E Coosh EEWA: The way it is
Letters to the editor
A Letter to
the People
I am writing because I am
thankful. I am thankful that
I was chosen by my people
to be the next Wasco Chief
of the Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs.
I understand the respon-
sibility this position entails and
the commitment our people
are expecting me to have. I
also understand there is still
more to learn and become.
This is not the end for us,
only the beginning of this era.
I was born and raised here
in our territory and watched
my grandfathers fish from
scaffolds at the Bridge of the
Gods at Cascade Locks. The
rain fell constantly as I was
learning to walk. Before then
I remember being passed
around as a baby at the pa-
vilion still there at the in-lieu
site while my family cooked
for the fishermen.
Learning has been my life-
long commitment. Some
things I learned fast, some
things I have had to work at
over and over. I am not the
smartest in the room, yet I
continue to become educated
and do not mind expressing
my shortcomings.
I have been corrected and
educated many times and that
door will never close. I am
sitting in a lifelong position
ready to face our people for
us to face the world together.
Today, I am 3 months into
the Wasco Chief position. I
commend the leadership
from each district, and I com-
mend the leadership of our
Tribal Council. I believe ev-
ery council has meant well for
the people.
I want to do well. I wish I
can be everywhere every time
every day, but we know that
is not possible.
Before I came back from
college, I was already work-
ing for the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs in
the Government Affairs-
Public Relations-Planning
Department. The commu-
nity place familiar to me was
the longhouse so I would go
on occasion and see how
short-handed our ceremo-
nies would be at times. In-
stead of criticizing I decided
to help again however I can.
I didn’t put off helping as
the need was then, not when-
ever I finished school and
moved back full-time.
I am hoping our people
realize that it is not just on
our leaders to be present. It
is up to us. It is up to you.
When we realize help is
needed, we don’t have the
time to wait, we must step
in to do the very best we
can, whether we are familiar
or not, we must do our very
best at all times. That is all I
have ever done. I wasn’t
afraid of the criticisms. I
knew I didn’t know it all, but
I saw our people needed help
over the years and I stepped
in to help not wanting to be
the best, but to do my best.
I am asking you to make
your ancestors proud and to
not wait for who you think
should be somewhere when
you in fact are there and
could be there as a leader
too.
Someday we will meet
our maker and Creator, and
the Creator will ask ‘How
come you didn’t lead, how
come you didn’t pray, how
come you didn’t help?’ and
if your reply is ‘because so-
and-so didn’t show up’. Do
you think that is what will
make your people and chil-
dren proud?
We are realizing life is
short. Start counting days,
any reason to count the days;
sobriety, abstinence, restrain-
ing and refraining from nega-
tivity, instilling self-discipline,
anything to count your days
and blessings. Counting the
days will slow down time and
allow yourself to breath, ob-
Page 5 Spilyay Tymoo August 21, 2024
OSU-Cascades to host First Peoples Celebration
OSU-Cascades and the
Confederated Tribes on
October 12 will host the
First Peoples Celebration
at the OSU-Cascades
campus in Bend. This will
be in recognition of 2024
Indigenous People’s Day,
October 14.
Events at the First
Peoples Celebration will
be free to the public. A
preliminary schedule of
events is already in place
for the day. The afternoon
begins with the Native
culture bearers demon-
strations: The Tananáwit
Artists Community of
Warm Springs will dem-
onstrate traditional tribal
crafts and artistry.
Members of the
Warms Springs Natural
Resources Department
and Warm Springs Com-
munity Action Team will
be on hand to discuss
their work. And the Mu-
seum at Warm Springs
and the High Desert
Museum will be available
there to discuss their roles
in preserving the heritage
of the First Peoples of
Central Oregon.
The Opening Ceremony
and Invocation will be at 2
p.m., followed by a Show-
case of Traditional Regalia
and Native Dancing. This
will include a narrated pre-
sentation with descriptions
and histories of the intri-
cate Native fashions—in-
cluding Jingle, Fanc y,
Grass and Traditional—
and background about the
dances.
Later in the afternoon
will be Round Dance per-
formances with the Black
Lodge Singers.
Dinner will be of In-
digenous foods, prepared
by Twisted Teepee of
Warm Springs. Registra-
tion information will be
available soon.
serve, realize, and appreci-
ate.
Many people have come
and even gone in my life for
all kinds of different rea-
sons to no fault of anyone
in particular, life just goes
and goes.
This chieftainship has
strengthened relationships,
fostered new ones, and even
severed others for reasons
unknown, but I am not the
victim. We must leave Vic-
tim Pride at the door.
Trauma, poverty, eco-
nomic hardships, lack of
self-esteem, and negative
self consciousness brings
about all kinds of toxic per-
spectives around us. Sobriety
is good, but we must bring
about goodness and kindness
through words and actions.
Sobriety does not make me
better than the next, only a
slight step ahead in becom-
ing and growing, for I only
want to share friendship, en-
couragement, and enlighten-
ment throughout my life.
Though, when we con-
stantly remind ourselves how
much of the world is against
us, we lash out in different
ways, tallying up all the
points and reasons that make
us more of a victim than
others. We become too dam-
aged to step up and step out
in front to help even our
very own because we are too
stressed, too attacked, too
criticized, too vulnerable, too
broke, too young.
