THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE CHEHALIS RESERVATION, ‘PEOPLE OF THE SANDS’ (2016)

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THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE CHEHALIS RESERVATION, ‘PEOPLE OF THE SANDS’

CHEHALIS

A FREE PUBLICATION.

FOR MORE TRIBAL

HISTORY, HERITAGE

AND ACTIVITIES, SEE

CHEHALISTRIBE.ORG.

A window into history

Share your pictures for

tribal veterans project

New homes available

Duplexes on Sickman

Loop fill housing needs

page 7

page 9

TRIBAL

NEWSLETTER

inside

Briefs / 3, 6

Staff profile / 3

Veterans’ resource / 3

Health, wellness / 4-6

Tribe voices

concerns

about fish

ver since the big flood of

2007, people around the

Chehalis River Basin have

been looking for ways to reduce

flooding and the damages that

occur during them.

At that time, Gov. Chris

Gregoire promised to do

something to help alleviate

flooding in the basin. Since then,

the state legislature has provided

funding for various planning

meetings, scientific studies and

smaller flood reduction projects.

The effort continues today

with the Governor’s Work Group,

which meets regularly to discuss

flood-related issues. That group

includes representatives from

local counties and towns, as well

as the Chehalis Tribe.

Oakville

Elementary

School

student

Madyson

Pickernell

is among

youngsters

who

learned to

cheer.

Birthdays / 8

Family / 10

Oakville Levy Committee / 11

Students of the month / 11

Chief

of police

honored

Award highlights Ralph

Wyman’s safety work,

community outreach

Contributed MJ Haught,

Tribal Liaison for the Washington

Traffic Safety Commission

Proposed Chehalis River Basin dam to ease

flooding could damage salmon habitat

Contributed by Fred Shortman

MARCH 2016

During the past few years, two

key issues have become the main

topics. Some folks in the upper

basin want to build a dam to

control flooding. Tribal members,

along with others in the basin, are

concerned a dam will seriously

damage salmon runs.

In 2014, the Governor’s

Work Group recommended the

state begin looking at impacts

a dam would have, and it also

recommended that a large-scale

salmon restoration project be

created. The state Department of

Ecology has been placed in charge

of looking at the impacts from a

dam and also what benefits the

restoration projects might have on

the river.

The process they use is called

LEARN MORE

For more on studies of

the Chehalis River Basin

go to chehalisriverbasin

strategy.com.

See CONCERNS, page 12

The Washington Traffic

Safety Commission recently

honored Ralph

Wyman, Chief of

Police, Chehalis

Confederated

Tribes, for a

lifetime of

achievement in

traffic safety.

The Target

RALPH WYMAN

Zero Awards

Chief of Police

is a statewide

program that

occurs biennially. For nearly 30

years, the WTSC has recognized

outstanding citizens who go

beyond their job duties and

make contributions, changes

and improvements that affect

everyone’s safety on our roads.

There has only been a handful of

See HONOR, page 2

Youth cheerleaders wow audience

Crowd gives

OES kids

thunderous

applause after

halftime show

It was a day of pride for the Oakville

School District on Feb. 2. After learning

the ropes from Cheer Coach Alyssa

Charles and her high school cheerleaders,

a group of Oakville Elementary School

students cheered during halftime at the

Oakville High School basketball game.

The youngsters lined up and brought

the crowd to their feet as they performed.

The excitement of basketball players

on the court was echoed by fifth- and

sixth-grade students (and even younger)

cheering from the sidelines.

This is the first year Charles and

See YOUTH, page 2

Oakville

High School

cheerleaders

mentor Oakville

Elementary

School kids,

allowing them

to perform

during the Feb. 2

basketball game

at OHS.

YOUTH

From page 1

her squad led the kids. Their time

and commitment was a huge success.

The elementary students spent a few

weeks practicing and learning cheers in

preparation for this special and fun event.

Cheerleading skills taught to young

students is a great way to enhance the

growth of future cheerleaders for OHS.

They did an awesome job. What a

wonderful way to learn the basics from

your mentors. When they were finished,

the youngsters were met with a thunderous

applause of approval from the crowd.

Photos provided

by Jodie Smith

Tailgate party is a big hit

HONOR

On Feb. 5, the Chehalis

Community Center hosted the

employees’ Super Bowl tailgate party.

It was a fun day to select winners

for Super Bowl 50, which pitted the

Denver Broncos against the Carolina

Panthers.

After the blessing of the meal,

employees enjoyed a meal of hot

wings, pizza and soft drinks. The

tribe raffled prizes to folks who

attended.

Events Coordinator Phillip

Youckton and Assistant Coordinator

Leroy Boyd did an awesome job

inviting employees to gather for this

yearly event.

They also made sure the Gathering

Room would be open for the Super

Bowl.

This was a safe, sober and festive

environment for trbal employees to

watch the game on the big screen,

rooting and cheering for their

favorite team.

Yes, the Denver Broncos defeated

the Carolina Panthers in a hardfought match.

lifetime achievement award recipients.

Since being hired in 1989 by the

Chehalis Confederated Tribes, Chief

Wyman has built a reputable police

department. He obtained grant funding

to fully equip the department and to

purchase an integrated public safety data

system used by several tribal programs.

The Chehalis Tribal Police received

certification from the state allowing

access to Department of Licensing

information critical for officer safety

related to drivers and vehicles.

Additionally, the police department has

cross-jurisdiction, allowing officers to cite

or arrest non-tribal offenders.

Through innovative outreach to young

drivers, Chief Wyman positively turned

around attitudes toward law enforcement.

Chief Wyman and some of his officers

would open up the gym at 11 p.m. or

midnight to shoot hoops. This evolved to

very popular “shirts and skins” pick-up

teams, building relationships with teens.

Because of extensive education and

enforcement, about 95 percent of vehicle

occupants on the reservation travel safely

with consistent seat belt use and children

The Super Bowl party offered

Feb. 5 scored a touchdown with

Chehalis Tribal employees. Elder

and Youth Center Director Tony

Medina won one of the grand

prizes.

From page 1

in appropriate car seats and booster seats.

The Chehalis Confederated Tribes’ high

regard for Chief Wyman has led to his

appointment of director of public safety.

Chief Wyman gives back to the

community by serving as president of

the Northwest Association of Tribal

Enforcement Officers. Beginning in 2010,

he accepted the responsibility of managing

WTSC grant funds that are available to all

tribal police departments in Washington.

