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.

Virtual museum brings artifacts closer to home

May 12, 2013 - By Alejandra Silva, Staff Writer

Lost artifacts of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes have made a special trip back home from Chicago to be displayed in a kiosk at Central Wyoming College. Lived History-The Wind River Virtual Museum was revealed Saturday to tribe members from the Wind River Indian Reservation, CWC faculty, and other community members.

A collaboration between Wyoming PBS, Alpheus Media and Lord Cultural Resources took Eastern Shoshone elders Ralphaelita Stump and Philbert Mcloud, Northern Arapaho elders Robert Goggles and William C'Hair, Shoshone and Arapaho tribe member Jordan Dresser, and Northern Arapaho tribe member Mikala Sun Rhodes to the Chicago Field Museum where they were able to see artifacts that are more than 100 years old.

The artifacts, ranging from tools to weapons and clothing were gathered by collectors after they were lost by or stolen or taken from their rightful owners years ago. The items ended up at the museum and were boxed away for many decades. The group's journey was filmed and culminated in a 30-minute documentary that was shown Saturday after the unveiling of the virtual museum kiosk.

Making the trip

Before filming began, councils from each of the tribes met with producer Mat Hames to discuss the project and give him the OK.

Hames said he visited the county many times and gradually started to learn more about the reservation and its people. He realized that the descriptions he came across many times from online stories of the reservation were false, and the rumored tension between both tribes was not present with the group. He added that many people told him the tribe members would not travel together in the same bus to the airport.

So when the time came to meet at one location, Hames said he was nervous as he waited for the group, and he was relieved to see everyone arrive and get along well. The group expressed some hesitation about boarding an airplane and flying to Chicago, but most of their fear was set aside as they came together for their history and culture.

Hames's initial goal was to build a virtual museum, but he said he found out it was going to be more than that.

"In the process of working with the elders, they started to make me aware that there was a much bigger story that they wanted told," Hames said.

Hames and his film crew followed the group and captured the emotions of the tribe members as they watched museum staff open the boxes for the first time in many years.

"You gain a deeper appreciation of objects," Sun Rhodes said in the film. "Maybe the younger people can see it and take pride in where they came from. ... It motivates me to learn more about it."

"What I saw right away was something good," Mcloud said when describing his initial reaction as the artifacts were carefully taken out of the boxes.

One artifact that impressed Mcloud was the "Roach" that he described as the "Shoshone hat." He said it was worn by American Indian men, especially as camouflage pieces during wartime. The Arapaho Eagle Wing Fan was described by C'Hair as being used in ceremonies and during prayers.

"It allowed them to hold on when so much was going on around them," Sun Rhodes said in the film about the meaning the artifacts had for his tribal ancestors.

Museum staff were amazed at the knowledge the tribal members shared with them. Some artifacts, per request of the elders, were not filmed because of their sacred values.

"It's not all right with me ... I have mixed emotions," Goggles said in the film after his visit to the museum. "It doesn't belong here."

After the film was shown, Mcloud, Dresser, C'Hair and Hames answered questions and shared their thoughts on the project and journey with the attendees at CWC. Mcloud suggested that historical artifacts from the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes be in one museum on the reservation. Hames said Mcloud had mentioned that same idea earlier in the day.

"He must really mean it, I was surprised. ... I think it's been an evolution for him," Hames said. "I don't think he would've said that a year ago."

Community enjoyed trip to the past

Northern Arapaho tribe member Mary Rose Goggles of Ethete thanked the group for putting together something that would benefit the younger people from the reservation.

"I'm hoping it's going to touch our children and remind them of who they are," she said. "They tend to forget who they are."

She recommended that the stories of more elders be recorded so the memories and history could be remembered long after they're gone. She recalled the stories her grandfathers told her when she was a little girl.

Sun Rhodes's father, Virgil Sun Rhodes, said he enjoyed the film and was happy his daughter was a part of it. He also was glad the film was dedicated to Goggles, who passed away before the completion of the project.

"The knowledge from him is greatly missed," he said, adding that initially Goggles hesitated going on the trip. "But he wanted to let people know."

Rajonna Vega, 29, of Ethete, said she could feel the emotions that the tribe members had felt in their journey.

"It really hits home, you can feel it, you can feel the emotion that comes from it," Vega said. "We have to do our part to teach future generations."

"The screening really adds texture to our understanding of local Native American history," CWC president Jo Anne McFarland said.

Hames is currently working on a longer documentary with some members of the reservation.

