LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
After reading the chairman’s
report last month, I am concerned
about the omission of several
actions of the tribe.
First, the omission of the
Constitution election results.
Thanks to Thomas Siniscal, who
reported the election results in his
letter to the editor. The chairman’s
report should inform us of the
results in light of the fact that the
proposed amendments were
conceived and advocated by Tribal
Council in the first place. It is true
that only 335 participated in the
election that failed the proposed
amendments; however, if they had
passed, it could have been worse.
Then as few as two Tribal Council
members could have decided
important issues for the tribe.
Another omission from the
chairman’s report was the Siletz
Tribe’s suit against Weyerhaeuser.
During the Jan. 6 Candidates’ Fair
in Salem, Candidate Delores
Pigsley reported that everything
happened so fast that there was no
notice, even though she drove to
Portland to participate in a non
tribal media blitz. Another
candidate reported that tribal
employees were notified on Dec.
20. To date, no notice has been
given to tribal members and we
have no idea why we are suing
Weyerhaeuser. Not giving notice is
neglectful of the Tribal Council in
consideration of all those tribal
members who are employed by
Weyerhaeuser-owned companies.
Because of Pigsley's focus on
national elections and Florida,
another omission from the
chairman’s report was the
importance of impeccable election
procedures. In my opinion, to
protect the rights of tribal member
voters, the poll book must be open
to inspection as in every other
voting district. If we vote is public,
how we vote is done in secret. The
ballots should be printed on non-
reproducible paper. The mail-in
ballots should not be separated
from their signature envelopes and
handled before the day of counting
the ballots.
I appreciate reading the
chairman’s reports. My concern
here is the need for more complete
and timely information. I urge
Tribal Council to inform tribal
members of pertinent information
by way of this newsletter and other
direct mailings more frequently
with actual facts and figures. For
instance, what are your plans for the
next month, for the next year, where
are you traveling to and why, what
vote did you cast for the entire tribe
at what national meetings, what
economic development projects are
you promoting, are there any more
cuts to services coming up, or are
there any services becoming
available, how many more lawyers
have you hired? Give us the legal
impact reports on things like the
Weyerhaeuser suit and the NIGC
suit. Are we really paying for five
Tribal Council members traveling
to the Presidential Inauguration and
parties, etc?
To the editor:
I would like to take this
opportunity to thank all the ones
who made it possible for the
Housing
Christmas
Party,
Community Christmas Program,
and the Christmas Tree Program for
the children. Even though the boys
didn’t get what they requested, the
efforts are appreciated and I hope
they will not have to participate in
future years.
Christmas is a special time
for me and I am thankful for all
the efforts.
Sincerely,
Charlotte R. Noble
Sincerely,
Cynthia Viles
To the editor:
To all our relatives and new friends of Siletz, we give our heartfelt
thanks for all your help with Richard Graham’s funeral services. Thank
you, Carolyn, for being such a good caregiver. Thank you to Beth and
Debbie from hospice. Thanks to the elders of the tribe and everyone who
prepared dinner for us. Thank you, Kathy Stewart, for your last-minute
help playing the piano. Holidays are a hard time to lose a loved one, but
with support, it blesses the family and friends. God Bless and Happy
New Year.
Sincerely,
Andrew, Nate Jr., Nora, and Karen Huffman, Dorothy (Cookie)
Graham, the Mickelsen Clan (Ron, Debbie, and Johnny)
P.S. This is wishing my sister, Karen, a happy birthday on Jan. 16.
LETTERS, DEADLINES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
Siletz News, a publication of
the Confederated Tribes of Siletz
Indians of Oregon, is published
once a month. Our editorial policy
encourages input from readers
about stories printed in Siletz News
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Siletz News
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380
541-444-8291
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Fax: 541-444-2307
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Editor-in-Chief: Brenda Bremner
Editor: Diane Rodriquez
Deadline for the March
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photos of events, tribal members,
and especially babies. Don’t forget
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