Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
July 29, 2020 - Vol. 45, No. 16
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
‘Only together we can stop the spread and save lives...’
As of this week since the out-
break, the Warm Springs Health and
Wellness Center has conducted
more than 1,850 Covid-19 tests.
Approximately 1,645 tested nega-
tive, with some tests still pending.
On the reservation so far there
have been at least 165 positive test
results. In Jefferson County over-
all, there have about 270 positive
Covid-19 results.
On the reservation 16 tribal
members have been hospitalized,
and six discharged. Very sadly, there
have been at least three deaths in
the community directly attributed
to the virus.
The number of positives on-
reservation has been increasing
this month, with more members
requiring hospitalization.
“If we want to stop the spread
of the virus in the community, we
need to stay home, especially when
instructed by medical staff,” said
Katie Russell, tribal Community
Health Services manager.
“Wearing a facemask when
around others is helpful, but stay-
ing away from people outside of
the house is a better way to stop
the spread of the virus,” Ms.
Russell said.
“It is up to all of us to keep
our community safe—Working to-
gether we can stop the spread of
this virus and save lives.”
The turn-around time for get-
ting test results is one to two days.
Health and Wellness continues to
conduct broader surveillance of
the tribal employees. Toward
greater safety enforcement:
Tribal Council has passed reso-
lution 12,710, adding more
strength to enforce quarantine re-
strictions. Council also passed or-
dinance No. 101, Emergency De-
tention of Contagious or Infectious
Persons, WSTC Chapter 332.
Howlak Tichum
Shirley Stayhi Heath, the wife of Warm Springs Chief Delvis
Heath Sr. passed away from Covid-19 on July 30, 2020.
Mrs. Heath, Yakama member and long-time resident of the
Warm Springs Reservation, was a beloved mother, grandmother,
and adviser to her husband. Her youth was spent in Celilo Village.
She moved to the Warm Springs Reservation after marrying Chief
Heath. The community has been blessed with her care and love
for her tribal people.
The couple married 60 years ago. For many years the family
ran the Chief Heath horse stables at Kah-Nee-Ta. They also raised
and raced thoroughbreds and quarter horses, and ran several head
of cattle on the reservation range. She is dearly missed.
Please see COVID on 8
Representing Team USA at 2021 tournament
Courtesy photos
ChaCha Ramirez (left) and Yvonne Greene play for Madras High School, and are planning to
play for Team USA in 2021 in the Dominican Republic, Central America.
Y v o n n e
Greene and
ChaCha Ramirez of Warm
Springs have been asked to rep-
resent the Pacific Northwest
basketball team at an inter-
national basketball tour na-
ment planned for next summer
in the Dominican Republic.
Yvonne and ChaCha ar e
raising the funds to cover their
travel expenses. They wish to
share the following:
My name is ChaCha Ramirez.
I’m 16 years old, and I am
fundraising to play for America’s
Pacific Northwest basketball team.
The team is run by Jeremy
Vandenboer, the head coach of
Linfield Community College. And
the team is planning for a 2021
competitive summer tournament in
the Dominican Republic.
All funds go towards flights,
transportation, hotels, tournament
fees and daily meals. All donations
are greatly appreciated and ex-
tremely helpful. I have a
GoFundMe account, and also can
take donations, or FBpay donations
to my mother Joy Ramirez.
Please follow me and help me
reach my goal. I will have more
fundraisers throughout the rest
of the year. Thank you so much,
ChaCha Ramirez.
My name is Yvonne Greene,
and I have been asked to repre-
sent the Pacific Northwest Team
USA in a tournament scheduled
for next summer in the Domini-
can Republic. This will be a great
way to get my name out there for
colleges.
I’m hoping for commu-
nity support for this big op-
portunity.
I have a
GoFundMe account to ac-
cept any generous donations
to cover the travel expenses.
Thank you for your time.
Any donation would be
greatly appreciated! Thank
you. Yvonne Greene
Near- and far-term water solutions
Oregon lawmakers this month
approved more than $3.5 million
in emergency water system repair
funding to the Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs. Much of the
reservation has been on an unsafe
drinking-boil water notice since
June.
Some residents had no water
pressure during the emergency,
made especially hard because of the
Covid-19 pandemic. The
coronavirus rate on the reservation
this summer has been several times
higher than the overall state aver-
age, and four times the average of
eight other recognized tribes of
Oregon.
The current boil-water condition
is similar to the one last year that
lasted several months: The system
at Shitike Creek failed, caused by
pressure relief valve problems.
The Oregon Legislature Emergency
Board unanimously approved $3.58
million from state reserves to start
addressing these issues.
The money passes through the
Oregon Business Development
Department to the tribal govern-
ment. The funding must be used
by the end of the year. The aid
request originated with Rep. Daniel
Bonham, R-The Dalles, whose dis-
trict encompasses the reservation.
“Today’s action by the
Legislature’s Emergency Board
doesn’t magically fix the water cri-
sis within the Confederated Tribes
of the Warm Springs but that
shouldn’t diminish its importance,”
Rep. Bonham said.
Last year, Rep. Bonham—joined
by state Senator Cliff Bentz, R-Dis-
trict 30—sponsored a $7.8 million
contribution to the tribes in state
Lottery bonds, all of this funding
also earmarked for specific reser-
vation water projects.
The $7.8 million was to go to
the tribes in 2021; however, the Or-
egon Lottery has seen a major re-
duction in revenue due to the pan-
demic, meaning the $7.8 million is
no longer possible.
Facing these emergency condi-
tions, tribal Utilities general man-
ager Travis Wells sent Bonham a
list of critical projects meant to
bring the reservation into compli-
ance with the federal Safe Drink-
ing Water Act. “These are projects
that need to be completed to en-
sure our communities receive a
basic need for clean potable wa-
ter,” Mr. Wells wrote.
State Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale,
joined Bonham in requesting an
emergency allocation to replace the
lost lottery bonds. Findley told fel-
low lawmakers on the Emergency
Board that the allocation they
unanimously approved is just a start
for meeting the reservation’s over-
all water needs.
“They are in dire straits. This
will bring them to the path of re-
pair. There’s a lot of work to do,
but this will certainly bring them
out of the boil order,” Findley said.
Officials have known of the
safe drinking water situation on the
reservation for several years. The
new allocation is start to a more
lasting solution.
Federal grant
Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron
Wyden and Jeff Merkley this
month also announced the Confed-
erated Tribes of Warm Springs will
receive a $269,000 federal grant to
repair the main water line.
The main line, over Shitike
Creek, is where the break again
happened that led to the boil-water
order for the Agency area.
“Clean water is critical to pre-
venting the spread of COVID-19,
and these funds will be useful in
repairing the water system on our
reservation,” said Warm Springs
Tribal Council Chairman Raymond
Tsumpti.
Please see WATER on 3