E Coosh EEWA: The way it is
Letters to the editor
Lessons
In the beginning the Cre-
ator set all the animals in line,
to see what they would do for
the new people—human be-
ings. With that there became
laws governing the people on
how to take care of the re-
sources given to them.
This was the first part of
the testimony given to and by
a medicine man at a medicine
dance we called Wumpni. He
was a Nez Perce man, his wife
a Yakama woman. I remem-
ber this time. I was 7 years
old, 1952 (at grandpa
Charley’s place).
He started singing his song
to get under power to see
things and interpret them to
the people. His power was the
bald eagle (Kum a mul). As
he sang we danced in a circle,
but different than washat. As
the song ended his wife came
around to each of the danc-
ers and gave them a gift. I got
a breast plate from that.
Then he sat down on a
chair and an interpreter came
out to echo his words. It was
like this, “My people, I see a
time in far days from now,
the people will be given a sign,
then they will gather food to
last five years.”
The first sign is the
younger generation will rebel
against their parents, not lis-
tening to what is told to them,
disrespecting the laws set
down by elders.
The second sign will be
people from the south will
come, learning our language
and our songs. We have to be
very strong during this time,
because there will be no food
anywhere, that they will eat
people. So our people will
have to band together and be
strong against these people.
The third sign will be
salmon, deer, berries going
away. Air will be different,
water will be low.
The fourth sign is a disease
will come destroying many
people, all peoples, so ready
yourselves.
The fifth sign is the final
sign. This land will be on fire,
and the white man will have
a hard time.
I may have been very
young but I remember it.
Them days people would
come from all over, Yakima,
Rock Creek, Celilo, Umatilla
and Idaho. That time we
went for seven days and
many gifts were hung up,
many things were said, many
people were worked on by
the medicine people.
That man’s name was
Alec Pinkham, whose wife
was Elsie (close relation to
my grandmother). I didn’t
want to take up your time
during the meeting so I put
it on paper. Thank you for
your ears.
Ky-um-a-luc, Bruce
Jim Sr.
Construction
careers
October is Careers in
Construction Month. The
Warm Springs Community
Action Team wishes to make
interested community mem-
bers aware of construction
education opportunities, pre-
sented on-line by Build-Or-
egon.
The webinar series—open
to anyone—is a chance to
learn about opportunities in
the construction industry
from local contractors; hear
from real-life apprentices;
and go behind the scene for
virtual tours of jobsites.
To learn more visit:
build-oregon.com/ca-
reers-construction-month.
Also for more info or
questions, please contact
Aaron
Bouchane
at
aaronb@agc-oregon.org
Schedule of events
October 6 will be Indus-
try Day, focusing on com-
mercial construction compa-
nies. Learn about the work
they perform and employ-
ment opportunities; and ex-
perience a work day. There
are four different opportu-
nities, each focusing on a dif-
ferent type of construction
company.
There is no pre-registra-
tion required. To join, go to
link site you would like to
join on the date and time
listed.
October 6
9:30 to 10 a.m. Nate
McCoy, executive director
of National Association of
Minority Contractors - Or-
egon Chapter. Company pro-
files and site visits. Webinar
link: https://rb.gy/xnxcvz
10 to 11 a.m. Raimore
Construction, a general con-
tractor performing heavy
civil projects, is one of the
biggest minority contractors
on the West Coast. For over
20 years they have employed
and mentored people from
the community, with roughly
70 percent of employees be-
ing women or people of
color. Webinar link: https://
rb.gy/xnxcvz
10 to 11 a.m. EC
Electric’s construction port-
folio includes commercial
buildings, schools, hospitals,
data centers, airports, cam-
puses, and manufacturing
and processing plants. EC of-
ten collaborates with general
contractors and owners early
in design to minimize initial
cost and maximize opera-
tional efficiency for the life
of the facility.Link: https://
rb.gy/bkn4mc
1 to 2 p.m. Power Sys-
tems West has been provid-
ing backup power solutions
since 1955. They specialize
in sales, service, and parts
distribution of industrial
power products, with service
centers in five Western
states. Link: https://rb.gy/
hjckb3
1 to 2 p.m. Signature
projects across the Pacific
Northwest form the portfo-
lio of Todd Construction
Inc.: They were established
in Roseburg in 1942 and
built dozens of schools, gov-
ernment buildings, and busi-
nesses before migrating
north to Tualatin in 1987.
