Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
Community
update
The Warm Springs Covid-19
Response Team and Tribal Council
would like to thank everyone in the
community who has been vacci-
nated against Covid-19; and those
who continue to practice the safety
measures that are helping the tribes
meet the challenge of the virus.
A recent update indicated no
known active cases on the reserva-
tion; though some positive cases
were reported among members liv-
ing off the reservation.
The Response Team report
from earlier this week said no one
of the tribal community was hospi-
talized with covid.
Still, the virus poses a most seri-
ous threat: Prevelance of the highly
contagious variants has required the
Response Team and Tribal Council
to adopt new guidelines for all tribal
buildings (see article below right).
Health statistics show that
Covid-19 was the leading cause of
death on the reservation in 2020.
Since last March, the virus has led
to the loss of 25 tribal members,
the data shows.
If you would like to be tested
for Covid-19, check in at the front
gate at the Warm Springs Health
and Wellness Center, and they will
direct you where to go.
You can call to schedule a vacci-
nation anytime at the Health and
Wellness Center, 541-553-2131.
Anyone 12 and older who is IHS
eligible, or who lives or works on
the reservation, and their family
members can be vaccinated. Vac-
cinations remain the primary way
to bring covid under control.
August 11, 2021 - Vol. 46, No. 16
August – Shatm – Summer - Shatm
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
School year to begin with mask requirement
As the new school year be-
gins in September, masks will
be required for students,
teachers and anyone else in-
side of a school building.
This will apply at all
schools of the Jefferson
County 509-J district, includ-
ing the Warm Springs Acad-
emy.
As partners at the Acad-
emy, the school district left
the mask-mandate decision to
the tribes. Based on updated
covid safety guidelines of
Tribal Council, reg arding
masking in all tribal build-
ings, the mandate applies at
the Academy.
Tribal Health and Human
Ser vices g eneral manag er
Caroline Cruz, Covid Response
Team member, presented the
tribal covid protocol to the
school board this week.
“The tribe has not reached the
70 percent vaccination rate for
those 12 and older, leaving chil-
dren under 12 more vulnerable,
especially with the more serious
variants,” Ms. Cruz said.
The new tribal safety protocol,
regarding masking and other mea-
sures, took effect this week. Part
of the protocol states clearly:
“Masks are now required for all
to wear inside public buildings.”
The mask mandate for the high
school and other schools of the
district comes from Gov. Kate
Brown, the Oregon Health Au-
thority and the state Department
of Education.
Changes in the masking situa-
tion have developed quickly, over
the past few weeks. The emer-
gence of the highly contagious
delta variant, and other variants,
are factors; plus vaccination hesi-
tancy.
Earlier this summer, Gov.
Brown was considering leaving the
masking question up to the indi-
vidual school districts. This was in
keeping with the guidelines from
the U.S. Centers for Disease Con-
trol. Then the delta variant led to
covid surges and hospitalizations in
many states, including Oregon.
And younger people were becom-
ing sick with the virus.
The Centers for Disease Con-
trol then issued new guidance:
“The CDC now recommends
that all students and staff
should wear masks inside
schools, regardless of whether
he or she is vaccinated.”
Gov. Brown then directed
the Health Authority and Edu-
cation Department to develop
the new statewide policy. This
month the Health Authority is-
sued the new guidance, called
the Resiliency Framework, “re-
quiring face coverings in all in-
door school settings, both pub-
lic and private, for all individu-
als 2 years and older, including
all students, staff, contractors,
volunteers and visitors.”
The school district is re-
sponding, “planning to hold
full-time, in-person instruction
five days a week for the upcom-
ing school year,” said 509-J su-
perintendent Jay Mathisen. “We
know this is when kids flourish
most. Let’s stick together in
these challenging times.”
Ms. Mathisen says he con-
tinue to advocate for local con-
trol on the masking question,
while preparing to meet the lat-
est state mandate.
