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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2001)
NOTICES/ORDINANCES Butler Traces Path to Music Comment on Tribal Ordinances Administrative Procedures by Quiss (Snoball) Butler Jr. I was bom on Nov. 19, 1945, on the Siletz Indian Rez. For the first 10 years of my life, I learned to hunt and fish with father like all the other Indian children from our rez. In the mid-1950s, the big timber corporations wanted our trees, so the big problems started happening to our reservation. It was once 1.1 million acres of virgin, old growth. Termination became the big talk on our homeland. How I understand it today is that the big timber bought our tribal government. A few who were in power got very rich. A lot of our children, myself included, were sent away. I was sent to The Children’s Farm Home in Corvallis, Ore. There I spent four or five years of my life. I was severely abused both mentally and physically by the staff, to the point where I came back at a later date and had a gunfight with the police. I was 14 at this time. At The Farm Home, I was becoming a problem because I ran home a lot. I was then sent to Maclaren School for Boys, a reform school. I was there until I was 18. I ran away just about every chance I got, for I had no idea why I was there. At 18, when I got out, I was a very bitter person. I had no idea of v'hat was going on inside of me. I got a year in the county jail for figh ing with an officer! In and out of jail until I was 21, then off to the Oregon state prison system. I got a full release “out of solitary confinement’’ in 1973. This was the year Wounded Knee came down in South Dakota and this is what I was looking for! ( had a few problems I wanted to work out with the system, so off I went. I was old Grandpa Crow Dog’s main bodyguard, which was one of the biggest blessings in my life. He lit old memories of my 20 The cover of "Dancing Girl ” grandmother, who was one of the great gifted women of our time. From Wounded Knee I ran to Alaska for parole violation. In 1975, Dino had become active in the Sundances and bought . jne ajquart of beer to go with him to sundance. From then on, I traveled with the Peltier Defense Committee. In 19781 went on “The Longest Walk’’ with the committee. These are the years I learned about the Red Road. I started sundancing in Nevada with the Manning family in honor of Tina Trudell. I then sundanced at Mt. Hood for 10 years. There I saw the need for singers and moved on to the Sundance drums. This is where my music gifts came to the surface. Over the years as a singer and songwriter, I have been able to experience many miracles. In 1990, I wrote and recorded my album “Five Hundred Years We’ll Cry No More.’’ This is the year I became a lead singer on the Sundance drums. In 1990,1 started to look to my own people. I had a big problem teaching other ways to my children, so I learned our own songs and ways. In 1996, we began putting together the plans to build our own dance house. The tribe gave us $15,000 to work with. It took two years, but we built it. Those were some lonely years. The tribe any department order or decisions deny the tribal member a right or privilege, unless the action is governed by another ordinance or law. Personnel matters will not be governed by this ordinance, but instead will continue to be subject to the personnel handbook and other personnel regulations. The Tribal Council has completed the first and second reading of the proposed Administrative Procedures Ordinance. The proposed ordinance establishes clear procedures for resolving disputes regarding administration of tribal programs Cultural Resources with the authority to determine the The Tribal Council has rights, duties, or privileges of completed the first and second individual tribal members. The readings of the proposed Cultural proposed ordinance requires tribal Resource Lands and Sacred Sites departments to develop regulations Ordinance. The proposed ordinance for the administration of any formalizes the Cultural Resources program with authority to determine the rights, duties, or Protection Program in the Law and Order Code and defines and privileges of tribal members. Tribal describes its duties. departments will be required to give Upon enactment of the the public notice of proposed ordinance, any person proposing a regulations and an opjjortunity to land use action involving ground comment upon them. disturbing activity on tribal lands The proposed ordinance must obtain a permit from the allows individuals to request that a Cultural Resources Protection department issue an opinion stating Program prior to commencement of whether a rule or regulation applies such activity, with certain to that person, property in which designated exemptions. Any person the person has an interest, or upon proposing to conduct a discrete statement of facts. The archaeological activities on tribal proposed ordinance further outlines lands must also obtain a permit, appeal procedures that must be which will ensure greater tribal followed by tribal members should oversight of such activities. The proposed ordinance also established criminal and civil penalties for insured it for $80,000 and it was violations of the ordinance, appraised at $120,000. The Spirits including fines up to $5,000 and gave me 25 songs while I was one year imprisonment. building that dance house. “Dancing Girl” comes from those Research lonely days. This year I turned elder The Tribal Council has at 55 and this is the year I plan to completed the first and second retire, singing my songs and readings of the proposed Research becoming an old folk singer. Ordinance. The proposed ordinance May the Spirits t>e with you is intended to ensure that tribal and all you pray for. members are free from unreasonably harmful, intrusive, ill- “Dancing Girl” conceived, or otherwise offensive Ordering information: research and investigation Quiss “Snoball” Butler procedures. Types of research 732 NW 17th included in the proposed ordinance Corvallis, OR 97330 Telephone: 541-738-2978 (See Ordinances on E-mail: rockwater777@aol.com page 21)
