Tribe granted in-state tuition in Idaho

Jun 9, 2013 - By Alejandra Silva, Staff Writer

Eastern Shoshone tribal members now have the option of paying a reduced rate.

Enrolled Eastern Shoshone tribal members interested in attending a public university or college in Idaho will soon have the option of paying in-state tuition across the border.

The decision came after the state's school board was approached and asked to reconsider its policy. Organizers said the tribe's original boundaries, before the Treaty of 1863, show that the Shoshone reservation spread out to parts of Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.

Now Idaho state law will allow the Treaty of 1863 -- a peace treaty between the U.S. government and the Eastern Shoshone tribe that divided parts of Idaho, Wyoming and Utah to the tribe -- to be the proof for receiving in-state tuition.

In the past, the issue has been discussed by other concerned individuals with former Idaho State University president Bud Davis, with no action taken.

Most recently, former Eastern Shoshone business council member Orville St. Clair and director of the Eastern Shoshone Education program Harmony Spoonhunter, joined powers to push for a change. They met with Johanna Jones and Laura Woodworth-Ney from Idaho State University and were encouraged to contact the Idaho State Legislature.

St. Clair and Spoonhunter are graduates from ISU and paid in-state tuition. The two said they were not sure why the reduced rate had disappeared.

Spoonhunter said when she was going to enroll, she was set to use Western Undergraduate Exchange non-resident tuition assistance, but instead, ISU staff told her she could enroll under resident status because she was an enrolled Shoshone. The WUE scholarship would have paid for half of her tuition, but enrolling as a resident would help her even more. Spoonhunter graduated in 2002.

Now that tuition will come at a cheaper price for Eastern Shoshone students, the tribe's education program sees it as an opportunity to extend the financial assistance they distribute directly to enrolled members.

"That's going to stretch our tribal dollars to scholarships if students choose to utilize either Idaho State, Boise State or the University of Idaho," St. Clair said.

"It's a big opportunity for our tribal members," Spoonhunter said.

If they qualify, Eastern Shoshone students can receive up to $7,500 from the tribe's education program and up to $5,000 per semester from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

A student enrolled as a full-time student at Idaho State under resident status would have to pay $3,035 per semester while a non-resident full time student would have to pay $8,935 per semester.

Five other tribes qualify for in-state tuition -- the Shoshone-Piaute, Shoshone-Bannock, Coeur d'Alene, the Kootenai and the Nez Perce.

With this step forward, St. Clair and Spoonhunter hope more students feel encouraged to attend a school in Idaho and pursue a gratifying career.

"The most important aspect of this is the sovereignty issue, where the State of Idaho has recognized that we were the original inhabitants of the land," St. Clair said.

Deal between tribes, feds reinstates water sampling on the rez

Jun 23, 2013 - By Alejandra Silva, Staff Writer

The agreement requires the U.S. Department of Energy to provide information on the groundwater testing being performed.

The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes have entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to provide public information on the groundwater testing being performed at the Riverton processing site.

On Thursday, the last few samples were collected near the Chemtrade Refinery Services on 140 Goes in Lodge Road, two miles southwest of Riverton. The site sits within the Wind River Indian Reservation boundaries, and residents have feared that their drinking water contains harmful contaminants. DOE hydrologist William Dam said his department has signed a one-year agreement with the Joint Business Council to build public trust and share the results of the testing.

"We want the public to get more involved with what the DOE is doing and (see) that we are protecting public health, and we're protecting the environment as well," Dam said. "There is a lot of misinformation but we can share the facts of what's really going on."

Contamination

A uranium and vanadium-ore-processing mill used to sit where the Chemtrade Refinery Services facility now operates and produces sulfuric acid. The mill operated from 1958 to 1963 and produced radioactive mill tailings, a sandy waste byproduct of uranium mining. This caused uranium, radium and thorium contamination in soils, groundwater and construction debris.

In 1988, roughly 1.8 million cubic yards of the contaminated materials were extracted and placed at the Gas Hills East disposal site about 45 miles away. Today, the site is owned by Chemtrade and is managed by the Office of Legacy Management of the DOE for routine inspections, maintenance and documentation.

There are three aquifers beneath the site, and officials said only one was contaminated by ore-processing operations. The shallow groundwater of the surficial aquifer was affected, and layers of shale separate this aquifer from the semiconfined and confined aquifer, which are several feet thick.

The DOE said in publications that it is "extremely unlikely" that the contaminated water could travel down into the drinking water. According to the DOE, the shale works as an "effective barrier" that prevents this downward migration. Still, the testing of possible contamination continues, especially since a major flood in 2010 caused the Little Wind River to overflow, and studies two weeks later showed increases in contaminant concentrations.

In the 1990s, the DOE performed characterization studies, computer modeling methods and a "natural flushing" method to test the groundwater. The flushing method was given a "100-year regulatory time frame" for completion. The DOE continues to monitor this method and collects data to report annually.

According to the DOE, "although contaminated groundwater is assumed to discharge to the Little Wind River, groundwater contaminants have had no measurable effect on river water quality."