Chief Wyman was unable to attend the

Target Zero Awards ceremony at Great

Wolf Lodge in December, so his award

was presented during a meeting of the

Tribal Traffic Safety Advisory Board,

hosted by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. If

you want to watch interviews and footage

showcasing Chief Wyman’s work, it’s

viewable at timeframe 17:30 on a video at

youtube.com/watch?v=rPFERwLecVo.

The awards program mirrors

Washington’s Strategic Highway Safety

Plan: Target Zero, approved by Gov. Chris

Gregoire in 2007. It’s updated every three

years. Tribal representatives are working

on the 2016 version in the capacity of the

top-level Steering Committee, Project

Team and Writing Teams. See the 2013

version at targetzero.com.

in brief

Basket weavers sought

If you are interested in being one of the featured

weavers at the 2016 Northwest Native American

Basketweavers Association Conference from

Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at Great Wolf Lodge, please

submit a bio to Philip Youckton in the events

office at the Chehalis Tribal Community Center.

We are looking for 10 featured weavers and five

weavers for the youth track. The deadline to

submit a bio is April 1.

If you have any questions, call 360-709-1752 or

email pyouckton@chehalistribe.org.

Community center hours

Chehalis Tribal Community Center hours are

7 a.m.-8 p.m. Fun events at the center:

n Swimming pool and exercise room hours are

7 a.m.-8 p.m.

n Open gym is at noon Wednesdays and

Sundays and 5:30 p.m. weeknights.

n Movie night starts at 5 p.m. every second

Wednesday of the month. Dinner is provided.

Bring out the whole family and enjoy.

For more information, contact Leroy Boyd,

events coordinator assistant, at 360-709-1787.

Indian wills, estate planning

Indian Wills and Estate Planning Services are

offered to all Chehalis tribal members who are

age 18 and older. These include wills, powers

of attorney, medical directives and living wills.

This service is free for tribal members who don’t

have a will or would like to update a will.

Legal advisor Jerrie Simmons is available from

8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. three days a week at the

Chehalis Tribal Center. Simmons’ position is for

legal questions, not part of the Office of Tribal

Attorney. If you have a legal question, she can

point you in the right direction.

Contact Jerrie Simmons at 360-273-5911 to set

up an appointment and obtain the necessary

paperwork to get started.

Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund

Entrepreneurs: the Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund

offers business plan courses and has business

lending dollars for you. Consumer Loans in the

amount of $1,000 are available with one-year

terms. You must be employed or have access to

auto pay with a bank account.

Chehalis Tribal members: We have home

improvement loan dollars. You can apply for up

to $25,000 with low interest rates.

We will offer an Indianpreneurship course

May 3 and 4. You must attend both days to

receive a certificate. Sign up by April 25.

Call our office at 360-709-1631 or go to

chehalistriballoanfund.com to sign up.

Please send letters of interest to jburnett@

chehalistribe.org or to Julie Burnett, executive

director, P.O. Box 536, Oakville, WA 98568.

USDA Food Program

If you are interested in signing up for the USDA

Food Program, call the South Puget Intertribal

Planning Agency Food Distribution Warehouse

at 360-438-4216 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday

through Friday. Our staff will be happy to assist

you in applying for the program.

Distribution dates are March 29 and April 26.

Pickup is at the Chehalis Tribal Community

Center from 9:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

STAFF PROFILE

New public safety

employee seeks

community opinion

Chris Porter, a firefighter and

paramedic with Riverside Fire

Authority in Centralia, is a new

employee of Chehalis Tribal Public

Safety.

He has been hired in response to

a questionnaire at the last annual

meeting. More than 90 percent

of tribal members stated they

want better, faster, more efficient

response to medical and fire

emergencies on the reservation.

Chris started his career as a

volunteer firefighter with Chehalis

Fire Department in 1992 after he

got out of the United States Army.

One of Chris’ first

tasks is to assess

the needs of our

community. He said

he is trying to meet

as many people as

possible with his

first goal being to

Chris Porter

find tribal members

who are interested

in helping form a fire department.

He said there are many ways the

department can be put together

and he wants this to be “what this

community wants,” not something

he designs.

Please contact Chris to discuss

being involved in this process, even

if it is just to help design a new fire

department logo or uniform patch.

Stop by the Public Safety building

to meet Chris or call 360-273-7051.

Chehalis Tribe’s Animal Control has a new holding area.

Happy life for people, pets

Contributed by Brennan Stoelb

It has been great getting to

meet people and animals in the

community during the past few

weeks!

By getting to know which pets

belong where, I have

been able to get quite

a few animals back

home. Also, a new

holding area has been

built that allows a

safe place for lost or

impounded animals

to be held.

Brennan

Exactly what is

Stoelb

animal control?

Animal control

Officers are responsible for the

enforcement of tribal laws, codes

and ordinances that refer to the care,

control, treatment and licensing of

domestic animals.

Tribal animal ordinances ensure

that the people and animals that

are a part of the community are

protected and able to thrive.

Animal control also encourages

responsible pet ownership while

being a resource regarding animal

issues.

MORE INFORMATION

Be sure to look on the Animal Control

section of chehalistribe.org for

information on low-cost vaccination

clinics in the area as well as other useful

information.

For immediate animal concerns,

contact Stoelb at 360-273-7051 or

email bstoelb@chehalistribe.org.

The Animal Control office is at

30 Niederman Road in Oakville.

Together, we can make sure all

people and pets are able to lead a

healthy, happy life and enjoy the

community they call home.

Here are ways you can make the

community better for people and

pets:

n Do not let your pet run free.

n Ensure your pets are up-to-date

on vaccinations.

n Have pets spayed or neutered.

n Report all cases of animal abuse

or inhumane treatment.

n Take time to learn all tribal laws

and ordinances that affect pet owners

and pets. If you are unsure of tribal

ordinances, feel free to ask.

A new resource for veterans

American Legion Post 49 is ready

to help veterans and their families

in Rochester. The post received its

temporary charter Feb. 3.

So far, 21 members have signed

up, but the charter roll will stay open

until April 1. Everyone who joins

before the deadline will be added to

the permanent charter roll.

Robert (Bob) Clark, a veteran of

the Gulf War in the United States

Army, is the post commander.

Post 49 meets the first Wednesday

of each month from 6-8 p.m. at

the Rochester Bus Barn in the

driver’s lounge, 7505 183rd Ave. SW,

Rochester. A social hour and dinner

starts at 6 p.m., and meetings begin

at 7 p.m.

