Page 6
Spílya Táimu, Warm Springs, Oregon
October 5, 2022
Students speaking Native at Madras High School
Language teacher Dallas
Winishut is soft-spoken, but
his words carry the weight of
generations. His Madras
High School students pick
them up eagerly, conscious
that they also now safeguard
the flickering flame of the
Warm Springs Tribe’s lan-
guage.
The Jefferson County
School District has added
this school year four periods
of Ichishkin, the War m
Springs’ language.
The district is partnering
with the tribal government to
help Native students succeed
in school, with tangible re-
sults. The statewide Ameri-
can Indian/Alaska Native
graduation rate was 67 per-
cent in 2021, while in
Jefferson County the rate
was nearly 80 percent, just
shy of its rate for all students.
Expanding its Native lan-
guage class offerings is just
one way the district helps
ensure that all students feel
welcome in school.
Madras High reworked its
schedule to open one period
of Ichishkin in January. It
was so popular that the high
school opened four periods
this year.
The language class moti-
vates students such as senior
Jake Arnold photos/OSBA
Language teacher Dallas Winishut at MHS class.
Gunner Herkshan to come to
school each day and finish out
this year. He said life on the
reservation can leave people
feeling isolated, and learning
his people’s languages helps
solidify bonds.
He has been teaching him-
self Kiksht, the Wasco’s lan-
guage. He is thrilled to take a
class to learn Ichishkin.
The district’s War m
Springs K-8 Academy offers
Ichishkin, Kiksht and Numu.
The district wants to offer all
three at the high school, too,
but it’s hard to find teachers.
The Warm Springs reser-
vation has only about 16
people who speak Ichishkin
fluently, four who speak
Numu and three who speak
Kiksht, according to Valerie
Switzler, general manager for
the tribes’ Education
Branch.
Ms. Switzler said the high
school had Native language
classes in the past, but a lack
of resources and the loss of
elders had disrupted them.
The district and the tribal
government then worked
closely to get grants. The
district also uses some of its
own money to pay for the
teachers, who are con-
tracted through the tribal
government.
Ms. Switzler said students
understand their culture bet-
ter if they understand the
foundational language.
Maintaining their culture
and history is key to protect-
ing the tribes’ sovereignty,
she said.
Tribal elders have told
Highway 3 Improvement work
D.McMechan/Spílya
Warm Springs
Construction and paving
crews have been
working on a major part
of the Highway 3
improvement project.
The work last week
involved paving along a
stretch of the highway
from Upper Dry Creek to
Highway 26. This adds
to the other parts of the
overall project, including
the sidewalk, curbs,
storm water drainage
and street lights.
Summaries of Tribal Council
The following are summa-
ries of Tribal Council during
the month of September :
September 6, 2022
The meeting was called to
order at 9:09 by Chairman
Jonathan Smith Sr. Roll call:
Chief Delvis Heath, Chief
Joseph Moses, James ‘Jim’
Manion, Alvis Smith, III, Lin-
coln Jay Suppah, Wilson
Wewa Jr., Carlos Calica, Rosa
Graybael, Vice Chairman
Raymond ‘Captain’ Moody.
Minnie Yahtin, Recorder.
· Covid update with
Hyllis Dauphinais, Clinic di-
rector; Danny Martinez,
Emergency Management;
and Katie Russell, Commu-
nity Health:
The Team will update the
protocol then return with a
recommendation.
· Indian Health Service
update
with
Hyllis
Dauphinais.
· Federal and state legis-
lative update calls.
· Tribal attorneys update.
Executive Session from
2:32 to 3:30 p.m.
Motion by Captain ap-
proving the Chairman to
sign the letter to Richard
Whitman, Office of Envi-
ronmental Equality, with ed-
its. Second by Carlos. Ques-
tion; Jim/yes, Joe/yes, Cap-
tain/yes, Jay/yes, Rosa/yes,
Carlos/yes, Alvis/yes, 7/0/
0, Chair man not voting.
Motion carried.
· Tribal attorney update
Executive session from
3:40 to 4:30 p.m.