Dave McMechan
The Eugene Cougar Greene
American Legion Family
#48 and the Confederated
Tribes hosted the Welcome
Home Vietnam Veterans
Day Parade, Saturday,
August 7, honoring the men
and women who served in
the Armed Forces during
the years 1955-1975.
There was a great turnout
for the parade, as the
annual event was welcomed
back again following a one-
year delay.
Celebrate
at Casino
Indian Head Casino this week-
end will host the Twenty-Fifth An-
niversary Celebration of the ca-
sino opening. The schedule this
Saturday, August 14 is as follows:
Saturday, August 14: 2 p.m.
Opening Prayer and Welcome.
2:30: Gifts and cake.
2:30-5:30: Bingo for all ages.
2:30-6:30: Family friendly
events—including a Bouncy
House, Water Slide and Velcro
Wall.
2:30-8: DJ Music.
2-8 p.m.: Community food and
craft vendor booths (applications
available at the Players’ Club, IHC
social media; or:
indianheadgaming.com of events
is as follows:
This Friday, August 13, from
6-11 p.m. will be the $25,000
Weekend Drawings.
Saturday, will also have the
$25,000 Weekend Drawings. And
the Slot Tournament is on Sun-
day, August 15 from 2-4 p.m.
Indian Head Casino opened in
1995 at Kah-Nee-Ta. The casino
relocated to its current Highway
26 location in February of 2012.
Indian Head now employs be-
tween 165 and 185 people.
Dave McMechan photos/Spilyay
Tribes revise Covid-19 safety measures
Following recent develop-
ments in meeting the ongoing
challenge of the Covid-19 pan-
demic, the tribes’ Response Team
recommended new safety mea-
sures. Tribal Council then ap-
proved the recommendation.
Effective immediately, the
protocol applies to all tribal build-
ings, enterprises and the commu-
nity. Factors leading to the en-
hanced safety measures are con-
cern about the low overall vacci-
nation rate, especially for young
people; and the strength of cur-
rent Covid-19 variants.
“The variant strains are stron-
ger than what we were experienc-
ing a year ago,” the Response
Team notes. “The variants are
spreading faster and are more
contagious.”
The team adds: “There have
been recent local break through
cases, also occurring worldwide,
that are concerning.
The tribe has not reached 70-
percent vaccination rate for
those 12 and older, leaving chil-
dren under 12 more vulnerable,
especially with the more serious
variants.
The draft Annual Health Re-
port shows Covid-19 was the lead-
ing cause of death for 2020.
This requires us to increase our
prevention efforts and make
some serious decisions to keep
our community safe per Tribal
Council resolution No. 12,697.
Revised protocols
· Effective immediately, on a
daily basis random testing will be
conducted.
Human Resource will submit
names to general managers, direc-
tors and supervisors, who will con-
tact the employee. The employee
is then referred to IHS for ran-
dom testing. This is for all em-
ployees, vaccinated and non-vac-
cinated. The Covid-19 Response
Team will work with IHS staff to
set up a system for how to sched-
ule.
· Vaccinated employees must
produce a copy of their vaccina-
tion, and general managers and di-
rectors must keep a copy on file.
General managers, directors
and supervisors must keep a list
of those not vaccinated and pro-
vide a list to Human Resources.
· Nonvaccinated employees will
be required to take a Covid-19 test
weekly with documentation prov-
ing they are covid free.
If the employee gets fully vac-
cinated, then he or she needs to
give a copy of proof to his or her
general manager or director. The
employee will then be placed on
the random tested list.
· Masks are now required for
all to wear inside public buildings.
· If a person is at his or her
own workspace, he or she does
not need to wear a mask; how-
ever, if others enter and six-feet
distance cannot be maintained, a
mask is required.
· Temperatures needs to be
taken when entering any building,
and a daily log kept on file so con-
tact tracers can access if neces-
sary.
· Community events need to
be approved by the Covid-19 Re-
sponse Team.
Masks are required for inside
events, and social distancing is rec-
ommended.
If the event is held outside, so-
cial distancing is recommended
and those more vulnerable or with
underlying conditions should wear
masks.
See COVID SAFETY on 2