Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
July 15, 2020
Page 7
Data tallies Native testing for virus
The Indian Health Ser-
vice updated its coronavirus
testing data for the U.S. Na-
tive population, as served by
IHS.
According to the data, as
of earlier this month:
20,920 tests had returned
positive for Covid-19. That
represents an increase of
about 1.7 percent from the
20,579 cases previously re-
ported.
Altogether, 303,158 tests
had been administered
through early July, the IHS
data shows.
Overall, 6.9 percent of
IHS coronavirus tests have
returned positive, accord-
ing to the data. However,
the rate was far higher in
the IHS Phoenix Area,
where 18.7 percent are
positive.
Closely following is Na-
vajo Area, which serves the
largest reservation in the
United States. But even with
about 17.9 percent tests re-
turning positive, the rate
had become steady.
The Nashville Area,
which covers a wide area of
Indian Country, including
the South and Northeastern
parts of the U.S., also con-
tinued to show a high posi-
tive rate of 10.7 percent.
On the other end of the
spectrum, aggressive efforts
in the Alaska Area are turn-
ing up very few cases: Out
of 53,403 tests adminis-
tered in Alaska, only 0.29
have returned positive, the
data shows.
The Alaska Area also out-
numbers nearly every other
region—including Navajo—
in terms of tests adminis-
tered. Only the Oklahoma
City Area has more tests.
The data, however, is in-
complete: While 100 percent
of facilities run directly by
the IHS are reporting data,
only 33 percent of tribally
managed facilities and 44
percent of urban Indian or-
ganizations are doing the
same.
The agency also pro-
vided the service popula-
tion, as of the end of
2019, the most recent
count: 2,562,290.
Based on that figure, 11.8
percent of American Indi-
ans and Alaska Natives had
been tested for the
coronavirus since the IHS
began reporting data.
The IHS user popula-
tion, on the other hand, is a
much smaller number. As
of the end of last year:
1,662,834 American Indians
and Alaska Natives have
lived within a service deliv-
ery area, and have received
health care at an IHS or
tribal facility during the pre-
vious three years.
Based on the user popu-
lation, 18.2 percent of Na-
tive Americans have been
tested for the coronavirus
since the IHS began report-
ing data through the pan-
demic.
Around Indian Country
Ruling against DAPL
A federal judge last week ordered the Dakota Ac-
cess pipeline to shut down pending additional environ-
mental review, providing the Standing Rock Sioux tribe,
and supporters, a victory in the long-running battle to
protect the tribes’ sacred land and clean water.
The judge ordered the controversial 1,172-mile-long
pipeline shut down within 30 days.
Opponents of the Dakota Access pipeline have long
argued that the pipeline’s route underneath the Mis-
souri River and the Lake Oahe reservoir constituted a
major threat to the region’s drinking water. The Stand-
ing Rock tribe also said the construction of the pipe-
line a threat to ancient burial grounds and cultural sites.
The court order ensures that the shutdown will re-
main in place pending completion of a full environ-
mental review, which normally takes several years, and
the issuance of new permits.
Energy Transfer, the Dallas-based company behind
the DAPL, said the company would appeal the ruling.
The Native movement #NoDAPL praised the
judge’s decision.
At the Emergecy
Response Services
The Warm Springs
Emergency Response
center has been very
busy during July, as the
tribes have been con-
tending with a boil wa-
ter notice; and lack of
water pressure at the
hamlets at Kah-Nee-Ta,
in addition to the
coronavirus. The Emer-
gency Response center was
offering shower facilities,
drinking water and food,
and other emergency ser-
vices to the membership.
D. McMechan/Spilyay
Dave McMechan photos/Spilyay
Upper left, mobil shower facility at
Emergency Response; and above and left,
many gallons of water.
Hand sanitizing service
at Emergency
Response
Resolutions of Tribal Council
(Note: The following are
some of the resolutions the
Tribal Council adopted in
the springs of this year, be-
for e the or ganization
lockdown.)
Tribal
Housing
Whereas Tribal Council
has directed staff and legal
counsel to investigate the
Federal Housing and Com-
munity Development Act of
1992 Section 184 Indian
Housing Loan Guarantee
program, and present to
Tribal Council proposals for
implementing the Section
184 program on the Warm
Springs Reservation for tribal
members; and
Whereas pursuant to
that direction Tribal Council
November 26, 2019, and on
January 16, 2020, approved
Tribal Council Resolution no.