"I'll be able to go into the issue of the artifacts more in depth and how they ended so far away from Wind River and some of the different views on bringing them back versus not bringing them back," Hames said, adding that what he enjoyed most during the kiosk project was meeting many friendly tribe members.

The virtual museum can be seen online at or at the Intertribal Education and Community Center at CWC, and the short film will air at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on Wyoming PBS.

Busy Bees

May 5, 2013 - By Alejandra Silva, Staff Writer

A large shipment from Paradise, Calif., arrived April 27 at the Riverton residence of Doug Newlin. He's a beekeeper, among other things.

Several bee colonies enclosed in two special glass-sided crates had traveled hundreds of miles to arrive at their new home just in time for the start of growing season.

The production of one of America's original sweeteners remains a difficult job for Newlin and another local beekeeper, Arlie Colva. They are the caretakers of thousands of bees, responsible for the production, the lives and the maintenance of the bee communities.

They take their job seriously. Bee stings seem trivial when compared to the more serious challenges beekeepers face, such as the destruction of a complete colony by parasites or the migration of colonies due to a lack of room in their honeycombs.

Honey production

Each year is a new opportunity for the beekeepers to give bees the time to do what they do best -- make honey. The season begins when the flowers bloom. The bees start the process by gathering nectar and pollen from any nearby flowers or in Wyoming's case, the abundant alfalfa. Many rate honey from the Wind River Basin among the best in the nation.

"The thing about Wyoming is we grow a lot of alfalfa, and alfalfa produces a lot of nectar," Newlin said. "That makes mild and light colored honey -- which is the best honey."

Once they either consume the nectar or attach the pollen to their legs, the worker bees return to their honeycombs.

"They're attracted to their queen bee, and it's a miracle how these bees gather and convert it to honey within their bodies," Colva said. "Once they consume the nectar, they deposit it back into the honeycomb -- some people call that 'bee barf.'"

The bees store the nectar or pollen in their honeycomb cells, located in the brood boxes. The brood box -- or the nest -- measures about 12 inches tall and 20 inches long and is made of timber.

A small gap is left open at the bottom of the box and acts as the entrance and exit for the bees. Several worker bees also hang around here to protect their hives and the queen bee.

The boxes can be built in different sizes or out of different material, so long as enough room is left inside to fit the thousands of offspring that can be produced each day by the queen bee. Newlin estimated that roughly 3,000 eggs are laid a day, and he said it takes about 21 days for the eggs to turn into bees.

The boxes hold 10 rectangular frames that sit about an inch or less apart from each other. Each frame is supplied with a thin sheet of beeswax and has hundreds of tiny hexagon shapes across the sheet called "cells."

The sheet is slid into the frame and serves as the foundation that tells the worker bees this is the spot for their honeycombs.

Bees overproduce honey to help them survive through the winter and seasons when no flowers bloom. That surplus honey is what Newlin and Colva take to package. The hives produce more than 60 to 80 pounds of surplus honey in a season.

"Honey bees are just incredible overproducers," Newlin said. "We make sure we leave them enough."

Colva owns Colva Honey Works in Riverton, a business that provides the honey to distribution companies in other states. Newlin likes to give his away to friends.

For Colva, the bees are his career. For Newlin, it's a hobby.

Wind River Honey is another high-volume local producer of honey, packaging and marketing its brand around Wyoming and neighboring states.

Harvesting the honey

As the months go by and the worker bees multiply, Newlin and Colva stack the brood boxes to keep up with the surplus honey. Once the honeycombs are filled to the top, the worker bees create a final layer of wax. When the entire frame is covered with that layer, Newlin and Colva know it is time to extract the honey. They remove the sheet from the frame, take a heated knife and carefully scrape the top layer off. Then they place the frame in a machine that spins and sucks out the honey. After the frame is put back in the box, the bees know to repair those empty combs and get back to work.

Newlin said it is important to keep up with the bees and their honey production.

"If they run out of room, some of them will take off," Newlin said. "It's bad news for beekeepers to have them swarm."

Newlin said if the bees leave, they will create the round bee hive often seen hanging from trees. As a result, the hives become weak and no extra honey is created.

"We try to prevent that by managing the hives so they have enough room, and it doesn't get overcrowded," Colva said.

Beekeeping beginnings

Newlin was a Peace Corps volunteer in Latin America in the 1960s. While there, he built his first brood box for the hives.

"I built a bee hive down there," he said. "I did it all with a saw."

The box, Newlin said, made the extraction of honey safer and more efficient as opposed to harvesting the honey from a tree or logs -- as was the original method.

