E Coosh EEWA: The way it is
Letters to the editor
Christmas
tree cutting
To employees of the
Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs, the Bureau
of Indian Affairs, Indian
Health Services, the Warm
Springs Post Office, Timber
Company, and War m
Springs churches,
The Timber Committee
of the Confederated Tribes,
in collaboration with the
Branch of Natural Re-
sources Forestry Depart-
ment, in keeping with the
spirit of Christmas, have au-
thorized the cutting of a
Christmas tree by employees
of the tribes, BIA and IHS,
Warm Springs postal em-
ployees, Timber Co. LLC,
and community churches.
Some terms:
Cutting is limited to one
tree per family or church.
Trees will be cut on tribal
land only. The trees should
be cut along numbered
roads and close to the
ground. All live branches
should be removed from
the stump.
Topping of trees, and
cutting trees larger than 12
feet in height is not permit-
ted. Trees should not be cut
that do not have another
tree growing within 12 feet
of the tree to but cut. Trees
will be cut during regular
working hours, 8 a.m. to 5
p.m., Monday through Fri-
day.
Any non-tribal member
employees wishing to cut a
tree must obtain a Christmas
tree tag and permit from the
Branch of Natural Re-
sources—Forestry Depart-
ment. Individuals will not be
permitted to pick up tags
and permits for other em-
ployees.
Tags must be stapled or
nailed to the base of the tree.
All employees must comply
with laws and regulations
governing the Warm Springs
Reservation.
Information on tribal
land, harvest location and
road conditions may be ob-
tained from the Branch of
Natural Resources—For-
estry, 541-553-8200. Office
hours and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
War m Springs Tim-
ber Committee and
Branch of Natural Re-
sources - Forestry De-
partment.
Money may
be with state
When you get a chance,
tribal members should
check with the state of Or-
egon to see if they have
monies that the state is
holding.
Go to the internet, and
key in ‘state of oregon, un-
claimed property.’ Then do
a search of your name.
There are a number of
Warm Springs people who
have money with the state.
Valerie J. Squiemphen,
Public Administrator, Pro-
bate Department.
Youth, adult
basketball
tournaments
The Cougar s Youth
Basketball Tournament
is this Friday through Sun-
day, December 15-17 at the
Warm Springs Community
Center. The tourney is for
youth 10 and under, coed;
and 12 and under.
The War m Springs
Mens Holiday Basket-
ball Tournament is com-
ing up this month on
Wednesday through Sunday,
December 27-31 with Warm
Springs Recreation at the
Community Center Gym.
Classes on
Preparing for
Memorials
‘Preparing for Memorials’
classes are this month and in
January at the Culture and
Heritage building. All classes
are Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 4 to 7 p.m.: Thursdays,
December 14; Tuesday and
Thursday, December 9 and
11; and on Tuesday and
Thursday, January 9 and 11.
The class this week, De-
cember 14 is a chance to se-
lect your projects. These may
include basketry, beadwork,
moccasins, shell dresses, wing
dresses, as examples. The
December 19 and 21 classes
are to continue the projects;
and the January classes are
on Regalia. Materials are pro-
vided.
Classes are limited to 10
adults, and youth 14 and
over. Sign up at the Culture
and Heritage Department, or
call 541-553-3290. At the
classes, light refreshments
will be served.
Gift making
The community is invited
to make a necklace for a
Christmas
gift
this
Wednesday, December 13;
and again on Monday and
Tuesday, December 18-19 at
the Prevention classroom at
the for mer elementary
school building. Supplies are
provided. Come by between
9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on one or
more of the dates above. A
light lunch will be provided.
For more information call
Judy at 541-615-0115.
Warm Springs Recre-
ation Snack Attack is
every Tuesday and Thurs-
day from 3 to 4 p.m. Free
snack and fun games at
the Community Center.
by Rain Circle
Tribal Education Branch
It’ukdi wigwa Shidaikt
from the 2023 Madras High
School Kiksht Class!
Ichalxchaq aktmin is over and
itgachaxlqwlimax aktmin is in
full swing.
