Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
$6.9
million
for fiber
optics
The Warm Springs Telecommu-
nications Company is receiving a
$6.9 million grant to greatly im-
prove the fiber optic infrastructure
serving the reservation. The award
is from the U.S. Department of
Commerce.
The grant allows the Warm
Springs Telecom to begin work im-
mediately on designing and con-
structing a new system, including
fiber to homes. The funding is
through the National Telecommu-
nications and Information Admin-
istration (NTIA) of the Depart-
ment of Commerce.
“This NTIA funding opportu-
nity will greatly assist us in bringing
a services to our community that
is essential to living in today’s
world,” said Tribal Council
Jonathan Smith.
“This will allow our youth and
community members to connect
with educational services, and have
access to additional services that
would otherwise not be available.”
December 14, 2022 - Vol. 47, No. 25
December – Nch’i-An - Winter - Yiyam
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Tribal artists at High Desert Museum
The High Desert Museum in
Bend will feature six Native
American artists, four from the
Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs, at an exhibit opening in
January. Creations of Spirit opens
January 28, and will present the
Indigenous plateau artistic and
worldview. A seventh artist is cre-
ating an interactive piece for the
center of the gallery.
Creations of Spirit will be a one-
of-a-kind experience featuring the
stories of these living works of
art. Videos, audio and large pro-
jections “will immerse visitors in
the landscapes and communities
in which these objects are used,
highlighting the theme of art-
work as alive, full of stories and
created for specific purposes and
people.”
The works will be supple-
mented with pieces on loan from
the Smithsonian’s National Mu-
seum of the American Indian in
Washington, D.C.
The artists in Creations of Spirit
have roots throughout the Pla-
teau region:
Natalie Kirk, of the Confed-
erated Tribes of Warm Springs,
is weaving two baskets that will
be used to educate youth through
schools and community pro-
grams.
High Desert Muesum
Kelli Palmer with patlapa; and Natalie Kirk with basket.
Natalie is a contemporary
weaver who has shown her artwork
at the Museum of Contemporary
Craft in partnership with the Pa-
cific Northwest College of Art in
Portland.
H’Klumaiyat Roberta Joy Kirk
(Wasco, Warm Springs, Diné), also
of the Confederated Tribes, is cre-
ating regalia for young women to
wear during special ceremonies.
Joy has spent her life sewing and
beading since her family lost price-
less family heirlooms in a house
fire as a young girl. She passes
down the intricate art of Plateau
beadwork through classes and
mentoring. Joy was a recipient of
the 2020 Governor’s Arts Award.
Jefferson Greene of the Con-
federated Tribes is constructing a
tule reed canoe and paddles that
will be used by Native youth in con-
tinuing important cultural tradi-
tions.
Jefferson is an executive at the
Columbia River Institute for Indig-
enous Development Foundation
and an Ichishkiin language instruc-
tor. Mr. Greene is also an artist
who offers classes to students, kin-
dergarten to professional level in
language, arts, sports, health and
spiritual education.
Kelli Palmer (Wasco, Warm
Springs) is creating a traditional
corn husk hat known as the
patlapa. Kelli grew up on the
Warm Springs Reservation.
When at a Northwest Native
American Basketweavers Associa-
tion gathering, Kelli’s mother
tricked her into walking around the
room. Palmer ended up sitting
down in her first class, and she’s
been weaving ever since.
She now teaches basketry
classes throughout Oregon and
Washington. Among numerous
awards, she received Best in Show
at the Tribal Member Art Show in
Warm Springs in 2009 and Hon-
orable Mention in 2011.
Acclaimed artist Joe Feddersen
(Coville) is creating a basket that
will be used to harvest roots in the
spring. The contemporary sculp-
tor, basket weaver, painter, pho-
tographer and mixed-media artist
is well known for geometric pat-
terns reflective of what is found
in the environment, landscape and
his Native American heritage.
