Spílya Táimu
Coyote News, est. 1976
Community
update
The Warm Springs Health and
Wellness Center has available the
latest single-dose booster designed
for the most recent covid variants
and the original virus. This is the
first change in the shots since they
were first available two years ago.
You can schedule an appoint-
ment by calling 541-553-2610. Any
person 12 or older can get the new
booster, as long as it’s been at least
2 months since their last covid vac-
cine.
Covid-19 may seem to be a thing
of the past; however, the virus is
still in the community: The most
recent testing of the community
wastewater—results from mid Sep-
tember—found “a strong concen-
tration detection,” according to
Warm Springs IHS. “This is the
fourth month in a row that we are
seeing increased Covid-19 detection
in our wastewater testing.”
Regarding the vaccine, the idea
is now proposed that the covid shot
could become yearly like the one
for the flu.
Seasonal flu shot
The first day of fall is this Thurs-
day, September 22, meaning flu sea-
son is coming up, and the Health
and Wellness Center this week be-
gan offering this year’s flu shot.
All people age 6 months and
older are encouraged to receive a
flu vaccine every year. The flu vac-
cine is especially important for
people at higher risk of having se-
rious complications from the flu
virus.
Some disease forecasters say the
upcoming flu season could be seri-
ous: Nations in the Southern Hemi-
sphere that already had their flu sea-
sons saw higher-than-average peaks;
so, locally the flu could be a problem,
even while covid is still circulating.
2023 budget
progress at
Tribal Council
The following are coming up for the
rest of this month at Tribal Council:
Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday, September 21-23: Bud-
get call backs.
Monday, September 26
9 a.m.: Secretary-Treasurer up-
date with the S-T.
9:30: October agenda and review
minutes.
10: Draft resolutions.
10:30: Enrollments with Lucille
Suppach-Samson, Vital Stats.
11: Federal and state legislative
update calls.
1:30 p.m.: 2023 budget discus-
sion and October posting with the
S-T and Finance.
Items for consideration: The
October 2022 National Council of
American Indians. National Tribal
Health Conference. District meet-
ings and General Council meetings
in October 2022.
September 21, 2022 - Vol. 47, No. 19
September – Wanaq’i – Fall - Tiyam
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
New skatepark coming to Warm Springs
A new skatepark is coming
to Warm Springs. Location will
be the Elmer Quinn Park
across from the Community
Center. The new skatepark, re-
placing the existing ramps, will
be of concrete, built on the
existing pad.
The project has been in the
works since early 2021, when
Scott Koerner, of the Tactics
skate shop in Portland, con-
tacted the tribes. Mr. Koerner
explained that some skate-
boarders on his team are from
Central Oregon, including one
of who grew up skating in
Warm Springs.
Koerner and his Tactics team
had discussions about giving back
to the local communities, and the
Warm Springs skatepark idea came
up.
Tactics garnered support from
a number of Oregon companies,
one being Collective Concrete.
Then after many meetings and con-
sultations with tribal departments,
the idea was presented to Tribal
Council, who gave their support.
Tactics reached out to the
Skatepark Project—formerly the
Tony Hawk Foundation—and
Ginew, a Native-owned denim
clothing line. This is a family busi-
ness founded by Amanda Bruegl
(Oneida, Stockbridge-Munsee), and
Erik Brodt (Ojibwe). These indi-
viduals also work with the Warm
Springs Health and Wellness Cen-
ter through the Managed Care Pro-
gram.
As the Skatepark Project, Tac-
tics and Ginew started formulat-
ing a plan to raise funds for the
skatepark, word began to spread
throughout the community. The
Warm Springs Community Action
Team agreed to help as a financial
sponsor. The major donors for the
project now are the Skatepark
Project,
Tactics,
Ginew,
PacificSource of Central Oregon,
Visit Central Oregon, the PTM
Foundation and the Dehen Company.
It has taken time and work to
get to this point. “Now things should
start to move fast,” said Michael
Collins, director of Warm Springs
Managed Care. If all goes as
planned, the new park should be
finished by October, he said.
