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Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
March 10, 2021
Pinkham takes Corps of Engineers oversight position
Jaimie Pinkham is leaving his
position as executive director of
the Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission for an oversight
position with the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, civil works. Mr.
Pinkham is a Nez Perce member,
and has been CRITFC executive
director since 2017.
He recently accepted the posi-
tion of principal deputy assistant
secretary of the Corps of Engi-
neers for civil works. Large-scale
dams of the Columbia River and
tributaries are among the Army
Corps of Engineers civil works, for
example.
In his new position Mr.
Pinkham will focus on energy and
the environment. As his move from
CRITFC is a very recent decision,
the parties are still working on the
transition. The change was first
publicly reported at the winter con-
ference of the National Congress
of American Indians.
Mr. Pinkham noted he will be
working for the present adminis-
tration and its policy direction: “I’m
not ready to point to any particu-
lar outcome of any particular is-
sue at this time,” he said. “I will
take my lead from the administra-
tion.”
Pinkham will be joining the ad-
Jaime Pinkham
ministration before a push later
this year for a sizable infrastruc-
ture package in Congress.
The package could include a
$33 billion proposal to breach the
four lower Snake River dams. This
could help save Snake River
salmon and steelhead from extinc-
tion. U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-
Idaho, last month introduced this
initiative.
The proposal includes remov-
ing the earthen berms adjacent to
all four Lower Snake River hydro-
electric dams to let the river run
free, while spending billions to al-
leviate the impact on agriculture,
industry and transportation, and
communities affected by the loss
of slackwater and hydroelectric
generation.
Prior to returning to CRITFC
in 2017, Pinkham worked for the
Bush Foundation Native Nations
Program; the Trust for Public
Land’s Tribal Initiative and held
elective office on the Nez Perce
Tribe Executive Committee. He
also ran tribe’s Department of
Fisheries Resources Manage-
ment.
Regarding Mr. Pinkham’s new
position with the Corps of Engi-
neers, National Wildlife Federation
director of water resources and
coastal policy Jessie Ritter said:
“The Army Corps of Engineers
has an essential role in managing
America’s rivers, wetlands, flood-
plains, and coasts to make com-
munities and the nation’s wildlife
more resilient to climate change.
Jamie Pinkham has the experience
and perspective needed to guide
the Army Corps of Engineers as
it works to improve the health of
the nation’s waters and invest in
natural solutions to protect com-
munities and wildlife alike.”
Tribal water bill back at Senate
Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron
Wyden and Jeff Merkley this
month reintroduced legislation to
help improve water quality and ser-
vices for Oregon tribal communi-
ties. This bill, first introduced two
years ago, was in part a federal re-
sponse to the water infrastructure
of the Warm Springs Reservation.
Two summers in a row—2019 and
2020—saw extended boil-water
notices, and water outages to many
residents of the Agency District.
Other tribes of the West face simi-
lar, though less drastic problems.
Sens. Wyden and Merkley rein-
troduced their Western Tribal Wa-
ter Infrastructure Act would help
move these communities out of the
cycle of temporary and emergency
fixes, finally ensuring stable and re-
liable federal investments in water
infrastructure projects.
Mr. Wyden raised the issue
during Interior Secretary-Designate
Deb Haaland’s nomination hearing in
the Senate Energy and Natural Re-
sources Committee, and secured her
commitment to work on solutions.
“Clean drinking water is a hu-
man right. Yet the Confederated
Tribes of War m Springs and
other Native
American
tribes around America have to rely
on
inadequate
water
infrastructure that has left
many with limited or no access to
clean water in the middle of a
pandemic,” Sen. Wyden said.
“Boil water notices and crum-
bling pipes are not acceptable. Con-
gress must do more to bring ur-
gently needed resources to
build sustainable tribal water
infrastructure that has been ne-
glected for far too long. And I look
forward to working on this
with Congresswoman
Deb
Haaland when she takes the helm
of the Interior Department.”
Rep. Haaland, of New Mexico,
is a member of the Puebla Laguna
tribe. If confirmed as Secretary
of the Interior, as recommended
recently by the Senate Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources.
The Western Tribal Water Infra-
structure Act introduced Wednes-
day would:
· Help Oregon tribes connect,
expand or repair existing public
water systems to improve water
quality, water pressure or water ser-
vices by ensuring tribes in the Co-
lumbia River Basin, and its adjacent
coastal river basins, are eligible for
the Indian Reservation Drinking
Water Program;
· Authorize the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency to fund
up to 10 water improvement
projects per year for tribes in the
Columbia River Basin and its adja-
cent coastal river basins;
· Require that at least one of the
10 authorized water improvement
projects help Western Oregon tribal
governments improve water infra-
structure; and
· Make the Indian Reservation
Drinking Water program permanent
and increase its funding from $20
million per year to $50 million per
year.
Heart of Oregon recruiting new Madras store manager
If you’re strolling down
Fifth Street in Madras you may
notice some changes at the
Heart of Oregon Thrift Store
front window. The popular store
is preparing to reopen this
spring, and is welcoming students
back for pre-opening training.
In addition to being a non-
profit business, the store serves
as a job-skills training program
for Jefferson County students
with varying abilities. The store
has been closed since this time
last year due to the pandemic,
but now that schools are re-
turning in-person, the store
plans to reopen for customers
and donations in April or May.
