Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
March 24, 2021
Helping her community at the River
IHS covid
data update
The national office of the In-
dian Health Service over the week-
end updated its coronavirus data.
According to the most recent
data: IHS has conducted more
2,150,686 tests for Covid-19 among
members of its service area.
Of the total tests: 188,890 have
returned positive for Covid-19.
That represents an increase of
less than 1 percent from the previ-
ous report a week before.
Since mid-October of 2020, the
IHS has been providing additional
information about the spread of
the coronavirus within the system.
Based on the cumulative percent
positive, the highest rates have been
seen in three areas, as has been true
for the past several weeks: They
are:
The Navajo Area, 16.4 percent.
The Phoenix Area, 14 percent. The
Oklahoma City Area, 13.1 percent.
The 7-day rolling average posi-
tivity column offers a more con-
temporary look at the impact of
the coronavirus. The data shows
where Covid-19 cases have been
increasing in most recent days and
weeks. Based on the 7-day rolling
average positivity, these areas con-
tinue to see higher Covid-19 rates:
the Great Plains Area, the Califor-
nia Area, and the Oklahoma City
Area.
The Warm Springs Youth
Football Camp is happening
this Wednesday, March 24 at
the Academy field.
There is no cost for this
camp, and it’s open to all k-8
students, male and female. The
camp will be from 11 a.m. to 1
p.m. The camp is hosted by the
Madras High School Football
program.
All Covid-19 guidelines are
enforced, including wearing a
mask and social distancing. Par-
ents are not allowed to stay at
the venue during the camp
times. The camp will be
streamed live on Facebook at
the football program page.
Coach Taylor can be reached at
503-312-9680; or email:
ktaylor@509j.net
Cougar sighting by the Academy
Courtesy Columbia Gorge News
Shawyna Spino in her new job, connecting people at the Columbia
River with resources for better lives and healthier communities.
The Youth Specialist had to be a
person who experienced homeless-
ness: Shawyna speaks frankly, ex-
plaining that, during her youth, be-
ing without a home was a regular
part of her life. Many factors con-
tributed to her situation, but the
result was moving often up and
down both sides of the Columbia
River, living where she could.
Her experiences did not stop her
from succeeding and, “with sup-
port of many others,” she gradu-
ated from Lyle High School in
2020. She credits her school coun-
selor Julie Larson with referring her
to apply for the Pathways position.
Over the years, Ms. Larson has
cultivated a relationship with the
Native community, and developed
a bond of trust with Shawyna.
Julie learned of the Pathways
position and thought it would be a
good fit for Shawyna. When asked
if it was the right place at the right
time for Shawyna to apply, Julie
said without hesitation, “Yes, I re-
ally think it was.”
Julie adds that Ms. Spino had
always been a good advocate for
herself, and she works especially
well with others.
The initial training cycle for a
program coordinator included ex-
tensive job shadowing. Shawyna is
now working to create a cycle of
visitations to places where Native
people gather.
She wants to be a regular asset
in making people aware of pro-
grams and services that are avail-
able like food banks and housing
options within the Washington
Gorge Action Programs system,
and to make referrals to other lo-
cal programs such as legal assis-
tance and counseling.
When asked what her best mo-
ment has been so far, Shawyna
said it was meeting with her
“Aunties and Uncles” at one of
the fishing in-lieu sites, where
tribes maintain treaty fishing
rights. Her relatives, she said,
“Never thought they would see
someone like themselves on the
other side of the table.”
Shawyna sees this position as an
opportunity to give back and be
available for her community.
Warm Springs Public Safety of-
ficers earlier this month responded
to a cougar sighting near the Warm
Springs Academy. Police increased
patrolling in the area, though they
did not spot the cougar.
The Branch of Natural Re-
sources also dispatched follow-up
patrols, noting it is common for
cougars to expand into developed
areas when food scarcity occurs,
or when they are pushed by terri-
torial disputes with other mountain
lions. Meanwhile, Natural Re-
sources and police recommend
home-owners in the vicinity to be
sure to keep dogs and cats inside
and secured at night.
Howlak Tichum
Allen Elston ~ 1931-2021
Allen Elston of Madras died
on March 16, 2021,surrounded
by his family. He was 89 years
old.
Allen was born on June 13,
1931, in Miami, Texas, to
Charles and Myrtle Elston. He
lived his early life in Huckabay,
Texas, where he met and mar-
ried Juanita Wylie, in 1949.
