KWSO News 3/15/19

Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, with Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR 2), on Thursday introduced the 1865 Treaty Nullification Act to formally and finally nullify a fraudulent treaty with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, and clearly validate an 1855 treaty that establishes the tribes’ reservation and preserves certain hunting, gathering and fishing rights. The Warm Springs Tribes in 1855 entered into a treaty with the United States, defining the trust relationship between the parties, and establishing rights to land and off-reservation hunting and fishing. However, in 1865, an unscrupulous Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Oregon, J.W. Perit Huntington, wrote a supplemental treaty that amended the 1855 agreement to prohibit members of the Warm Springs from leaving their reservation without government permission and relinquishing all off-reservation rights. Merkley, Wyden and Walden all spoke as to how the 1865 treaty was fraudulent, deceptive and not legal. Oregon Governor Kate Brown has said that it is the policy of the State of Oregon that the 1865 treaty is null and void. Brown came to Warm Springs in late January to meet tribal leaders and disavow the Huntington Treaty of 1865…

The governor on Thursday urged congress to act quickly to rescind and nullify the historical injustice. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has determined that the state cannot defend the 1865 treaty because U.S. vs. Oregon has already clearly established that the 1855 treaty governs the Warm Springs Tribes’ off-reservation rights. Rosenblum in her statement said “real justice cannot occur for the Warm Springs tribes until Congress acts to nullify the 1865 ‘Huntington’ Treaty.

Cascade East Transit continues to gather input from folks around central Oregon regarding its Transit Master Plan. Last night, they were at the Warm Springs K-8 Academy’s family engagement night. Ashley Hooper is the Outreach Specialist…

Cascades East Transit (CET) is developing a regional transit master plan for Central Oregon and this is the beginning process to identify conceptual transit service over the next 25 years.

The Warm Springs K-8 Academy had a College & Career Night Thursday that included STEM activities. The K-8 holds regular family engagement nights for students and their families.  One of last night’s activities included an old-time butter churn. Deanie Johnson assisted with that activity…

Family engagement events promote families to come together with teachers and other community resources for fun, educational experiences at the school. Here are some voices from last night…

Shout out to the Warm Springs K-8 for another great night of learning and fun.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee has signed the Native American Voting Rights Act into law. He signed the measure in Olympia Thursday, joined by several Native American leaders. That includes Democratic Representative Deborah Lekanoff [leh-KANN-off], the first Native American woman to serve in the House.

The new law allows tribal members to use their tribal I-D cards for voter registration. It also allows tribes to receive a ballot drop box on a reservation site. Supporters of the act say it will help increase voter participation among tribal members. They say that has been disproportionately low in non tribal elections.