See High Desert Artists on 3
A Year in Review ~ 2022 ~
Travis Bobb
Gift giveaway,
& Car Lights
The Jolly Jamboree Santa’s Toy
Giveaway for youth ages 0 to 18
is this Thursday and Friday, De-
cember 15 and 16 at the gymna-
sium of the former elementary
school. The event is hosted by the
Health and Human Ser vices
Branch.
Parents and guardians can pick
up gifts for their child or children
only. A gift-wrapping room will be
available for parents and guard-
ians to wrap gifts. Supplies will be
provided.
Car Lights Parade
Recreation presents the always
colorful Car Lights Parade this
Wednesday evening, Decem-
ber 14. Parade line-up is at 4 p.m.
by the former elementary school
building. Judging is at 5 and the
parade starts at 6.
There will be prizes for commu-
nity entries, and tribal organization
entries—First-, Second- and Third-
Place in both categories. The theme
this year is Santasquatch Is Coming to
Town. For information call 541-553-
3243.
The New Year is just around
the corner, making this a good
time to reflect upon some of
the happenings over the past
twelve months. During the
year, there were new and in-
triguing developments on the
reservation, and some that
were not so new:
For instance (as explained
further on page 2), this No-
vember and December have
seen an increase in the inci-
dence of Covid-19 among the
community, including one tragic
passing, due to covid, this past
fall. This covid increase is hap-
pening nearly three years since
the arrival on the reservation
of the virus. On the other
hand, and on a brighter note:
Some great new business
projects took off in 2022, one
of these being the exciting Kah-
Nee-Ta rejuvenation project, as
approved by Tribal Council and
overseen for the tribes by
Warm Springs Economic De-
velopment.
Another is the innovative
and interesting Commissary
business incubator project,
overseen by the Warm Springs
Community Action Team.
The following then are some
of the memorable news high-
lights during 2022 on the res-
er vation, as r e por ted in the
Spilyay Tymoo.
January
As happened elsewhere, early
January 2022 on the reservation
saw a significant spike in Covid-
19 cases among the tribal com-
munity: This prompted another
temporary shut-down of the
tribal organization and the Warm
Springs Academy. At one point
in early January there were 145
known active covid cases on the
reservation.
Meanwhile in Januar y, the
Twenty-Eighth Tribal Council of
the Confederated Tribes an-
nounced that nominations for
the Twenty-Ninth Tribal Coun-
cil will happen in early February.
The election will be in the spring.
And this January news:
The team working on the new
Warm Springs Jail project an-
nounced a potential preferred site
for the future facility.
The preferred site is at the in-
dustrial park, the location identi-
fied following research by the jail
planning team.
The identified site will be pre-
sented to the community for pub-
lic review and comment, and fi-
nally presented to Tribal Council.
The new facility will be funded
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Courtesy
According to plan, a renewed Kah-Nee-Ta Village will open next year.
division of the Department of the
Interior, which has already desig-
nated funding. The tribes have been
without a local tribal jail for some
time, due to the pervious jail being
obsolete due to its age and condi-
tion. And meanwhile:
The Lincoln’s Powwow Com-
mittee announced in January that
the February powwow would have
to be cancelled again due to the in-
crease in covid. Elsewhere: the Con-
federated Tribes and Health and
Human Services hosted a January
Employee Appreciation Day, held
outside with the masks and distanc-
ing requirements.
February
In early February 2022 the
three districts of the Confederated
Tribes held their Tribal Council
nomination meetings. The meetings
happend under the facemask and
distancing mandates, with limited
numbers of people allowed in the
nomination rooms at any one time.
As a result of the nomination
meetings: There were 17 nominees
for the Agency Distict; eight for
the Simnasho District; and six for
Seekseequa. Elsewhere in February:
A crew with Alpine Abatement
Associates did some health and
safety work on the tribes’ historic
Commissary building. This in-
volved removing lead paint from the
building; so the eventual move
would not disturb the paint.
Once ready, a contracting firm
will transport the building, most care-
fully, to the new location. This is the
Commissary business incubator, a
project the Warm Springs Commu-
nity Action Team with support of
Tribal Council.
2022 Review continues on 3