The old ramps will be resurfaced
and relocated to Simnasho. “And
we’re hoping to get a concrete pad
placed at Simnasho,” Mr. Collins
said. “That’s the next goal.”
The old ramp covers will be
given to Warm Springs Community
Action Team to preserve the art
on them.
SKATEPARK continues on 7
Wolves may become the ‘Warm Springs Pack’
The tribes’ Branch of Natu-
ral Resources biologists have
known for more than four years
that gray wolves were living,
part-time at least, on the reser-
vation. Then about two years
ago, Natural Resources remote
cameras snapped photos of a
pair of adult wolves and two
pups, meaning the animals were
likely making a northern area of
the reservation their home ter-
ritory. The wolves at the time
were considered part of the
White River Pack.
One of the young wolves of
this pack left the reservation in
late 2020. During 2021 the
wolf, called OR-93, made na-
tional headlines for traveling all
the way to southern California.
The animal was wearing a
Resources tracking collar so its
whereabouts were known until
OR-93 reached the northern
California area, where the col-
lar apparently malfunctioned.
Late last year OR-93 was con-
firmed to have died after being
struck by a motor vehicle.
Amazingly, OR-93 had trav-
eled 900 miles, as far south as
the southern Sierras, then west
to San Luis Obispo and Ventura
counties, almost to Los Ange-
les. OR-93 was the first reported
wolf on the central California
coast in 200 to 300 years.
Clearly, wolves are capable of
great feats of endurance and sur-
vival. OR-93 likely left the reser-
vation in order to find a mate and
establish his own territory, said Aus-
tin Smith Jr., tribal Wildlife biolo-
gist and acting Natural Resources
general manager.
Wildlife biologists apply stan-
dards when determining whether a
location is considered an ‘area of
known wolf activity,’ or AKWA.
This is important because
wolves are protected under the En-
dangered Species Act: It is unlaw-
ful to shoot wolves or to harm
them in any way, except in defense
of human life or in certain chronic
livestock depredation situations.
Several months ago, the tribes’
The tribes’
Branch of
Natural
Resources-
Wildlife remote
cameras
caputured these
photos of wolves
of what may
become the
Warm Springs
Pack.
CTWSBNR
Natural Resources remote trail
cameras captured images of two
more adult wolves, a dark colored
male and a lighter female.
The cameras also caught images
of two pups, so the pair are
breeding. The pups are now
about 30 to 40 pounds, Austin
said.
WOLVES continues on 10
November ballots almost ready for mailing
The November 2022 Gen-
eral Election is a little less than
seven weeks away: During elec-
tion years in the U.S., following
the primaries, the general elec-
tions happen on the Tuesday
after the first Monday of No-
vember, as set by federal law;
so this year the General Elec-
tion is on Tuesday, November
8.
The Warm Springs Reserva-
tion is voting precinct 14 of
Jefferson County. There are
1,473 registered voters in pre-
cinct 14.
There is less than a month
left to register online in order
to vote in the November 8 elec-
tion, as the deadline for registra-
tion is the end of the day on Oc-
tober 18. To register to vote
online go to jeffco.net
Some other upcoming dates
for this General Election:
Friday, September 23: The
county clerk provides the military,
out of country, and permanent
limited ballots.
Monday, September 26: Ab-
sentee ballots are available.
October 10: Out of state, per-
manent traveler ballots mailing
date.
October 19: Mass ballots mail-
ing date, and open drop sites.
November 1: Last day to con-
duct public certification of vote tally
system.
In order to register to vote in
Oregon you must be a U.S. citizen,
resident of the state, and at least
16 years of age. A person who reg-
isters who is not yet 16 will receive
a ballot for the first election follow-
ing the person’s eighteenth birthday.
Madras Aquatic Center
There will be a number of local
questions on the ballot. For instance,
the election will determine one
Jefferson County Commission po-
sition.
ELECTION continues on 7
Official drop box by the
Agency fire station.