For more information, contact the

American Legion at P.O. Box 984,

Rochester, or get in touch with Bob at

360-584-5773 or rochesterpost49@

gmail.com.

HEALTH/WELLNESS

Substance abuse solutions

Conference offers

hope to create healthy

communities

Contributed by Tamara Clark,

event coordinator, TOGETHER!

The Substance Abuse: A

Community Response Conference

aims to increase awareness of new,

proven and/or promising techniques

and programs that are being

used to address all spectrums of

substance abuse from prevention to

intervention, treatment and aftercare.

Join us for keynote presentations by

Dr. Chan Hellman, a world-renowned

researcher on hope, as well as our

community’s own Liz Davis, who will

provide a deeper look at neurobiology,

epidemiology, adverse childhood

experiences and resiliency. The event

also will include a screening of the

documentary “Paper Tigers.”

Topics such as marijuana policy,

recovery, peer education, e-cigarettes,

innovative prevention approaches,

prevention in tribal communities,

and housing and homelessness

and their connection to addiction/

recovery will be covered.

Highlights

Hope Research: Dr. Hellman,

Ph.D., will give the keynote address

on the first day and a follow-up

breakout session introducing

research regarding hope and the

impact it has relating to substance

abuse, ACEs

and resilience.

Beyond

ACEs 101:

Davis will give

the keynote

MORE DETAILS

The two-day Substance Abuse: A

Community Response Conference kicks

off at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 27,

and runs through 1:30 p.m. Thursday,

April 28 at Great Wolf Lodge Conference

Center, 20500 Old Highway 99 SW,

Centralia.

For more information, contact Tamara

Clark, event coordinator, TOGETHER!

at 360-493-2230, ext. 10, or go to

thurstontogether.org.

ALSO

The Tsapowum Chehalis Tribal

Behavioral Health Program will sponsor

four tribal members for this event.

Please contact Christine Semanko,

counselor, at 360-709-1701 to sign up.

address the second day covering

the neurobiology, epidemiology and

resilience related to ACEs and the

increase of new research during

the past 20 years of using ACEs to

reliably predict trouble later in life.

“Paper Tigers”: A plenary viewing

on the first conference day of this

documentary captures pain, danger,

beauty and hope of teens struggling

with toxic stress in their lives and

the educators armed with new

science and fresh approaches that are

changing their lives for the better.

The conference is planned by

TOGETHER! in collaboration with

local and statewide partners such as

the Thurston County Drug Action

Team and the

Washington

Association for

Substance Abuse

and Violence

Prevention.

Join challenge to quit smoking

The Centers for Disease Control

has launched a Facebook event for

those who want to quit smoking, but

still need to take the first step.

What is it? 30 Smokefree Days

lets users RSVP to the event, which

allows them to join a supportive

community with daily quitting

inspiration. The event page serves as

a resource for people to find support

and get helpful tips on how to quit

smoking and stick with it. Posts

include milestone badges, links to

quit, resources, tips, encouragement

and exclusive video content with

words of advice from participants.

When is it? It started March 1 and

runs through March 30

The Chehalis Tribal Wellness

Center has providers available to

assist you in achieving your goals to

quit smoking. For more information,

call the Chehalis Tribal Wellness

Clinic at 360-273-5504.

Women learn risk factors for heart disease at the Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center.

Advice to take to heart

On Feb. 25, folks showed up to

support a lunch and learn event

for women’s heart health as part of

American Heart Month at the Chehalis

Tribal Wellness Center. Heart disease

and stroke cause one in three deaths

among women each year – more than

all cancers combined. It is a deadly

disease, but you can take steps to avoid

some of the complications.

Participants examined various

materials supplied by the Special

Diabetes Program for Indians. Many

people were shocked to discover how

much sugar and fat is in common food

that they consumed daily. After lunch,

there was a short video about what can

cause heart disease.

Some of the discussion during

the question-and-answer session

also was shocking. Risk factors are

uncontrollable, but lifestyle changes

were discussed.

Do you smoke? Are you physically

inactive? If you’re a woman, do you

have more than one drink a day? Do

you eat a diet high in fat? How do you

respond to stress? The answers to all of

the above could also impact your risk

for heart disease and stroke.

Knowing your numbers is

important! The American Heart

Association recommends you be aware

of the following key numbers:

n Blood pressure less than 120/80

n Fasting blood sugar less than 100

n Body Mass Index less than 25

These numbers will allow you and

your health care provider to determine

HEART HEALTH AND KIDS

On Feb. 19, children at Head Start Early

Learning Center were shown that what

we eat and the good choices we make will

keep our hearts healthy and strong for a

solid foundation in life. They learned that

eating salmon and other types of fish will

keep their hearts in good shape. It just

happened that salmon was served that

day for their lunch.

your risk for developing cardiovascular

disease such as angina (chest pain),

heart attack, stroke (caused by blood

clots) and peripheral artery disease.

Steps you can take to reduce stress:

n Deep breathing

n Meditation

n Visit with a friend

n Daily activities you enjoy (such as

go for a walk)

Practicing these can reduce how

your heart can be affected on a daily

basis. Good health can be achieved

when you make lifestyle changes.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Zika continues to spread and cause concern

Learn the facts about virus

We have been seeing a lot of

stories in the news about Zika, and

many in the medical community are

concerned. Zika is a disease caused by

the Zika virus.

There are a number of ways

someone can be infected, but the

most common is by mosquito bite.

The primary concern is when a

pregnant woman becomes infected.

According to the Centers

for Disease Control website,

researchers are examining the

possible link between Zika

during pregnancy and babies

born with microcephaly (a

small head).

Only about one in five

people infected with

the virus will become

sick with rash, fever

and joint pain.

Most will not

realize it is a

Zika infection.

Originally

found in

Africa in the 1940s, it has been

spreading rapidly during the past

couple of years and can now be found

in Central and South America, Pacific

Islands and the Caribbean. The Zika

virus will continue to spread and it

will be difficult to determine how and

where it will occur over time.

There have been more than 100

cases reported in the United States,

but all have been contracted from

travel outside the country.

This will gradually change over

time. It is likely locally acquitted

cases will begin to show up as

the virus establishes itself

in our domestic mosquito

population. There are

many different kinds of

mosquitoes, but the usual

carrier is Aedes aegypti

and A. albopictus. We

do have Aedes around

here, but not the

two types that are

known carriers.