Allen attended Hardin-
Simmons University and South-
western Baptist Theological
Seminary. On March 15, 1960,
he and Juanita moved their
young family, which included
Marsha and Alicia, to Warm
Springs, where Allen became the
pastor of the Warm Springs
Baptist Church. Donna was
added to the family a year later,
and the Elstons spent over 33
years living among the wonder-
ful Warm Springs people they
so dearly loved.
Allen is survived by Juanita,
his wife of over 71 years; daugh-
ters Marsha Martinez and hus-
band James, of Madras, Alicia
Pugh and husband Dale, of
Huckabay, Texas, and Donna
Scheller and husband Ron, of
Bend.
He is also survived by his
six grandchildren and their
families: Scott Armstrong and
Eve Ooten, of Anchorage,
Alaska, Jesse and Jessie
Armstrong, of Bend, Aaron
and Katie Elston, of Bend,
John Pugh and Audrie Ayers,
of Bend, Natalie and Jason
Villanueva, of Bend, and
Mikaela and Michael Bird, of
Bend.
Allen and Juanita also have
the joy of being great-grand-
parents to Livi and Lyza
Armstrong, of Bend. In addi-
tion, four younger brothers,
Gene, Baldy, Carroll and
Mack, and a large extended
family survives in Texas and
points beyond.
CRITFC seeks to hire 4 officers
The Columbia River Inter-
Tribal Fish Commission seeks to
hire four police officers. These are
new positions, all of them full-time.
The locations will be in Hood
River or Boardman.
Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Enforcement police officers are
directly responsible for carrying out
all enforcement and protective pa-
State of Oregon update on covid cases
Oregon health authorities report
this week that the overall death toll
in the state from Covid-19 is 2,363.
This number was reported after one
new covid death in Oregon on
Monday.
On Monday in the state there
were also a reported 224 new con-
firmed or presumptive cases of the
virus.
Some good news is that the state
reports that health providers in
Oregon have administered more
than 1.5 million first- and second
doses of Covid-19 vaccination.
School sports update
The Madras High School
girls basketball team is plan-
ning for their season in May
and June this year. With that,
they are starting to fund raise.
They have opened up their
online Fan Clothing Store for
fans and players.
Every time a player sells an
item, a percentage of the sale
goes to the team. To learn
more you can contact Jerin Say
at email:
jsay@509j.net
Or call 541-777-7904.
H aving lived along the Co-
lumbia River all of her life,
Shawyna Spino is deeply connected
to the area’s Native communities.
“I grew up all along this river,”
Shawyna says. “I never left this
river. I’ve always been here. My
connection is to the people, it makes
it easy to talk to my local people.”
Ms. Spino, a Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs member,
is the Pathways coordinator for the
Washington Gorge Action Programs
team. In this position Shawyna sup-
ports the Native American popu-
lation throughout the program ser-
vice area in Skamania and Klickitat
counties.
She joined the Gorge Action
Programs team last year as a youth
specialist. “Pathways is a program
that helps people find resources
within their community,” Shawyna
says.
The service was added through
a grant from Southwest Washing-
ton Accountable Community of
Health. Shawyna’s role focuses on
serving the homeless population,
especially young people.
Growing up in Lyle, she wasn’t
familiar with the Washington Gorge
Action Programs—the community
action agency that works locally to
fight poverty.
Later, she got to know the pro-
gram. And now as part of team,
she shares her experiences and
serves the Native families of the
area. “The people have an oppor-
tunity to talk to someone they feel
more comfortable with,” Shawyna
says.
Her journey is a personal one.
Page 5
The Oregon Health Authority
reports receiving 22,232 new doses
of the vaccine, to be administered
as soon as possible.
The new cofirmed and pre-
sumptive Covid-19 cases in the
state were reported by county as
follows:
Baker (1), Benton (8),
Clackamas (21), Columbia (6),
Coos (6), Deschutes (11), Douglas
(8), Grant (3), Jackson (12),
Jefferson (1), Josephine (13), Lake
(1), Lane (8), Linn (12), Marion
(38), Multnomah (28), Polk (4),
Union (2), Washington (40) and
Yamhill (1). Regarding the recent
covid deaths in the state:
Oregon’s 2,354th Covid-19
death was a 66-year-old man in
Clatsop County.
The 2,355th covid death was an
88-year-old woman in Marion
County.
The state’s 2,356th covid death
was an 80-year-old man in Marion
County.
Oregon’s 2,357th covid death
was an 89-year-old man in Wasco
County.
trols by foot, vehicle, and boat on
the main stem Columbia River and
its environs and also patrol at the
In-lieu and Treaty Fishing Access
sites.
Starting salary range is $50,506
to $55,157. The closing date is April
30. Employment application and
full job announcement:
www.critfc.org