"You can harvest a hundred without destroying a colony," Newlin said.

Colva's interest in bees began when he watched his father, also a beekeeper, handle bees. Colva now has taught his daughter to manage the hives. His brother also is a beekeeper in Casper.

Bee stings are part of the job. Newlin recalled being stung by five bees who flew into his veil mask at the same time. He said it made him feel light-headed and itchy, and he had to go to the emergency room. But he said the bees are not interested in stinging because they'll die afterward, but if they think a person is threatening their hives, they become aggressive and will sting.

Colva recalled getting stung by up to 100 bees when he was younger. Even so, he still doesn't wear any protective gear when handling the hives. Newlin jokes that it is the "venom" inside Colva's body from over the years that keeps him immune and safe from bee stings. A fearless Colva, equipped with only his denim overalls, agreed with a smile and claimed an additional secret weapon.

"I'm sweet," he said.

Newlin said anyone else approaching the boxes later in the season would have to wear protective gear because the bees are working harder, there are many more bees, and the activity around the boxes increases.

'A very special culture'

Thousands of year ago, honey was used not only to sweeten dishes but was also packaged to take to the afterlife. Ancient Egyptian and Middle Eastern cultures used honey to embalm the dead. For the Mayans, the bee was sacred, and many other cultures used honey for healing purposes as ointment for burns or rashes. In the Jewish tradition, honey is a symbol of the new year. During the Rosh Hashanah celebration, apple slices are dipped into honey in hopes of bringing in a sweet new year.

For Newlin and Colva, caring for the bees also has great meaning. Newlin described the hobby of beekeeping as "good natured, helpful and rewarding."

"It's not everybody's thing, but the people who really get into it enjoy it," Colva said.

"It's actually hard to describe ... there's a goodness to it, you're working with live things," Newlin said. "There's a bit of a culture that goes along with beekeeping - they have a very special culture."

At one point in last year's season, Newlin said the bees harvested about 500 pounds of honey, and then his entire population was wiped out, possibly because of a dangerous parasitic mite that has devastated bees nationwide.

A solution was used to fight the mites, but Newlin said it was not enough to save his colonies. He added that the mites can build up a resistance to the solution.

"We discovered that they were all dead," Newlin said. "You just have to mourn a little bit."

That feeling of mourning, Newlin and Colva said, is a feeling many beekeepers have learned to deal with because survival factors often are out of their control.

Both Newlin and Colva have been friends for a long time and watch out for each other's beehives. Despite the challenges and dangers they face, both agree that bees are essential to the gardens and fields of Riverton.

Class sends care packages

May 5, 2013 - By Alejandra Silva, Staff Writer

A local soldier stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan, will be receiving several care packages soon from Becky Dechert's Riverton High School sophomore English class.

Shoshoni High School graduate Sgt. Michael Dye is a chief warrant officer and counterintelligence technician on assignment for six months in the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, a subordinate command of the International Security Assistance Force.

"I'm currently the operations officer for a small unit comprised of Army, Navy and Air Force service members, civilians and contractors that work at several locations around Afghanistan," Dye wrote in an e-mail. "Our efforts are part of a much larger program to help promote stability here in Afghanistan."

The students decided to send books, snacks, gum and letters after reading "All Quiet On the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque. The book tells the story of a German soldier in World War I who describes the stress of being away from home, finding the courage to fight in battle and the feelings encountered upon returning home.

"I really wanted them to make that connection," Dechert said about encouraging the students to write to the soldiers. "(The soldiers are) disconnected from their civilian lives."

Student Tayln Jones said she wrote about herself and the book in the letter she wrote.

"Not a lot of them receive stuff from home," Jones said. "I wrote that I'm thankful, and I appreciate what they're doing."

She included a small stuffed animal with the other items and asked in the letter that it be given to a little girl in Afghanistan.

Manuel Contreras, a foreign exchange student from Argentina, said that although he is against war, the idea of sending items from home is a kind gesture that will surely bring joy to the soldiers.

"I appreciate the efforts by the students at RHS to think of the more than 60,000 soldiers, airmen, Marines and civilians currently deployed throughout Afghanistan," Dye said. "As a longtime resident of Shoshoni and Fremont County, it's always nice to hear the folks back home remember and think about us."

Dechert said the students will write to Dye and his fellow soldiers once more before the semester ends.

Dye hoisted a US Flag in honor of the RHS Students.  As a surprise for them and Dechert, he's sending the flag back to them with a certificate to show his gratitude.