There is no

vaccine for

this disease

Do you need a helping hand?

n Patient transportation process:

To request a transport to a medical

appointment, call or visit the front

desk reception at the clinic.

If you are at a medical appointment

at the clinic and are in need of an

emergency transport to a medical or

dental appointment, staff will ensure

transportation.

If you are on the Medicaid program

you are eligible for transports through

the state Paratransit program.

A driver will pick you up at

home and bring you back after your

appointment. Once you are registered

in their system, call them with at least

a 24-hour notice to schedule your

transport. Contact Paratransit

Services at 800-846-5438 to

schedule a ride.

n Elder meal delivery:

Elder meals are delivered

starting at 11:30 a.m. each

day.

To be eligible for

home-delivered meals, see

Pat Odiorne at the Chehalis

Tribal Wellness Center

to start the process.

This is a

requirement of the

grant we have that

pays for the elder meal

program.

n Medication

MARY SECENA

pickup: If you want

Community

your medications

Outreach Corner picked up, please

get on the list at the

CTWC. They will be picked up at

Safeway on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Remember to not wait until you run

out of medications before you call

them in because it can take a few

days to complete refills.

n Home visits: If you

need me to do regular

check-ins at your home

or at the home of a loved

one, please contact

Mary Secena, Chehalis

Tribal Wellness Center

community outreach

coordinator, at 360-709-1758.

PROTECT YOURSELF

Because mosquitoes can carry Zika

and other diseases and are generally a

nuisance, it is best to minimize your risk

of being bitten.

n Wear long-sleeve shirts and long

pants.

n Apply mosquito repellent.

n Look around your yard for places that

retain stagnant water and eliminate

them if possible because mosquitoes

love to breed there. An old tire by the

side of the garage, a bucket or pail left

outside or a bird bath can all serve as a

breeding place for mosquitoes.

n If you are pregnant or thinking about

becoming pregnant, avoid travel to

places known to have Zika.

For other tips and information on Zika,

go to the CDC website at cdc.gov/zika/

index.html.

and there is no medication that can

cure it. For now, it is much less of a

concern in the Northwest than in the

southeast, where it will likely spread

to first when it comes to our country.

Urgent care options

Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center

recommends using the nearest urgent

cares facilities in our area. Wait times

are half of what you’ll wait in an ER.

Here are area urgent care options:

Summit Pacific Medical Center

Urgent Care, 600 E Main St. Elma,

360-346-2222. Hours: Noon-8

p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday

Valley View Walk In Clinic, 1800

Cooks Hill Road, Suite G Centralia,

360-736-3042. Hours: noon-10 p.m.

Monday-Sunday (for services after 8

p.m., call to see if time slots are available)

Providence Pediatric After Hours

Clinic, 914 S Scheuber Road Centralia,

360-330-8526. Hours: 6-9 p.m.

Monday-Sunday

Woodland Urgent Care, 1299 Bishop

Road Chehalis, 360-748-9822. Hours: 7

a.m.-8pm Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday (noon-5 p.m. holidays)

Westcare Clinic, 3000 Limited Lane

NW Olympia, 360-357-9392. Hours:

8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5

p.m. Saturday-Sunday

For questions, call the clinic at 360273-5504. For life-threatening health

issues, call 911 and/or go to the nearest

emergency room.

WIC THROUGH SPIPA

n Checks to purchase nutritious food

n Nutrition and health education

n Breastfeeding education and support

n Referral to health and human services

You might be eligible for

WIC services through SPIPA:

Getting food stamps/basic foods?

Pregnant or have a child under the

age of 5?

Dad, grandparent, foster family or

other care giver of children?

Under the age of 5?

On Medicaid or TANF?

Many working families are on WIC.

Is your income within these

guidelines?

CONTACT

Debbie Gardipee-Reyes,

360-462-3227 or Patty

Suskin, 360-462-3224

For Chehalis: Debra

Shortman, 360-709-1689

People

in your

household

Maximum

annual

income

Maximum

monthly

income

$29,471

$37,167

$44,863

$52,559

$2,456

$3,098

$3,739

$4,380

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

in brief

Time to let the healing begin

Get your feet checked

Podiatrist Deborah Behre will at the Chehalis

Tribal Wellness Center from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

March 23. To make an appointment with her,

please call the Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center

at 360-273-5504 and ask to speak to Michelle

Romero, diabetes outreach LPN, or Pat Odiorne,

RD, CDE.

Diabetes clinics available

The Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center will hold

diabetes wellness clinics from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

April 20 and May 28. This day will focus on the

care of the diabetic patient. We will have healthy

snacks available, diabetes information and a

diabetes meter exchange if you are in need of a

new meter.

Patients will:

n Have labs done

n Get vitals taken

n See a health care provider

n See the registered dietician

n Renew your last dilated diabetes eye exam,

foot exam, dental exam, immunizations and

medication.

If you are diabetic and have not been seen for

your regular diabetes care, we want to see you.

We will have a diabetes clinic every month and

plan to see all of our diabetic patients.

To schedule an appointment, call Michelle

Romero, diabetes outreach LPN, at 360-7095504.

All diabetic patients who schedule an

appointment and complete all screenings

during their visit will receive a special gift.

Mammogram clinic schedule

Women age 40 and older should have a

mammogram once a year. Swedish Mobile

Mammography will offer services in the parking

lot of the Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center

from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. May 31. Please schedule

an appointment with a provider to have a

clinical breast exam prior to your mammogram

appointment by calling 360-273-5504.

If you have questions about mammogram

clinics, contact Christina Hicks, community

wellness manager, at 360-709-1741.

USDA Food Program

If you are interested in signing up for the USDA

Food Program, call the South Puget Intertribal

Planning Agency Food Distribution Warehouse

at 360-438-4216 from 8 a.m.-p.m. Monday

through Friday. Our staff will be happy to assist

you in applying for the program.

Distribution dates are March 29 and April 26.

Pickup is at the Chehalis Tribal Community

Center from 9:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Swimming/Exercising

with the Elders

The Special Diabetes Program for Indians has kicked off a new

program to help Chehalis tribal elders increase activity, stamina

and balance. Staff member Gloria Jones will lead the group.

Please come join us. We hope to see you there!