As soon we get out of the
‘poor-me’ mentality the
sooner we can get to the ‘yes
I can’ mentality.
No matter how many
times I been down I have
never stayed there. I have to
get back up. I have to push
forward. I have to see what’s
next. I have to pursue some-
thing better, different, re-
spectable, enlightening, and
greater because I am not a
victim. I don’t go around
making excuses about why I
couldn’t, why I didn’t, why I
shouldn’t, why I won’t, why
I wouldn’t, I just become,
become, and become and I
will never stop.
We must stop pointing
fingers and do our parts.
Some of us are leaders in
different ways. Some of us
are leaders in big ways. Some
of us are leaders in small
ways, but by all means, be a
leader. Guide your children,
your people, your commu-
nity, your neighbors, your de-
scendants. Be a better you.
Be a great you. Be the best
you can be. Be everything
you can be. Smile more,
share more, speak more,
teach more. Don’t wait until
later, life is happening every
single day, and every single
day is an opportunity to be-
come great.
I cannot thank our Wasco
People and our Creator
enough for the guidance you
continue to bestow upon me
to do good and great things
for our people as many of
you have done before me,
inspiring me to keep moving
forward.
I am available for home
visits upon request so we can
build our nation together.
Jefferson Greene.
P.S. Humbly, I am rarely
available via email due to field
work and services provided
to the Northwest region.
Please consider using the
phone # provided below for
time sensitive requests, in-
quiries, and interests.
Thank you kindly for your
email and understanding.
Jefferson Greene, Colum-
bia River Institute for Indig-
enous Development (CRÍID)
Foundation
CRÍID.org
P.O. Box 870, War m
Springs, OR 97761. 541-460-
3004.
Wasq’ú,
Táxshpash,
Nimiipuu, Paiute, ku
Shiwanish.
Member of the Confed-
erated Tribes of War m
Springs.
The day is today. Chi au
lkwi iwá íkuuk.
Competitive application for
fiscal year 2024 under fund-
ing opportunity number FR-
6800-N-48 for a total
amount of $5 milloin. Sec-
ond by Wilson. Question:
Jim/yes, Jay/yes, Alvis/yes,
Wilson/yes, Jefferson/yes,
Rosa/yes, 6/0/0, Chairman
not voting. Motion carried.
• Mixte Communications
update discussion with
Jamie Hampton and Karim
Bouris.
• Enrollments discussion
with Lucille Suppach-
Sampson, director, Vital Sta-
tistics:
Motion by Alvis adopting
Resolution No. 13,165, en-
rolling four individuals. Sec-
ond by Jay: Question; Jim/
yes, Jay/yes, Al-vis/yes, Wil-
son/yes, Jefferson/yes,
Rosa/yes, 6/0/0, Chairman
not voting. Motion carried.
• 2024 On-Reservation
Hunting regulations with
Michael:
Motion by Wilson adopt-
ing Resolution No. 13,166,
that the ‘2024 On-Reserva-
tion Hunting Regulations’ are
adopted as provided in the
attached recommendation
from the BNR and the Fish
& Wildlife Committee. Sec-
ond by Alvis. Question: Jim/
yes, Jay/no, Alvis/yes, Wil-
son/yes, Jefferson/yes, Rosa/
yes, 5/1/0, Chairman not
voting. Motion carried.
• July agenda discussion
with the S-T:
Motion by Wilson approv-
ing the meeting agenda. Sec-
ond by Jay. Question: Jim/
yes, Jay/yes, Alvis/yes, Wil-
son/yes, Jefferson/yes, Rosa/
yes, 6/0/0, Chairman not
voting. Motion carried.
Motion by Alvis to adjourn
at 4:30PM.
OSU-Cascades
Jefferson Greene, who is now Wasco Chief, demonstrates drum
making at the 2023 OSU-Cascades First Peoples Day.
Summary of Tribal Council
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
June 19
(from page 3)
Motion by Jim adopting
Resolution No. 13,162 (com-
pact amendment). Second by
Alvis. Question: Jim/yes,
Jay/yes, Alvis/yes, Wil-son/
yes, Jefferson/yes, Rosa/yes,
Jonathan/yes, 7/0/0, Chair-
man not voting. Motion car-
ried.
• 2024 Indian Community
Development Block Grant
discussion with Danielle
Wood, Housing Authority ex-
ecutive director:
Motion by Alvis adopting
Resolution No. 13,163, the
Tribal Council hereby del-
egates to War m Springs
Housing Authority the sole
authority to prepare and sub-
mit on behalf of the Tribe
an ICDBG application for
fiscal year 2024 under fund-
ing opportunity number FR-
6800-N-23 for a total amount
of $2 million.
That the Warm Springs
Tribal Council certifies that
the citizen participation re-
quirements identified at 24
CFR 1003.604 have been
met for the proposed fiscal
year 2024 ICDBG project.
Second by Wilson. Question:
Jim/yes, Jay/yes, Alvis/yes,
Wilson/yes, Jefferson/yes,
Ro-sa/yes, 6/0/0, Chairman
not voting. Motion carried.
• Indian Housing Block
Grant Competitive Grant Pro-
gram discussion with Danielle:
Motion by Jim adopting
Resolution No. 13,164, the
Tribal Council hereby del-
egates the sole authority to
prepare and submit on be-
half of the Tribe an IHBG-
Summaries continue on 5