1988-07-13 Char-Koosta News

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A news pubiication of the Salisfi and %potenai Tribes of the Jtathead h
^Reservation
Chief Charlo of the Salish VOLUME 17, NUMBER 8
Chief Koostatah of the Kootenai
MONTH OF CELEBRATION DANCES
JULY 13, 1988
Quarterly attendees hear good news about Tribal enterprises
"Quite an informative meeting" was the small audience's consensus following an all-day-long Council meeting July 1.
The occasion was 1988's third quarterly meeting at Tribal headquarters in Pablo, at which maybe two dozen non-staff people learned some good news in between debates and a lot of opinion-airing.
The good news came from two Tribal
enterprises, the Post and Pole Yard in Dixon and S & K Electronics, Inc., of Pablo. The managers of the sometimes-controversial businesses were invited to make presentations by the Council. Each reported steady progress and good prospects for black ink by the year's end.
Post yard manager Aaron Jones said that the expansion, which was begun 18 months ago, is almost complete. The new sawmill has been producing since May. They're in the "planer phase" now, he said.
The expansion has doubled the Dixon staff—up to 46 from 25 six months ago, with seven new people to be added once the planer is operational. The current
fiscal year's raw materials budget is three times greater than FY-87's too — $1.1 million, compared to $300,000, which is keeping about 300 Tribal-member cutters busy.
From the three million board feet allowed to be cut each year, the yard can produce 600,000 board feet of small-lumber products (grape stakes, interior wood trim, 1 x 2's). So far this year they've sold 200,000 board feet worth of goods.
Expansion costs have had the enterprise showing a loss in recent months, but Jones said they'll finish the year at a break-even poinL
The Tribes-as-a-whole is benefiting, (Continues on page two)
8
Arlee pow wow is successful, as usual
The 90lh annual Arlee Fourth of July Celebration was visited by approximately 6,000 people during its five-day run, June 30 through July 4, said pow wow commit-M • tee member LeeAnn Matt
g 2 The pow wow organizers tallied 27 tribes present, coming from 14 states (including
^ g Alaska, Minnesota and Wisconsin), and visitors from three foriegn countries (Can-
ada, Germany and Japan). Matt said there were 245 registered dancers (7 years old and older) and 29 drum groups. She said the largest grand entry during the pow wow consisted of over 500 dancers.
The only hindcrance experienced, as far as Matt is concerned, was the decreased amount of funds the committee was given to work with. "The Tribes used to give us $6,000," said committee chairman Bearhead Swaney, "then they cut it down to $3,000 and this year they gave us $2,000." The only other money came from bingo ——"—————————- (Continues on page four)
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