When: 9-10 a.m. Tuesdays

Where: Chehalis Tribal Community Center

pool

According to the Centers for Disease

Control, senior fitness can:

n Help maintain ability to live independently.

n Reduce risk of coronary heart disease

and of developing high blood pressure,

colon cancer and diabetes.

n Reduce symptoms of anxiety and

depression, foster improvements in mood.

n Maintain healthy bones, muscles, joints.

Join the Women’s Healing Circle

from 4:30-6 p.m. March 29 and

April 12 in the Tsapowum Chehalis

Behavioral Health Group Room.

The group provides a safe

environment to talk with people

who have been affected by domestic

violence in their lives. It’s a place

to build friendships, find support

and heal from the abuse you have

experienced in your life. You are not

alone.

We will make moccasins during

the event, and a meal will be

provided. Please indicate whether

you need child care.

The group is safe, confidential

and open to the tribal community

and employees.

Call Janita Raham, Tsapowum

Chehalis Tribal Domestic Violence

Program advocate, at 360-709-1575

(office) or 360-789-3627 (cell) for

more information.

WARNING SIGNS OF ABUSE

n Says hurtful things to you.

n Isolates you from others.

n Gets angry or upset easily.

n Name-calling, emotional abuse.

n Spreads rumors or tells lies.

n Often criticizes you, puts you down.

n Force, physical and sexual abuse.

n Acts intimidating,

threatens you.

n Blames you or

others for their

problems.

n Uses jealousy to

justify actions.

n Smashes, hits or

kicks objects.

n Embarrasses you

in public or private.

SDPI’S LIFESTYLE BALANCE PROGRAM

This is a 16-week class to help you:

n Learn the facts about healthy eating and being active

n Discover what makes it hard for you to eat healthy and be active; learn how

to change these things so they work for you, not against you

n Get the long-term support you need

You are welcome to invite a friend or family member

When: Noon-1 p.m. Tuesdays through May 25

Where: PT Room at the Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center

For more information, contact:

CONTACT

Gloria Jones at

360-709-1810,

gjones@chehalis

tribe.org.

Pat Odiorne RD, CDE

360-709-1884, podiorne@chehalistribe.org

Gloria Jones

360-709-1810, gjones@chehalistribe.org

NOTICE

Information on this flyer, in email

or on our website calendar is subject

to change without notice. Please

refer to this flyer’s contacts

HERITAGE/CULTURE

A window into history

Share your photos for project

that spotlights tribal veterans

The Heritage and Culture Department is

seeking photos to create a dedication wall

for veterans that served in the United States

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National

Guard and Coast Guard.

If you have

pictures and

information on the

branch they were

in and years they

served our country,

please share them

with the heritage

department.

Copies will be

made and original

photos will be

returned to you.

Our goal is

to have all tribal

Ted Gleason

members honored

on this wall.

Ted Gleason served in the Army right

out of high school from 1982-85. Dale

Klatush Sr. served in the Army from 195152. We also wish to honor Robert Beckwith,

Anthony Brown Sr. Donald Brown, Darrel

Cayenne, Curtis DuPuis, Morris DuPuis,

Daniel Gleason, Jonathan Jack, Gordon

Klatush, Art Madina, Albert Ortivez, Sr.,

Robert Penn, Martin Revay, Harry Secena,

Lyle Secena, Roy Secena, Roger Shortman,

PICTURES

To submit photos or for more details, contact

Lynn Hoheisel in the Heritage Office of the

Community Center at 360-709-1748.

Marvin Youckton, George Youckton, Percy

Youckton, David Bird, Francis Pickernell,

Farley Youckton, Larry Pressnell and Michael

Halton. Please let me know if we missed any

tribal veterans.

America’s pastime

Do you know when the Chehalis Tribe’s

Tomahawk Baseball team started? This is a

part of our culture and history as well and we

are seeking old pictures of baseball legends

that you have stashed away. We will create an

athletic wall for them from images captured

from historic and new tribal days and other

baseball tournaments. Copies will be made

and original photos will be returned to you.

Arts and crafts

We continue our open door policy for

tribal members to use the sewing room

or make an item with material we have.

Call to set up a day and time and we will

make accommodations to fit your schedule.

Evenings and weekends are possible with early

notice. Staff will be available to assist you.

Watch our calendar to see if you would like

to sign up for classes. We are still looking for

people to teach arts and crafts classes.

Percy Youckton

Photos submitted by Heritage and Cultural Program

Community Spirit Awards honor our culture bearers

You can nominate Native

artists for national grant

Do you know a Native artist who

has dedicated his or her life and work

to sustaining cultural traditions within

their community? First Peoples Fund

has opened nominations for the 2017

Community Spirit Awards, and we

want to hear from you.

“If your life has been touched by

a Native American, Alaska Native or

Native Hawaiian artist who embodies

the Indigenous values of generosity,

integrity, humility and wisdom, consider

nominating them for the Community

Spirit Awards,” said Lori Pourier,

president of First Peoples Fund.

The awards, launched in 1999, are

NOMINATIONS

Nominations close July 15. Applications

are due Oct. 31. If you would like to receive

a nomination form by mail or to learn

more, contact First Peoples Fund Program

Manager Jessica Miller at jessica@

firstpeoplesfund.org or 605-348-0324.

national grants for established Native

culture bearers who demonstrate

substantial contributions to their

communities through their careers as

artists. Each year, First Peoples Fund

seats a national panel to select four to

six Community Spirit honorees from

tribes across the country.

In January, First Peoples Fund

‘The process of bringing spirit back to a community

is an important responsibility of artists.’

BUD LANE, SILETZ NATION BASKET MAKER

announced the following honorees:

n Duncan Ka’ohu Seto, Native

Hawaiian; lauhala weaver and pencil

drawing; Hilo, Hawai’i

n Jennie Wheeler, Tinglit, Alaska

Native; skin and fur sewing, spruce

root basketry; Yakutat, Alaska

n Phillip Whiteman, Jr. and Lynette

Two Bulls, Northern Cheyenne and

Oglala Lakota; traditional storytellers

and performing artists; Lame Deer,

Montana

n Luther G. (Butch) Goings and

Lydia Louise Goings, Eastern Band of

Cherokee Indians; wood carving and

white oak basketry; Cherokee, North

Carolina

n Jack Wallace Gladstone;

performance arts; Montana Blackfeet;

East Glacier, Montana

“The process of bringing spirit

back to a community is an important

responsibility of artists. It is part of a

sacred honor system,” said Bud Lane,

a basket maker of the Siletz Nation in

Oregon who was a Community Spirit

honoree in 2009 and is a member of

First Peoples Fund’s board of directors.