Federal budget cuts affect reservation programs

By Alejandra Silva
Staff Writer for the Wind River News
On March 1, the federal budget took a hard hit from the sequester that took billions of dollars from programs and services like military operations, national parks, special education and Head Start programs. More than $400 million will be cut from the Head Start programs in the United States, kicking out about 70,000 kids from classrooms. For Wyoming, roughly 100 fewer children will have access to early education. 
Unfortunately, those cuts will also hit the Wind River Indian Reservation, said Joseph Henry, director of the Shoshone and Arapaho Head Start programs.
The programs on the reservation, including one in Lander, prepare low-income children for kindergarten and extend resources to parents. The programs already have seen some changes. 
"Employees are already working only 37 hours a week instead of 40," Henry said. 
That began last week, and Henry said he expects there to be about 20 fewer days per year for the programs. A meeting with the reservation's joint business council is still pending, and from there these cuts and others will be determined.
Henry said one challenge will be figuring out ways to administer the cuts in ways less harmful for families. The programs not only prepare students for the next level of school education but also help parents find employment, educate the whole family on health and nutrition, immunizations, parent involvement, and provide important services like eye exams, which are done by partnering programs. 
"Any cuts to us will indirectly impact us," Henry said about the program in general. "We're all connected — any reductions in funds is going to reduce services, any kind of staff time, child care time and consequently what you do for the children and families." 
More than $100,000 from the reservation programs’ budget is being cut, but Henry said his organization will continue to try and find ways to limit the cuts on the services for their children. 

Others affected
Jamie Stockwell, the executive director of the other Head Start programs in Fremont County, said that any budget cuts will "affect in different levels and different ways." The budget reduction’s effect on her programs has not been determined, but Stockwell said she is sure it will be like a domino effect because other programs are connected with Head Start. 
"Any funds we get we spend directly into our communities," she said. 
The change could also affect parents who have full-time jobs, and job-search assistance itself will be hit. Roughly 6,000 fewer people in Wyoming will receive help in finding a job and get the skills needed to find and secure employment. Also for the state, funding for vaccines will be cut by $16,000, which leads to 230 fewer children getting vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and influenza. 
The National Congress of American Indians has asked Congress to exempt IHS from any cuts as it serves 2.1 million American Indians and Alaska Natives through more than 650 health care locations on or near reservations. IHS may cut back on employees or outpatient visits after the budget is reduced. The Wind River Indian Reservation’s IHS serves more than 10,000 people. 
"Tribal programs in the Department of the Interior which fund core governmental functions like human services, law enforcement, schools, economic development and natural resources stand to lose almost $130 million," said statement from the NCAI. 
Funding for schools and teachers in Wyoming will also be affected by the sequester.
St. Stephens Indian School was delayed funding recently from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 
Superintendent Michael Hejtmanek said the federal budget cuts may have had a lot to do with it, because St. Stephens is funded through the BIA. 
"We'll have to prioritize," Hejtmanek said. "Next week we'll be going down the list, line item by line item and see where we can save and what we have to change." 
There is already a 5 to 8 percent budget cut toward the school from the BIA, and Hejtmanek fears that any additional cuts will complicate future projects and ideas the school has for academic improvement. 
"It's real," he said. "It's not a scare tactic, (and) I'm worried."
As the BIA and the Department of Interior are affected by cuts, staff numbers will be reduced. Interior secretary Ken Salazar has stated recently that the BIA will see significant immediate impacts, and eliminating some employees will make the processing of applications take longer.

Planning begins for veterans park

By Alejandra Silva
Staff Writer for the Wind River News

Plans for the new Northern Arapaho Veteran's Park and Museum were discussed March 12 during an informational meeting at the Wind River Casino. 
A resolution that was recently approved by the Northern Arapaho Business Council allowed the Northern Arapaho Tribal Engineering Department to initiate the early stages of planning for a park and museum. The facility, to be located off of Wyoming Highway 789, will honor Northern Arapaho veterans. 
"It's taken so long to establish a site," NATED senior planner Sandy Ross Whitehair said. 
She said it took two years exactly and the department is glad to finally begin planning and gather ideas from locals. The site was originally supposed to be on the west side of the casino; now it will be farther south and will share the casino's entrance off of the highway.
The approved resolution stated that NATED will "provide program planning, site planning, pre-development, preliminary design and surveying to plan, develop and design," the park/museum. The group will collaborate with the Northern Arapaho Economic Development Commission. The NABC has approved five acres of their land for the use of the park, and once plans progress funding will be sought through fundraisers, donations and grants.

