Siletz News
Editorial Page
Page 4
Letters to the Editor
Thanks for excellent
care at Siletz clinic
Healing the addiction of
alcohol and drugs
I want to write a letter to all of
you to let you know what a great
doctor and physical therapist we
all have at the Clinic.
Dr. Bradford and Gene Moe are
two very great people. I want to
tell all of you how grateful I am
that we tribal members have such
good people on staff at our clinic.
I was hurt on the job and could
not hardly stand or sit on the job.
Dr. Bradford took me off work and
sent me to Gene. This was clear
back in July that this started. I
have just now gotten my release
for full-time work. Dr. Bradford
made SAIF fix my work station so
I could come back to work full
time. He took all kinds of calls and
faxes from my company, and SAIF
people. He stood his ground with
them all. Even when they made
him angry.
Gene kept working
and
working on me until most of my
constant pain was gone. This was
a condition that I have had off and
on for about six years.
Also, we have a good doctor in
Dr. Bums for our children. I,haye a
v ery special grandson with
numerous problems that Dr. Bums
has been seeing and treating for
the last couple of years. He has
helped him a lot.
We are very lucky to have these
fine people there for us. I just
wanted to say THANKS. I hope
they stay with us and don't end up
leaving like sortie of our other fine
doctors and dentists have.
Thanks again.
Ju an ita Sm art and Fam ily
R o ll #377
'Grandfather, it is I, Spiritfeather.
Help me, Grandfather. I ant lost
from my addiction of alcohol and
drugs. My life hurts from this, as
do the ones around me. I can't see,
touch, or smell. Soon my life will
die from this disease of addiction.'^
"Spiritfeather, this disease can
blow away in the wind as the
water flows and trees grow. Only
you can take this addiction from
your body and blow it into the
wind. Your body will then take on
Good Medicine to see, touch, and
smell as this young warrior did.
His name is Sun-in-my-eyes.
"Sun-in-my-eyes lived away
from his people because of his bad
ways of being. Everyone knew
that he had the Crazy Spirit of Bad
Medicine in him. During a time
when the leaves touch the ground,
Sun-in-my-eyes went to the
Medicine Man for help. 'Sus-uk,
you must help me. I went to the
other side of the river and picked
the bad leaves for life/
"A t that instant, Sus-uk, the
Medicine Man, started to sing to
the spirits. He then said, 'J see that
you have picked a bad leaf and
put it in with the good ones. You
must not pick the bad leaves for
too many of them will kill us. It is
alright for in time we will heal
from these leaves.' I then started to
remember the teaching of the
elders picking leaves; that if Ip ick
too many I am to take out most of,
but not all, and to cover them up
with good medicine leaves and the
bad medicine leaves begin to heal.
The more I picked, the more I
began to see and I threw them all
over and around me.
"I felt good and was happy
running back toward my people.
They knew I was healed. As I
touched everyone from the elders
on down, the drum again beat to
the heart as Sus-uk, the Medicine
Man, began to sing an honor song
as others followed. 'Thank you,
Grandfather, for healing this man.
Can you feel him, can you see him
calling your name, not crying your
name.' Swallows-toward-the-sky
spoke to me and said, 'My brother,
Sun-in-my-eyes, I. had waited
many seasons for your sickness to
go away. You are like me now, old
and wise. Look, Sun-in-my-eyes,
another has* crossed the river, you
Veterans health care article
proves to be hoax
any organizations
and
agencies across the country
which provide benefits and health
care to veterans have recently been
the
victims
of a
serious
information error, including the
Siletz Tribe. In the last issue of
Siletz News, we tan a story that had
been provided to us from two
different sources entitled "Public
Announcements to all Veterans,"
which stated that if a LF.S., veteran
M
has n ot registered at a Veterans
Affairs Hospital for medical care
between October 1, '1996 and
October 1,1998, he or she will lose
all medical benefits for life. This
information is not true.
This information was circulated
on the Internet, through the mail,
and was posted on bulletin boards
in
communities
and
cities
everywhere. Consequently, many
veterans and their families have
become concerned about this
misinformation, and have been
calling services agencies. The
All letters received will be printed except those which are known to be slanderous or racist. Please type or write legibly,
no profane language will be printed. The Siletz News and Tribal Government accept no responsibility for statements made
in the Letters to the Editor. The opinions expressed are those of the individual writing in. Letters that exceed 450 words
will be edited for length as approved by Tribal Council Resolution #96-142. All letters must include your name, address,
and signature.
x *
»
Send your letters to:
S
Phone: 1-800-922-1399
PO Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380
Attn: Letters to the Editor
email: newspaper@ctsi.nsn.us
PLEASE N ote : The General Manager of the Siletz Tribe is the Chief Editor of the Siletz News.
following is the correct informa
tion regarding veterans benefits:
VA health care eligibility reform
was authorized by Congress and
signed into law by President
Cliriton in October, 1996. The new
law requires using a system of
enrollment priorities, There are
seven enrollment priority groups,
and the VA will enroll veterans
from as many of those groups as
possible. Veterans can apply for
enrollm ent at any tim e they com e
to a VA medical facility for care,
even a fte r ' the trial enrollment
period, which ends October 1,
1998.
So, if you or someone in your
family is a veteran who receives
health benefits - don't panic!
For more details, call the
Portland Veterans Administration
office at 1-800-827-1000, or your
local VA hospital.
Siletz News Deadline
Letters to the Editor:
Siletz News
must stop him and show him how
to pick the right leaves and may
the sun show on your eyes forever
my brother, A-Ho."
Thank you, Grandfather, for
showing me how to pick the right
way to teach arid show our
younger ones to pick the good
over the bad and keep on picking
the good for the addiction of
alcohol and drugs will heal.
A-Ho.
C lifford W. C ase
"Spiritfeather"
FAX: 1-541-444-8391
If you wish to submit articles or
photos to be printed in the
Siletz News, please submit them
on or before the 15th of each
month.
Articles or photos received
after the 15* of any month will
be printed in the next month's
issue: Mail to: Siletz News, P.O.
Box 549, Siletz, OR 97380. Tel: 1-
800-922-1399, ext. 291. FAX
directly to: 1-541-444-8391.
Email: newspaper@ctsi.nsn.us.