KWSO News for Wed., Oct. 20, 2021

Warm Springs Tribal Council passed a resolution to administer American Rescue Plan Act funds as a cash assistance General Welfare Program to Tribal Membership to address the negative economic impacts due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.  Distribution of $1250 will be issued to each Tribal Member on November 15^th.  See the full Tribal Council Resolution  HERE.  Warm Springs Vital Statistics reminds Tribal Members to make sure you have current address information on file with them.    Remember to make sure you contact the person who is renting the PO Box you are using to make sure you are listed for that box with the post office.

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a full committee hearing on Tuesday regarding three pending nominations. Nominated to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is Mr. Willie Phillips Jr., nominated to be an Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy is Brad Crabtree and one that is a bit more notable for all of Indian Country is Chuck Sams III, who was nominated to be the Director of the National Park Service. Sams is an enrolled Tribal Member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Chuck Sams III In his introduction of Sams, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden called this nomination long overdue and he couldn’t think of anybody in America better and more qualified to do it than Chuck Sams as the First Native American to lead the Park Service.

Fish on the Deschutes River are stranded without water this week. That’s because flows go to an irrigation reservoir every fall. And in what’s become an annual tradition, volunteers join a fish rescue. Emily Cureton [puritan] reports that a crew armed with electrical shocks to stun the fish, and nets and buckets to move them from isolated pools to the main river.  Until recently, the pool was connected— prime habitat for juvenile rainbow trout but with low water levels thousands of fish die every year.  Irrigation districts in Central Oregon pay to organize the event. Next spring, their patrons will benefit from the water taken out of the river and stored in Wickiup Reservoir over the winter.

Oregon vote by mail ballots came out last week for registered voters for the November 2^nd election.  Jefferson County voters have two issues to decide: a 509J Bond measure and a Jefferson County Five Year Jail Operations Levy.  The jail operation levy would be the primary source of revenue for the operation of the Jefferson County Adult Jail.  Ballots need to be in an official ballot drop box by 8pm on November 2^nd.   Drop Boxes are located in Warm Springs on campus across the street from the post office and also at Three Warriors Market in Simnasho.

It is homecoming week at Madras High School and with that they will be inducting 4 new distinguished alumni into the White Buffalo hall of fame.  This year’s featured alumni are: Alyssa Macy, Judge Dan Ahern, Stephen Hillis, and Dr. Janice White Clemmer.   A distinguished educator, mentor, speaker, teacher, researcher, writer, advocate, and life-long learner, Janice White Clemmer was born and raised primarily on the Warm Springs Reservation. Dr. Clemmer, in addition to earning her law degree, was the first Native American Woman in the U.S. to earn two Ph.D. degrees. Her tribal heritage is Wasco-Warm Springs-Shawnee-Leni Lenapi (Delaware). She is the great-great granddaughter of Wasco Chief Billy Chinook Parker.  Dr. Clemmer enjoyed a stellar career as a public-school teacher and as a full-time tenured professor at BYU’s College of Education. At BYU and in Salt Lake City, she served as co-coordinator of BYU’s Native American Studies program, developed/taught a diversity curriculum for new teachers, served on the Salt Lake City School Board and the National School Board Association. She researched, wrote, published and presented papers on a variety of topics dealing with education, art and ethnic groups. Throughout her career, she served as a powerful advocate for the Native American community and the importance of honoring diversity and social justice in American culture.  The Distinguished Alumni will be introduced at Friday’s Homecoming Football game between the 1^st and 2^nd quarters.

In Local Sports: The Warm Springs K8 Eagles football team is on the road today at Sister’s looking for their first win of the season. Game time is 6pm. Madras High School Lady Buffs Soccer traveled to North Marion yesterday and couldn’t find an answer to their losing streak as they fell to the Huskies 8-0. Buff Boys Soccer hosted North Marion yesterday, looking for vengeance against the Huskies after they fell earlier in the season, but fell again 5-0. Today, Lady Buffs Volleyball will be hosting North Marion starting at 6pm.

KWSO weather for Central Oregon…

• Cloudy and breezy today with intermittent showers and a high of 63 degrees
• Tonight partly cloudy with a low near 41
• Cloudy and warmer tomorrow with a high around 73 degrees