Your Madras High Schjool
Numu, Ichishkiin and Kiksht
students are still hard at work
in the Native Language room
at the high school and it is
very exciting!
The language year at
MHS is going well and the
students are making long
strides. These kids are balanc-
ing required classes with their
sports, with their social and
home lives, and whatever
other challenges in their da
to day. And on top of that
they’ve chosen to learn one
of the hardest languages
there is to learn.
Their regular language
week looks something like:
Aixtba Wigwa: Group
reading from selected,
shorter Kiksht transcrip-
tions… So, that was inter-
rupted by the evacuation and
Spilyay Tymoo
(Coyote News, Est. 1976)
Publisher Emeritus in Memorium: Sid Miller
Editor: Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Our
offices are located at 4174 Highway 3 in Warm
Springs.
Any written materials submitted to Spilyay Tymoo
should be addressed to:
Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 489, Warm Springs, OR
97761.
Phone: 541-553-2210 or 541-771-7521
E-Mail: david.mcmechan@wstribes.org.
Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $20.00
Meet your new Wellness Coordinator
Bonita Leonard is the
new Wellness Coordinator
at the Warm Springs Com-
munity Center and Recre-
ation Department. “I am
excited to be working with
many of you looking to
get healthier and fit,”
Bonita says.
“I’ve been working out
for five years, and have a
passion to help others in
the same way I learned,”
she says.
Her workout classes
are Monday, Wednesday
and Fridays at 6 a.m.; and
Tuesdays and Thursdays
at noon.
The classes are HIIT
bomb scare at high school on
November 30. Man! Thank
goodness it didn’t get worse,
and please, you know who
did that, turn them in. They
deserve about as much re-
spect as they gave the entire
student body, faculty and
community, which is None,
Zero, Nada!
The term ‘Don’t snitch’
has turned our reservation
into a jail where the inmates
make the rules… Set a good
example and use the system,
give violators a chance at a
good life. Help them to own
up to their mistakes and take
responsibility for their trans-
gressions and actions; or else
they will likely create fami-
lies, have children they teach
to be violators. It is a fact
that ignorance breeds igno-
rance and we are no better
than we were before today.
Bomb scare evacuation
I spoke with a student af-
ter the evacuation, and it
started as a disciplinary ac-
tion. See, We—the student
body and faculty—were in
the holding area at the fair-
cardio—high intensity in-
ter val training cardio—
with some step aerobics,
strength training.
Besides the regular class
grounds, and in that mostly
concrete building we needed
to be quite because the
sound resonated bad, and
each student’s name had to
be called off for checkout—
A room full of nervous,
scared and excited high
school students is not con-
ducive to quite and calm.
The ‘Sssshhhh’ from
teachers was coming at regu-
lar intervals and with the
bodies packed in there, for
maintaining positive control
of your White Buffalos, it
would last as long as it took
for a low whisper conversa-
tion to get loud (I assume in
a need to be heard).
Up until now these kids
had been on point with their
levels of self-control and
this was the steam being re-
leased.
Unless you’ve been under
fire or had that impending,
immediate threat in your life,
please hold your judgement.
They really did a great job
that day, and showed how
well they listen and act ac-
cordingly when the situation
calls for it. You can’t men-
workout times, Bonita is
also available to work
one-on-one training. You
can set up a time by call-
ing her at 541-553-3589.
Or email:
bonita.leonard@wstribes.org
Besides staying in great
shape and working out,
she mentions some of
her other favorite things.
“My favorite food is en-
chiladas,” Bonita says.
“My favorite animals
are horses and dogs. My
favorite color is royal
blue, and my favorite
place to be is surrounded
by family and my
people.”
tally prepare for bullets be-
ing thrown at you until it ac-
tually happens so don’t even
try… It would be foolish.
So back to this student.
His attitude was starting to
spiral. I have had soldiers like
him and I was pretty sure he
had ramped himself up to act
with aggression and violence
30 minutes prior to this mo-
ment, and now that adrena-
line had nowhere to go but
out.