https://rb.gy/rdxbrc
About census in
Indian Country
Running Strong for
American Indian Youth and
Billy Mills have delivered
more than 2,020 signatures
to Senate leadership to rein-
state the census deadline ex-
tension.
Mr. Mills is an Olympic
track medalist, and spokes-
person for Running Strong
for American Indian Youth.
Mr. Mills, Oglala-Lakota,
commented:
Page 4
The census is one of the
most valuable tools for
change and representation in
Indian Country. Our Native
American communities de-
serve to be counted and
heard.
In early August the U.S.
Census Bureau announced
their decision to move the
2020 Census reporting date
up to September 30, citing
costs and logistical difficulty
due to the coronavirus pan-
demic.
However, Native Voices
Network projects the new
deadline could mean up to
$1 billion in lost federal fund-
ing for Indian Country an-
nually, as well as even more
losses due to non-federal
grants and other program-
ming opportunities which
rely on census data to deter-
mine funding levels.
Covid-19 obviously hin-
dered the census count
events in Indian Country,
said Cheryl Kary, director of
Sacred Pipe Resource Cen-
ter, a center for Native
American support in
Mandan.
Sacred Pipe Resource
Center is a program partner
of Running Strong for
American Indian Youth, and
one of the many non-profit
organizations involved in
grassroots tribal community
counting efforts. We are able
to provide information, how-
ever, in preparation for self-
Spilyay Tymoo September 23, 2020
response events later this
month and in October.
Running Strong for
American Indian Youth
works to help Native Ameri-
can communities meet their
immediate critical needs. To
learn more about the orga-
nization programs visit the
Running Strong site at:
indianyouth.org
8:05-8:30. The Sidwalter Fire
Hall
8:30-8:45.
The
Seekseequa fire hall 8:30-
8:45.
Wishes...
A ver y Happy Birthday,
C h i e f . Fr o m D o n n a a n d
Bubba.
Happy Birthday to
Leona Tenorio, Love, Dad.
School meals
Jefferson County School
Distirct 509-J Food Service
offers meals weekdays to
youth 18 years and younger
for the duration of Compre-
hensive Distance Learning.
The free breakfast and lunch
is being provided grab and go
style. Meals are served 7:30-
8:30 a.m. at the War m
Springs Academy bus drop-
off area. Drop off locations
in Warm Springs:
Wolfe Point from 6:30-
6:45 a.m. Tenino Apart-
ments at Elk Loop and
Kalama Lane from 6:50-
7:05. Upper Dry Creek at
the north end of Tommie
Street 7-7:15. Kah-Nee-Ta
Hamlets 7-7:15 Trailer Court
at Little Oitz and Kuckup
7:15-7:30. Crestview and
Sunnyside Drives in
Sunnyside from 7:30-7:45.
Simnasho 7:45-8 a.m. By the
Greeley Heights Community
Building 7:45-8. Poosh and
West Hills Drive in West Hills
Friends, family
To all my relations and good
friends back home,
I send all my love and
prayers in this time of need,
and hope you are all well and
good. I also want to wish
my baby girl a very Happy
Birthday, and pray she has
many more to come. Let her
know that her dad loves her
always.
I have been praying hard
for all our people back home,
and those living elsewhere
that we all get through this
epidemic safely. I pray for
those back home that we
have the strength and deter-
mination of mind, body and
soul to keep moving for-
ward. I wish you all the best
and that I miss you all so very
much. And if you feel like
writing, please feel free to do
so. So take care and God
bless. Leon Tenorio, no.
