DECEMBER 1, 2002
Smoke Signals 13
Education Leads To Careers And A Safer City Of Spokane
Tribal member Tamie Spitzer and her family really know the value of an education.
By Ron Karten
Spokane Police Officer and Grand
Ronde Tribal member Tamie Spitzer
enjoys living life on the edge.
"I've been so lucky to be involved in
a lot of things," she said. As deputy in
the Spokane County Sheriffs office,
Spitzer also was part of the TAG (tac
tical) team doing riot control and the
Sheriffs Kegger Awareness Team to
stop underage drinking parties.
She taught a 'Criminal Investigation
and Evidence' course at Spokane Com
munity College and judged events at
the Spokane Police Academy.
In the Career Criminal Unit, she
participated in sting operations in con
cert with the offices of the U.S. Mar
shals Service and the Bureau of Alco
hol, Tobacco and Firearms. This op
eration really brought the criminals
in.
The team sent letters to members of
the community who had warrants out
standing. The letters said that money
was owed them and all they had to do
was come in and claim it.
"The operation was so professional,"
said Spitzer, "that even after we ar
rested them, some asked, 'Do I still
get my check?'"
She credits her younger brother,
Corey Turman, a police officer with the
City of Spokane, for giving her the in
centive to go after it.
Five years ago, she ran a day care
business in her home, but Corey's suc
cess reminded her of her own long held
ambitions. She gave up the business
and went back to school to become a
cop.
The schooling helped. "I graduated
in June, 1997 and I was hired in Au
gust," she said.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde (CTGR) helped to fund her edu
cation and the family was more than
willing to struggle without the day
care income while she got it.
In fact, the Turman-Spitzer family
now has three generations growing
successful through CTGR's education
program. Her mom, Tribal member
Jean Turman, went back to school for
a degree in Early Childhood Develop
ment at Spokane Falls Community
College and now runs an in-home day
care program.
Her brother, Joe, earned his teach
ing degree at Eastern Washington Uni
versity and is now a teacher and coach
at University High School in Spokane.
(One of his student athletes recently
invited him back to Indianapolis for a
December football game and that trip
will also include dinner at the home of
Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton
Manning.)
Tamie earned her Administration of
Justice degree at Spokane Community
College.
Her sister, Melinda Turman, gradu
ated recently from Whitworth College
in Spokane with a Music Education
degree, and is now a substitute teacher
in three school districts.
And Tamie's daughter, Ashley, 18,
has just started at Gonzaga University.
"We've found the Education depart
ment to be just terrific," said Charles
Turman, father to Tamie, Joe, CoreV
and Melinda. "That's the best thing
that they can do."
"I think she's a real success story
for the Tribe," said Tribal Council
member Ed Pearsall. "The whole
family's a success story."
Pearsall met Charles Turman years
ago on a job, became friends and only
then discovered that Charles was mar
ried to his cousin, the former Jean
West. "We worked together for six
years and became good friends," said
Pearsall.
Spitzer recently convinced Pearsall
to come for a drive along
("after four years of pes
tering him," she said)
when he had come to
Spokane on vacation. "I
wanted to have him go
along and see how our
education dollars are be
ing, hopefully, well
spent."
"Some individual was
apparently keeping his
wife in the car,"
Pearsall said of the drive
along experience.
"Tamie put on the lights
and we pulled up in the
driveway. The woman
jumped out of the car
and ran into the house.
Then, a lot of people
came out of the house.
That made me a little
nervous."
So, the question
comes up: police work
for a 5'2-l2" blond with
three children?
"My family always
knew I had a passion to
pursue it," said Spitzer "and they were
always very supportive."
In September, the community
added its vote of support. The
Edgewood Sheriffs Community-Oriented
Policing Effort (SCOPE) pre
sented its first "Deputy of the Quar
ter" award to Spitzer. The program
consists of homes in various neigh
borhoods that the department rents
and staffs with community volun
teers. Generally, probation officers
and detectives also work out of these
houses and together they spearhead
prevention and outreach work in the
community.
Thanks to the Tribe's Education de-
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partment, Spitzer has developed a
great appreciation and sense of pride
for a community she has lived outside
of all her life.
"It's really given me a sense of be
longing," she said.
And togetherness. The family pooled
its per capita and timber revenue
checks one year to buy a vacation cabin
at Diamond Lake.
Spitzer now sees all kinds of doors
opening for her on the far side of police
work from advancing through the
ranks to consulting and teaching. And
the meanwhile is not bad either. "I
have the satisfaction of having a job
that I love," she said.
Chemawa Gets Down With The Sounds of The Gary Small Band
By James Buxman
Management T rainee,
Tribal Mentorship Program
The students of Chemawa Indian
School were treated to the inspira
tional sound of The Gary Small Band
Friday, November 1 at Chemawa's
auditorium. The environment outside
was cold and dark but once you en
tered the auditorium it was warm and
full of life. The crowd was filled with
hundreds of kids and adults from
around the community to view the
benefit concert for the school. You
could feel the excitement of the audi
ence right from the start. As I walked
into the auditorium I witnessed kids
of all ages cheering, waving lighters,
but most of all smiling. Everyone was
having a great time.
The evening was organized by Gary
Small; a Northern Cheyenne Indian
that says playing music is the only
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Jam Session Native musician Gary
Small and his band rocked the house at
Chemawa Indian High School with a con
cert on Friday, November 1. Small, a
Northern Cheyenne, works in Portland for
the Indian Health Board and supports
young Natives as they grow and try to
find their way in the world.
time that he is really free. Gary works
for the Portland Area Indian Health Board. Helping Indian students
find the right medical school is another ability Gary possesses. He started
his music career at the age of twelve. Then at the age of fourteen Gary
started playing bass guitar professionally. He credits Carlos Santana as
being a major influence for his playing and writing style. The music
combines roots rock and reggae to produce a melody that is unsurpassable.
It has been said that Gary's work sounds like Bob Marley with Santana
on guitar. For Gary it is much easier; he is expressing human emotions
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through guitar playing.
The benefit concert was held at
the school in order to heighten
awareness about music and the op
portunities available for aspiring
Indian musicians. Gary stated that
he wants to expose Indian students
to the "arts" and the creative side
of things. He also said, that with
this donation it gives the kids a cre
ative outlet to explore and experi
ment. The sponsors of the event;
Indian Motorcycles, Gibson Gui
tars, Apple Music, The Paul Reid
Guitar Forum, and Gary Small;
donated numerous guitars and
amplifiers to Chemawa. They also
offered their advice, guidance, and
help whenever needed.
Spokesman for Indian Motor
cycles and renowned Indian actor
Branscombe Richmond said this
about the event, "Music is an inter
national language and communi
cates every emotional feeling pos
sible. Music is the bridge that con
nects people together as one. And
as Native Americans our philosophy
is that we are all ONE. Indian mo
torcycles is very proud to be associ
ated with this event." B