KWSO News 9/24/19

Yesterday (9/23/19) the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the Oregon DHS Office of Aging and People with Disabilities signed a memorandum of understanding.  APD Director Ashley Carson Cottingham says they came to meet with members of the Warm Springs Tribes to sign a Memoranum that creates a Tribal Navigator position to help older adults and people with disabilities to locate the services and support they need to remain independent and in their community for as long as possible.  Resources range from services for folks with high level need for long term care to assistance with identifying help for lesser needs.  The Tribal Navigator will be a local person that senior citizens and people with disabilities can visit.  Rosemary Alarcon will serve as the Navigator.  Her office is located in the Family Resource Center.  There is also a statewide number you can call to help identify resources you may need.  That number is 1-855-673-2372 during conventional business hours.

Tribal Council on Monday (9/23/19) discussed items for consideration on their October agenda.  Besides the standard business—BIA, Secretary-Treasurer and Chief operations Officer update—some of the items up for discussion include:  An update on the tribal farm; and an update on the Joint Venture between the tribes and the Indian Health Service.  An update on the Business Investment Revolving Fund; and a meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  A discussion with the Warm Springs Community Action Team (WSCAT) on the Vital Tribal Economies survey. And an update on Medicare billing.

The first extreme sport in America is coming back to Walla Walla County Fairgrounds starting Friday (9/27/19).  The 2019 Championship of Champions Indian Relay Races will hold three days of racing featuring teams from across the United States and Canada competing in what sponsors say is “North America’s most coveted Indian Relay race.”  This is the second year the championship event has been held in Walla Walla and more than 40 teams are expected to compete.  The main event, the championship race, will be held Sunday to decide the winning team who will be taking home “the buckles, cash and bragging rights of being Indian Relay’s 2019 Champion of Champions,” according to organizers.  Indian relay racing involves teams of three horses completing three laps around a track with one rider, riding bareback, switching horses on each lap.