12,639, and Tribal Council
Resolution no. 12,639A,
which adopted certain
changes to Warm Springs
Tribal Council Chapter 206
(Real Property Secured
Transations), and took other
actions necessary to enable
financing under the Section
184 program for housing on
the Warm Springs Reserva-
tion; and
Whereas tribal staff and
legal counsel have been ad-
vised by federal agency staff
administering the Section
184 program at the U.S. De-
partment of Housing and
Urban Development that
the existing Warm Springs
tribal home site lease form
for housing on tribal trust
land does not meet the re-
quirements of a residential
lease form for housing fi-
nanced through the Section
184 program; and
Whereas HUD staff
has provided tribal staff and
legal counsel with a form
“Residential Lease of Tribal
Owned Land” that has been
approved by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, and is set
out as attachment 6R to the
Bureau of Indian Affairs
“Procedural Handbook for
Leasing and Per mitting
Chapter 3—Residential
Leasing,” dated March 6,
2006, and is attached to this
resolution as exhibit A; and
Whereas Tribal Council
believes that it is in the best
interests of the tribes and
its members that the at-
tached exhibit A form “Resi-
dential Lease of Tribal
Owned Land” should be
approved for use on the
Warm Springs Reservation
to lease tribal land for hous-
ing that is financed in whole
or in part through the Sec-
tion 184 program; now
therefore
Be it resolved by the
Twenty-Eighth Tribal Coun-
cil that the Secretary Trea-
surer-CEO of the Confed-
erated Tribes is authorized
to execute any further docu-
ments as may be needed to
qualify the tribe and the
Warm Springs Reservation
for participation in the Sec-
tion 184 program, including
submitting Resolution no.
12,639 and Resolution no.
12,639A, and this resolution
to the HUD staff for their
review and certification of
the tribe and the War m
Springs Reservation as eli-
gible for participation in the
Section 184 program. Reso-
lution no. 12,674.
Cannabis
board
Whereas the Tribal
Council of the Confeder-
ated Tribes of War m
Springs Reservation of Or-
egon has been federally ac-
knowledged by the Secretary
of the Interior of the United
States on February 14, 1938;
and
Whereas the Tribal
Council is the governing
body of the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon; and
Whereas the health,
safety, welfare and education
of the Indian people of the
Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs is the respon-
sibility of the Tribal Coun-
cil; and
Whereas the National
Indian Gaming Association
(NIGA) is a voluntary asso-
ciation composed of mem-
ber tribes and associate
members representing fed-
erally recognized tribal gov-
ernments, gaming tribes, na-
tions, Rancherias, Pueblos,
bands and business engaged
in gaming enterprises in In-
dian Country; and
Whereas the Tribal
Council finds that the pri-
mary objectives and purpose
of NIGA are:
1) To promote, protect
and preserve the general wel-
fare and interest of Indian
gaming tribes through the
development of sound poli-
cies and practices with re-
spect to the conduct of gam-
ing activities in Indian Coun-
try; and
2) To assist in the dis-
semination of information
to the Indian gaming com-
munity, federal government
and the general public on
issues related to the conduct
of gaming in Indian Coun-
try; and
3) To preserve and pro-
tect the integrity of gaming
in Indian Country; and
4) To maintain, protect
and advocate Indian tribal
sovereignty and that such
objectives and purposes are
consistent with those of the
Confederated Tribes of the
Warm Springs Reservation
of Oregon; Now, therefore
Be it resolved by the
Twenty-Eighth Tribal Coun-
cil of the Confederated
Tribes of War m Springs
Reservation of Oregon au-
thorizes the staff to pay the
dues for NIGA membership
of $1,500; and
Be it further resolved
that the Tribal Council of the
Confederated Tribes of the
Warm Springs Reservation
of Oregon hereby appoints
Joseph Moses as the nation’s
representative to NIGA,
with Raymond Tsumpti Sr.
as the alternative; and
Be it further resolved
that their appointments will
remain in effect for the year
2020 and beyond until re-
placed by the Council; and
Be it further resolved
that this resolution rescinds
Resolution no. 12,485
adopted May 7, 2018. Reso-
lution no. 12,671.
Gaming
Association
Whereas pursuant to
Tribal Council Resolution no.
12,163, the Tribal Council
formed the Warm Springs
Cannabis Project (CP) Enter-
prise under tribal law to
implement the 2015 referen-
dum and approved a tribal
charter for CP Enterprise;
and
Whereas pursuant to
Tribal Council Resolution no.
12,214, the Tribal Council
approved an amended and
restated tribal charter (the
CP Enterprise Charter),
which superseded and re-
placed any tribal charter pre-
viously approved for CP
Enterprise; and
Whereas pursuant to
the CP Enterprise charter,
which requires the Tribal
Council to appoint the
board of directors of CP
Enterprise, the Tribal Coun-
cil has determined that the
directors of Warm Springs
Development Corporation,
doing business as Warm
Springs Ventures satisfy the
qualification criteria of Ar-
ticle III, Section 4 of the CP
Enterprise charter, and
should be appointed to the
board of directors of CP
Enterprise; and
Whereas the Tribal
Council believes that ap-
pointment of the CP Enter-
prise board of directors, as
set out above, is in the best
interests of the Confeder-
ated Tribes and its members;
now therefore
Be it resolved by the
Twenty-Eighth Tribal Coun-
cil of the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs
Reser vation of Oregon,
pursuant to Article V, Sec-
tion l(f), (o) and (u) of the
Tribal Constitution and By-
Laws and the CP Enterprise
charter, that the Tribal
Council hereby appoints the
directors of Warm Springs
Ventures to the board of
directors of CP Enterpries.
Resolution no. 12,673.