Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
Graduation
on June 4
The Madras High School and
Bridges High School graduation
ceremonies are coming up on Sat-
urday, June 4. The ceremony will
start at 9 a.m. at the school ath-
letic field.
Graduates need to arrive at 8
a.m. at the Performing Arts Center
to prepare. Gates for guests will
also open at 8 a.m.
The graduation ceremony will be
live-streamed and recorded for fam-
ily and friends to enjoy.
W.S. jail
preferred site
The plan for a new Warm Springs
jail is moving ahead. The preferred
site for the facility, as approved this
month by Tribal Council, is at the
industrial park, with two alternatives
in case of unforeseen circum-
stances. The previous Tribal Coun-
cil approved the preferred site by
resolution early in May. Timing was
important, as the U.S. Department
of the Interior last year approved
the funding, contingent on the
project moving forward.
James Halliday, Land Services
director, and Nancy Seyler, Public
Safety acting general manager, con-
ducted the community outreach
over the past few months. Based
upon the responses, the industrial
park site, off of Highway 3, was
identified as preferred. Factors un-
der consideration were infrastruc-
ture, access and site location, for in-
stance. Fourteen locations were
considered before the decision to go
with industrial park.
The proposed jail facility will
house up to 60 inmates. Through
BIA Facilities, the construction
project will be funded by the fed-
eral government, according to terms
of long-standing tribal-U.S. agree-
ments. The Confederated Tribes
currently contract for jail services
with NorCor in The Dalles, a coop-
erative arrangement.
The former corrections building,
located by the Police Department, is
unsuitable for incarceration purposes,
in terms of both inmates and Cor-
rections staff. Warm Springs Correc-
tions Lt. Crystal Greene over the past
years documented the inadequacies of
the existing structure, leading to the
successful funding application by Pub-
lic Safety and the tribes.
The Tribal Council “supports the
construction of the Warm Springs
Detention Center” at the location as
legally described in the attachments,
according to the resolution. The tribes
agree to a commercial lease to the
federal government of the industrial
site acreage for 25 years.
Through the planning process, the
siting team, including the BIA, deter-
mined that five acres would be needed
for the jail facility. The industrial park
site fits just within this requirement,
Mr. Halliday said. Beyond the con-
struction itself, some infrastructure
work will be required, such as water
and sewer, roads, etc.
May 18, 2022 - Vol. 47, No. 10
May – Xawit’an – Spring - Wawaxam
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Full Pi-Ume-Sha again not possible this year
In the summer of 1969 the
United States was at war in Viet-
nam. Servicemen were fight-
ing overseas, while families at
home were waiting for a return
to daily life, the traditions, the
food and good times of the res-
ervation. In late June ‘69 the
sky was clear, temperatures in
the mid 90s, the setting for the
first Pi-Ume-Sha. The words
themselves, ‘Pi-Ume-Sha,’ trans-
late roughly from Ichiskeen as
‘celebration.’ In those days the
now legendary atwai Nathan
‘Eight Ball’ Jim was among the
organizers, with families of the
Calica, Katchia and Mitchell
households, among other families
and friends (apologies if names are
not mentioned; it was not inten-
tional). Eight Ball was the origi-
nal great Master of Ceremonies
of many gatherings, very funny
and smart.
At the start, the 1969 June
celebration was above all a trib-
ute to the families of the Viet-
nam War. And yet a greater tra-
dition was born, Pi-Ume-Sha, at
first a humble gesture to the
men and women fighting for
freedom, in time growing into a
celebration of Native American
traditions as observed here in
the Northwest.
By chance the month of
June happens to be the anniver-
Statement of the Powwow and Parade Committee
The following is the statement
from the Pi-Ume-Sha Powwow
and Parade Committee, regard-
ing the need to limit the June
activities:
To honor and respect the
health and welfare of our com-
munity and potential visitors
from other places, the Pi-Ume-
Sha Powwow will not be held
in 2022. Our most precious
resource is our people and we
wish them all good health and
well-being. We will work to-
wards coming back the sum-
mer of 2023.
