Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
To tribal
subsistence
fishers
The federal government has
made financial assistance available
to tribal subsistence fishers who in
2020 experienced negative impacts
to their subsistence fishing activi-
ties due to Covid-19.
The Confederated Tribes have
adopted a plan for the use of the
financial assistance, allowing subsis-
tence fishers to apply for funds if
their fishing was negatively affected
by covid.
The Fish and Wildlife Commit-
tee will oversee the application and
financial awards process.
Funds are limited. The amount
of funding a subsistence fisher
might receive is unknown until all
applications are submitted and
evaluated by the committee, said
Mark Manion, tribal harvest man-
ager.
The Fish and Wildlife Commit-
tee has developed an application
form that requires providing some
basic information about subsistence
fishing activity. The application
forms are available at the tribal
administration office.
Completed forms must be re-
turned to the drop box at the ad-
ministration office no later than
4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 2. Late
applications and applications not
put in the drop box will not be con-
sidered by the Committee.
Decisions of the Fish and Wild-
life Committee about eligibility and
amounts awarded are final.
Community
updates
The Warm Springs Health and
Wellness Center, as of late last
week, had administered 11,311 to-
tal Covid-19 tests, since the pan-
demic began.
Of the total tested, 10,515 had
come back negative.
As of late last week, there were
zero tests pending.
There had been 765 total posi-
tive results.
Eighty-three people of the tribal
community had been hospitalized
with covid since last March, accord-
ing to the recent IHS data.
There had been 25 deaths
among the tribal community.
Another 103 positives tests of
Confederated Tribes members had
come back positive from other
facilitites, for a total of 868 posi-
tives.
In a good sign: Late last week
IHS conducted 24 covid tests, and
zero came back positive.
In other news of the region: St.
Charles Health System hospitals
reported being at almost 80 percent
of capacity, with intensive care
units at about 63 percent capacity.
Current Jefferson County overall
covid risk level is High.
June 16, 2021 - Vol. 46, No. 12
June – Atixan – Summer - Shatm
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Funding progress on new jail project
For years now the leadership
of the Confederated Tribes has
advocated for a new Warm
Springs Jail. The jail is a BIA fa-
cility, so funding at that agency,
part of the Department of In-
terior, has been an obstacle.
Tribal Council Chair man
Raymond Tsumpti has been a
long-time main advocate of the
project, emphasizing the need for
a safe and reliable jail for tribal
law enforcement. The current
Warm Springs Jail, built in 1970s,
is old and well past its useful life,
Chairman Tsumpti has said.
The Department of Interior
announced recently that the
project will be funded. A new jail
is now in the preliminary plan-
ning phase, said Police Chief Wil-
liam Elliott. However, the agree-
ment at the Interior Department
and BIA to go forward is great news
for public safey of the reservation.
For several months tribal Cor-
rections has contracted to house
inmates with the Northern Oregon
Regional Corrections Facility, or
Norcor.
This has been necessary in part
because the existing Warm Springs
Jail is not capable of the safe hous-
ing of an inmate with a potential
contagious disease, such as Covid-
19. Covid is not the only reason,
though, that Public Safety and
tribes have contracted with Norcor,
and at times also with the Jefferson
County Jail.
There is a long list of deficien-
cies that make the Warm Springs
Jail unsafe for staff and inmates,
Chief Elliott said.
Starla Greene, Corrections Lieu-
tenant, began documenting the
problems at the jail, eventually com-
piling an extensive list of the areas
that would need to be fixed in or-
der to make the jail operational.
Lt. Greene’s work convinced
the Interior Department and BIA
that a new Warm Springs Jail is a
priority. “She’s put in a lot of hard
work on this,” Chief Elliott said.
The funding will come specifically
through the Department of the In-
terior - Facilities Management and
Construction Indian Affairs Office.
Preliminary questions such as lo-
cation, size, features, etc. have not
yet been worked out, as the an-
nouncement of the funding came
only this month.