MARCH BIRTHDAYS

Cyllus Leal-Youckton

Raven John

Jeremy Sanchez

Sarra Burnett-Lisle

Natasha Goddard

Frank Cayenne, Jr.

Dale Klatush

Andreas Jacobs

Mel Youckton

Jack Colson

Tre’s Meddaugh

Anthony Andrews

Nathan Wittwer

Sara Esselstrom

Devin Boyd

Alxis Beckwith

Haezen Charles-Cayenne

Kylee Secena

DEDE DEVLIN: Happy birthday!

Jason Canales

Quinten Canales

Carrie Ehmke

Vincent Visaya

Beatrice Christensen

Zander Sanchez

Aaron Youckton II

TINA EBLING:

Happy birthday!

Amy Dehart

CHRIS SECENA:

I would like

to wish my

“Bisha” a happy

birthday from

your MOMMA!

LOOVVEE YOU.

BEV STARR:

Happy birthday

to Beverly Rose

(my WITCH)!

Love Allison,

Zach and girls.

Jerry Meas

Kami Beckwith

Tyson Black

John Blacketer

Tina Ebling

Jay Sanchez, Jr.

Terri Farrier

Anthony Brown

Steve Burnett

Allison Carter

Jeffrey Gomez

Linda Carpenter

Rose Choke

Olivia Latch

Jeffrey Leclaire

Mathew Reynolds

Colleen Klatush

Richard Revay

Mercedes Bracero

Falisity Bumgarner

Joseph Charles

Guy Youckton

JERRY MEAS:

Happy birthday!

I love you

son. Make it

memorable.

AUGUST ANDREW:

Happy 1st

birthday to our

beautiful baby

on March 23.

Love, Daddy,

Mama, siblings.

Arick Burnett

Jace Cayenne

Amy Shivers

Ted Gleason

Noah Snell

Derrek Yawn

birthday to Jett! Love

Allison, Zach and girls.

COLLEEN KLATUSH: Have a

wonderful birthday, Colleen!

Happy birthday. Lots of love,

from all your family.

GUY YOUCKTON: Happy

birthday, Guy!

BEV STARR: Happy Birthday,

Bev.

BRENT SIMMONS: Happy

birthday! Congratulations

to your new baby Atticus

Joseph James Simmons. We

are so proud of you! Jodie,

Mercedes, Tony, Carlos,

Josie and family

ALLISON CARTER: Happy

birthday, Allison!

Sean Allen

David Burnett

Garret Hicks

Emily Ortivez

Robert Wertz

GEORGETTE WELLS: Happy

Jacee Hoyle

Brent Simmons

Dede Devlin

Angelina Sanchez

David Youckton

Joshua Burnett

Wilson Pickernell

birthday to my Dre. Love

Grama, Papa Zach, Pai Pai,

Dee, Maddy and his Aurora.

DREAMA SECENA: Happy

Skylar Bracero

Yolanda Ortivez

Trevor DuPuis

Rannessa Goddard

wishes

Colby Higheagle

Chris Secena

Annie Jones

Bev Starr

Norma Daniels

Victoria Hanna

FALISITY BUMGARNER:

Happy birthday to Grandma

Anna’s favorite princess.

Open house, blessing of duplexes

New units on Sickman Loop help fill tribal elders’ housing needs

CHEHALIS TRIBAL

NEWSLETTER

The Confederated Tribes

of the Chehalis Reservation,

‘People of the Sands’

Articles and opinions expressed

are not necessarily the opinions

of this publication or the Chehalis

Tribal Business Committee.

SUBMISSIONS

The Chehalis Tribal Newsletter

encourages tribal members

to submit letters, articles,

photographs and drawings to be

considered for publication.

These are subject to editing.

Contributing writers, artists and

photographers include Chehalis

tribal community members and

staff. Submission deadline is

the first of each month (printed

monthly).

TRIBAL CENTER

360-273-5911

420 Howanut Road

Oakville, WA 98568

360-709-1726 (office)

360-273-5914 (fax)

CHEHALIS TRIBE’S

VISION STATEMENT

To be a thriving, self-sufficient,

sovereign people, honoring our

past and serving current and

future generations.

BUSINESS COMMITTEE

Don Secena, Chairman

Harry Pickernell, Sr.,

Vice Chairman

Farley Youckton, Treasurer

Cheryle Starr, Secretary

Dan Gleason, Sr.,

5th Council Member

NEWSLETTER STAFF

Fred Shortman,

Communications Coordinator

fshortman@chehalistribe.org

On Feb. 11, the Chehalis Tribal

Housing Authority hosted an open

house for four new homes available

to tribal members. The rental homes

were built to fill some of the housing

needs for elders, persons with

disabilities and smaller households.

One set of duplexes are two-bedroom,

two-bath units; the other duplex offers

one bedroom, one-bath units. The new

duplexes are on the Sickman Loop

property near the city of Oakville.

The homes were constructed by

the Allen-Bradbury Construction

Company. They are proud to say it

was an honor to work for the Chehalis

Tribe. The weather brought challenges,

but the company was able to finish

construction of the homes.

After Marie Bird blessed the

homes, Chehalis Tribal Housing

Authority Director James Gutierrez

invited everyone to eat and tour the

duplexes. The homes boast a ductless

system that provides heating and air

conditioning, which is an added plus.

The two-bedroom units also feature a

tub and a disabled shower stall.

A lot of planning and help along

the way brought the homes to

fruition. Thanks go out to CTHA

Commissioners Joan Martin, Janice

Latch, Margie Youckton and Sue

Ortivez. Also, thanks to the Business

Committee for its support and to

the Allen-Bradbury Construction

Company. The homes look great and

are an added plus to help fill tribal

elders’ housing needs.

INTERESTED

IN HOUSING?

Please call

James at 360273-7723. There

is a wait list and

other homes

available.

Tribal members

tour new

housing on

Sickman Loop.

Tribe continues to improve grounds

During early February, the Chehalis

Tribe continued to develop and make

improvements to tribal grounds.

Old cement behind the Chehalis

Tribal Center was torn out and will

be reseeded with grass. The cement

is remnants of three offices that were

built in the mid-1970s. The buildings

and the covered walkway were

removed when the Social Services

Building was improved.

A new gazebo will replace the

covered area and offer a designated

smoking space.

