2 (HS$Q SMOKE SIGNALS
Member Benefit programs, continued from frontpage Salmon Corps receives Drucker award
RISK MANAGEMENT
Health Security Program for tribal members: The Health Security Program provides the
ODS healthvision insurance to all tribal members who apply, no matter where they live.
This same program is responsible for the new standard dental insurance provided to all
tribal members who apply. There are approximately 2200 members under the age of 65
enrolled in the Tribe to date. Any member can apply for one or both programs during one of
our open two open enrollment periods per year, January 1 or July 1 .
Health Security Program for Elders: The Health Security Program for Elders provides a
health care package for all Tribal Elders age 65 and older. This is a supplemental insurance
policy that coordinated directly with their Medicare benefits, as well as provides dental
insurance for all Elders who are enrolled in the Supplemental Program.
Supplemental Security Program: The Supplemental Security Program reimburses Medi
care expenses that are deducted directly from the tribal Elders (65 and over) Social Security
checks. If an Elder is enrolled in Medicaid, SSI, or the Oregon Health Plan, they are usually
not responsible for their Medicare premiums, therefore they would not be eligible for this
program. If you are not sure if you are eligible, please call the Risk Management department
for assistance at 1-800-442-0346.
HOUSING
Down Payment Grants: The Tribe has established a Down Payment Assistance program
to help qualified tribal members with the purchase of their first home. Tribal members do not
have to live in the Housing Authority's Ten-County Service Area to apply for this grant this
year. To date, 21 grants have been made, with 19 pending. (Some are going into Grand
Meadows, the manufactured home park in Grand Ronde.) There is a waiting list of more than
100 at this time. This program carries a maximum grant of $ 10,000.
Emergency Repair Grant: Monies for this program are to be used for tribal member
homes that are in need of immediate, emergency repair. Thirty-five grants have been
awarded this year, with six on the waiting list. The maximum award is $3,000.
Major Rehabilitation Grant: This program provides for the major repair of tribal member
homes. Eight grants have made this year, with a waiting list of 13. The maximum award for
this program is $20,000.
NOTE: In order to ensure the most efficient use of the Housing Authority's resources,
only the Down Payment Assistance program is available to tribal members outside the
Housing Authority's Ten-County Service Area in Oregon. This is because repair work to
homes must be monitored and inspected by the Housing Authority staff, and they must be
able to regularly travel to these homes to oversee the work that is being done. If you would
like more information about any of these programs, please call the Housing Authority at 1-800-422-0232,
extension 2467.
Debate over Kennewick Man continues
The Umatilla have proposed its own ex
cavation plan after an anthropologist sought
to dig a trench near where a 9,200 year old
skeleton was found.
Umatilla spokesman Paul Minthorn said
the excavation plan by Washington State
University anthropologist Gary Huckleberry
is flawed.
Huckleberry in late August asked the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers to let him and a
team of scientists excavate a trench in Co
lumbia Park to search for clues near the site
where the Kennewick Man skeleton was
found in July of 1996.
Minthorn said Huckleberry's plan does
not adequately protect the site, where other
remains may be buried. "Our preference is
that nothing be done, that no digging be
done, that the area be left alone," he said.
The tribe's plans call for digging up to
five test holes six inches at a time
rather than a 50 to 100 foot trench as pro
posed by Huckleberry. Huckleberry pro
posed testing the site with small holes to
determine whether it contains archeologi
cal deposits.
Huckleberry said he welcomes the Tribe's
scientists to join the project. A cooperative
effort could help resolve the controversial
case, he said.
"They can work with us and collect the
same data, then write their interpretation,"
he said. "It might solve the impasse."
The Umatilla and Huckleberry say a dig
should try to figure out why the ancient
bones were so well preserved, whether they
were intentionally buried and if the initial
carbon dating on the bones of 9,200 years
is accurate.
Potentially, scientists would be able to
determine if the Kennewick Man floated
down river of was buried at the site.
One of the biggest potential finds would
be organic material, such as plant of animal
remains, that can be carbon dated to con
firm the age of the Kennewick Man.
The Umatilla are among five Northwest
tribes who told the corps the 1990 Native
American Graves Protection and Repatria
tion Act mandated the bones be returned to
them for burial.
The corps was close to granting that re
quest when eight prominent scientists sued
for the right to study the bones, saying the
remains are too old to link to modern Ameri
can Indians without more study.
A unique partnership called the Salmon
Corps has received an award recognizing
innovative programs that produce "new di
mensions of performance" in the lives of
the people they serve.
The Earth Conservation Corps (ECC)
Salmon Corps program was selected by the
Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit
Management to receive Special Recognition
during the 1997 Drucker Award for Non
profit Innovation ceremony on October 27
in Washington D.C.
Salmon Corps began in 1 994 with the goal
of utilizing Native American young adults
(18-25 years old) to repair the disappearing
salmon habitats of the Columbia River Ba
sin. This approach fulfills ECC's mission of
reclaiming two of the country's most threat
ened resources: the environment and dis
advantaged young people.
Salmon Corps is a partnership between
Americorps; the Nez Perce Tribe; the
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes; the Confeder
ated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reserva
tion; the Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs; the Confederated Tribes and
Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation; the Co
lumbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission;
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation;
various corporations, and the U.S. Depart
ments of Energy, Agriculture and Interior.
Since its inception, Salmon Corps mem
bers have successfully erected over 300
miles of riparian fencing, restored over 260
miles of streams, and released over 3.5 mil
lion salmon within the Columbia River Ba
sin (160,000 square miles).
"Our success is not possible without the
combined efforts of our staff, partners, and
the remarkable spirit and dedication of
Salmon Corps members," said Charles F.
Sams III, Director of NW Operations for the
ECC. The volunteers work experience ben
efits Salmon Corps members in several ways.
Members receive career training experiences
in habitat restoration and exposure to ca
reer opportunities such as natural resource
leadership and management.
Teen honored for community service
Luhui Whitebear works diligently to en
sure a better quality of life for Native people.
Luhui has served as the Youth President for
the Oregon Native Youth Council (ONYC)
since 1993, and serves as the President of
the Native Youth Group at high school.
ONYC is a nonprofit, grassroots organi
zation formed in response to the identified
crisis situation of Native youth within the
state of Oregon, and members remain com
mitted to the development of youth and El
ders to strengthen families and communi
ties. Luhui has been a central figure in de
fining the goals and objectives of this orga
nization. Luhui has coordinated a Youth
Empowerment Conference, established a
weekly tutoring program, visited incarcer
ated Native youth, encouraged other youth
to relinquish gang affiliation and put an end
to drug and alcohol abuse, and has pro
moted the value of education.
Luhui contributes to her community (Otis,
Oregon) through the written word, creating
poems which reflect the community she
serves and the Chumash, Pueblo,
Commanche, and Huichol traditions of her
family. Her award and a gift of $5,000 were
presented to Luhui October 28 at a cer
emony at the National Press Club in Wash
ington D.C.
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