Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1998)
Anticipating that this might occur, the Tribal to the minutes, requesting instead that a verbatim Council had arranged for tribal member Keith transcript be prepared and sent to the Taylor and Tribal Law Enforcement Officer membership. A motion was passed, Norman Counts to act as Sergeant-at-Arms. recommending that all General Council minutes They did a good job at keeping tensions from be prepared verbatim. escalating. But, the interruptions continued. The Council’s Executive Secretary had And, when the majority began demanding that prepared paraphrased minutes of all the audible Pat assume the position of Chairman, I intervened. discussion from the meeting. Verbatim transcripts With apologies to tribal members who were will be expensive to prepare, substantially increase the number of pages to read, and likely expecting to declare their candidacies and noting the unproductiveness of the proceedings, I result in little or no change to the substance of Bonnie Petersen, Tribal Council Vice-Chairman adjourned the meeting. This was a difficult but what was said. Tribal members can arrange with VICE-CHAIRMAN’S REPORT the Council Executive Secretary to listen to the necessary action. In my opinion, if the meeting had continued it would have deteriorated to the tapes of General Council meeting to clarify On November 7,19981 had the opportunity level that it reached at the August 1st meeting statements in the minutes. to chair the General Council meeting (Chairman and that was not an option. A majority vote also approved Pigsley was attending a funeral). I was very Clearly the Constitution was written to ensure recommending Pat Duncan to fill the current disappointed with the outcome of this meeting. that Tribal Members would have a voice in their Tribal Council vacancy. This was followed by Traditionally General Council meetings are held another advisory recommendation that Pat be government through the powers of voting, to share important information with the initiative, referendum, recall, meeting as a General recognized as the Tribal Council Chairman. membership, to approve the previous General Following that vote, Pat Duncan walked to the Council and making advisory recommendations. Council minutes, to listen to Tribal Member front of the room, apparently expecting to be These last two rights are not ensured when the concerns and to hear the Chairman’s report. seated as Chairman and a member of the Tribal agenda can be derailed, conducting business is Also, it’s customary for tribal members to Council upon passage of an advisory disrupted and dissenting viewpoints cannot be announce their candidacy for Tribal Council at heard. recommendation the November General Council meeting. The Tribal Council will consider and respond As a former member of the Tribal Council, The Tribe’s Constitution provides guidance Pat knows that votes ot the General Council are to all the advisory motions passed on the for conducting General Council meetings. It sets advisory in nature. These advisory November 7th, as well as the conduct during that the number of and dates when these meetings meeting. I am confident that we can find ways are held, provides that the Tribal Council set the recommendations are discussed at the next duly to ensure the rights of all tribal members are called regular meetings of the Tribal Council. At agenda for General Council meetings, and states that time the Tribal Council decides whether to protected—regardless of whether they are in that tribal members can make advisory carry out the recommendation or refer it to the attendance or not. recommendations to Tribal Council. While it is General Council for vote at then next General not laid out by the Constitution, the Tribal Council Election. has always asked the General Council to approve Our Constitution is set up this way in order the agenda and the minutes of these meetings. While the Constitution intends that business to protect the individual rights of all the will be conducted at General Council meetings, membership. Depending on the subject, the advisory recommendations at the November 7th that was not the case on November 7th. Once LETTERS TO THE EDITOR the meeting came to order, it was clear that Pat meeting were favored by anywhere from 38 to All letters received will be printed except those 57 voters. There are 2061 tribal members Duncan and tribal members supporting her eligible to vote. At the most these votes which are known to be slanderous or racist. wanted to advance a separate agenda. These Please type or write legibly, no profane language represented less than 2% of the eligible voting members held a majority at the meeting and so will be printed. The Siletz Newspaper and Tribal membership. If the Constitution provided that controlled the voting. Government accept no responsibility for General Council votes be binding on the Tribal A motion was made to limit the agenda solely Government, than you could always have a vocal, statements made in the Letters to the Editor. The to Tribal Member Concerns. At my urging opinions expressed are those of the individual organized minority affecting the rights of the approval of minutes and allowing candidate writing it. Letters that are excessive in length majority. statements was added. But, this revised agenda The last item I want to address is the conduct may be edited for length as approved by Tribal eliminated a critical presentation on Gaming of people during the meeting. Pat Duncan and Council Resolution #96-142. AU letters must Compact negotiations. In fulfilling Tribal include your name, address, and signature. several supporters had the opportunity to express Council’s commitment to memberships input on Send letters to. gaming, Chinook Winds management were on concerns and viewpoints. During the time they Siletz News held the floor the audience accorded them aspect hand to present options for 1999 financial P.O. Box 549 and heard them out uninterrupted. But, tribal projections. Tribal members missed this valuable Siletz, OR 97380 members who dissented with the majority were opportunity to hear information about the impact Phone: (541)444-8291 -or-1-800-922- interrupted and shouted over. Several tribal and the direction of gaming. 1399, ext. 291. members told me they didn’t want to bother with A motion to approve the August 1M General Fax: 1-541-444-2307. sharing their views because they felt intimidated Council minutes failed. Clifford Case disagreed e-mail: newspaper@ctsi.nsn.us with statements attributed to him. He did not by these behaviors. Other tribal members felt Please note: The General Manager of the Siletz that presenting the facts would be a waste of specify what he objected to or offer any revision Tribe is the Editor-in-Chief of the Siletz News. time. -2-
