Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
July 29, 2020
Changes to school reopening plan
Dear Jefferson County families
and staff members,
We have received significant re-
visions to ‘Ready Schools, Safe
Learners’ guidance.
The updated guidance is 69
pages in length and contains 65
changes, additions, revisions and
clarifications to the previous guide-
lines.
The most significant updates in-
clude requirements for all students
and staff to wear masks at school;
and cohorts—groups of people
who interact closely—may not ex-
ceed 100 people in a week.
In other words, the group of
students and staff which any one
student interacts with closely dur-
ing their week may not be more
than 100.
In June, schools and districts in
Oregon were asked to plan to re-
open schools in the fall under one
of three models:
1: On-site model.
2: Hybrid model—some time
at school and some time on a dis-
ning in great detail.
Athletics
tance learning model.
3: Distance Learning model.
These three choices, or combi-
nations of these choices, remain
the same, but the new guidance
must be reviewed carefully to de-
termine impacts on these options
for reopening our schools.
District leaders, Health De-
partment leaders, school admin-
istrators, teachers, school nurses
and support staff will review the
shifts in the guidance and work
to get a draft plan for reopening
to families by this Friday, July
31.
This is later than we had hoped
to distribute our draft plan for in-
put, but the late changes from the
state require us to revisit our plan-
On another note, the Oregon
Schools Activities Association re-
leased updated information on ath-
letics and activities for the school
year.
The most significant change is
moving the date of the first ath-
letic contest back approximately
one month, and continued precau-
tions related to football competi-
tion.
Finally, we continue to ask for
additional feedback from our com-
munity to assist in the planning pro-
cess. Please take a few minutes to
complete the survey. Go to the
site:
jcsd.k12.or.us
We appreciate your support
during these unique times. I hope
each of you are healthy and well.
Sincerely,
Ken Parshall, district super-
intendent.
Some services available during shutdown
During the tribal organization
closure, you can reach the Hu-
man Resources Department at
541-553-3262 during the day.
Cheryl Tom, department director,
is available by email at
cheryl.tom@wstribes.org
The Managed Care program
can be reached at:
managedcare@wstribes.org
Vital Statistics is available for
funeral grants by calling dispatch
at 541-553-1171.
Tribal Court is available only for
daily court hearings for criminal
cases, bail and bonds, juvenile pre-
liminary hearings and restraining
orders and elder protection orders.
Please contact:
eliah.sorrelhorse@wstribes .org
The Early Childhood Education
Center provides limited daycare ser-
vices for essential employees.
No visitors are allowed—access
to parents only. Please contact:
c.moses@wstribes.org
jodi.begay@wstribes.org
Treaty: 1865 document to be repealed
(Continued from page 3)
“If ever a fraud was villainously
perpetrated on any set of people,
red or white, this was, in my opin-
ion, certainly one of the most glar-
ing…”
In more recent decades, vari-
ous court decisions—a notable ex-
ample is the 1969 decision by Judge
Robert Belloni, in U.S. v. Oregon—
have found the provisions of the
Treaty of 1855 to be the binding
law of the land.
Federal agencies have con-
curred. For example, a 1997 U.S.
Forest Service report concludes:
“The Treaty of 1855 remains
the only document describing the
rights of the Warm Springs tribes.
As a matter of policy, the Forest
Service recognizes only the Treaty
with the Tribes of Middle Oregon,
1855.”
Dave McMechan
St. Charles Health Services feeling covid impact
July brought interesting ups and
downs on the Covid-19 front. Our
hospitalizations had stabilized in
mid July from a high of 11 early
in the month, but positive test re-
sults in all three of our counties
continue to climb.
Sadly, we also experienced the
first deaths of Central Oregon
residents from the virus.
In addition, Deschutes
County reported the first known
outbreak in a local memory care
facility.
Our team was happy to pro-
vide testing and other support as
part of the response effort, and
has been proud of how Mt. Bach-
elor Memory Care has handled the
difficult situation. Again, we hold
those dealing with these infections
in our hearts.
The numbers
In mid month we had seven
patients hospitalized with Covid-
19, and five of them are in the
Intensive Care Unit. Since we
started releasing this information
to the public regularly, we have
had a lot of questions that show
we need to put the numbers into
context.
In order to best group and care
for Covid-19 patients, we made
the decision early on to treat all
positive cases at the Bend hospi-
tal, and we are continuing to fol-
low this practice. We have 24 ICU
beds in Bend and six in Redmond
for a total of 30 throughout the
health system.
