs will kick off the
2020 U.S. Census count for Oregon
this Thursday, March 12.
The tribes were formally re-
quested to host this innaugural
event by the United States Census
Bureau.
Before the start of the Thurs-
day public presentation, George
Aguilar Sr. will complete the first
count for the state of Oregon
2020 U.S. Census. He will do this
online earlier in the morning at his
home.
The Warm Springs Complete
Count Committee requested that
Mr. Aguilar perform the service on
behalf of the Confederated Tribes
and the committee.
Mr. Aguilar is a Wasco elder and
life-long resident of Warm Springs.
He is a Korean War veteran who
during his life has worked as a la-
borer, fisherman, logger and con-
struction manager. He is the au-
thor of the tribal history study When
the River Ran W ild. Mr. Aguilar
turns 90 this year.
The public census kick-off
events will follow at the Agency
Longhouse. This is the agenda for
Thursday:
9 a.m.: A meet and greet with
Mr. Aguilar.
9:30: Welcome address and com-
ments.
10: Warm Springs Early Child-
hood Education Mini Powwow.
11: to 1 p.m.: Community meal,
with the opportunity to complete the
census online
Census data directly impacts how
the federal government allocates
more than $675 billion every year
for programs and services vital for
tribal communities. These include
Medicaid, social services, housing,
public safety, veterans services,
emergency preparedness, education,
school lunches and more.
Tribal members and reservation
have historically been under-
counted in the census, which hap-
pens only once every 10 years.
Under-counting of tribes and
reservations can lead to under-
funding of the very communities
most in need. The Census Bureau
values tribal partnerships, and is
committed to a complete and accu-
rate count of tribal nations.
The goal the 2020 Census is to
correct the under-counting:
“I encourage all our tribal mem-
bers and Warm Springs residents to
participate in the census to help pro-
vide a better future for our com-
munity and future generations,” says
Tribal Council Chairman Raymond
Tsumpti Sr.
In March Census enumerators
will bring you an invitation to your
home, with information about par-
ticipating in the 2020 census.
March 11, 2020 - Vol. 45, No. 6
March – Wiyalppt – Spring - Wawaxam
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
National recognition for Geo Visions
W
arm Springs Geo Visions
is a semi-finalist in Honoring
Nations 2020, an award rec-
ognition given only to the most
deserving of tribal enterprises
across the country.
Honoring Nations is an
award of the Harvard Project
on American Indian Economic
Development, and the Native
Nations Institute of the Uni-
versity of Arizona. At the
heart of the program:
“The principle that tribes
themselves hold the key to
positive social, political, cul-
tural, and economic prosper-
ity—and that self-governance
plays a crucial role in building
and sustaining strong, healthy
Indian nations. Honoring Na-
tions serves as a vehicle for
shifting the focus from what
does not work to what does,
fostering pride and confidence
in the ability of American In-
dian governments to make
positive contributions to the
wellbeing of their respective
communities and citizens.”
And the program is founded
on the idea that “Native na-
tions can benefit from having
greater access to innovative
ideas and effective governing
approaches. Honored pro-
grams ser ve as important
sources of knowledge and in-
spiration, and our experience
shows that they are drawn
upon by communities through-
out Indian Country and far
beyond.”
Geo Visions is one of only
Photoby Mariana Wallig/Heart On Studios
Geo Visions crew, left to right are Brandon Gilliland Project Manager, Alex Atkins Crew Chief, Angelina
Howell CEO, and Rich Danzuka Cultural Monitor.
six semi-finalists across Indian
Country to be considered for the
Honoring Nations 2020 award. The
winning enterprise receives national
recognition, among government
entities and beyond. As the
Harvard Project states:
“The high public visibility and
news coverage of Honoring Na-
tions also per mit non-Native
policymakers, the media and the
general public to see what Native
nations are actually doing in the
drive for self-determination.”
The tribes’ Geo Visions enter-
prise provides a unique service in
the region. The team works for
the protection and preservation of
cultural resources of the tribes.
Projects of the enterprise include
archaeological research at specific
sensitive sites, with oral history re-
search and indigenous knowledge
to give the tribal context to each
site.
This work includes not only the
lands of the reservation, but the
vast Ceded territory of the Con-
federated Tribes. Geo Visions pro-
vides its service to the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, the Bonneville
Power Administration, Portland
General Electric, and the Oregon
Department of Transportation,
among others.
And there is a great potential for
growth of the enterprise, said
Angelina Howell, Geo Visions di-
rector.
The Geo Visions team includes
Ms. Howell. Larry Squiemphen,
Geo Visions GIS manager and oral
history coordinator, who has been
with the enterprise since it began.
Lindon Hylton, primary investiga-
tor and lead archaeologist. Alex
Atkins, lead crew chief and ar-
chaeologist. Brandon Gilliland,
project manager. Rich Danzuka,
cultural technician.
The Confederated Tribes
formed Geo Visions 15 years ago.
From a modest beginning the en-
terprise has established a reputa-
tion for professionalism in its field,
as witnessed by the Honoring Na-
tions recognition.
Vital water matter before Tribal Council
There are five separate irri-
gation districts in the upper
Deschutes River basin, the
North Unit and the Central Or-
egon districts being the biggest.
For 70 years the districts have
competed for river water, which
they would then distribute to the
farm operations and irrigators
throughout the region.
The practice so far has been
to store water in reservoirs dur-
ing the cool months of winter,
and then release large quantities
of water within a relatively short
period of time, during the sum-
mer months. This has led to se-
rious degradation of tributaries
of the Upper Deschutes.
The scenario is now in the
process of changing, as the irri-
gation districts would face peril-
ous legal and financial conse-
quences, were the practice to con-
tinue. The districts are now
forced to cooperate, and develop
a management approach that
considers a much wider range of
elements.
This is clearly a matter of
great significance to the Confed-
Whychus Creek, Upper Deschutes basin.
erated Tribes, a large and senior wa-
ter right holder in the basin. The
tribes are also working, at great ex-
pense and effort, to restore fish
runs in the upper reaches.
Bobby Brunoe, general manager
of tribal Natural Resources, has
been the lead contact person for
the tribes, as the new upper basin
irrigation plan unfolds.
Mr. Brunoe and Tribal Council
met last week with officials of the
Courtesy
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)—Fisher-
ies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser-
vice, and the Bureau of Reclama-
tion.
Bridget Moran, of U.S. Fish and
Wildlife, reviewed how the situation
has developed to this point: The past
irrigation practices, Ms. Moran said,
led eventually to conflict with the
Endangered Species Act, specifically
regarding the Oregon spotted frog.
The potential for litigation, and
an imposed restriction on irrigation
water, then led the irrigation districts
to develop a draft management
plan, called a Habitat Conservation
Plan for an incidental take permit,
to be issued by the federal agency.
From the tribal perspective—and
with nothing against the spotted
frog—the salmon is the most im-
portant species to be protected, said
Tribal Councilman Captain Moody.
The situation, he said, is reminis-
cent of what happened some years
ago with the spotted owl. Like the
spotted frog, the owl became endan-
gered due to activities carried out
beyond the reservation. Then in
addressing the crisis, Councilman
Moody said, the agencies and par-
ties involved seek to impose restric-
tions upon the tribes, who had noth-
ing to do with it.
The goal of the new plan is to
return a more natural flow to the
tributaries and river, Ms. Moran
said, as opposed to the winter stor-
age-summer release practice. A
hope is that this will also benefit the
fish, she said.
Dave McMechan