Design

An original design for the center consisted of a large bronze statue of a warrior as well as flag poles, concrete walkways, sections of grass and plaques. 
"I want (everyone) to be aware of all the ideas and time that has been put into this," Whitehair told attendees at the meeting about the plans already sketched. 
Whitehair updated the design to include center points connected by walkways, with one center point to be used for events or gatherings for veterans and their families. She also sketched light posts along the walkways and an entrance sign bearing the Arapaho flag colors. 
Whitehair encouraged all guests to sketch their own ideas on a large sheet of the site she handed out. She asked participants to explain their ideas to everyone else.
"We're not trying to leave anybody out... from the youngest to the oldest," planning group participant Stephen Seminole said. "We still need more support from everybody to help us."
Whitehair encouraged attendees to get specific with their ideas like how they'd like the statute to look like and if there should be restrooms. 
One group suggested a fountain and benches and a large plaque listing veterans' names. Others recommended planting native plants and installing a gazebo at the property. Another group suggested a feather-shaped plaque to list all the veteran's names.
They also explained changing a section of the Wyoming Highway 789 to be named the Northern Arapaho Veterans Road. 
"We're going to take all of your ideas, previous ideas and design a new site," Whitehair said. "We'll present final ideas back to the community." 

Veterans Recognized
Whitehair added that NATED is also accepting for inclusion more names of veterans they may not yet have collected. The engineering department hopes to honor all U.S. military branches and genders. 
Before ideas were brainstormed, NATED took a moment to honor a few Northern Arapaho veterans. Alberta Goggles, was a U.S. Army nurse, Darlene Conrad was a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Second Class Petty Officer, Burton Hutchinson was a Sergeant first class in the Korean War and John A. Warren was a paratrooper in World War II. 
"They called me chief," Warren said as he told a quick story on what it was like to be in WWII and the desire of soldiers to go home soon. 
"He tells some good stories," his daughter Angela Warren said. "I'm just real proud of my dad."

Eastern Shoshone tribe member making his career in Hollywood

Actors Cody Jones and Tim Allen 

By Alejandra Silva
Staff Writer

He never dreamed of being an actor but at 7 p.m. Friday, Cody Jones, an enrolled Eastern Shoshone tribe member from the Wind River Indian Reservation, will be guest starring on the comedy show “Last Man Standing” on ABC. 
“I never dreamed I’d be on the ABC network,” Jones said. 
He pulled out a photo of him with Tim Allen and said he has asked himself many times, “Is this really happening?” 
In the episode “Buffalo Bill Day,” Allen plays Mike Baxter, an employee at a sporting goods store called Outdoor Man. To promote a big sale, an entertainment skit based on a Wild West Show plays outside the store. Jones plays an American Indian hired by the store to help attract customers.
“Walking out to a live audience, taking a bow and having people get to see you — the cast was so welcoming to me,” Jones said. “For my career so far, it’s been the greatest experience I’ve had.”
Jones said many people, including actor Hector Elizondo who plays Ed Alzate, Tim Allen’s boss, commended him on his manners, and the way he handled himself on stage. 
“I’d like to say that goes back to family and the influences, good or bad, I’ve (had) over the years,” Jones said.
“To be accepted by those guys who are very established in their business, in their career, in that industry, there’s not a compliment any greater,” Jones said. 

From stuntman to actor
Jones grew up on a ranch in Wyoming and later lived in Montana and Texas, where he graduated from high school. He became an avid horseback rider and said he imagined running a ranch for his adult life. But his future aspirations changed with the encouragement of a relative who was a stuntman. 
His riding knowledge provided him the opportunity to perform stunt work in 2003 on the History Channel’s documentary “Carson and Cody: The Hunter Heroes.” He said he enjoyed it so much he went on to tour with the Wild West Show, which consisted of risky performances on horses with others posing as different characters who acted out plots and re-enacted historical events. 
A few years later he performed dangerous stunts in Steven Spielberg’s mini series “Into the West.” There he worked alongside other notable actors like Tom Berenger, Gary Busey and Keri Russell. 
The 6-foot, 3-inch tall actor with long, straight hair said the stunts he has performed have included jumping from high spots and fighting one on one with other stuntmen. 

