COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SURVEY RESULTS
The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians took four steps to
ensure tribal member input on goals and objectives of the 1994
Comprehensive Pan:
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Community meetings at each area office
Surveys distributed at these meetings
Surveys mailed to tribal members
Surveys printed in Siletz News
The following is a compilation of the input received at the
meetings and questionnaires returned to the tribe.
Q: Are there existing priorities, goals or objectives that you would
like to comment on, or are there additional priorities, goals or
objectives that you believe should be included in the
Comprehensive Plan?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Economic Development
I would like to see the Salem property developed as soon
as possible.
I believe we need to expand on economic development.
Purchase and/or build grocery store in Siletz. We need to control
purchasing all service-oriented businesses in Siletz, gas, food,
grocery, etc.
Ways to insure tribal investments (housing down payments, etc.)
against loss. Tribe should be able to step in and acquire (when it
makes sense to) instead of letting mortgage fail and
repossession occur.
Take a good look at the casino and figure out if it is meeting the
goals that were originally set, not just financial, but employment,
tribal preference, adequate wages, and whether the philosophy
of the casino fits with the philosophy of the tribe. I’d like to see a
separate gaming board of directors, economic development
board and Tribal Council, as opposed to Council making major
decisions about all things. I think you need assistance from
professionals in each field. Tribal Council cannot be experts in
all affairs.
Research the feasibility of acquiring businesses in different
service areas. Gaming is short term; in the long run, we need
economic alternatives that may be in areas of
greater population.
We need to come up with ideas for the Salem property, high-
stakes Bingo or an RV park.
Tribal members outside of service area have waited 20 years to
be included in your health plan and other plans you have for
in-service-area members.
5. Health plans for all members are of first priority. We need more
than a limited drug program.
6. Without good health, there is no real life. All members need health
plans due to rising costs in the health industry. Health plans should
include dental, drugs, and vision.
7. First, give all members a health plan, which includes dental, drug,
and vision plans, funded by the gaming property.
8. Health care is the most important for all members of the tribe,
not just the ones who live in the provider area. Outsiders have
received hardly any health care and this should be the
No. 1 priority.
9. I would like some financial help, meaning “dental costs,” outside
the 11 -county area.
10. Health care benefits regardless of where you live are very
important to me and my family. Thank you for making this
a priority.
11. 1 would like to see a health plan for all tribal members wherever
they live. Even for a fee (reasonable), $50 a month for family
insurance. I had to have surgery, and even after Medicare, I still
had to pay approximately $2,000. My brother-in-law has had
bypass surgery with no insurance and not old enough for
Medicare. He has a bill of $47,000 to pay off.
12. 1 do not understand why the No. 1 priority is not health.
13 .1 believe giving spouses medical benefits would ease family stress
and tension.
14 .1 would like to see ancestral herbal remedies sent in and
published in the Siletz News.
15. A&D program needs to be revamped to include a more effective
treatment model, more effective aftercare, and more family
involvement. Step up efforts for elder group home and
tourism facilities.
16. Out-of-service-area health care to our elders is
very important.
17. Is there some way that we can put all our tribal members into a
health care program?
4.
1.
Land Acquisition
1. Acquiring land along Rogue River for tribal use and/or RV park
would be a good move.
2. We need to increase land and resource base and encourage
tribal members to become involved through education, training,
or labor in managing those lands and resources.
2.
Tribal Elders
1. Elders should be priority, should have monthly income, most
are poor.
2. Set up pension for elders.
3. Think of the elders; we only have them for a short time.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
14
Health Care
The pharmacy program is good but it needs to be expanded to
include a larger yearly dollar limit eventually.
All
health
care
and
nursing
home
expenses
covered someday.
Prescription program is wonderful. Currently limit is $400/year.
Could this be raised to $500 or $600, especially for seniors/elders?
5.
Community Facilities
ICW should be one of the most important priorities. Get our
children out of homes where parents don’t give them the support
and love they need and deserve, instead of giving parents chance
after chance. They only succeed in doing physical and emotional
harm. The children are our future.
Although I think the Tribal Council does the best job to their
abilities, maybe our tribe would benefit from “outside” advisors.
They would not have the pressures that members have from
family and friends. I believe that they could be more objective to
our tribe’s goals and problems. After all, we are looking for the
best for our tribe.
Appoint or hire staff or Council representative to Department of
Corrections adult and juvenile. There are increasing numbers of
tribal members being sentenced for lengthy sentences.
There should be something done for handicapped people, a place
where they can do something.
We are taking on new programs - example TANF and yet we in
the Portland area have less people working now than before. We
used to have social service worker in Portland and we need this
position. We also had two employment counselors and ’
assistant. We now have only one employment person doing more.
How can we do a very good job?