Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
On the
Fourth
There are only two designated ar-
eas where people can light off fire-
works on the Fourth of July: The
parking lot at the Community Cen-
ter, and the parking area of the
Simnasho Longhouse.
The heat and dry conditions
make this the safest way to protect
against a potential catastrophic ac-
cidental fire. Meanwhile, the
offficial fireworks display is on for
Suday evening, July 4 at the Com-
munity Center area.
Ruling for
Tribes, Power
& Water
The Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs maintains its sover-
eign immunity when it comes to law-
suits filed pursuant to the federal
Clean Water Act: This was the rul-
ing in June of the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals.
The Deschutes River Alliance in
2018 filed a lawsuit against the Con-
federated Tribes and Portland Gen-
eral Electric. The suit alleged that
the operation of the selective wa-
ter intake tower at the Pelton-Round
Butte hydro system was violating
provisions of the Clean Water Act.
A lower court had ruled in fa-
vor of the tribes and PGE, finding
the Clean Water Act provisions were
flexible enough to accommodate the
operation of the intake tower. The
Deschutes River Alliance then ap-
pealed this decision.
In its ruling the Ninth Circuit
Court did not address the issue of
the flexibility of the Clean Water
Act provisions. Instead, the appeals
court found that the Clean Water
Act did not abrogate or limit the
sovereign immunity of the Confed-
erated Tribes.
The tribes are a necessary party
to the lawsuit, as co-owner and op-
erator of the dams. Sovereign im-
munity applied to the case, so the
matter is dismissed, the Ninth Cir-
cuit panel ruled. In another recent
development at the Pelton-Round
Butte and water tower system:
Sixty Chinook were collected this
year at the system fish trap, and
released above the dam complex.
This is the most returning Chinook
to the site since the tower was in-
stalled a decade ago.
The selective water instake tower
creates a downstream current in
Lake Billy Chinook, behind the
Round Butte dam. This allows the
downstream migrating fish to find
their way to the dam system, where
they are collected and released
downstream.
Since the dams were built in the
1960s, fish had been blocked from
down- and upstream migration, until
the tribes and PGE developed the
tower system, as part of the dams
relicensing in 2011.
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
June 30, 2021 - Vol. 46, No. 13
June – Atixan – Summer - Shatm
June 25 marked the One-
Hundred and Sixty-Sixth
Anniversary of the signing
of the Treaty of 1855. For
safety reasons the tribes
again had to cancel the Pi-
Ume-Sha Treaty Days
Powwow.
On the treaty anniversary
day this year, Tribal Council
and staff, along with
Housing held a giveaway
with members arriving at
the administration building
in vehicles and receiving the
gift bags.
Here at right, Helping out
are among others Tammy
Calhoun, Utilities, Norma
Heath, Council staff, Jay
Handi and Housing staff
making the day a
success.
There is the great hope the
Treaty powwow celebration
returns next June.
D.McMechan/Spilyay
‘Into the Fray’ honoring firefighters at museum
Firefighters of the Confed-
erated Tribes have always been
heroes. This is especially true
during these days of extreme
heat and dought. The Museum
at Warm Springs this summer is
honoring the heros with a new
exhibit, Into the Fray: Native
American Wildland Fire-fighters
of Warm Springs and Beyond.
Into the Fray highlights the
history and contemporary activi-
ties of the brave Native wild-
land firefighters. The exhibit will
be on display through the fire
season, until late September.
Some of the observations of
the exhibit:
Fire has been a tool with sig-
nificant impact for Indigenous
peoples from ancient times to
the present day. Tribes used fire
in the hunt, for food preserva-
tion, ceremonial smoking, and
clearing land.
“Native peoples across In-
dian Country align to the basic
elements of the earth. Fire pu-
rifies,” said museum director
Elizabeth A. Woody. “Weather,
the stars, water and fire are es-
sential elements of change in
D.McMechan/Spilyay
Some of the display items of Into the Fray at the museum.
their lives.”
From training, operations, the
grueling hours of intense physical
exertion, Native wildland fighters
form bonds, share the rewards and
tell stories of their elite corps. The
history exhibition includes an ar-
ray of photographs along with
firefighters’ boots, uniforms and
hats.
“This exhibition examines and
pays tribute to the lives of our Na-
tive brother and sister wildland
firefighters of Warm Springs and
other Native nations,” Ms. Woody
says.
“These brave individuals are
part of our contemporary culture
and contribute to our story—and
the safeguarding and preservation
of our land and peoples for fu-
ture generations.”
Museum health and safety pro-
tocols are in effect: The Council
requires all visitors and staff to
wear masks while in the museum.
Other health and safety procedures
are in place, which include allow-
ing only a certain number of visi-
tors in the museum at a time and
temperature checks at the entrance.
All protocols are designed to
keep the public and staff safe dur-
ing the ongoing pandemic. In other
news at the museum:
On a Friday and Saturday, Au-
gust 27-28 the museum will host
its Annual Honor Dinner and Cel-
ebration in Portland. This year’s
honorees are U.S. Poet Laureate
Joy Harjo (Mvskoke) and author
and Warm Springs elder George
W. Aguilar Sr. (Wasco).
S-503 fire containment
Firefighters this week were
continuing to make progress on
the S-503 wildfire burning on the
reservation. Early in the week
Fire Management reported the
containment to 95 percent.
The S-503 blaze was at 6,679
acres. Firefighters and engine
crews were working on cooling hot
spots, and advancing in the inte-
rior of the fire’s containment line.
S-503 was the largest a three
fires that broke out in late June
on the reservation, the other
two happening near the Warm
Springs National Fish Hatch-
ery, and the other off Tenino
Road.
The fish hatchery area fire
burned across about 45 acres of
brush, and was considered
suspicous in origin, according to
investigators. The fire off Tenino
Road burned two abandoned struc-
tures, and the nearby brush.
The S-503 fire broke out the
evening of Friday, June 19 on the
north end of the reservation. The
location was two miles east of
Highway 26, and seven miles
northeast of Simnasho.
Hot and dry conditions have
been important factors in fighting
this fire, which burned in timber
and brush.
A main priority has been the
safety of personnel, as the Pacific
Northwest is going through an his-
toric heat wave. Firefighters are
well informed with extra guidance
for heat-related illnesses, watch-out
situation metrics and cooling tents
WS Fire Management
Fire crew member at the S-503 fire.
to care for the firefighters during
the record temperatures. As tem-
peratures remain high in coming
days and perhaps weeks, with rela-
tively low humidity, there is a high
risk of potential for fire activity.
Firefighting resources remain
prepared to respond to new starts
on the reservation and surround-
ing areas.