690004, 11540 NE Inverness
Dr., Portland OR 97220.
Ways to help during the wildfires
For
weeks
the
Lionshead fire on the res-
ervation and beyond was
among the largest fires
burning in the West. And
a dozen or more fires in
Oregon were destroying
hundreds of homes and
killing several people, with
some still missing.
There are many ways
the more fortunate of us
can help fire evacuees and
those helping to fight
these blazes.
A great place to start
is with the Warm Springs
Red Cross. You can reach
out to:
marge.sohappy@wstribes.org
rose.alarcon@wstribes.org
Here are some other
ideas:
· Donate to the 2020
Community Rebuilding
Courtesy Emergency Incident Command
Firefighters, masked for Covid-19 safety,
on the Lionshead fire, the reservation.
Fund, established by Gov.
Kate Brown. Both long-
term and immediate relief
fund portals are available
at oregoncf.org
· Sign up to volunteer at
the Oregon Office of
Emergency Management.
The website is:
at oregonrecovers.org.com
munityos.org
· Donate or volunteer
with the Salvation Army
Cascades’ Division Emer-
gency Disaster Services at:
cascade.salvationarmy.org/
cascade2/oregon-wildfire-
response
During crises, young volunteers help provide items to members
Spilyay Tymoo
(Coyote News, Est. 1976)
Publisher Emeritus in Memorium: Sid Miller
Editor: Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Our of-
fices are located at 4174 Highway 3 in Warm
Springs.
Any written materials submitted to Spilyay Tymoo
should be addressed to:
Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 489, Warm Springs, OR
97761.
Phone: 541-553-2210 or 541-771-7521
E-Mail: david.mcmechan@wstribes.org.
Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $20.00
Young people with
Heart of Oregon,
AmeriCorps, their Thrift
Store in Madras this
month prepared 150
emergency hygiene pack-
ets for distribution. They
worked with support
from First Interstate
Bank.
The packets support
the Warm Springs com-
munity, which has been
challenged by ongoing
water issues that are fur-
ther exacerbated by fire
and Covid-19 restrictions.
The community ser-
vice effort was scheduled
to coincide with First In-
terstate Bank Third An-
nual Volunteer Day, with
bank volunteers helping at
Heart of Oregon and
other organizations
throughout the region.
In the past, First Inter-
state Bank volunteers
have assisted Heart of
Oregon with its own pro-
Courtesy HOC
Volunteers at the Thrift Store prepare care packages
grams, but since community
service is woven into many
Heart of Oregon programs
this was a natural way to
come together in the service
of a greater need.
With Heart of Oregon’s
Madras Thrift Store cur-
rently closed due to Covid-
19, volunteers were able to
use the retail space to sort
and stuff the packets con-
taining 12 essentials such as
hand sanitizer, shampoo,
and toothbrushes.
The packets were dis-
tributed through the Con-
federated Tribes of Warm
Springs GROW program to
its residents.
Heart of Oregon ex-
tends gratitude to the busi-
nesses who contributed
funds, in-kind items, and
time to this effort:
Dollar General, First
Interstate Bank, Grocery
Outlet, Inn at Cross Keys,
Mid Oregon Credit Union,
Safeway, and Quality Inn,
as well as our generous in-
dividual donors.
Heart of Oregon
Corps is a nonprofit orga-
nization invested in inspir-
ing and empowering
change in the lives of Cen-
tral Oregon youth through
jobs, education, and stew-
ardship. Their program-
ming creates pathways out
of poverty while stimulat-
ing regional economic
growth. They apply a ‘work-
earn-learn’ model that in-
vests in local young people,
manyofwhomcome
fromdisadvantaged back-
grounds, to prepare them
for the workforceand to en-
courage their self-suffi-
ciency. For more informa-
tion or to apply, visit:
heartoforegon.org