Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
Community
update
Water emergency
The Agency area is on a boil wa-
ter notice: Extreme water conser-
vation measures should be taken
throughout the area served by the
Warm Springs system; and the
Schoolie Flat system.
“We’re at a very critical point,
where conservation efforts need to
be followed by all community mem-
bers,” said Travis Wells, director of
Public Utilities.
It has been noted that
community members are mis-
using water to fill swimming pools,
and water lawns for extended peri-
ods of time. “Until we can do the
required repairs, folks will need to
utilize water only for personal use—
flushing toilets, showering, boiling
for consumption.
Please adhere to this request for
conservation efforts, Mr. Wells said.
Also meanwhile, the Kah-Nee-
Ta system will continue to be out
of water, relying instead on porta-
potties, bottled water, and a tempo-
rary shower system set up by Emer-
gency Response.
The Agency area emergency hap-
pened following a main-line break
at Shitike Creek, site of the break
and extended water emergency hap-
pened last year.
Covid-19 update
War m Springs Health and
Wellness Center has conducted
more than 1,050 coronavirus tests.
Since testing began in March, 72
overall have come back positive;
948 negative, and 28 pending, as of
Tuesday morning of this week.
Of the 72 positive, 53 have re-
covered; four were hospitalized, and
two discharged.
The Warm Springs IHS clinic
and Community Health have a
strong contact tracing-testing pro-
gram, said Hyllis Dauphinais, clinic
director. The Warm Springs pro-
gram is recognized by outside health
agencies as exemplary, Mr.
Daphinais said, speaking this week
with Tribal Council.
Responding to a question from
Council, Ms. Dauhpinais said a re-
cent count found that 53 percent
of the positive cases in the com-
munity have been among those 29
years of younger. The demographic
snapshot was developed by Katie
Russell, the tribes’ Community
Health Services manager.
Tribal Council reminds the
membership that increased num-
bers of positive are all around us:
To the north Yakima County has
seen more than 7,000 confirmed
cases.
Cares Act program
Tribal Council has adopted a pro-
gram to provide financial grants to
tribal members who are suffering
personal economic and health hard-
ships due to the Covid-19 public
health emergency. Tribal manage-
ment is seting up the program, and
is expecting to begin taking applica-
tions and issuing grants to qualified
tribal members this month.
Please see CARES ACT on 8
July 1, 2020 - Vol. 45, No. 14
July – Pat’ak-Pt’akni – Summer - Shatm
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Museum plans reopening, new exhibit
T he Museum at War m
Springs is planninng to reopen to
the public on Tuesday, July 7.
The museum has been closed
since April 1 due to the pandemic.
The museum’s reopening will
be celebrated with a new exhibi-
tion, The Path of Resilience, on
display from July 7 through
late September.
The exhibit will feature beau-
tifully beaded objects, woven
treasures and various items se-
lected from the museum’s Per-
manent Collection and Archives
Department.
Note: The museum will not
host an opening reception for the
new exhibit.
Safety measures
With the reopening, the mu-
seum will take precautions to en-
sure the safety of staff and visi-
tors:
Admittance to the museum’s
main exhibition area will be lim-
ited to 10 people with no more
than five in the gallery at one
time. Visitation to the museum
Gift Shop will be limited to two
people, unless the visitors are in
one car or unit.
During the public closure, the
Courtesy MAWS
A weaving exhibit at the Museum at Warm Springs.
museum staff has been thor-
oughly cleaning and sanitizing the
entire building.
The museum has followed strict
guidelines for public facilities,
which have been regularly updated
and closely monitored by the
Warm Springs Covid-19 Response
team.
‘Enduring resilience’
“Our tribes have a long history
of survival at Warm Springs,” said
Elizabeth A. Woody, museum ex-
ecutive director. “We are proud
to share our culture and contin-
ued existence in our homeland, de-
spite many challenges and ob-
stacles that have come our way
over the years.
“The museum invites everyone
to visit the museum and view the
beautiful objects of our heritage
that display so well the enduring
resilience of our people through-
out time.”
Following the standards set by
Tribal Council, the museum re-
quires all visitors and staff to wear
masks while in the museum.
A number of other health pro-
cedures will be in place at the mu-
seum, all designed to keep the pub-
lic and Museum staff safe.
“We are excited to be reopening
to the public,” Ms. Woody said.
“Be assured that the staff is do-
ing everything possible to ensure our
visitors have a wonderful and safe
time while they are at our mu-
seum.”
For more information and up-
dates, please visit:
museumatwarmsprings.org
And the museum’s Facebook
page.
The musem opened in 1993, this
year marking its twenty-seventh
year representing to the public, and
helping preserve the culture, heri-
tage and history of the Confeder-
ated Tribes.
The museum permanent collec-
tion houses a vast collection of ar-
tifacts, historic photographs, mu-
rals, graphics, and rare documents.
Other resources include interactive
multimedia exhibits including a
Wasco wedding, song chamber and
traditional Hoop dance. The mu-
seum also offers walking trails along
Shitike Creek.
Innovative water project at WSCAT
D.McMechan/Spilyay
A crew from Zero Mass Water—Aiden Tosano, supervisor Rob Minnehan and Daniel Huong (from left)—set up the panels
by the Community Action Team office. Complete installation took only three days, with water flowing by day two.
T he Warm Springs Com-
munity Action team has acti-
vated a Souce hydro-panel ar-
ray to provide a renewable
supply of clean drinking wa-
ter for the community. The
Community Action Team con-
tracted with Zero Mass Water
to install the panels.
Source hydropanels look
like solar panels; instead of
energy, though, the panels pro-
duce clean drinking water.
The panels make the water
using only sunlight and air. This
renewable method is opposed
to traditional systems that fil-
ter ground water; or treat sur-
face water.
Th hydro-panel form of water
production is sustainable, while also
removing the need for heavy
chemicals used in drinking water
filtration.
The ten hydropanels are located
on the west side of the Commu-
nity Action Team office. The pan-
els will produce up to 50 liters of
drinkable water a day, said Carina
Miller, Action Team researcher.
The water will be available in
the office, and at the food cart for
community members to fill up
water bottles.
“Localized access to a safe,
clean drinking water supply propels
communities forward,” said Cody
Friesen, founder and chief execu-
tive officer of Zero Mass Water,
based in Tempe, Arizona.
“We are honored to partner with
the Warm Springs Community
Action Team and the one2one
USA Foundation to provide some
relief with this project, as we ac-
tively explore creative ways to con-
tribute to the broader economic
development efforts within the
community.”
The Warm Springs Community
Action Team is a 501c3 non-profit.
“We envision a Warm Springs Res-
ervation in which tribal and com-
munity members control their own
destinies—in which people are in a
position to provide for their fami-
lies, pursue their hopes and dreams
and achieve their full poten-
tial,” Ms. Miller said.
Strategic planning, com-
munity vision, pursuit of
sustainable energy, water,
and agriculture practices, as
well as development of a
local economy, are all goals
the Action Team works to
support, Ms. Miller said.
Through projects like the
hydropanels, the hope is to
continue to provide spaces
and access to resources to in-
dividuals and the reservation
at large; and to help find solu-
tions to some of the barriers
we face as a community.
Please see HYDROPANELS on 2