Dam said the DOE previously had a five-year agreement with the tribes that now has expired. Measures were taken to restrict new wells and land use.

Drinking water

Drinking water in the area comes only from the groundwater in the confined aquifer. An alternate water supply system also was installed by Indian Health Services in 1998. The DOE also provided funding for a 1-million gallon storage tank. The Northern Arapaho Utility Organization operates the system that is attached to 8.5 miles of water line. Both wells take water from the confined aquifer and are 650 feet deep.

The public can read more about the sampling on the DOE's website or in the reference section at the Riverton Public Library.

Dam said the DOE will work with local health facilities to ensure locals with health concerns are directed to the right service.

"There were a lot of questions the local community had about their health," Dam said. "The JBC and WREQC has the lead to set up meetings and has the lead to help us get interconnected with the community."

Collecting samples

On Thursday, David Atkinson and Sam Campbell from the S.M. Stroller Corporation, a contractor to the DOE, were collecting samples from the fenced pond off Rendezvous Road near the Chemtrade facility with a water quality meter and water level indicator.

One clear hose collected water from the shallow section and a second hose released excess water. The field measurements then were fed into their computer system, which notified them if the water was clear of debris. Once the water recorded a clear level and a set of numbers stabilized their reading, a green light gave them the OK to collect the water into small plastic bottles.

Atkinson said there are about three general depths and several wells in the pond. He added that only the shallow areas are tested because that is where possible contamination would be.

Ricki Trosper of the Wind River Environmental Quality Commission accompanied the contractors during testing and said the WREQC also performs its own tests which are sent to an independent laboratory. S.M. Stroller performed several tests in more than 30 locations and did the last nine Thursday.

"There is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm with this new agreement," Dam said, adding that his department's main goal is to follow through with long-term maintenance and surveillance.

Water sampling is done twice: once when the river flow is highest and again when it is lowest. More sampling is planned to begin in September.

Youths develop leadership skills at weekend event

The Wind River UNITY council and ESCAPE Native Youth Conference ended June 9 with a relay run and balloon release at St. Stephen's Mission in memory of former council adviser Edward Wadda. Photo by Alejandra Silva

Jun 17, 2013 - By Alejandra Silva, Staff Writer

Roughly 100 children from the Wind River Indian Reservation and surrounding communities teamed up with older youths recently to receive training, attend workshops and sessions, and participate in fun activities during the Native Youth Conference.

The event, which ran from June 6 to June 9, was hosted by the Wind River UNITY council and held in collaboration with the Eastern Shoshone Cross-Age Peer Education project.

The conference began June 6 with suicide prevention sessions headed by the Fremont County Prevention program.

Leadership training led by the ESCAPE program continued Friday and included workshops that educated youths on the transition to adulthood, life skills, teen pregnancy, and other health issues.

"The kids really opened up," said UNITY council adviser Reinette Tendore.

She, Jay Old Coyote, Jenni Wildcat and Sunny Goggles are the new advisers on the council. The four invited motivational speakers Chance Rush, lawyer and activist Chase Iron Eyes and his wife, Dr. Sara Jumping Eagle, and community members to share their stories about attending college. The speakers addressed the importance of having a support group and spoke about overcoming obstacles in pursuit of their degrees.

Also participating on that panel were ESCAPE director Clarence Thomas, Andi Clifford, Jenni Wildcat, Reinette Tendore and Fort Washakie teacher and coach George Abeyta.

"You individually are going to have to make a choice on what kind of lifestyle you want to have," Iron Eyes told a group of youths Saturday at St. Stephen's Mission.

He encouraged the children to pursue an education, even if others may not support that plan.

"Things are changing. You guys are part of a great awakening, and you need to become aware of it," he said. "It's another tool you need to adopt to secure a place for our people. I know you're all capable because you come from strong people."

The youths at the conference also participated in many breakout sessions that educated them on sexual assault, social media, multicultural diversity, environmental preservation and youth life management.

Johnna Nunez of the University of Wyoming's Wyo Care program had children put on special goggles that altered their vision to reflect that of a person under the influence of alcohol. After attempting to walk a straight line, they realized it was more difficult than they thought.

The conference ended with a run from Rocky Mountain Hall in Fort Washakie to St. Stephen's Mission in memory of former UNITY council adviser Edward Wadda, who died in a single-car accident in May 2012.

"He was an honorable man, and if I needed help, all I needed was to ask," Thomas said. "He's still around us, and he's still involved with us."

Once all runners arrived, dozens of balloons were released and family members and friends thanked the runners and organizers.

"I know my brother is looking down upon us with his cheesy grin," said Wadda's brother Buddy Large.

Financial support

ESCAPE received funding from the Tribal Youth Program through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention with additional support coming from local and state program sponsors and the motivational speakers.

Other supporters of the event included the Eagle staff runners, the Shoshone Arapaho Tobacco Prevention program, Wyoming Department of Health, Eastern Shoshone Child Support program, and the Juvenile services.

UNITY is seeking additional funding and hosting fundraisers to help pay for a group of youths who will attend the national UNITY conference in Los Angeles in July.