Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
2020
Census
The Confederated Tribes are
working toward a 100 percent re-
sponse rate to the 2020 U.S. Cen-
sus. Last week the number was at
41 percent; then on Monday the
tribal Complete Count Team re-
ported a 79 percent response rate.
Depending on the Census cut-
off date—as of Tuesday the date
was not yet known—the tribes could
approach the 100-percent number.
This compares very favorable to the
2010 response rate of 37 percent.
Because of the Covid-19 pan-
demic, and the catastrophic fire sea-
son, the 2020 Tribal Census Team
was able to participate in the by-
proxy response method.
Please see CENSUS on 8
October 7, 2020 - Vol. 45, No. 21
October – Anwicht’ash – Fall - Tiyam
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
One month into Distance Learning
A month into the 2020-21
school year, students are using
the online platforms in pursu-
ing their education. While
clearly less than ideal, “Overall
this is going well,” said Ken
Parshall, 509-J district superin-
tendent.
Teachers and staff over the
summer went through intensive
training in the best use of
Google Classroom and other
interactive software. Mean-
while, students are studying and
working their regular school
schedules from home. “Having
that normality in the day—stu-
dents knowing what to expect
from class—is helpful to every-
one,” Mr. Parshall said.
Students who needed a com-
puter received one from the dis-
trict at the start of the school year.
An unavoidable issue has been en-
suring internet access for all stu-
dents. A few families in outlying
areas are required on school days
to drive to an area with access.
This has been an inevitable in-
convenience—among others, like
no team sports—during the start
of a school year that is unlike any
other.
Still, despite no in-class learning,
there are some aspects of the
Comprehensive Distance Learning
that could prove to be uesful, and
could carry over to normal school
days when Covid-19 is gone.
A good example of this is the
D.McMechan/Spilyay
Warm Springs Academy chef Juanita Kalama (left) and lead chef
Beverly Gallimore serve the breakfast and lunches, and Academy
assignments to student families at the school drive-by area.
Twenty-First Century Learning
Center. The center provides free
online tutoring, taught by the
Community
update
There were two additional
cases of Covid-19 on the reser-
vation between Friday, October
2 and Monday, October 5.
As of Tuesday of this week,
there were 18 active cases of
covid on the reservation. The
individuals are being moni-
tored by Warm Springs Public
Health.
Since the pandemic began in
March, Warm Springs IHS has
conducted a total of 3,616
Covid-19 tests.
During that time on the res-
ervation, there have been 365
positive cases. Of those:
Forty people were hospital-
ized, all of them are now dis-
charged.
Nine people of the reserva-
tion community have passed
away as a result of the virus,
according to IHS. The state
overall has seen a total of 572
covid-related deaths since
March.
A reminder from Tribal
Council: Tribal law requires in-
dividuals to follow the quaran-
tine and isolation regulations.
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
teachers, available to any student
in the district.
Please see SCHOOL on 8
Relief funds
for museum
D.McMechan/Spilyay
At the Community Center on
Saturday, the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe Railroad,
the Peacekeeper Society of
Yakima; Warm Springs
Emergency Response and
partners distribute supplies to
households of the reservation.
Quanah Spencer , tribal
relations director with BNSF,
coordinated the event with the
Dan Martinez, director of tribal
Emergency Response. As
many as 600 tribal
households showed up for the
drive-through distribution.
The Museum at Warm Springs
has received a $140,147 grant, as
compensation for losses due to
Covid-19. Another $53,736 went
to other cultural programs of the
Confederated Tribes, such as Edu-
cation.
The pandemic forced the mu-
seum to close for many weeks, and
the essential fundraisers have not
possible during the pandemic.
The Oregon Cultural Trust
announced the grants last week.
The museum at the tribes were
among 261 cultural organizations
in Oregon facing losses due to
Covid-19.
The Coronavirus Relief Fund
Cultural Support grant awards to-
taled $25.7 million statewide.
In Central Oregon, $998,668
went to Deschutes organizations;
$271,715 to Jefferson County and
the tribes; and $22,220 to Crook
count organizations.
The museum is now open Tues-
day through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. Safety precautions are in ef-
fect. Coming up on October 30 will
be the Twenty-Seventh Annual
Tribal Member Art Show.
Tuesday is last day to register to vote
Native American tribes have
always practiced self-governance
from time immemorial. As a
legacy of this sovereignty, the Con-
federated Tribes of Warm Springs
has the government-to-govern-
ment Treaty with the United
States; the tribal Constitution and
By-Laws, Tribal Council and court
system, enrollment criteria and ju-
risdictional sovereignty.
The tribal membership every
three years votes in the leadership
of the Confederated Tribes: This
is a guaranteed right practiced and
protected. For Native Americans,
however, the right to participate
in all federal, state and local elec-
Election dates to keep in mind
Next Tuesday, October 13: Voter registration
deadline. You can register online at sos.oregon.gov.
Or see the site: jeffco.net/cc
And there is a link at kwso.org
October 14: First day ballots are mailed out.
October 28: Last day to mail return ballot.
November 3: Election Day.
tions has not always been a guar-
anty. Instead, this right had to be
fought for and won—And for this
reason must be practiced when-
ever possible. This is especially
true now with the potential ‘elec-
tion of a lifetime’ is coming up on
November 3. From the electoral
tribal historical perspective:
One-hundred and fifty years
ago in 1870 the Fourteenth
Amendment to the United States
Constitution guaranteed the right
to vote to all U.S. citizens regard-
less of race. This did not apply to
Native Americans, though: It was
not until 1924 when the federal
government finally admitted that
all Native Americans born in the
United States are also citizens of
the United States.
Furthermore: Even after pas-
sage of the 1924 Snyder Act, in-
dividual states were able to pre-
vent Native American residents
from voting in federal, state and
local elections. A law in Arizona,
for instance, prevented Native resi-
dents of that state from voting un-
til 1948, when the law was struck
down as clearly unconstitutional.
As of this printing there are six
days remaining for new voters to
register to vote on November 3.
Change of address situations—for
those already registered but who
have moved and may not have re-
ceived their ballot in the mail—can
be addressed up until Election Day.
Dave McMechan