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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1999)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 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 Newspaper and Tribal Government accept no responsibility for statements made in the Letters to the Editor. The opinions expressed are those of the individual writing it. Letters that are excessive in length may be edited for length as approved by Tribal Council Resolution #96-142. All letters must include your name, address, and signature. Send letters to: Siletz News P.O. Box 549 Siletz, OR 97380 Phone: (541)444-8291 -or-1-800-922- 1399, ext. 291. Fax: 1-541-444-2307. e-mail: newspaper@ctsi.nsn.us Please note: The General Manager of the Siletz Tribe is the Editor-in-Chief of the Siletz News. Open up your eyes and ears. I am writing this letter for a raise for Maxine Rilatos. I feel she deserves a raise for the good job she does. When someone needs a ride to the doctor appointment, no matter what kind of weather, snow, rain, ice, or whatever, you people out there know what I’m saying. When she goes on vacation, she at least lets her clients know when she leaves and when she will be back. It seems like she is always on the road taking people here and there. Yes, we all know its her job, but is she the only one that does this job? I think not. It seems she’s the only one I hear about, Maxine Rilatos, taking people here and there. But I don’t hear much about the other workers that are supposed to do the same job. So I don’t think its all that hard to give her a good raise, and say to her—“good job Maxine Rilatos.” Maxine Rilatos is my aunt and I am proud of her and the great job she does for her people. God bless you Aunty Maxine. Chester Ben The vice-chairperson said that the two (2) Council Executive Secretaries were too busy, over loaded with work, that they did not have time to do the minutes but if you walk around the Administration Building, you will see these two Secretaries doing nothing but walking around or outside smoking, (guess with who) with their Tribal Council. If these two people are not qualified, then fire them and hire Secretaries that can work, this just shows you how this self-appointed chairperson takes care of her own kind. This also shows the stupidness of an appointed council, they cannot do anything by themselves. The only reason they are there is because of their loyalty and commitment to their chairperson. As a lifetime Siletz Tribal Member, my concerns are: 1. Our right to vote and the majority to be recognized. 2. That minutes be recorded for all meetings and available to our people. 3. That one person cannot control our employees, casino and newsletter. 4. Absolute and complete respect for our Elders. 5. That Pat Duncan is reinstated on Tribal Council, as reflected by General Council Membership. 6. We should not recognize a “self-appointed” chairperson. 7. Tribal members need to be able to speak and be taken seriously. At this meeting, a former Council Member got up and started yelling and screaming at our Indian People, this shows you what type of people these are. A Tribal Member that drove all the way from California to attend the Council Meeting and asked them not to close the meeting but the vice chairperson got up and walked out on our Indian People. First, they were going to kick us out of the building, then they were going to lock us up inside the building and you know what? These people are not Siletz Indians but we are and this is how they treat us Siletz Indians. I hope that our people try and listen to our Indian People, even though we make up about 20% of the membership, we have issues and rights that are very important to us Siletz Indians. Respectfully, We would like to thank Kent Rilatos, the Siletz Indian Housing Authority (SIHA) Commissioners, Lei Loni Cordova, and Connie Hoffman for all their help and support with making it all possible for so many people to attend the “Winter Solstice Ceremony” in Smith River, California. Siletz had an awesome turnout which made us ail feel good about ourselves, each other and our people in general. This would not have been possible without the help of the aforementioned people. Thanks again, and may good blessings come to you all!!! Randy and Ronda Austin Tribal Members, Issues to Consider: 45 plus years ago, the government chose to take the land and all the rights of the Siletz by a termination act; essentially destroying a way of life and disseminating our people. As a child at the time, I happen to overhear my grandparents, Wilber & Christine Martin, telling their children, my mother and her brothers and sisters, “you will maintain the pride and honor you were bom with, the white man can never take that away.” These words are burned into my heart, mind and blood, a way of life since termination. In the past few years it would seem that former council members have chosen to totally disregard the pride and honor. They chose to INSULT our people by refusing to accept recall. The former chairperson chose to resign solely for the purpose of disrupting tribal government, when that failed went to Tribal Court and lost again. All these actions indicate just how self-serving these people really are, what little concern they have for the tribe. At the November ‘98 general council meeting, the recalled council members and their supporters chose to insult the tribal members again by totalling disrupting the meeting, ten compounding that insult by claiming to be the real council by a falsetto election at the time which has no basis for reality. Their childish actions only indicate how totally unfit they really ARE for the positions they once held. Now the INSULT continues with some of the recalled council members adding their name to council candidacy for the upcoming elections. This action only indicates how self-serving they truly are, ignoring the fact that 2-3 times more vote to recall than originally elected them. It reminds me of a child who didn’t get their way and throwing a tantrum - rolling on the floor, kickin’ and screamin’. Pride and honor must be maintained — I have Spokane — Tribal Members: I attended the October General Council Meeting and was disappointed by the behavior of the “self appointed” council. Allow me to relate one of the incidents that bothered me; one of our elders began asking questions and the so-called “Sergeant of Arms” got up and took the microphone from him. Dennis Lane William Stanley Strong What a tough guy, this guy needs to go back Grandson of MARTIN where he came from, he’s just like them, they hate our Indian People. Dear Tribal Council: The Vice-Chairman refused to listen to our Siletz My residence is outside the Siletz Tribal Service Area, so I am writing to express my concern Tribal Members; refused to answer questions about about the Riley survey. I hope this “Survey” does not cost much, because since we were not polled for what they were doing and answer about the August our concerns, it does not really qualify as a legitimate survey. It is not an overview of our membership Meeting minutes that the Chairperson appointed concerns. herself. Joan Fisher -2-