So, while having five Covid-19
patients in the ICU may seem like
it’s not too big of a deal, it is im-
portant to remember that many pa-
tients need ICU care for other rea-
sons like heart attacks, strokes or
car accidents.
In July 20 of our 30 ICU beds
in the system are occupied.
When virus numbers climb, we
do become concerned about the
long-term impact on our patients,
caregivers and community. This is
where your actions continue to
make a huge difference in our suc-
cess. We appreciate all those of you
who are doing your part to stay
home when possible, wear a mask
when in public, wash your hands
frequently and physically distance
from those not in your immediate
households.
Just like you, we at St. Charles
are learning how to live in this next
phase of our reality. Thank you
for your ongoing support through-
out this very difficult journey. Sin-
cerely,
Joe Sluka, St. Charles president
and chief executive officer.
Page 5
Latest IHS covid data
The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus data,
showing results through late July 22. According to the data,
across Indian country 28,987 tests have returned positive for
Covid-19. That represents an increase of 1.2 percent from the
28,638 cases previously reported.
Altogether, 435,535 coronavirus tests have been administered
through late July, the data shows. That marks an increase of 1.8
percent from the day prior.
The relatively low growth in positive cases and tests is un-
usual for a day-to-day comparison during the week. Typically,
the rates only drop during weekends, so forthcoming data might
reveal a trend.
Overall, nearly 6.7 percent of IHS coronavirus tests have
returned positive, according to the data. But the rate is far higher
in the Phoenix Area, where about 17 percent are positive.
Closely following is the Navajo Area, which serves the largest
reservation in the United States. But even with about 16.5 per-
cent tests returning positive, the rate has held steady in the last
several days following a slow but noticeable decline from the
region with the highest rate.
The Nashville Area, which covers a wide area of Indian Coun-
try, including the South and Northeastern parts of the U.S., also
continues to show a high positive rate of 10.1 percent.
On the other end of the spectrum, aggressive efforts in
the Alaska Area are turning up very few cases. Out of 83,143
tests administered in Alaska, only 0.47 percent have returned
positive, the data shows.
The Alaska Area also outnumbers nearly every other area—
including Navajo— in ter ms of tests administered.
The Oklahoma City Area retains the top spot, but only by 299
tests.
The data, however, is incomplete. While 100 percent of fa-
cilities run directly by the IHS are reporting data, only 33
percent of tribally managed facilities and 44 percent of urban
Indian organizations are doing the same, the agency has told
Indianz.Com.
The agency also provided the latest ser vice
population: 2,562,290. Based on that figure, 17 percent of Ameri-
can Indians and Alaska Natives have been tested for the
coronavirus since the IHS began reporting data in March.
The IHS user population, on the other hand, is a much smaller
number. As of 2019, 1,662,834 American Indians and Alaska
Natives have lived within a service delivery area and have re-
ceived health care at an IHS or tribal facility during the previous
three years.
Based on the user population, nearly 26.2 percent of Native
Americans have been tested for the coronavirus since the IHS
began reporting data in March.
Well Rounded Handyman
serving Warm Springs
Well Rounded Handyman Ser-
vices bringing more than 25 years
of experience:
General services: Painting—
Exterior, Interior, roll or spray, and
drywall.
Plumbing: Repairs and/or re-
placement of existing plumbing
fixtures include sub surrounds,
replumb existing lines; and water
heaters.
Car ptentr y: Open—repair
sub-floors, facia board, hard sid-
ing, decks and deck covering.
Electrical: Minor electrical—
Light fixtures and outlets… sorry,
no roping (running new lines).
Roofs: Repairs only—Flat or
pitched, shingles replacement or
aluminum (corrugated); and roof
sheathing repair.
Make Readies: To inspect any
home that is to be rented and/or
sold.
Thorough walk-through of en-
tire unit (interior and exterior):
Doors, windows, cabinets, pain,
heating and cooling, plumbing,
floors, foundation and coverings,
appliances, roofs, landscape, etc.
Landscaping: Pruning of
trees and shrubbery, lawn mow-
ing and removal of vegetation
debris.
We have the tools, truck with
current license, and liability insur-
ance. Competitive in price evalua-
tion.
Please call Desi Wheeler
(tribal member) to enquire about
all work neeed. 541-419-7521. Or
email:
Missiondw51@gmail.com