Currently, when a person is ar-
rested on the reservation at night,
for instance, he or she may be
housed at the Warm Springs Jail
pending the court appearance the
next morning. If the person is to
remain in custody, Corrections staff
will transport the individual to
Norcor, located at The Dalles. This
is about a 70-mile drive each way.
The BIA does fund the housing
of the Warm Springs inmates at
Norcor.
“We’ve built a great relationship
with the Norcor staff, and Jefferson
County Corrections,” Lt. Greene
said. “They’ve been great partners.”
Still, a jail in Warm Springs, near
the courthouse, police station and
the community, is an obvious need.
A welcome
gathering
F
or almost 15 months now
since the pandemic began, the
basic traditional ceremonies of
life and passing have been can-
celled or very limited, or other-
wise potentially dangerous.
War m Springs Behavioral
Health, Prevention, Health and
Human Services and partners
last week hosted the Grief Con-
ference. The gathering—safely
outside on the lawn by Behav-
ioral Health—was possible be-
cause of the success of the
Tribal-IHS vaccine program.
The two-day conference was
a chance to remember those we
have lost to the virus, share
prayers and words of hope. This
was a kind of way to rejoin or
restart some traditional social
gatherings of the tribes.
Seven Drum Washat opened
the day, followed by prayers and
opening statements by Willie
Selam, Charlotte Herskshan,
Anita Davis, Councilman Captain
Moody, and others. Masters of
ceremony were Scott Kalama and
D.McMechan/Spilyay
One of the teepees at the
Conference; and at right,
the undertakers are honored
for their valued services
during the pandemic.
Jaycelene Brisbois of Prevention.
“I thought it was all well received
by the community,” said Ron Hager,
Prevention manager. “Everyone
stayed safe, and we met all our ex-
pectations.”
During the conference, Christine
Johnson honored the undertakers
who continued to help families and
loved ones during the pandemic.
See CONFERENCE on 5
On the Tribal Coucil agenda for the rest of June
The following are some of the
items on the Tribal Council
agenda for the rest of June (sub-
ject to change at Tribal Council
discretion):
Monday through Thurs-
day, June 20-24: National Con-
gress of the American Indian
Mid Year conference, virtual.
Monday, June 21
9 a.m.: Secretary-Treasurer/
Chief Executive Officer update
with Michele Stacona.
9:30: July agenda, review
minutes with the S-T.
10: Legislative update calls,
federal and state.
11: Covid-19 and School
District update with the Response
Team and district superintendent.
1:30 p.m.: Enrollments with
Lucille Suppach-Samson, Vital Sta-
tistics.
2: Finalize Personnel Manual
revisions with Cheryl Tom.
Tuesday, June 22
9 a.m.: Human Resources up-
date with Cheryl Tom.
9:30: Finance update.
10: Governmental Affairs up-
date with Louie Pitt.
10:30: Managed Care program
update with Michael Collins.
11: Administrative Services up-
date with Michele.
11:30: Procurement update with
Libby Chase.
1:30 p.m.: Tribal Court update
with Judge Lisa Lomas.
2: High Lookee Lodge update
with Greg Tippett.
2:30: Public Safety update with
Nancy Seyler.
3:30: Natural Resources update
with Bobby Brunoe.
4:30 p.m.: Veterans Services
update with Frankie Williams.
Wednesday, June 23
9 a.m.: Health and Human Ser-
vices update with Caroline Cruz.
10: Education update with
Valerie Switzler.
11: Tribal Employment Rights
Office update with Wendell Jim.
11:30: Gaming Commission/
Surveillance update with Josephine
Johnson.
1:30 p.m.: Public Utilities update
with Chico Holliday.
Thursday and Friday, June
24-25: Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission update meeting,
virtual.
Monday, June 28
9 a.m.: Board appointments.
11: Construction articles update
with Jim Souers.
Items for further consider-
ation: National Indian Gaming
Association meeting, July 19-22.
AT&T FirstNet project/Beaver
Butte lease.