Siletz news /, March 01, 2000, Page 5, Image 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND COMMITTEES
To the editor:
This letter is a plea for help with
our Native American Circle at Shutter
Creek Correctional Institute.
Currently we have a mixed
assortment of tribal members from
various Oregon tribes (Siletz, Warm
Springs, and Klamath), as well as non­
registered brothers who are seeking
guidance spiritually on their chosen path
of the Red Road.
There currently are 20 brothers
from the general population on the rolls
for participation in smudge and talking
circles, pipe ceremonies, and sweat
lodge ceremonies. Currently, we are
allowed ceremonies as long as a
volunteer can come to oversee
the ceremony.
We do have a tee-pee where the
pipe ceremonies and talking circles are
held. We also have a sweat lodge and
our own sacred pipe.
As far as sweat ceremonies, our
only current volunteer is Rick Goche’
from the Coos Bay area, and due to his
job our visits are spread out as many as
five to six weeks apart.
We wish to find people who
would be willing to give their time to
make the phone call to the chaplain here
and arrange to take the five-hour class
to get their volunteer card, and be willing
to donate a couple of hours a week, or
3° to 4 hours to sit on a weekly sweat
with us.
It is our plea for storytellers, pipe
carriers, people to teach songs,
drumming and dance, as well as crafts
to the circle here. Anything that can help
us to learn more about our culture and
strengthen our walk on the Red Road.
The administration here uses the
talking circle as an alternative religion
for the Summit Program, as it is part of
the requirement for such to go to a
weekly religious class. We tried to
explain long ago to the Department of
Corrections that the Red Road is a
spiritual path taught to us by our
ancestors, but it was placed as a religion
per a DOC rule in 1995.
The Summit inmates as of yet
haven’t been able to participate in
sweat ceremonies, as there isn’t a
volunteer yet willing to work their time
into the structure of that program. But we
have been told if a volunteer was
available, those brothers and sisters
could sweat. The Summit circles are co­
ed, so arrangements to accommodate
the sisters’ needs would also be
greatly appreciated.
This letter is written by William
Toland, elected chief of the general
population circle on behalf of all the
brothers and sisters here at S.C.C.I.
Thank you,
Your families are in our prayers
A-Ho
Contact: Father Will Augsberger
S.C.C.I. Chaplain
2000 Shutters Landing Road
North Bend, OR 97459
541-756-6666, ext. 264
Friday-Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
or leave a message
To the editor:
Thank you, GeneralCouncil. I
feel humbled and proud by your vote of
confidence.
Now I would like to ask another
favor of you. The 2000 Census is coming
up. Please state that you are Native
American. We want the world to know
that we are a living force. Second, the
national and local elections are very
crucial this year. Become informed about
the candidates and please vote.
Thank you,
JoAnn Miller
Correction - June Austin’s letter in
the February issue of Siletz News should
have thanked the Native American
Church of Siletz and Buzz Berry and Ana
Becerra for their prayers and songs.
2000 Standing Committee Applications Due
Deadline for consideration for 2000 committees is March 16, 2000.
Any tribal member interested in serving on a committee must fill out the following
form and return it to the address below before March 16,2000, to be considered for
the following committees. Please send your application to:
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Attention: Executive Secretary to Tribal Council
PO Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380
Fax:541-444-8325
Name:______________________________ Roll Number:__________
Address:
City:______________________ _ State:________
ZIP:________
Telephone: Day____________________ Evening_________________
Choose your first, second and third choice of committees by numbering your
preference 1,2,3 in the space provided. If you only want to request one committee,
please indicate this by inserting the number 1.
______ Education Committee (1 vacancy)
______ Natural Resources Committee (4 vacancies)
. (Hunting, Fishing and Timber combined)
______ Health Committee (6 vacancies)
______ Cultural Heritage Committee (1 vacancy)
(Culture and Sacred Lands combined)
______ Housing Committee (HIP) (6 vacancies)
Pow-Wow Committee (no vacancies)
Budget Committee (no vacancies)
Tribal Council will review applications and approve appointments at the
regular Tribal Council meeting on March 17-18, 2000. If you have any questions,
please call Kelley Ellis at 1-800-922-1399, ext. 203, or 541-444-8203.
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