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Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
July 15, 2020
Housing secures funding to help Covid-19 response
The Warm Springs Hous-
ing Authority has secured a
$900,000 federal grant to
help with the Confederated
Tribes’ response to the
Covid-19 pandemic.
“These funds come at a
critical time, as the Warm
Springs people continue to
battle with Covid-19 on our
reservation,” said Raymond
Tsumpti, Tribal Council
chairman.
The $900,000 Indian
Community Development
Block Grant Imminent
Threat award is part of the
funding allocated by the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security Act—
the Cares Act.
On the reservation the
funding will be used to re-
habilitate six units for quar-
antine purposes and over-
crowding reduction, as well
as make improvements to
the Warm Springs Housing
Authority’s Office building,
reducing person-to-person
contact so employees and
customers can safely con-
duct business.
Oregon’s U.S. Senators
Ron Wyden and Jeff
Merkley made the award
announcement last week.
“Tribes throughout Or-
Resolution of Tribal Council
(Note: The following
Tribal Council resolution,
passed on June 30, 2020,
strengthens enforcement au-
thority regarding isolation
and quarantine in cases in-
volving Covid-19.)
Whereas the Confeder-
ated Tribes is a federally rec-
ognized, self-governing, sov-
ereign Indian tribe, and is the
legal successor in interest to
the Indian signatories to the
Treaty between the United
State of America and the
Tribes of Middle Oregon,
which was executed on June
25, 1855, and ratified by
Congress on March 8, 1859,
12 Stat. 963; and
Whereas pursuant to
the Treaty, the Tribe ceded
approximately 10 million
acres of land to the United
States and reser ved ap-
proximately 640,000 acres
for exclusive use and occu-
pation of the Tribe and its
members as a permanent
homeland; and
Whereas the Health and
Welfare of tribal members
is of paramount importance
to the Tribe; and
Whereas the United States
has a trust responsibility to the
Tribe to protect the health of
tribal members; and
Whereas this trust re-
sponsibility is embodied in
official declaration of policy
contained at 25 USC Section
1602 which provides:
“Congress hereby de-
clares that it is the policy of
this Nation, in fulfillment of
its special responsibilities and
legal obligations to Indians…
to ensure the highest possible
health status to Indians and
to provide existing Indian
health services with all re-
sources necessary to effect
that policy….”; and
Whereas recognition of
the Tribe’s interest in tribal
health and wellness and of
the federal government’s
trust responsibility to the
same is further endorsed by
Congress’ approval of the
Indian Health Service Joint
Venture Construction pro-
gram, and approval of the
Warm Springs-IHS health
and wellness center demon-
stration project; and
Whereas since January
2020, health officials in the
region have been engaged in
responding to the public
health threat posed by the
novel coronavirus (Covid-
19); and
Whereas Covid-19 is a
highly contagious and dan-
gerous disease, and the out-
break has been declared by
the World Health Organiza-
tion as a pandemic and by
the President of the United
States a national emergency;
and
Whereas Covid-19 is a
significant health risk to In-
dian populations, particu-
larly on the Warm Springs
Reservation where Covid-
19 rates are significantly
higher than in the general
regional population; and
Whereas the Tribal
Council desires that the
tribal staff, the Indian
Health Ser vice, the Bu-
reau of Indian Affairs, the
Department of Health and
Human Services and any
other relevant federal
agency, take the necessary
steps to control the spread
and treatment to Covid-19
on the Warm Springs Res-
ervation; and
Whereas
Congress
vested authority in the Sec-
retary of the Interior to en-
sure that adequate measures
are taken by virtue of 25
USC Section 198 which pro-
vides:
“Whenever the Secretary
of the Interior shall find any
Indian afflicted with tuber-
culosis, trachoma or other
contagious or infectious dis-
eases, he may, if in his judg-
ment the health of the af-
flicted Indian or that of
other persons require it, iso-
late, or quarantine such af-
flicted Indian in a hospital
or other place for treatment.
The Secretary of the Inte-
rior may employ such means
as may be necessary in the
isolation, or quarantine of
such Indian, and it shall be
egon are battling hard to
weather Covid-19’s eco-
nomic and public health fall-
out, such as its impact on
members’ essential need to
keep a roof over their
the duty of such Indian so
afflicted to obey the order or
regulation made by the Sec-
retary of the Interior in car-
rying out this provision…”
and
Whereas Congress fur-
ther transferred the primary
authority to isolate or quar-
antine individuals under 25
USC Section 198 to IHS; and
Whereas the Tribe de-
sires for the federal trustees
to fulfill their responsibilities
to ensure the highest possible
health status to Indians, and
to provide existing Indian
health services with all re-
sources necessary to effect
that policy including 25 USC
Section 198; now therefore
Be it resolved by the
Twenty-Eighth Tribal Coun-
cil of the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs Res-
ervation of Oregon, pursu-
ant to Article V, Section 1(l)
of the Tribal Constitution
that the Indian Health Ser-
vice, Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs, Department of Health
and Human Services, and
any other relevant federal
agency and tribal administra-
tive staff, are hereby re-
quested and directed to take
the necessary action pursu-
ant to federal and tribal law,
as applicable, to control the
spread and public health risk
to other of Covid-19 on the
Warm Springs Reservation,
including without limitation,
implementing procedures for
issuing and enforcing (includ-
ing through Tribal Court) the
isolation or quarantine of
individuals in accordance
with 25 USC Section 198 and
consistent with due process.
Resolution no. 12,697
heads,” Wyden said. “I am
gratified these housing re-
sources are heading to the
Confederated Tribes of
War m Springs, and will
keep working on all the
community’s priorities.”
This work would include
passage of the pending West-
ern Tribal Water Infrastruc-
ture Act, which would direct
urgently needed federal
funds to ensure safe drink-
ing water.
Regarding the Housing
grant, Sen. Merkley said: “As
people stay home to flatten
the coronavirus curve, ac-
cess to safe housing has only
become more essential—es-
pecially in our hardest-hit
communities.”
“Unfortunately, despite
the fact that tribal commu-
nities are bearing the brunt
of this pandemic, the fed-
eral government is not do-
ing enough to provide them
with critical resources and
support.
“While I’m pleased that
this grant funding will help
the Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs support their
members by upgrading
housing and reducing over-
crowding, I know far more
needs to be done. I’m com-
mitted to fighting for all the
resources tribal communi-
ties deserve to help them get
through this public health
emergency.”