KWSO News for Tue., Apr. 19, 2022

In Warm Springs, fishery regulations have been established by Tribal Council for 2022. Sherars falls for the 2022 fishing season is open 7 days per week, 24 hours per day. Marked Spring Chinook, fall chinook and coho salmon as well as marked steelhead may be kept. Unmarked fall chinook and coho salmon may be kept. Unmarked spring chinook, unmarked steelhead and Sockeye must be released all year. New this year is a resolution regulating eel harvest at Sherars falls. Harvest is allowed when lamprey arrive in June through the end of August using hands or hand-powered tools such as dip nets or gaffs.  Fishers must share the falls with fellow tribal members, this is a subsistence fishery, no sales are allowed, enrollment cards must be on your person and you  must allow the Branch of Natural Resources staff to examine your eels if asked. The Hood River sub-basin including all forks and tributaries are open 7 days per week from dawn until dusk April 15^th through July 15^th for spring chinook salmon. The entire John Day River is open from April 1^st through July 15^th for Spring chinook salmon, with the exception of the John Day River upstream of the Sheep Rock National Monument and all tributaries. Both Marked hatchery and unmarked spring chinook may be retained, other salmon species may be retained during the spring chinook season.

With the spread of COVID-19 slowing down, mask mandates have been lifted, offices have been opened to the public and events are starting to line up again as we are getting through this pandemic together. In a recent COVID update, from April 11^th to April 15^th there were 37 COVID-19 tests at the Warm Springs Health & Wellness Center, 1 positive was reported and 2 reported from outside facilities. As of yesterday morning all 3 positives have recovered. An event that is coming up is the Pi-Ume-Sha Health Fair, which will take place on Wednesday June 22^nd, from 9am-1pm. The theme this year is “Big Steps towards Legendary Health.” The event marks the first time since 2019 that the Health fair has taken place and many people are looking forward to having the Pi-Ume-Sha Powwow as well. In other healthy news, Jennifer Robbins, the Employee Wellness Coordinator for the Tribes has given results for the recent step challenge held. The top 3 participants were Damon Pope with 466,837 steps, Naomi Brisbois 461,630 steps and Michele Miller with 411,149 steps. As a group there was a total of 7,078,857 steps combined. For all those who participated and put in the hard work, everyone who finished the challenge will get an incentive.

After more than a century, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed today that the Yakama Nation – not Klickitat County – controls more than 121-thousand acres of disputed land. Correspondent Anna King has more. “The dispute centered around language in the Treaty of 1855 — that identified the reservation’s boundary as a spur of a river that doesn’t exist. Now the tribes control the hunk of mostly-timbered earth running up the eastern flank of Mt. Adams and including Glenwood Valley and some farmland. Delano Saluskin [DEL-ah-no SAL-ooo-skin] is the Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman. He says fighting over the land has been trying. Delano Saluskin: “Yah, it gets very frustrating it’s gets very difficult to have visitors – to have people who aren’t even associated with this land – who want to exploit it for the sake of the dollar.” [:17] Klickitat officials had no comment. The county had argued unsuccessfully that the treaty’s language should be interpreted to keep the town of Glenwood outside the reservation. I’m Anna King.”

In Local Sports: Madras High School Buff Boys Baseball hosted North Marion yesterday in league action and came up short as they lost 7-4. Next up for the Buff Boys, they will be on the road to Gladstone on Wednesday with game time at 4:30pm. Lady Buffs Softball hosted North Marion in a Double-header yesterday. In the first game, the Lady Buffs won with a score of 15-5, they followed that up with a victory in the 2^nd game as well, dropping North Marion 17-2. The Lady Buffs will host Gladstone on Wednesday with game time at 4:30pm. Warm Springs Nation Little League action today has the Minor Boys in Madras at the JC Field #7 game starting at 6pm. Minor girls softball will be hosting the Jefferson County A’s with game time at 6pm.