Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
December 16, 2020
~ 2020 Review ~
July
Shirley Stayhi Heath, the
wife of War m 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 most trusted adviser to her
husband.
O regon lawmakers approved
more than $3.5 million in emer-
gency water system repair
funding to the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs. Much
of the reservation has been on
an unsafe drinking-boil water no-
tice 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 reserva-
tion this summer has been several
times higher than the overall state
average, and four times the aver-
age of eight other recognized tribes
of Oregon.
The current boil-water condi-
tion 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 ap-
proved $3.58 million from state re-
serves to start addressing these is-
sues.
August
T he tribal organization is set
to re-open on August 17.
In late July and early August,
(Continued )
Tribal Council and the Covid-19
Response Team were considering
re-opening the organization in early
August; however, further testing
then showed an increase to more
than 70 active Covid-19 cases on
the reservation.
Council and the team then
agreed another week of closure
was in order.
L ike the other school districts
in the state, Jefferson County
509-J will begin the 2020-21
school year using Comprehen-
sive Distance Learning. Because
of the coronavirus, there will be
no on-site teaching at least for
the first six weeks of the new
school year.
State health metrics leave Com-
prehensive Distance Learing as the
only teaching alternative available,
at least for the start of the year.
This is true of all or all but one of
the other districts in Oregon.
Outreach available to community members
By Buffy Hurtado
Health Care Analyst
Health and Human Services
These are some facts about the
Covid-19 Community Outreach
project for 2020-21.
Any community member is eli-
gible to receive a ‘community bas-
ket.’ The basket is comprised of
whatever has been donated to my
office, and does include things like
laundry soap, bleach, hand sanitizer,
toilet paper, paper towels, masks,
etc.
Receiving items is based on
household size to ensure that ad-
equate supplies are given. A family
of five receives enough supplies
for their household just like a
household of 15 would.
There are no income require-
ments—Just a short survey.
If delivery is needed, that can
be arranged.
Due to current organizational
restrictions, phone calls are encour-
aged so that when pick-up is done
there will be a limited amount of
interaction.
Households do not need to be
Covid-19 positive to receive items.
Part of prevention is making sure
each household has adequate sup-
plies.
Employees can pick up items for
their caseload(s) or individuals they
are working with.
All these items are donated and
quarantined for at least five days,
and in many cases longer.
Any person can make a refer-
ral and efforts will be made to
reach out to that household.
If you have any specific ques-
tions regarding this program, please
let me know and I will do what I can
to assist and help answer them. Call
541-615-0141, or 541-553-34145.
GED classes
Central Oregon Commu-
nity College will be offering
GED classes remotely this win-
ter. You can register online up
to December 28 and the term
will start January 4.
Communication classes for
reading and writing will be
Mondays and Wednesdays.
Math classes will be Mondays
a Wednesdays, or Tuesdays
and Thursdays. Science classes
are being offered on Tuesdays
and Thursdays.
For more information visit
cocc.edu
Merle Kirk made this service message for the Confederated
Tribes of Umatilla Reservation. Her work is part of the National
Endowment for the Humanities CARES project, Living in today’s
pandemic, and historic pandemics and catastrophes. CARES
provided a grant to the Umatilla tribes Education Department.
Page 5
T he Shitike Creek crossing wa-
ter line replacement was com-
pleted in mid August. The boil
water notice remains in effect,
though, for the Agency area until
the required samples are completed
and reviewed by the EPA.
Water conservation efforts are
still needed as the water tanks re-
cover. The Water Distribution Cen-
ter is closed until further notice.
F amilies at the end of August
can pick up the student
Chromebook computer devices
for the start of the new 509-J
school year. A parent or guardian
must be present to pick up the
Chromebook; the student need not
be present for pick up.
Importantly, you must sign up
for the Chromebook before arriv-
ing to pick it up.
T here are 1,425 registered vot-
ers in the Warm Springs voting
precinct of Jefferson County. For
those 18 and over on Election Day
who are not yet registered, there is
still a month to register to vote in
the November 3 General Election.
The November 3 election in-
cludes the federal, state and local
candidates, and the statewide and
local ballot measures.
Congress has passed a bill to
nullify the ‘treaty of 1865’ with
the matter now going to President
Trump for final signing into law.
Tribal Council and Governmen-
tal Affairs director Louie Pitt have
advocated for years that the 1865
‘supplemental treaty’—also called
‘the Huntington document’—be
formally repealed by the federal
government. Gov. Kate Brown is
in favor of the repeal. This year
Rep. Greg Walden and Sen. Jeff
Merkley sponsored legislation to
repeal the Huntington document.
‘The treaty of 1865’—a failed
attempt to replace the Treaty of
1855—has never been enforced by
a federal court or agency, and the
tribes have never recognized it as
binding. The document, though,
was ratified in 1867; so it has ex-
isted in a technical sense.
( Review continues on page 7)