He was louder than the
other students and more as-
sertive. I didn’t worry too
much until he started to dis-
miss the other teachers and
use foul language. That’s when
I decided to step in. I sat next
to him and told him “You
make the rest of us look bad
when you act like this.”
Because that’s how racism
works. It is always one situa-
tion with one person that gets
the group ‘judged’ from that
point until forever. Anyone
who hears the words or saw
his actions will likely have a bad
outlook afterwards, but he was
just coming down from his own
fight-or-flight situation and it
was, just like him I suspect,
much more intense than the
average student.
Continues on page 9
Important message from Social Security administration
Rose ‘Mushy’ Alarcon ,
W.S, Social Services Office,
Aged Persons with Disabilities
Finance classes
‘Building Native Commu-
nities Financial Education’
classes are this Thursday and
Friday, December 14 and 15
at the Agency Longhouse
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On
Friday, December 15, there
will be an Insurance 101 ses-
sion from 2-3 p.m. that any-
one can attend and learn
about home and auto insur-
ance. Contact Mallor y by
the Warm Springs Commu-
nity Action Team by email or
call to get signed up
mallory@wscat.org
Or the WSCAT phone
number is 541-553-3148.
Page 4 Spilyay Tymoo December 13, 2023
The Social Security Ad-
ministration is asking every-
one to help prevent people
from falling victim to Social
Security-related scams this
holiday season. Criminals pre-
tending to be from Social
Security and other federal
government agencies are
tricking victims into sending
money or sharing personal
information. Some advice to
keep in mind:
· Remember to be skepti-
cal and cautious of unex-
pected calls or messages.
Criminals are using the
names of federal government
officials and sending pictures
of documents, evidence, fed-
eral employee credentials, and
law enforcement credentials
and badges, to try to prove
their legitimacy.
They may change the pic-
ture or use a different name,
agency, or badge number, al-
ways with the intent to scam
people out of money or per-
sonal information.
The Social Security Admin-
istration will never:
· Send pictures of an
employee’s official federal
government identification.
· Suspend someone’s So-
cial Security number.
· Threaten someone with
arrest or other legal action
unless they immediately pay
a fine or fee.
· Require payment by re-
tail gift card, wire transfer,
internet currency, or cash by
mail.
· Promise a benefit in-
crease or other assistance in
exchange for payment.
· Send ‘official’ letters or
reports containing your per-
sonal information via email.
Social Security only sends
automated emails and text
messages to people who have
agreed to receive them and
only in limited situations, in-
cluding the following:
· When someone has sub-
scribed to receive updates
and notifications by email or
text.
· As part of the enhanced
security when accessing a per-
sonal my Social Security ac-
count.
W ishing you a safe and
Mer r y Christmas! Rose
Alarcon
‘Wapato Bridge’ in Portland honors Native American First Food
Renaming the Sauvie Is-
land Bridge became an op-
portunity to celebrate and
honor tribes and their con-
nection to their First Foods,
while building stronger gov-
ernment-to-government rela-
tionships in the Portland
area. Last month on the fi-
nal day of Native American
Heritage Month, the
Multnomah County Com-
mission unanimously voted
to adopt ‘Wapato Bridge’ as
the new name of the bridge
connecting Sauvie Island to
the mainland.
Wapato is an edible plant
used by Indigenous peoples,
and once was abundant in the
wetlands that surround the
island.
In November of last year,
the county board voted to es-
tablish the council, specifically
including tribal representatives
from various tribes historically
linked to the island. By doing
so, they kicked off an initia-
tive that has marked the
county’s inaugural formal con-
sultation process working with
tribal governments, engaging
appointed cultural guardians,
revered elders, tribal represen-
tatives, and administrative
staff in the decision-making
process.
Jill-Marie Gavin, CRITFC Communications
Members of the Multnomah County Commission and
Bridge Renaming Council following the commission’s
decision to adopt the name of Wapato Bridge for the
bridge to Sauvie Island. The commission was gifted by
the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission with a
wapas, a woven basket traditionally used by Columbia
River Plateau tribes to gather roots and berries.