Jones on the set of Cowboys and Aliens

Another role model and close friend is American Indian actor Steeve Reevis, who encouraged Jones to pursue more stunt work and acting and move to Hollywood. He said his friends and family were surprised when he told them about the upcoming move. Reevis’s wife insisted Jones also pursue modeling. Once in California, Jones was offered a spot on a calendar featuring American Indian men. He appeared in the calendar again this year. 
“The point of that calendar is to get Native guys exposure from anywhere in Indian Country,” he said. 
He considered doing stunt work again, but friends suggested he start acting, and Reevis told him that the life of a stuntman is shorter than that of an actor because as a stunt person grows older, younger people are hired to do stunt work. 
Jones soon began to take acting classes and audition for roles. He did more stunt work and acting debuts in movies and TV series in 2009 and 2010, including “Dawn of Conviction,” “Hired Gun,” “True Grit” and “Deadliest Warriors.” In 2011, he performed stunts for the movie “Cowboys and Aliens” and played the role of a high school student in the film “Wuss,” which is coming out on video on demand in April and received the Critics’ Choice Television Award. 
Jones thanked the actors who have helped him advance his career. 
“I’m thankful to people who have helped me out along the way, going back to my family,” he said. “Everyone’s had an influence one way or another.”

Acting roles
In a time when Western films were popular, so was the demand for American Indian roles, but very few actual American Indian people played the parts. 
“They don’t make as many Westerns (anymore),” he said. He added that a portrayal of the modern American Indian is often not present in films. 
“Why don’t we see that portrayed since it’s really happening?” he said. “Unfortunately, a lot of people still today don’t think of Indians, unless they’re thinking of 1800s Indians.” 
With the help of his agent and acting coach, Jones said he hopes to land different roles in films and TV shows. “Everything I do right now is Native roles and Native related,” he said.
He listed a number of American Indian actors from the ‘80s and ‘90s who have paved the way for initial exposure.
He said he is glad he is playing a American Indian role on the show “Last Man Standing.” 
“I’m representing Indian Country, and there are younger people watching, then there’s the older generation,” he said. “One of my goals is to be able to help pave the way to see more Natives in contemporary roles.” 
Jones said his friend Reevis has helped him stay humble while living in a city full of celebrities. 
“He’s definitely been a big influence for me — we identify with the same things in life,” Jones said. “It shows me that you can be grounded and be a good individual, and you’re still going to be blessed.” 
He accredited a lot of his success in many acting roles and stunt work to his determination. 
“Don’t give up on it and believe — that’s the big word, believe in yourself,” he said. “With a lot of good medicine, if you’re putting out good vibes and good energy, work hard to make it happen, anything’s possible.”
He encourages young people on the reservation to never be afraid of trying to new things. 
“At some point, you get to take a chance, test the waters, and I didn’t want to be 70 years old wondering what if I had gone out there,” Jones said.

Jones played a tough high student in the 2011 film Wuss

Jones said he tries to travel back home to Wyoming several times year, and he said he never misses a trip to the family’s ranch and visits friends and family. He said he continues to ride horses to improve his skills at the Indian Stunt Ranch owned by another close friend, Rod Rondaux. Constant support from his friends and family, including his mother Margie Small, he said, has helped make the journey better. Jones expressed looking forward to the opportunities headed his way. 
“Fortunately for me things are happening and I’m auditioning in front of some pretty big casting directors over and over again so they’re getting to see me, getting to know me,” Jones said. 
His uncle Harold O’Brien, a Riverton resident, applauded Jones for not letting fear keep him from taking advantage of many opportunities. 
“I would never think he would be doing something like this,” he said. “It shows that no matter where you come from or who you are, you can accomplish things.”
Jones said he is often invited to pow wows and enjoys taking part in other events celebrating Native culture.
In the future, Jones said he plans to work with colleagues and the Wyoming Film Office to shoot a series of short films in Wyoming. He said he feels the state’s beauty and history needs more exposure.

--Photos provided by Cody Jones

Communities Weigh In On Scenic Byway

By Alejandra Silva for the Wind River News
Staff Writer

Officials with the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan heard suggestions and concerns Thursday during a second public meeting about the future of the corridor. The scenic byway passes through the Wind River Indian Reservation on Highway 20 between Shoshoni and Thermopolis.
The Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Department of Transportation, Aztec Engineering, who will analyze the existing conditions, and Intrinsic Consulting, the consulting firm hired by the tribes to guide the project, held public meetings beginning Feb. 6 in Thermopolis and continued in Fort Washakie and Riverton on Feb. 7.