However, there will be a Parade
on Saturday morning, June 25 to
honor our Veterans; you can con-
tact Ramona Baez at 541-460-
0077 for more information.
Following the parade, we en-
courage our local community to
have a ‘Fun Time’ with drum-
ming and dancing, so our people
can continue our time-honored
traditional dances. If there are
families that need or want to re-
lease themselves to join the danc-
ing and drumming, that can be
done just prior to, or during the
powwow.
The 2022 Pi-Ume-Sha
Health Fair is also scheduled.
For more information, contact
the Warm Springs Health and
Wellness Center, 541-553-
1196.
Due to the Covid-19 pan-
demic, the Powwow and Pa-
rade committee have not been
able to have fund raising
events to fund the full three-
day powwow contests, hono-
rariums, for Elders and Veter-
ans, the meals, etc.
The Pi-Ume-Sha Pow-
wow and Parade Committee
sary of the signing of the Treaty
of 1855: Under extreme duress
the Treaty Signers—by the Treaty
Oak near the Columbia River—
agreed to the document. The
Treaty formally recognizes the
Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs as sovereign, equal among
other governments and nations. In
legal terms the Treaty creates the
boundaries of the reservation; yet
also removed most of the river
people from the N’chi Wana home-
land. The terms acknowledge Na-
tive rights to fish, hunt and gather
upon the Ceded Lands.
Every year since 1969, until the
pandemic began in 2020, the tribes
celebrated Pi-Ume-Sha, making the
event among the premier festivi-
ties of the Northwest.
This summer, as we seem to be
returning to normal, covid-wise,
Pi-Ume-Sha will be in a somewhat
different fashion, as explained here
in the statement from Ms. Louise
Katchia and the Pi-Ume-Sha Pow-
wow and Parade Commitee. An
issue this year has been fundraising.
Earlier in the year the pandemic
prevented the necessary fundraising,
which takes several months. The
change this year also acknowledges
the passing last year of the late atwai
Cassie Katchia, powwow organizer,
greatly missed.
Dave McMechan
2022 Ceremonial Fishery
Michael McConville crew at the Koberg treaty fishing
site, as Bruce Jim Sr., Ron Suppah and Tiger Van Pelt
monitor and assist; and below, William Slockish crew
with Tiger Van Pelt at Lyle treaty access site.
Albert Kalama Sr. crew returning with a load of
ceremonial fish to the Wyeth treaty fishing site.
Mark Manion photos ~ Harvest Manager, Tribal Fisheries.
Busy first weeks with the new Tribal Council
Since taking office as pre-
liminary business, the new Tribal
Council has met with depart-
ments and enterprises of the
Confederated Tribes.
Council also decided that at
least six members must be
present, with the chairman or
vice-chair, for all action
items. The chair, Jonathan
Smith, or vice-chair, Raymond
Captain Moody, can be among
the six to establish the voting
quorum.
In other initial business, Coun-
cil decided to begin all regular
morning meetings, requiring a quo-
rum by 9:30 a.m.; otherwise, the
meeting is rescheduled. For the or-
ganization updates:
Council met first with Brenda
Bremner, superintendent of the
Warm Springs Agency of the Bu-
reau of Indian Affairs. Following
were updates from the Office of
Special Trustee, and the federal
and state legislative updates.
In the area community health
Tribal Council met with Hyllis
Dauphinais, chief executive of-
ficer of the Warm Springs Indian
Health Services Clinic; the Covid-
19 Response Team; and with
Michael Collins, director of tribal
Managed Care.
The tribal organization is large,
so the full update was a matter
of some days, including reports
from: Human Resources, Fi-
nance, Government Affairs, Edu-
cation, Procurement, Tribal
Court, Health and Human Ser-
vices, Public Safety, Natural Re-
sources, Veterans Service office,
High Lookee Lodge. And on
Wednesday of last week:
Public Utilities, including the
water treatment plant; the Tribal
Employment Rights Office, the
Gaming Commission and Surveil-
lance. And earlier this week:
See Tribal Council on page 3