With no further discus-
sion the meeting adjourned
at 4:30 p.m.
September 12
The meeting was called to
order by Vice Chair man
Raymond ‘Captain’ Moody.
Roll call: Chief Delvis Heath,
James ‘Jim’ Manion, Alvis
Smith III, Wilson Wewe Jr.,
Chief Joseph Moses, Rosa
Graybael. Minnie Yahtin, Re-
corder.
· Budget overview with
Secretary-Treasurer Robert
Brunoe and Isaac George,
Finance.
· 2023 budget presenta-
tions:
Secretary-Treasurer; and
Health and Human Services.
· Call back for discussion
on capital.
· Public Safety.
Call back for discussion
on Parole and Probation.
· War m Springs Eco-
nomic Development and
business units
· Oregon Department of
Environmental Equality con-
sultation.
With no further discus-
sion the meeting adjourned
at 5:15 p.m.
her: “Don’t let our languages
die. It’s part of who we are.”
She welcomes the non-Na-
tive students who are also
taking the classes, which in-
clude lessons about food,
song and family relationships.
“It gives a better under-
standing of who we are, our
thought processes and what
we hold dear,” Valerie said.
“One day they might be that
legislator or a person who has
influence on a school board.”
Kevin Richards, chool
board chair, said the classes
are part of the emphasis on
celebrating diversity.
At the War m Spings
Acadmey, Principal Lonnie
Henderson reworked his
school’s schedule to make
sure students could have
enough time to make mean-
ingful progress in the elective
language classes.
Even at a young age, the
students understand the
power of these classes. Sixth
grader Bethaliss Smith said
she needs to learn her lan-
guage so she can be a better
member of her tribe. Sixth
grader River Edwards said it
feels “more traditional” to
talk to family in Ichishkin.
Middle school students
learn enough to understand
and read some but not
Indigenous
Peoples Day
October 10
Indigenous Peoples Day
this year will be next Mon-
day, October 10.
Indigenous Peoples Day
in Oregon falls on the sec-
ond Monday of October,
which formerly would have
been Columbus Day.
The Oregon legislature
and governor approved the
change in the holiday desig-
nation last year, so this is the
state’s Second Annual Indig-
enous Peoples Day.
On that day all non-es-
sential federal offices in the
state will be closed.
In Oregon there are
about 130,000 people who
identify as full- or part
American Indian or Alaska
Native, according to the
most recent U.S. Census
data. The 130,000 indi-
viduals represents 3.1 per-
cent of the overall state
population.
January 13
The meeting was called to
order by Vice Chairman
Raymond ‘Captain’ Moody.
Roll call: Alvis Smith III,
James ‘Jim’ Manion, Chief
Joseph Moses, Wilson Wewa
Jr., Carlos Calica, Rosa
Graybael. Minnie Yahtin,
Recorder.
· 2023 Budget Presenta-
tions:
Natural Resources. Edu-
cation. Human Resources.
Governmental Affairs. Call
back for updated budget
sheets. Finance. Call back
for Administrative Services
packets.
Motion by Carlos to ad-
journ at 3:10 p.m.
September 15
The meeting was called to
order by Vice Chairman
Raymond ‘Captain’ Moody.
Roll cal: James ‘Jim’ Manion,
Lincoln Jay Suppah, Wilson
Wewa Jr., Carlos Calica,
Rosa Graybael. Minnie
Yahtin, Recorder.
SUMMARIES continue on 7
Madras High senior Hayden Heath said one of
his favorite parts of the Ichishkin language
classes is learning the names of common
things such as animals, colors and days of the
week in his family’s language.
Students attend a new Ichishkin language class.
enough to initiate conversa-
tion. With the high school
classes, the district aims to lift
students to the conversational
level so they can earn the Or-
egon Seal of Biliteracy. The seal
recognizes students who have
achieved a high level of profi-
ciency in a language in addi-
tion to English. In 2020, the
first students earned the seal
in a Native language.
Stor y and photos by Jake
Arnold, Oregon School
Board Association.