November 2011 CUJ - Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian ...

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Mission Assemblyof God ChurchInvites you to join in our Sundaymorning worship service at thechurch at 47328 on ShortmileRoad.Phone: 966-9520Service TImeSunday School Sunday(adults & kids) - 10Mission 9 am -10 am a.m. AssemblyCoffee Hour10 Worship am - 11 am Service Sunday - 11 School a.m.11am of Evening - God 12 am Service Worship Church - 6 Service p.m.6 pm FELLOWSHIPInvites you Wednesdayto join in our SundayPastor: Vern Kube6 morning pm Bible worship Study service and Prayer at theJesuschurchsaid,at 47328“ComeonuntoShortmileme whoare weary Sunday andRoad.burdened Sermons down andNov. I will 6 - give 1 John5;14,15Phone: 966-9520you rest.”“The Confidence Hope to see we you have there! in him”Nov. 13 - Luke 4;18“The Sunday spirit of School the loard (adults is & upon kids) - 10 me”Nov. 20 a.m. - Acts 9;6“What Worship wilt thou Service have - me 11 a.m. to do”Evening Nov. 27 Service - Psalms - 70:1 6 p.m.“make hast, O Lord to deliver me”Pastor: Vern KubeJesus said, “Come unto me whoare weary and burdened down andI will give you rest.”Hope to see you there!Vote Nov. 15 at NGC1312 SW 2nd Street(off Nye Avenue west from Red Lion Inn behind Charter Cable)Open Monday - Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.541-278-8183Election twistContinued from Page 1what they say has been a lack of transparencyand a lack of willingness to turnover detailed financial reports.As far as we know, campaigns betweencandidates have not been mean-spiritedwith the exception of one of Althea Wolf’scampaign posters being torn down.However, as reported by some BOTmembers, there have been some testy, ifnot nasty, words tossed back and forthbetween protesters and currently-servingBOT members, especially at the Oct. 27General Council meeting.Protesters braved below-freezingtemperatures on the grassy mound andhuddled against the rock pillars in frontof NGC for four days, carrying signsand chanting. On the first day, Oct. 25,protesters took their concerns into theBOT offices and, apparently consideringanswers unsatisfactory, began theirprotest in earnest with some protestersremaining outside the building throughFriday, Oct. 28.Most of the Sampson family was there,including candidates Cathy Sampson-Kruse (whose picture was in The Oregonian)and Sandy Sampson, plus their sisterLinda, who was the protest organizer.Brother Don Sampson, former CTUIRExecutive Director, stopped by a coupleof times (and penned a pointed letter tothe editor in this issue), and Chief CarlSampson sat in a lawn chair to supporthis children.A couple of other candidates – JulieTaylor and Leila Spencer – joined theprotesters. Several BOT members cameout of the governance building to seewhat all the commotion was about. Theyasked questions and at times soundedas if they were debating issues with theprotest group, which grew from about 10on the first day to more than double thatsize by the end of the week.BOT members appeared to be mostlycurious about the protester’s complaintsand motives. On the first morning,with temperatures hovering around 30degrees, BOT Secretary Kat Brighamwalked arm-in-arm with protester DionneBronson asking what the protestwas about.Wolf reported that at one point protestersgot in her face when she approachedthem. Wolf said later she was takenaback because she was treated poorly bypeople she thought were her friends. Theprotesters, Wolf said, weren’t interestedin listening to reason.BOT members talked for about an hourwith protesters to hear their concerns.However, protesters did not appear tobe satisfied with Board members sayingfunding for the school would depend onwhether or not money is actually available.Later, BOT Chairman Les Minthorntold the protesters he liked what theywere doing. The East Oregonian quotedMinthorn as saying, “This is your right todo what you’re doing. It’s also the rightof the Board to deliberate and make surethat they have the funds to provide thenumbers you requested.”Two days into the protest the GeneralCouncil met for its monthly meeting. Itwas there, with about 90 Tribal membersin attendance, that protesters fired questions– and comments – at BOT memberswho tried to defend themselves. Wolfcalled the protest a political ploy.Hines would not discuss with reporterswhat happened in the GeneralCouncil meeting, which is open only toTribal members. However, copies of theproposed budget were made availableearlier in the process, thereby givingGeneral Council members more time toreview and comment on the document.The protest was initiated by LindaSampson, who, unbeknownst to manypeople, resigned on Oct. 24 from herNixyaawii School Board position so shecould lead the contrarians. Althoughsigns ranged from “You Got Bailed Out,We Got Sold Out” to “Have You ForgottenUs?”, the protesters’ concerns boileddown to two – additional funding forNixyaawii Community School and a sixweekseverance package BOT membersapproved last year for members who donot seek re-election or are voted out (aselected officials they are not eligible forunemployment compensation).The severance package was one componentof a BOT Procedures Code formallyadopted by the Board in Novemberof 