1986-05-30 Char-Koosta News

              Chief Charlo of the Salish VOLUME 15 NUMBER 2
MONTH OF THE BITTER ROOT
Chief Koostatah of the Kootenai
May 30, 1986
Council gets its first look at irrigation project's 'problem-solver'
A Bureau of Reclamation regional engineer who says he feels he's been a good problem-solver for his agency over the years has been chosen to supervise the BuRec team that will soon be managing the irrigation portion of the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project.
Bill Brooks of Boulder City, Nevada, was formally introduced to the Tribal Council May 23 by BIA's Portland Area
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Office director Stanley Speaks, who had contributed to his selection.
Brooks, 42, visited with the Council for several minutes before touring the Tribal Complex in Pablo while the Council met in executive session at Speaks' request.
Brooks told the Council he had spent most of the week car-touring the irrigation works. He said he was "looking forward to the challenge" of his new post, which officially begins July 1.
In addition to the seriously deteriorated irrigation system, the new FIIP boss will be dealing with sometimes-tense Indian-white relationships on the Flathead. His job will include attempting to find a balance between the interests of the Tribes, which own the property the project uses, and the
mostly non-Indian water users, in the person of their elected Joint Board of Control.
He'll be dealing with a complicated organizational structure, too. While he and the yet-to-be formed management team will be answering to the BuRec in Idaho, the Bureau of Indian Affairs will continue to act as administrators of the project. FIIP's employees, including power division manager Joe Nelson, will be answering to the BIA in Portland through the Flathead Agency in Pablo.
The BIA's overseer role, in fact, is part of the reason why it took almost six months to find a superintendent for the Flathead field office. Finally chosen for the "super-supe" job, as it's been (Concludes on the next page)
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Come haul off this wood
Those piles of wood stacked up in front of S & K Electronics are available as firewood at no charge to Tribal members. A limited number of standing trees (marked in blue) can also be taken. If the membership shows no interest in hauling the stuff off, the area will be opened to non-members. If all else fails, the material will be burned. Questions? Call George DuCharme at 676-3755.
1New-car tax refund details....................Page3
NIndian water rights: Part 4.........................Page 5
SSalish Kootenai College round-up..................Page 7
1Page 11
DPlaces to go, things to do in Indian Country----Page 13
E.....Page 31