Project's purpose
"Wyoming's scenic byway program's purpose is to promote and enhance tourism (and) the understanding and appreciation of the state's heritage," said Susan Springer, the project and public involvement manager from Intrinsic Consulting. "Our mission is to provide resources to communities, to create these cool travel experiences."
She said the project also is intended to promote economic development, and community input will serve as a general guide. The group hopes to provide more geological information, aside from the visual beauty of the byway, and coordinate enhancement, preservation and maintenance along the byway.
Springer initiated conversation with the attendees who met in Fort Washakie's Frank Wise Business Center, which included staff from the Wyoming Department of Transportation, Wyoming Travel and Tourism, Wind River Visitor's Council, Wind River Casino, the Lander U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conservation office and local tribe members. She explained the process of the plan and how Aztec Engineering will also research and identify the archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic features that qualify it to be a recognized designation at the state and federal level.
The Federal Highway Administration funds 80 percent of the project through a grant, and the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes will pursue other grants to cover the remaining 20 percent.
Springer described the corridor management plan as a "roadmap, a general planning guide for state designated scenic byways," along with community plans, goals, desires and needs of those who work or live along the route.
In the plan, the resources, infrastructure, mission, marketing, management, funding and ongoing public involvement are included to carry out a successful detailed process that not only focuses on transportation issues but also on the scenic and cultural aspects.
Attendees asked: How far out off the route will enhancements take place? Will updates on the progress of the project be available after these meetings? Will the tunnels be affected?
No set distance has been confirmed, and Spring said a community advisory committee made up of about 30 people from tribe organizations, business owners, property owners, government agencies, chambers and other organizations will have the role of submitting additional community input and distributing information regarding the plan's progress.
"(They) will help us hone in on the vision, the mission, and some goals and objectives they want to have in the plan," she said.
Howard Brown, the planning assistant for the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes Division of Transportation, assured attendees that one of the reasons why the project was initiated was to preserve the tunnels and clean up the graffiti.
Springer addressed one concern by saying the plan is not that of the Federal Highway Administration, nor is it a plan to restrict property rights or regulate land use.
"There's nothing that happens in the federal standpoint that's going to affect any land ownership," Springer said.

Drafting ideas and concerns
Springer had everyone present divide into groups and discuss some of their favorite places along the corridor, their worries for the area currently and after the improvements, and what they'd like to see change along the route.
Groups said some of their favorite locations or things along the route are Hot Springs State Park, the tunnels, information signs, Wind River, plants, Boysen Dam and Reservoir, white water rafting, campgrounds and bighorn sheep. Some were concerned about pollution, too many people, lack of acceptance of Native culture, littering, graffiti, loss of ability to harvest sacred plants, falling rocks, lack of places to stop and trespassing of private reservation land.
Groups said they wish for areas with more handicapped accessibility, geological information, increased tribal law enforcement, less infrastructure and powerlines, more tourism and maintained water quality. The attendees were then asked to prioritize their top three from the long list of items everyone brainstormed.
The cooperation, input and knowledge of several groups that come together, Springer said, makes the project produce a great outcome.
The project outline that began in October 2012 will have additional public input for the draft document of the plan again later this year, she said.

