Local News
Charles “Jody” Calica Walks On
Mar
Charles “Jody” Calica, Vice-Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council passed away March 18,2019 at his home and surrounded by family. He will be greatly missed by many who knew him and worked with him on Natural Resources, Economic Development and Tribal Policy work. He was a Tribal Council Reresentative for the Simnasho District.
Mr. Calica’s tribal heritage descends from the Tiah Band of the Icischkin or Warm Springs People and the Clackamas band of the Kiksht or Wasco People. His father came from the Philippines as a World War II Veteran. His Indian name is Wal-la-hee which has a proud history and represents kinship ties with the people of the Yakama Nation.
After graduating from Madras High School, he enlisted in the US Navy. Upon completing training he was assigned to the Guided Missile Frigate, USS Reeves, it was home ported out of Yokosuka, Japan. The ship was assigned to combat duty stations patrolling the North Vietnam Coast and Aircraft Carrier Escort in the Gulf of Tonkin from 1966-1968.
He attended college at the University of Oregon, where he engaged in volunteer service for the Chemawa Indian School, Oregon Correctional Institute, and Oregon State Penitentiary. He was later recruited into the Teacher Corps Program training at the MacLaren School for Boys. He transferred and completed an undergraduate degree in education from Oregon State University and continued his graduate studies.
His work with Jefferson County School District began in 1973 and he was later recruited by The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in 1976 as the Education Director. Throughout his thirty-seven year career, he served in a number of middle to senior executive positions that included the Municipal Manager, Natural Resources General Manager, and Chief Operations Officer. He also served three consecutive three-year term appointments as the Secretary-Treasurer/Chief Executive Officer for the 23rd, 24th and 25th Tribal Council terms.
Mr. Calica’s only break in direct tribal service would be during his employment as Bureau of Indian Affairs Superintendent of the Northern Idaho Agency working with the people and issues of Nez Perce, Coeur D’ Alene and Kootenai Reservations from 2002 to 2004.
Other governmental responsibilities have included serving on the Oregon Parks and Recreation and Heritage Commissions and Oregon Juvenile Justice Committee. Of the numerous other career experiences included serving on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Historical Society, Inter-tribal Timber Council, Oregon Indian Education Association and the National Indian Juvenile Justice Task Force.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR
CHARLES “JODY” CALICA
Thursday March 21, 2019
Leave Bel-Air Funeral Home at 1pm to
Simnasho Longhouse for dressing at 2pm
Overnight Services.
Friday March 22, 2019
Leave Simnasho longhouse at 9am
(Traveling through simnasho/kahneeta)
To Agency Cemetery to be placed at his final resting place next to his wife.
