News Stories for Wed., Sep. 27, 2017

Warm Springs Tribal Council passed two resolutions yesterday.  The first made Kiksht, Numu and Ichishkin the official languages of the tribe.  And, the other declares the second Monday of October as Indigenous People’s day in Warm Springs. Warm Springs joins a growing number of cities, tribes and states that now recognize the day as Indigenous People’s Day rather than the federally observed Columbus Day. The resolutions were written and presented by agency district representatives Valerie Switzler and Carina Miller.

Warm Springs Tribal Council is looking to fill several positions on tribal boards. The Warm Springs Tribal Employment Rights Office or TERO Commission Board of Directors is open to any Native American 18 or older who works or resides on the reservation. Letters of interest and resume for the TERO board must be received by October 18^th. There are two positions on the Warm Springs Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.  The Housing Authority develops policies and procedures relating to tribal housing, gives direction to the Housing manager and department, and makes recommendations to the Tribal Council regarding housing matters. Anyone interested should turn in paperwork by October 13^th. And, the Warm Springs Credit Board of Directors has a non-member position – apply by October 1^st. Letters of interest and resumes should be delivered to: Emily Yazzie at the Tribal Council office.

The state has posted an online quiz to help people — especially hunters — tell the difference between wolves and coyotes. The quiz found at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website shows photos of the animals at various ages. In addition to quizzing users on their knowledge, the website gives tips on how to differentiate wolves from coyotes. The quiz was released last week, and The Bulletin  reports more than 16,000 people have already taken it. Wolves are no longer listed under the state Endangered Species Act, but they are considered a special status game mammal and protected by the Oregon Wolf Plan throughout the state.

A company that wants to build and operate a large terminal to export coal from the western U.S. to Asia was denied a key permit by Washington state on Tuesday because of environmental concerns. The Department of Ecology rejected a water quality permit that Millennium Bulk Terminals sought because the proposed facility near the city of Longview would have caused “significant and unavoidable harm” to the environment. The department cited effects to air quality, noise pollution and tribal resources, among others. “There are simply too many unavoidable and negative environmental effects for the project to move forward,” Ecology Director Maia Bellon said in a statement. Millennium Bulk Terminals has long hoped to build a facility along the Columbia River to handle up to 44 million tons of coal a year. Trains would carry the coal from Montana, Wyoming and other states, which would be loaded onto ships headed to Asia.