Also, at the east door to the tribal

center, Chehalis Tribal Construction

built a handicap ramp with guardrails

to assist those that need it.

Workers set the stage for a gazebo at the Chehalis Tribal Center.

FAMILY

Early Learning loves literacy

Parents read

to little ones

at Chehalis

Tribal Early

Learning.

EVENTS

March 24: Egg hunts, Easter parties

March 25: Child care closed for Good

Friday holiday

April 4-8: Spring Break for Head Start and

Early Head Start

Mondays: Special Services Team visits

Early Learning kids

As we celebrate the arrival of spring, we are

loving literacy at Chehalis Tribal Early Learning.

We value our children and our community and

we love to share an opportunity to bring the two

together. Our February parent meeting was on

storytelling. Families were invited to bring a book

and take a book. We had books galore to share with

children and families to encourage reading. Teachers

shared stories, talked with parents and discussed the

importance of reading at school and home.

We were saddened to see such a small turnout

for our February parent meeting, but we made the

most of it and the very few families that attended

walked away with stacks of books. Handouts were

given on 10 things to do to raise a reader and simple

yet powerful things to do while reading aloud.

We enjoyed a baked potato bar for dinner and

one of our parents, Jessica Hill,

brought in banana bread and cake

for dessert. Thank you, Jessica!

Early Head Start had a busy

February as it was home visit

month for families. Teachers try to

stress the importance of our home

visits to our parents and guardians,

and the children love seeing their

teachers in their homes engaging in

culture and traditions.

On Feb. 23, we had a mental

health luncheon and training for

our families. We invited families

to the Grand Buffet at Lucky Eagle Casino and

Hotel while Mental Health Counselor Sheryl Spahr

answered questions and offered advice to parents.

Thank you, Sheryl, for your continued support of

families at Chehalis Tribal Early Learning. We also

appreciate the parents who attended this training.

We look forward to our visits from the wonderful

Pat Odiorne every month to talk with and teach our

little ones all about health and nutrition. During

February when the focus was on heart health,

Pat visited each classroom with pictures of the

heart, foods that are healthy for our hearts and a

stethoscope to show children how it works and that

it can be fun to hear a heartbeat.

We always enjoy seeing Pat here and love the

support and services she provides to the Early

Learning Program.

Policy Council has been going

very well with our new members.

We meet once a month to go over

everything Early Learning and

address old business and new

business. Some new business will

be our upcoming federal review on

Comprehensive Services and School

Readiness during the week of

March 21.

For more information, stop by

the center, attend a Policy Council

meeting or call 360-273-5514.

Wishing you a happy Easter!

BECOME A FOSTER PARENT

It’s easier than you think. If you are

age 21 or older and in good health,

Chehalis Tribal Foster Care Program

would love to hear from you.

You will need:

n A good-size spare room

n Evidence of parenting skills, either

with your own kids or other people’s

n A commitment to ongoing training

n An interest in helping young people

with difficulties understand that they

do have a future

n A commitment to working in

partnership with the child’s birth

family and an Indian Child Welfare

social worker

n We are willing to work with you

getting licensed. We need homes for

emergencies, respite, short term and

long term.

You may be:

n Single, married or divorced

n Male or female

n A parent with young or grown

children

n Someone who’s never had children

n Employed

n You may have a criminal record for

non-violent offences in the past

CONTACT

Chehalis Tribal Foster Care Program,

360-709-1745 or 360-709-1632

Ask Aunties

March 22

/ April 26

May 24

Ask Aunties is a monthly playgroup with a

discussion topic and dinner. It is designed

to give families an opportunity to bring

their children together and engage in

educational parent-child interaction

activities and discuss, ask questions and

share parenting tips and ideas with other

parents and professionals. The group is

open to everyone: young and old, aunts,

uncles, parents and grandparents. All are

invited to join, share and enjoy an evening

together.

Time: 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays

Where: Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center’s

PT room

Also: Dinner will be provided

CONTACT

Beth Klatush at 360-709-1627,

bklatush@chehalistribe.org

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

Courtney Price

Grand Mound Elementary

Fourth grade

Courtney, son of Tamie Boyd

and Courtney Price Sr., feels he

is successful student because he

listens to his teachers and does what

is asked of him the first time. His

advice for other students is to listen

to the teacher to do well.

Courtney most enjoys reading;

his reading level is fourth-seventh

grade. He also likes recess because

he gets to play with his friends.

Grace Quilt

Rochester Middle School

Eighth grade

Grace, daughter of Sharron

Hall, has been having a great year.

She will tell you the key to her

success is being responsible for her

academics and making sure she gets

to school and completes all of the

work her teachers assign. Grace also

encourages other students to make

sure to get all of their work done

and turn in any assignments they

might have missed.

Grace enjoys math, language

Raven Hawk Penn

Rochester High School

11th grade

Raven, son of Robert Penn, likes

that he is doing well in his math

class.

He feels he is successful student

because he is doing his homework

at home or in between classes and

turning it in the next day.

His advice for other students is

Congratulations on

second quarter honor roll:

Kenedy Adams

Annie Burnett

Arielle Burnett

Desirray Klatush

Jasmine Klatush

Mya Ortivez

Emily Pickernell

Larren Quilt

Kirsten Secena

Roberta Youckton

Courtney also

enjoys wrestling. He

has been involved

with Rochester

Youth Wrestling the

past two years. This

year, he placed third

in his age bracket.

He likes that the

coach challenges him and s him

how to do a move the right way.

After high school, Courtney

wants to go to a college to become

a video game coder, a lawyer for the

tribe or a teacher so that he can help

kids learn to read.

arts and physical

education, but she

also stays busy with

extracurricular

sports. Grace

plays on both the

basketball and

fast-pitch team,

and she plans on getting back into

cheerleading as well.

After graduating from high

school, Grace dreams of going to

College in California.

While she’s unsure which school

she’ll attend, she plans to study

criminal justice to give back to the

community.

to get into a routine

– getting work done

when you first get it.

Raven plans to

attend the Running

Start Program at

Centralia College

his senior year of

high school. He

wants to attend a technical school

or University of Washington, where

he can study engineering and 3-D

modeling.

Attention: To nominate your

child, contact Jodie Smith at

jsmith@chehalistribe.org or

360-709-1897. State why your

child should be considered.