2010 (available at www.ctuir.org/laws.html). It was the consensus of theprotesters that the money BOT membersapproved for themselves would havebeen put to better use at the school.Nixyaawii receives state per-studentfunds through Pendleton School District16R. In Pendleton, schools also receivelocal funding based on property taxes.There is no tax base on the UmatillaIndian Reservation upon which to generateadditional funding for the schoolor, for that matter, to float a bond togenerate capital to build a new school.Instead, Nixyaawii and any proposedfuture school will need funding fromthe CTUIR.The Finance Office has confirmedthat if all nine Board members are notre-elected, the total amount to be paidin severance compensation would totalaround $65,000. No funds for the severancepackages were budgeted in 2011but whatever amount is needed wouldcome from savings in salary (the BOTChair position was vacant for nearly threemonths after Elwood Patawa resigned),travel and other line items in the budget.Most of the Nixyaawii School Boardmembers were marching or at leaststanding around offering moral supporton the first day of the protest. Thoseschool board members included TrinetteMinthorn, Andi Scott, Janet Maddern andDaisy Minthorn.Later in the week, some Nixyaawiistudents were released from the classroomto attend the protest. Principal TimSprenger defended his decision to allowthe students to go to the protest as a learningexperience. Huddled with the adults,the students shared a bag of elk jerky andlistened to a lesson on tape. Later, LindaSampson read from the Treaty of 1855that most people would agree wouldpass for a lesson.Trinette Minthorn was emotionalwhen she talked about her vote to allowLinda Sampson to leave the School Board,and, she said, her decision to protest wasvery personal.“I’m here to speak for my children.How will we take care of ourselves if wecan’t support our children and the generationsafter that?” she asked. “I wantto be an elder they support and respect.”It was nearing press time for the CUJand most of the BOT members were attendingthe National Congress of AmericanIndians conference in Portland, butthe CUJ sent an email on Monday, Oct.31 to all BOT members, with several provocativequestions. Among others, BOTmembers were asked if they thought theprotesters had any valid concerns andwhether or not they think the protestscould influence the election.Nobody who was in Portland respondedto the email by press time. RosendaShippentower, who did not travel to theconference, was the only BOT memberwho did respond. She said the protestersare simply wrong about her willingnessto share financial reports. In fact, she said,as Treasurer she provides a quarterly financialreport to the General Council andreports monthly to the Board of Trustees.She said she wanted to comment furtherbut the Board is expected to speak as one,not as individuals.The Sampson women also did notrespond to an email asking them to specificallyidentify the protest concerns. Theonly response came from Donald Sampsonwho received the same email request.“No other employee or tribal membergets these special bonuses,” said Don Sampson.“They funded this with tribal gamingdollars. They did this even when all tribalmember dividends decreased. They gotto cash in all their existing leave knowingthey just voted themselves additional leave,which was worth over $20,000 each.See Election twist, Page 4746 Confederated Umatilla JournalNovember 2011
Election twistContinued from Page 1“They got an additional 70 days paidleave over two years. No other employee,tribal member of non-Indian, gets thistheir first year of work. They have toearn it over five to ten years. The Boardgets the leave without earning it. Thisputs their annual salary at $70,000 a yearor more, plus $10,000 of severance plus$20,000 of unearned leave and that addsup to $100,000 each.”Sampson further slammed the Board,of which he was chairman in the 1990s.“Most don’t even have an education orthe real job experience to earn that moneyanywhere but here because they canunilaterally decide this for themselveswithout any consequences. Well, manyTribal members at the October GeneralCouncil meeting said ‘No more, we’re notstupid.’ At that meeting, Sampson said,the General Council voted 37-8 in oppositionto the severance package and leavebonuses. The Board was asked to revoteon the severance and leave bonuses byMonday, Oct. 31, and to report it to theCUJ so all tribal members would know.”According to responses in the onlinequestionnaire, most BOT candidates saythey wholeheartedly support NixyaawiiCommunity School and agree that educationneeds a secure funding source. Thoseresponses to a direct question about theirsupport for the school can be found at theTribes’ website.There has been some water-cooler talkin the hallways that intimates some or allof the money requested by NixyaawiiCommunity School could be added tothe proposed 2012 budget that will bereviewed in a BOT work session on Nov.9, and is likely adopted by the BOT onNov. 