place for Position #2. We did what the Election Ordinance said
to do, and that was recount and certify. Thank each of you for
your vote.
We are having a very tough time with the
local Indian Health Service cutting much needed services to
our members. Their latest action is doing away with the
allergy shots and diabetes services and makes one wonder what
IHS is thinking of; after all, diabetes is the leading health
problem in Indian Country! Allergies, if not properly cared
for, can lead to other major health problems. I am unsure how
the local IHS Administration can arbitrarily cut the
aforecited services when the Tribes contribute approximately
$100,000 to IHS. If we are all rich and all had health
insurance, this would not be an issue. Last fiscal year there
was an increase in IHS dollars. We have made contact with our
legislators for help in getting to the root of this present
short-fall.
We will begin the Mediation process in the
Wenatchi fishing rights case. This will take place in Seattle
on May 10 thru May 12, 2005. It is the first time the Yakamas
have agreed to meet with the Colville Tribes. By all accounts
it’s going to be a rough process simply because of the stance
the Yakamas have taken in the past. But this time the
situation is somewhat different because of the questioning by
the Appeals Court Judges of the Yakama attorney. I believe the
Colvilles will prevail because we are right in the claims we
have made in the past and are making now.
In the Management and Budget Committee
meeting (5/4/05) the fiscal 06-budget process is to be started
and as usual income is down. We will not have the luxury of
getting money from other sources to save us this year. Our
administrators are going to have to sharpen those pencils this
year. The last 2 years the Tribes has counted on a
federal/state program dubbed Title XIX as an off-set to our
income shortfall. It was stated this year in one of our Health
and Human Service Committee meetings that this money was not a
resource but a service provided. If that is the case, we are
not providing the Title XIX services required by our
membership. I say this because over the past couple of years
the Yakamas were cited as bringing in $7 million per year;
Okanogan County was cited as bringing in $6 million per year.
The Colville Tribes has not ever reached the $2 million
plateau. This tells me that, by income numbers from those
other entities, we (the CCT) are not providing these services
to our own.
We may have an opportunity to become the
Estate Planner and Will writers for the Northwest. We had a
meeting with an individual who is a member of the Land Tenure
group, a group made up of Tribal members from across the U.S.
who are working to counter the government’s attempts to
control the lands on Indian Reservations. There will be more
to come in future letters about this process.
Harvey Moses, Jr.
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HutchinsonUpdate
By Margie Hutchinson
Dear Tribal Members:
We finally get to celebrate the grand
opening of the new Pascal Sherman Indian School. After years
of many past and present council members’ lobbying for this
new construction, we have a beautiful facility for our
children.
We met with the Yakama Nation to discuss
our fishing rights in the Wenatchee area. We are in
negotiations so we are not permitted to discuss any of the
details of those discussions. I can report that these
discussions are emotionally draining, and it takes an enormous
amount of self-discipline to sit and listen, when your
information does not match.
We had a CBC/CTEC strategic meeting on May
6, in Spokane. We have two teams, one is the communications
team, and the other is the planning team, which I chose. We
discussed the possible reorganization of some of the programs,
and the future projections of the CIPV mill. Discussion of the
Mt. Tolman mining venture, and the need for experts in place
for planning and meeting with the tribal membership on this
issue.
The Healing Lodge Board of Directors held
their meeting in Spokane in April, and we discussed the
possible purchase of land surrounding the healing lodge. This
facility is a home away from home for many of our troubled
youth, and a very successful program. The facility is located
at 5600 East 8th Avenue.
They have a huge emphasis on culture, and I believe this is
one of the reasons for the positive outcomes.
We attended the transportation meeting in
Olympia, with the state and federal officials. We were
especially fortunate because our lawyer, Brian Gunn, scheduled
us a meeting with Leroy Gishi, one of the top officials from
Washington D.C. We asked that some of the safety projects be
placed on the inventory list, and he is attempting to do just
that. If this happens, we will be miles ahead of other
agencies. Anyway, I am very excited about the results of this
meeting.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, CCT, and the
Indian Land Tenure Foundation group met recently in Spokane to
discuss estate-planning services. If the ILTF proposal is
approved our tribe in a pilot project role will provide wills
and estate planning services for all the Northwest Region
Tribes. The proposal will be submitted to the BIA/OST for
funding, so there will be no tribal dollars.
I also attended a meeting in Scottsdale on
Indian Health issues, and I guess the main point that sticks
in my mind is this "Patients are not an interruption in your
job, they are the reason we exist". They provided a lot of
information and various models of health care, but I think it
was more directed at the technical people, but I still gained
a lot of understanding of the process.
Corner
By Shirley K. Charley
To the
Membership,
I apologize for not writing in every Tribal Tribune. It seems
like there in not enough hours in the day to keep on top of
all of the issues, receive the questions and gather the needed
answers, but I will not quit.
There are
many crucial issues that are effecting us as a Tribe. One of
the most critical is the health services that I do not believe
are being delivered in the manner that they could or should
be. There should be programs excelling in getting solutions to
help us and yet, there still seems to be the fear that if we
find positive solutions, I might be out of a job. Social ills
will never be extinct. There are workers that are finding ways
to stretch themselves and the budgeted dollars that they
receive and they seem to be the ones that are getting the
negative reaction internally. Then there are the ones that
seem to be able to find creative excuses as to why they can’t
do what the program is designed to achieve and they seem to be
getting rewarded. Something is wrong with this picture.
Corrections seem to be identified as “micro managing”.
I have been
to several Wenatchi issue meetings and will be on the
negotiating team with the Yakama negotiating team. I strongly
suggest that you keep us informed as to what you would like to
see during this process.
There seems
to be a strong suggestion that the Tribe go into the “Self
Governance” arena as far as our Health care goes. Instead of
traveling to different tribes that have already went this
route, I attended a meeting in San Diego, CA. Numerous tribes
and leaders were represented and a wide view of the pros and
cons were discussed. It seems to work for the smaller tribes
and services enhanced. I’m personally not sure that it would
work for us and especially with three and possibly four
Clinics all fighting for the same dollars for operation needs.
I will be getting all of the information needed and offered in
order to pass on what I learn to you.
I strongly
encourage you to attend the meetings at the main Tribal
building. The decisions that are made by us effect you. I work
for you and you have the right to make sure I am working. I
know that our District meetings are not always when they
should be, but there are four council persons and each one, I
believe, have the same responsibilities that I have.
In your
travels, be safe.
Shirley K. Charley
Omak District Council Person
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