Page 2
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs
June 14
Tribal Council and MMIP team review response plan
Tribal Council met June 5
with the Public Safety Branch
General Manager Nancy
Seyler, the Warm Springs
Chief of Police Cr ystal
Levitt, Assistant U.S. Attor-
ney Tim Simmons, and Ce-
dar Wilke Gillette, the U.S.
Attorney’s MMIP coordina-
tor for the District of Or-
egon, who have been work-
ing together in the develop-
ment of the Missing and
Murdered Indigenous People
(MMIP) Response Plans,
and who are the MMIP Pi-
lot Project Group. Discus-
sion and an update on the
plans took place regarding
implementation and the
timeline.
The Confederated Tribes
are one of six tribal nations
across the U.S. selected to
develop these pilot project
MMIP response plans, work-
ing with local law enforce-
ment and U.S. Attorney’s
Offices. Tribal Council in
2021 signed an agreement
with the U.S. Attorney’s Of-
fice to participate in the pro-
gram.
The tribes’ MMIP Re-
sponse Plan, when imple-
mented, will be designed for
the specific circumstances
and customs of the Confed-
erated Tribes of War m
Springs, in the handling of
such cases. Eventually, as
the six pilot project tribes de-
velop their response plans,
other tribes will develop
their own MMIP plans re-
flecting their own particular
situations and customs, us-
ing the pilot projects as ex-
amples.
At the Council meeting
last week, the Pilot Project
planning group presented
four different guidelines of
the draft plan. The four
guidelines, or protocols
cover: Law enforcement,
victim services, public me-
dia and communication, and
community outreach. Each
of the guidelines includes
components for prevention
of MMIP cases, and the
best response efforts when
a situation arises in the tribal
community.
The U.S. Attorney Gen-
eral in 2019 identified the
incidence of MMIP in the
U.S. as an epidemic, making
this a priority for U.S. At-
torneys Offices with juris-
dictions that include Indian
Country: U.S. Attorney’s
Offices have jurisdiction of
major crimes that happen
on Indian reser vations
within their districts.
The team putting to-
gether the MMIP Response
Plan for the Confederated
Tribes began the process in
2021 with a listening tour in
Warm Springs that evolved
to the former Tribal Coun-
D.McMechan/Spilyay
The Madras High School Class of 2023
(above) celebrated their graduation
over the weekend, to a great turnout of
family and friends. For instance, at
left, Norma Heath, Doris Miller, Chief
Joe Moses and grandson Joseph
cheer on their graduating student
Waurica Miller; as Rusty Miller and
many other parents and family
members enjoyed the ceremonies.
Pi-Ume-Sha: Friday through Sunday, June 23-25
(from page 1)
There was really not a
choice though, as the settlers
were arriving in waves,
claiming the land and push-
ing out the Indians.
Relinquishing ownership
claims, the Treaty Signers
had the foresight to reserve
the traditional use rights to
the Ceded Lands. Today,
there are many tribal mem-
bers who fish for smelt along
the Sandy River, harvest
eels at Willamette Falls, fish
along the Columbia River,
and hunt and gather roots
and berries in various places
throughout the state. So the
Treaty lives on in the every-
day lives of the people, both
on the reservation and off.
And the tribes continue to
protect this above all else.
Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days
The first Pi-Ume-Sha cel-
ebration happened in 1969,
during the Vietnam War
when several tribal members
were serving in the Armed
Forces. The Pi-Ume-Sha
founders wished to honor the
men and women serving,
and this tradition continues
today.
The following is a
rememberance of the origi-
nal team who first planned
and hosted the powwow, all
of whom have now passed:
atwai Arthur Mitchell, who
was Chairman, and Bernice
Mitchell. Sammy Colwash
also served as Chair. Grant
and Emily Waheneka were
members of the original
powwow committee, along
with the following:
Linton and Eva Winishut.
Andrew and Edna David.
Joe and Ruth Estabrook.
Clarence and Florence
Meanus. Nathan ‘8-Ball; Jim,
the Master of Ceremonies.
Chief Amos Simtustus Sr.
Prosanna Williams, grounds
and vendors coordinator. J.
Silas Williams, contest
coordina-tor. Verbena
Greene and Perry Greene,
Parade organizers.
Jimmy Macy and Carla
Macy. Ella Jane Jim, Elder.
Adeline Miller. Lar r y
Calica. Millie Colwash, El-
der. Ada Sooksoit. Eliza-
beth Rhoan. Geraldine Jim.
Wilford Jim. Mr. and Mrs.
Lar r y Stanley. Clark ‘9-
Ball’ Livingston. Wally
Chamnu. Donna Olsen.
Pi-Ume-Sha 2023 Com-
mittee Chair man Gorky
Mitchell announced that
Louise Katchia, as a
former committee mem-
ber, is serving as mentor
this year, and will be tally-
ing the points for the danc-
ers at this year’s competi-
tions.
Dave McMechan
cil sanctioning this pilot
project. Meetings were con-
ducted via Team meetings
due to the pandemic. Fami-
lies and friends of MMIP
victims met some weeks ago
and shared their stories with
Tribal Council.
The guidelines of the
draft plans are detailed in
regard to each of the four
components: In the Law En-
forcement guideline, for in-
stance, there are details of
three aspects of an MMIP
investigation. The three as-
pects of an investigation are:
The receipt of the initial
report and preliminary inves-
tigation; the response to a
confirmed report of a miss-
ing person; and the ongoing
investigation procedures,
with details for each of the
phases.
The Victims of Crime as-
pect of the plan brings
VOCS for mally into the
MMIP process. This is clearly
essential, during any search
effort, and following whatever
the result may be.
The goal of the MMIP
Community Outreach guide-
line says: “The overall goal of
this guideline is to identify
potential non-law enforce-
ment partners to assist in the
response to missing person
cases on the reservation; to
assist the police and VOCS’
efforts to resolve the cases;
address family and commu-
nity needs as early as possible
by involving those agencies
and professionals who may be
able to provide resources and
assistance; and support the
establishment of the MMIP
prevention and education pro-
grams.”
The goal of the Public
Communication and Media
component is assist in the
“recovery of missing sub-
jects, to seek public assis-
tance where appropriate,
seek justice for victims,
and produce a timely and
accurate account of law en-
forcement efforts.”
As mentioned, each of
the guidelines is detailed as
the team, the community and
Tribal Council work toward
its adoption and implemen-
tation.
The Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs will be the
fourth tribal nation out of
the six selected to complete
this pilot project.