14 or 21.It’s fair to say the protesters will bepleased if the final budget includes andadditional $75,000 to for NixyaawiiSchool in 2012, plus $34,000 next fall tobring students from 6-8 th grades to thecharter school. But there’s that uncomfortablefeeling for Sprenger who, at therisk of looking a gift horse in the mouth,says “the intent was not to include” additionalschool funding in the draft budget.The Board approved a total of $275,000cash for the school in the 2011 CTUIRbudget that they adopted a year ago.The proposed 2012 budget for the CTUIRthat was shared with the General Councilshowed a $275,000 cash contribution toNixyaawii School.Nixyaawii School Board members(including former board member LindaSampson) say they have jumped over everyhurdle the BOT has placed in front of thembut never seem to get to the finish line.In an Oct. 4 letter he hand-delivered,plus sent by email, to BOT members,Sprenger outlined the course Nixyaawiihas navigated at the request of the BOT.He reminded BOT members that acommunity survey conducted last summershowed community support forthe school, including parents’ intentionto send their middle school studentsto Nixyaawii. Sprenger said the surveyindicated that Nixyaawii could add adozen students in each grade, whichwould bring the total enrollment to morethan 80 students.In his letter, Sprenger reminded BOTmembers that he, as the School Board representative,presented progress reportsseveral times, including the proposal toadd grades 6-8. At the last meeting withthe BOT, member at-large Bob Shippentowerrequested that the school presentthe expansion and financial request tothe General Council. When that presentationwas made Aug. 18, a motion waspassed to reinstate $75,000 that was cutfrom the school’s 2011 Allocation, as wellas a request for an additional $34,000 tofacilitate the middle school expansion.That would explain the protester signthat said “GC voted 38-5-3, denied by BOT.”The protesters also zeroed in on aseverance package the BOT approved forthem and future Boards. The BOT ProceduresCode, which contains the severanceprovision, was adopted in November of2010 by a vote of 4-3. The vote was tiedat 3 for (Rosenda Shippentower, WilliamQuaempts and Fred Hill) and 3 votedagainst (Leo Stewart, Kat Brigham andAaron Hines) with the tie being brokenby then Chairman Elwood Patawa whovoted in favor of the Procedures Code.Two members were absent that day:Althea Wolf and Robert Shippentower.BOT members who favored the severancepackage justified their vote knowingthey’d be in dire straits if they were notre-elected. Because they are not consideredemployees, BOT members are noteligible for unemployment compensationlike many employees are. If they are notre-elected they wouldn’t have anythingto fall back on.Protesters allege that the Board lopped$75,000 out of the amount Nixyaawii wascounting on apparently resulting in theelimination of an art teacher – and theart elective.A subsequent demand from GeneralCouncil that its chairman, Hines, initiatea recall of BOT members who voted forthe severance package failed to materializefor a couple of reasons. The Boardquestioned whether a sitting membershould be leading a recall of membersof the same Board on which he sits, andwhat Hines cites as a lack of time togather signatures.Because so many were attending theNCAI conference in Portland, the BOTmeeting on Monday, Oct. 31 was cancelled.In a one paragraph email to the CUJ,dated Oct. 31, General Council ChairAaron Hines sent this message to Tribalmembers: “You had requested that I informyou of the actions taken by the BOTvia the CUJ on the decisions made at theOctober 27, 2011 General Council meeting.A work session has been scheduledon November 9, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. for theBOT to address the actions taken by theGeneral Council. Since the CUJ will havebeen published by this date, the office ofthe General Council will issue a noticefor Tribal member review regarding theoutcome.”Vote forROBBY BILLAt-LargeBOT Member349 S Main St Pendleton,hours Mon- Sat: 7am – 2pm / Sun: 8am – 2pmIt’sLook for me on the ballotunder my given name, Robert Bill.Thanks for your vote.Paid Political AdYummy!Treat yourself tothe bestbreakfast(541) 278-1952November 2011Confederated Umatilla Journal47
Page 6: CUJ Letters to the EditorContinued
Page 10: CUJ AlmanacObituariesNorene M. Spee
Page 13 and 14: Geographic Names Board toconsider U
Page 15 and 16: Cobell remembered as Native America
Page 17 and 18: Ye l l o w h a w k Tr i b a l H e a
Page 19 and 20: Tamastslikt showingVeteran’s Day
Page 21 and 22: November 2011Confederated Umatilla
Page 23: Everybody’s impressed with new Ho
Page 26 and 27: Denver man’s sentencereduced in 1
Page 28 and 29: HonoringOur VeteransWoodrow Star sa
Page 30 and 31: Vote for Its-Tma-TaineTribal member
Page 32 and 33: Condit Dam breached; White Salmon r
Page 34 and 35: 34 Confederated Umatilla JournalNov
Page 36 and 37: If you are aNative AmericanFarmer o
Page 40 and 41: Employees of the MonthCecil Guardip
Page 44 and 45: FishCo completes pilot testContinue
Page 48 and 49: Attention Arrowhead andStone Tool K
Page 50 and 51: Lamprey at Three-MileContinued from
Page 52 and 53: Indian tribe uses tradition to comb
Page 54 and 55: Tribal colleges hope to lure kids t
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November 2011 CUJ - Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian ...

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