City's homeless: Advocates say problem is both underestimated, underserved

Nov 29, 2012 - By Alejandra Silva, Staff Writer

(Riverton, WY)- Members of community service organizations are requesting that residents lend an extra hand when it comes to serving the area's homeless population.
The City of Riverton formed a "solutions committee" this year to discuss social issues facing the Riverton community. During a recent meeting, committee members agreed that although several services are available to homeless people, the increasing population can drain the available resources.
Homeless population
Although agencies throughout Fremont County provide services -- health centers, clinics, food banks, alcohol crisis centers, substance abuse programs, food distribution programs, employment programs and counselling -- limited resources mean those programs can only help a certain number of people.
The solutions committee members said they traveled recently to several areas of the county in search of homeless people.
From October 2011 to September 2012 they said they encountered 261 homeless people in Fremont County. About 73 percent were women, and 46 percent were American Indian. From Jan. 1 to the end of September, they said 21 percent of homeless individuals found were mentally ill.
Needs
The committee members said they offered shelter, food and a gateway to end any addictions. Dana Neil-Flint, director of the First Stop Help Center, described the encounters as hours of conversation and getting to know the homeless individuals and showing respect.
"This is really crucial in our outreach work," Neil-Flint said. "That's what we're doing, it's listening."
Neil-Flint said she and others met with more than 70 people, including some children, in a span of more than a month.
"Every time we go out, there's always someone new," said Charles Aragon, a American Indian patient advocate for Riverton Memorial Hospital. "A lot of times we don't get to meet the same person, so if somebody comes up (to us) and says that they want help, we need to do it immediately because who knows if we're going to see them again."
Neil-Flint said some resources are limited when the group needs to act fast. Some centers require evaluations that take time to process, for example, or there may not be beds or donated food available right away.
Many times, Neil-Flint and Aragon said they paid out of their own pockets for food, clothing and other items because the federal funds they are given are for bigger expenses like housing payments. Neil-Flint said the petty cash they are given isn't enough and runs out quickly because just one person can use a large amount for medications or other expensive purchases.
Neil-Flint said her program also has limits as to whom it serves. She said the person has to be in recovery or be diagnosed with a mental illness by a therapist, and those requirements make it difficult to help everyone.
"If you're sober, we'll do what we can for you," said Peter Dvorak from the Fremont County Good Samaritan Center.
He said his organization also is restricted in certain ways and has to turn down anyone who is intoxicated.
Aragon said many people drink heavily so they can get a meal at the Fremont County Alcohol Crisis Center. He said people are admitted to detox only if they are intoxicated.
Setting goals
Neil-Flint said she felt that the most important issue with many homeless people was the lack of guidance and goal-oriented brainstorming. She said most members of the county's homeless population deal with sexual abuse experiences, bipolar disorders or depression problems. She said it takes work for everyone to get over these situations, but during the process they need a plan or something to do.
"We have to find out who they are inside," Neil-Flint said.
Her concern was that if these people do improve over time and they aren't given other resources to improve their lives, then they will fall back into the same habits.
Neil-Flint said agencies should help these people set goals. She also said many homeless people have great talents, and there should be programs that help them exercise those interests through hobbies, sports teams or art programs.
Neil-Flint said many of the homeless people she knows don't have plans for what's next in their lives. She said programs are needed to fill in those gaps.
"Who's helping them organize themselves?" Neil-Flint asked. "Help them set goals, help them have a vision?"
Transportation is another issue, she added, explaining that the county's homeless need a way to get to doctor appointments, counseling visits or shelters. Neil-Flint and Aragon said they had to drive people to Ethete and Lander several times to see if there were services available in those locations. Neil-Flint said she's also had to pay for hotel rooms for some because she couldn't find a place for them to stay. She suggested the community needs a center where these people can go to in the middle of the night when necessary.
Call for help
"We need everybody to step in," Neil-Flint said.
She said many people have compassion fatigue. She said the biggest complaint she gets from homeless people are the way they are treated at agencies when they arrive for help.
"They're seeing that people are judging them, and that they hate them, and that they really don't give 2 cents about them," Neil-Flint said. "They have nobody because everybody in their world is sick too."
Neil-Flint advised the people present at the meeting to treat the homeless population well, even though it can be frustrating to see the same people over and over.
"They wear you out, but you got to keep going," she said.
Neil-Flint said these people feel judged not only by agencies but by the community as well. Several food banks and coat drives appear during Thanksgiving and Christmas, but Neil-Flint said she wants to see these services available all year, not only during holidays. She said she hopes the community can help in more ways and become more involved.
"The community really needs to understand that it's so much deeper," Neil-Flint said.
Riverton police chief Mike Broadhead said he would be in charge of finding a place for the homeless to be able to take a shower.
"All I'm thinking in my head is the shower is going to be the hardest part," Broadhead said. "The National Guard can set it up for us."
He said the committee needs to coordinate and find other places where they can set up additional services.
Events upcoming
Neil-Flint said new funds need to be set up to help, and fundraisers would also work. She said a point-in-time count would happen in January. Homeless people would be able to visit several locations in the county to get a meal and receive donations. Neil-Flint said the event also would help organizers determine how many homeless people are in the county and therefore how much funding is necessary.
Aragon described meeting with veterans who expressed horrible stories of death and guilt. He said he was unable to provide them help because resources were scarce. He then contacted the Veterans Affairs clinic in Riverton and they contacted Denver's and Casper's VA clinics. VA officials met with Aragon and told him they would be able to send a mobile unit Tuesday, Dec. 4, for veterans not receiving any kind of help.
Aragon said other programs like the Indian Health Services would also come together on that same day to assist additional homeless people. He said the next step would be to find ways to notify all homeless people of this upcoming service.
The mobile unit will be at Riverton City Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. Officials said they will offer food, coffee, health screenings, flu shots and winter clothes, and they will be able to help people find housing, stop alcohol and illegal drug use, find medical coverage and counseling services and get a new start in life.

Riverton