Chemawa Indian School & Marion County Sign Agreement

(SALEM, Ore.) - At 129 years, the Chemawa Indian School is the oldest continuously operating boarding school in the United States. The 300-acre campus is located on Chemawa Road, about 5 miles north of downtown Salem, and serves approximately 320 Native American students in grades 9 through 12. Chemawa is a Bureau of Indian Education school and as such, its property is considered a federal enclave subject to exclusive federal jurisdiction.

In 2005, the Marion County Sheriff's Office signed a contract with Chemawa Indian School to provide law enforcement services to the school. To legally provide these services, the three deputies assigned to Chemawa are also sworn as Special US Marshals.

The Sheriff's Office partnership with the school has provided an on-site law enforcement presence while developing positive relationships with the students. In addition to their law enforcement duties, deputies are involved in educational and recreational activities for the students. We've experienced a very positive response to our presence at the school.

As with all segments of society, the students of Chemawa face the challenges and temptations that plague our youth today. Our deputies find themselves dealing with drugs, alcohol, thefts and vandalism. As we investigated crimes involving juveniles, we came to understand that the Federal court system wasn't designed to address most juvenile offenders. It lacked the services necessary to address the needs of juveniles and all too often, the only remedy available to the school was expulsion of the student offender and sending them home. As a result, it was difficult to hold students accountable for their behavior at the school and to provide them with needed supervision, counseling and treatment programs.

Representatives from the Marion County Sheriff's Office, District Attorney's Office, Marion County Juvenile Department, U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, U.S. Solicitor's Office and the administration of the School collaborated to forge a solution to this problem.

In July & August of this year, Dwight Holden, US Attorney for the District of Oregon and Billy Williams, Chief of the Criminal Division - US Attorney's office, along with Faye Fagel, Director of the Marion County Juvenile Department attended meetings with representatives of the nine federally recognized Indian tribes in Oregon. During the meeting, representatives of the tribes expressed support of the agreement with Marion County. Delores Pigsley, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, stated "The Oregon tribes have had input on the Chemawa MOU and believe that it will definitely improve relations at the School and the wider community of Marion County".

Proudly, on October 27, 2010, the Marion County Board of Commissioners signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chemawa Indian School, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, the Marion County District Attorney, and Marion County through its Sheriff's Office and Juvenile Department.

The agreement provides the school & the deputies with two options. Following consultation with the Marion County District Attorney and the U.S. Attorney's Office, a decision will be made to determine how the offense will be handled. The federal option will be reserved for crimes such as murder, sexual assault and major drug trafficking. The county option will be utilized when juvenile offenders will likely benefit from treatment programs, counseling or direct supervision by the Juvenile Department.

The final agreement was the result of 1 1/2 years of meetings and correspondence with Bureau of Indian Education representatives in Washington DC. According to Jon Claymore, Northwest Education Line Officer for the Bureau of Indian Education, "Indian communities will benefit from the signing of the MOU between the Bureau of Indian Education and Marion County. The "Chemawa Family" consists of students that come from twenty three states and over 70 federally recognized tribes. Chemawa will be a better place as students will receive the necessary services to help keep them in school as they pursue their dreams of a brighter future".

Dwight C. Holton, United States Attorney, District of Oregon added, "This a huge step forward to making sure that kids at Chemawa get a solid chance – and can spend their time worrying about their education, not other things. And for kids that have unique needs, Marion County's agreement to pitch-in gives us the best shot at getting these kids services and back into school, rather than simply giving up on them."

Sheriff Jason Myers summarized his feelings with the following comment; "I'm very proud that our County has taken a leadership role in ensuring that the students of the Chemawa Indian School are provided the same level of resources that are available for every student attending school in Marion County. The agreement also provides the School and our Deputies the tools to ensure accountability among all students."

The Sheriff added his appreciation to all of the stakeholders in this agreement for their willingness to work toward the common goal.

Source: Marion County Sheriff's Office