Heart of Oregon is also re-
cruiting for the Thrift Store
program manager position, as
long-time manager and Culver
resident Linda Graham relo-
cated to Louisiana earlier this
winter.
“The position is a unique op-
portunity to both run a vibrant
downtown Madras business
and teach job skills to a diverse
group of local youth,” shares
program director Kara
Johnson. Applications are due
March 15.
“As much as we miss our cus-
tomers,” Ms. Johnson says, “We
have decided to ensure student
safety by beginning our reopening
process with a training period for
students only before customers re-
turn or we begin accepting dona-
tions.” In training, students will be
refreshing inventory of goods,
practicing customer service skills,
learning safety protocol, and setting
up store displays.
Heart of Oregon Corps would
like to thank all of the Thrift
Store’s loyal customers and do-
nors. The store is not currently
accepting donations or open for
retail sales. For more informa-
tion, please call the Thrift Store
at 541-475-7559 or visit
heartoforegon.org. The store also
makes announcements at:
f a c e b o o k . c o m /
HOCThriftStore.
Heart of Oregon Corps is a
nonprofit organization invested
in inspiring and empowering
change in the lives of Central
Oregon youth through jobs, edu-
cation, and stewardship. Their
programming creates pathways
out of poverty while stimulat-
ing regional economic growth.
Courtesy
Lower Snake River dam that may be breached under new initiative.
Last month U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson unveiled a sweeping $33.5
billion plan to bring back the Snake River salmon. Rep. Simpson
and advocates hope this will be part of the multitrillion-dollar in-
frastructure and clean-energy package set for unveiling later this
year.
The centerpiece of Rep. Simpson’s plan is the breaching of the
four lower Snake River dams, in Washington State, that stand be-
tween migrating Chinook salmon and 5,500 miles of near-pristine
spawning habitat in central Idaho.
“We looked at every possible situation to try to find a way to keep
the dams. There’s no way,” Simpson said. “I can’t be certain that re-
moving these four dams will bring back Idaho’s salmon, but I am
certain that if we don’t remove them, the salmon are on a certain path
to extinction.” The plan also proposes a Northwest State and Tribal
Fish and Wildlife Council, which would give the region’s tribes equal
control over fishery management with states. Northwest treaty tribes
with fishing rights are in support of the proposal.
Howlak Tichum
Perpit’lee oo ~ Agnes Evelyn Tulee – 1930-2021
Agnes Evelyn Tulee, age 90,
was called to the sacred Cre-
ator on February 17, 2021. She
passed away peacefully and of
natural causes at her home in
Toppenish, Washington, sur-
rounded by her family.
She was born to Salaleet
Martha Smartlowit and Curtis
Klutman at the Kusshei home-
stead in Toppenish. She was
orphaned at age 8 and was
placed under her kuthla Nettie
Kusskei’s care, where she at-
tended Wiley City, Simnasho,
and White Swan school districts.
Her kuthla’s home was rich
in the in the mamachat dialect
of the Ichiskin sinwit, which
young Agnes and her older sis-
ter Julia Charley learned to com-
municate in having the elders.
Agnes traveled with her
kuthla and because there were
no able men in their family to
drive, they traveled on horse-
back, buckboards, horse and
bug gy, and the hack. They
pitched up their encampments
at the Pendleton Round Up, He
He Mill Longhouse, and other
areas where the Indian people
gathered for horse racing, ka
oisha, and pi-umes.
Agnes married Reginald W.
Tulee and spent ten years with
him on the Colville Indian Res-
ervation, and another 16 years
upon the Spokane Indian Res-
ervation, where she got ac-
quainted with many people.
Agnes worked as a school
cook, museum technician, and
certified Nursing Assistant, as
well as early jobs in the canner-
ies and hard work of harvest-
ing produce.
She retired as a root and me-
dicinal gatherer, cook, cornhusk
weaver, beadworker, circle
dancer and homemaker. Also,
stickgrames, bingo, and dice
games at home where she holds
the highest score. She also
ser ved many years on the
Yakama Nation General Coun-
cil as an alternate counter, and
then as an interpreter before
retiring in 2017.
She is preceded in death by
sisters Julia Charley, Sarah
Yallup and Gladys Lewis. Broth-
ers Kenneth and Victor Lewis,
Husband Reginald W. Tulee,
and sons Dale and Randy Unyto
Tulee.
She is survived by sisters
Leona Jack, Lola Totus,
Lavina Wilkins and Theresa
Ashue. Special nieces Annette
Starr and Delpine Dave-
Lopez. Daughers, Evangeline
Kishwalk-Piel,
Melissa,
Jeanette and Salaleet Martha
Tulee. Sons, Leo Hellon, Vic-
tor Reggie Jr., Mike Kusheosh
Arthur, Jason Sattakalas and
Paul Tulee. Her beloved ullas
and kuthlas, and the most im-
portant people grandchildren,
great grandchild and great
great grandchildren.
She was taken to the Meth-
odist Cemetery in White Swan
after a short viewing. She was
lain to rest after the uplifting
two songs were sung by Eagle
Spirit on February 19, 2021.