Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
Covid-19
community
update
As of earlier this week, the Warm
Springs Health and Wellness Center
had sent in or tested 765 individu-
als for Covid-19, with 50 positive
cases. Of these, most of the people
have recovered. Three had been
hospitalized, and two discharged.
One individual had been hospital-
ized for a non-Covid condition; then
tested positive while hospitalized.
The person was released to quar-
antine: The situation raised a legal
matter of how to ensure compliance
with quarantine for the health and
safety of the community—both
from the tribal perspective, and that
of the county. Tribal Council is ad-
dressing the county question with the
state attorney general and the gov-
ernor.
Meanwhile, “We continue to do
random surveillance testing of our
high-risk community members,” said
Hyllis Dauphinais, clinic executive
director. “We have also started a
broader surveillance of the tribal
employees, as the community starts
the reopen process.”
The Warm Springs Covid-19
Response Team expresses their ap-
preciation, as the 50-positive num-
ber held through the weekend.
Health and Wellness has reported no
positive cases among their staff.
“Their safety protocols are to be
celebrated, with their ongoing disci-
pline,” Mr. Dauphinais said.
As more states, including Or-
egon, begin reopening, the impor-
tant thing for the tribal community
to remember is, “The corona virus
is still among us,” Mr. Dauphinais
said.
The Covid-19 Response Team
continues to distribute food as nec-
essary, and continues to obtain sani-
tation and safety supplies, as the
tribes are reopening, said Dan
Martinez, director of Emergency
Response.
Tribal Council this week also dis-
cussed the matter of the clinic ca-
pacity to treat some conditions, such
as dental or other emergencies; or
how to refer these cases to outside
providers—difficult questions dur-
ing unprecedented pandemic condi-
tions. Ensuring the health and wel-
fare of the membership is the over-
riding priority, Council members
agreed.
Impact panel
on Tuesday
Behavioral Health will
host a victim impact panel—
the Hurt of One is the Hurt
of All—on Tuesday, June 23
at the Warm Springs Bap-
tist Church. Because of
Covid-19, all participants will
be screened at the door,
must wear a mask and prac-
tice social distancing.
The panel will be from 6
to 7:30 p.m. For more in-
formation contact Sarah at
541-553-3205. Or email:
sarah.frank@wstribes.org
June 17, 2020 - Vol. 45, No. 13
June – Atixan – Summer - Shatm
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Indian Head Casino set to reopen Thursday
The Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs announced this
week that Indian Head Casino
will reopen at 10 a.m. this
Thursday, June 18.
“We are very excited to
open and with the amount of
phone calls we receive on a
daily basis from our guests, we
know they are looking for-
ward to our opening too,” said
Belinda Chavez, director of
marketing for Indian Head
Gaming.
“We are committed to fol-
lowing the Centers for Disease
Controls’ guidelines, and we
have implemented safety and
sanitation measures in addition
to limiting our occupancy to
250 total guests.” Ms. Chavez
said.
A few things you should
keep in mind before you head
over to Indian Head Casino:
The casino will open with
new operating hours of 10 a.m.
D.McMechan/Spilyay
Guests will enter the casino through the doors on the east
side, which is the entrance to the Cottonwood Restaurant.
to 2 a.m.
All guests will be required to
enter the casino through the doors
on the east side of the building,
which is the entrance to Cotton-
wood Restaurant.
Facemasks will be required for
all guests and employees, as well
as a touchless temperature check
before entering the building.
Once you are on the casino
floor you will notice a few small
changes:
At least initially, the entire prop-
erty at Indian Head Casino will be
non-smoking.
Plexiglass shields and social dis-
tancing markers have been installed
in high traffic areas such as the
Players Club, cashier booths and
the check-out counter at the Tule
Grill.
In addition to new cleaning pro-
cedures, the casino will provide
many hand sanitizing stations on
the casino floor.
The slot machines will be open
and ready for play from the mo-
ment the doors open. The table
games, however, will open on a later
date.
All restaurants at Indian Head
Casino will be open for take-out,
and the Cottonwood restaurant will
offer curbside delivery.
Indian Head Casino voluntarily
closed on March 18 in response to
the Covid-19 pandemic and con-
tinued to stay closed for nearly
three months.
Jayson Smith photos
It was a graduation ceremony unlike any
other—conducted in an atmosphere of
safety, and yet celebration.
Family and friends of the graduates
arrived in cars and pickups decorated
especially for the occasion. Called to the
stage one at a time, only the graduate was
allowed to leave the vehicle while on the
ceremony grounds.
The commencement speeches and
performances were are all pre-recorded,
made available by internet.
For a job well done, Congratulations to
the Graduates of the Class of 2020.
Tribes okay June fishery at the Columbia River
The Columbia River tribes
have set a June fishery, with the
following provisions:
Zone 6
For all of the zone 6 area,
from 6 a.m. on Monday, June
22 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday,
June 24.
Gear: Set and drift gillnets
with a 7-inch minimum mesh
size restriction. Allowable
sales: Salmon (any species),
steelhead, shad, yellow perch,
bass, walleye, catfish and carp
may be sold or retained for
subsistence.
Fish landed during the open
periods are allowed to be sold af-
ter the period concludes. Sturgeon
may not be sold, but sturgeon
from 38 to 54 inches fork length
in the Bonneville pool, and stur-
geon from 43 to 54 inches fork
length in The Dalles and John Day
pools may be kept for subsistence
purposes.
Closed areas: River mouth and
dam closed areas applicable to
gillnets in effect. The Spring Creek
hatchery closed area is not in ef-
fect in the summer management
period. The tribes will consider ad-
ditional commercial gillnet fishing
at a later time.
Platform, hook & line
Zone 6 platform and hook and
line fishery. Area: All of zone 6.
Date and times: Fish caught after
6 a.m. on Monday, June 22 may
be sold commercial until further
notice.
Allowable sales: Salmon (any spe-
cies), steelhead, shad, yellow perch,
bass, walleye, catfish and carp may
be sold or retained for subsistence.
Fish landed during the open peri-
ods are allowed to be sold after
the period concludes. Sturgeon may
not be sold, but sturgeon from 38-
54 inches fork length in the
Bonneville pool, and sturgeon
from 43-54 inches fork length in
The Dalles and John Day pools,
and may be kep for subsistence
purposes.
Other rules: All other regula-
tions for the ongoing zone 6 plat-
form and hook and line fishery
remain unchanged.
You can reach the tribes’ Natu-
ral Resources Branch at 541-553-
2001.