Contributed by the

Chehalis Tribe K-12 Program

Center offers prep classes

Centralia College is bringing

college preparation classes to the

Chehalis Tribal Community Center

during spring quarter.

Classes are available to all tribal

members, community members,

tribal employees and Enterprise

employees. Chehalis tribal members’

classes will be paid through the

higher education program.

The start date is April 4, and the

following classes will be available:

English 102, code 8130,

M. Young, 7:45-9:45 a.m. Monday

and Wednesday with a lab Tuesday

A course in argumentative

and persuasive writing, methods

of research, development and

preparation of original source-based

papers and projects. Prerequisite:

completion of English 101 with a

minimum grade of 2.0.

Math 95/96, codes 8288/8289,

Linda Griffith, 10-11:30 a.m.

Monday-Wednesday

95: Review of basic math concepts

such as whole numbers fractions and

decimal operations

96: Covers percents, proportions,

unit conversions, geometry,

simplifying algebraic expressions

and solving simple first-degree linear

equations

Stress Management, code 8273,

C. Johnson, 11-11:50 a.m. Tuesday

and Thursday

Understand how stress can impact

MORE INFORMATION

Contact Racheal Mendez at the

Community Center at rmendez@

chehalistribe.org or 360-709-1698.

quality of life. Learn methods for

identifying stressors and strategies to

effectively manage them. Construct

a personalized stress management

program.

Weight Training, code 8274,

C. Johnson noon-12:50 p.m. Tuesday

and Thursday

A high-impact exercise class

designed to improve muscle strength,

endurance, flexibility and aerobic

capacity.

To take these classes you must:

Apply to Centralia College

n To do this, go to entralia.edu

n Receive an acceptance letter

You must take the compass test

at Centralia College

n You may go to the Phoenix

Center/Library at Centralia College

or call Racheal Mendez at 360-7091698 to find out good time for her to

drive you there.

n The test costs $15 (Chehalis

tribal members’ tests will be paid

through the Education Program

Chehalis Tribal members must

also have a Chehalis Tribal Higher

Education Scholarship application

completed.

Please vote yes for our children

To our community from the

Oakville Levy Committee:

Important date: Vote on April 26

Our last levy failed, and here’s what

we could lose if it happens again:

n Staff and school counselor

n Curriculum technology

n All athletic programs

n Transportation

n All TRI (time,

responsibility and

incentive) days for

teachers

We hope to pass a

two-year replacement

levy for expenses the

state simply does not

cover. For property

owners, we are

asking for $2.36 per

$1,000 of assessed

property value.

We believe in our community and

really need your help.

Ballets are mailed out to everyone

April 8. Don’t wait – vote right away.

Our lives are all busy, but please don’t

forget to vote.

Tribal members always have

supported all of the children. We

need you to vote. Your vote shows

how much you care.

We also want

you to know that

we understand how

hard it is for a small

community to survive

hardships, which is

why we are asking

for very little. And

we want to thank you

for taking the time

to read this and cast

your ballot for kids!

chehalistribe.org

CHEHALIS TRIBAL NEWSLETTER

is a publication of the Confederated

Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.

PRSRT STD

* Or current resident

PERMIT No. 2

US POSTAGE PAID

OAKVILLE, WA

CONCERNS

From page 1

a Programmatic Environmental

Impact Statement. They are collecting

information and studying the two

main projects, along with several other

smaller-scale actions.

The tribe is a member of a local

group called the Chehalis Basin

Partnership. On Feb. 19, the CBP held

its regular monthly meeting at Lucky

Eagle Casino and invited the state to

come discuss their proposed projects.

Four presenters came to talk about

flood control and fish restoration

projects. Many tribal members

attended the meeting, and they had

a lot of questions and concerns about

the proposed dam.

Tribal community meeting

On March 3, the Chehalis Tribe

hosted a meeting at the Community

Center to give people another chance

to hear about the projects and share

comments. A blessing before the event

performed by Dan “Bones” Gleason

set the tone for the rest of the evening.

The meeting was informational and

allowed for public comment from

tribal members. An overview was given

by Maia Bellon, director of the state

Department of Ecology.

Bellon said they are taking a multibenefit approach to find solutions

to minimize flooding and enhance

fisheries in the basin. They are looking

at several different actions in the basin

that would achieve either flood damage

reduction or improve the fisheries.

One of those possible projects is a

flood control dam in the hills near Pe

Ell. Another is a 100-mile long habitat

restoration project. She said any of

the solutions that are developed and

implemented will need to avoid having

negative effects on others in the basin.

Bellon said the approach for this

Maia Bellon, director of the state

Department of Ecology, visits with

Chehalis Tribal Chairman Don Secena

at the Chehalis River Basin Strategy

meeting.

plan is modeled after the approach

taken to deal with low water conditions

in the Yakima Valley river basin.

However, Bellon said the problem

here is having too much water during

the rainy seasons. She also explained

climate change will need to be a factor

that is addressed as studies take place.

The next presenter was Chrissy

Bailey, project lead from the

Department of Ecology. She explained

how the Programmatic Environmental

Impact Statement will evaluate

impacts from all of the proposed

actions in the basin.

The Department of Ecology will

gather information and look at each

action to see what impacts (positive

or negative) they might have. Ecology

is planning to have a completed PEIS

by this fall and will submit it to Gov.

Jay Inslee and the Governors Work

Group. The PEIS will help them form

a plan of action for funding from the

government to assist all those affected

in the flood plain.

The next presenter, David Price

from the state Department of Fish

and Wildlife, gave a presentation on

studies they have been doing within

the watershed to gather information

about salmon and other aquatic

species in the basin.

One of the most interesting things

he mentioned was that even though

the Chehalis River Basin is one of the

largest in the state, there hasn’t been

very much funding established to

enhance the aquatic species. He shared

slides that showed some of the natural

spawning beds in the upper watershed

and discussed what species will be

impacted if a dam is introduced on the

upper reaches of the Chehalis River.

Price said the upper watershed is

an important one, hosting a various

number of species spawning area. He

also pointed out that the Chehalis

Basin is home to the largest variety of

amphibians found in the state.

Many community members in

attendance raised questions and

concerns. Tribal fishermen made it

clear they would not tolerate damage

to the salmon runs. Others were

concerned about how a dam might

impact archaeological sites in the

basin, and someone else pointed out

that bear grass growing areas have

been badly damaged already and a

dam could hurt them more. Tribal

elders, adults and fisherman shared

some past experiences and pointed at