CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Bush Cabinet
Appointments and
Effects on Indians
By the time this issue of Siletz
News is in your hands, President
Bush’s cabinet appointments
should already have been confirmed
by the U.S. Congress.
As I write this, however, the
confirmation of two extremely
important cabinet positions
affecting Indian tribes, the attorney
general and the secretary of the
interior, are still up for grabs. The
backgrounds of John Ashcroft,
nominee to head the Justice
Department, and Gale Norton, the
Department of Interior, are being
subjected to intense scrutiny
because of their track records on a
wide variety of issues.
We can be sure of one thing.
Whoever is confirmed most likely
will be Republican. Although
Indian tribes have generally
supported Democratic candidates
for national offices, we should
keep in mind that some of our
staunchest Indian advocates have
been Republicans.
Our own Mark Hatfield, for
one, consistently fought for Indian
causes and despite his moral
opposition to gambling, understood
how important Indian gaming is to
the economic well being of Indian
tribes and gave it his support.
Similarly, Republican Sen. John
McCain, as chair of the Senate
Committee on Indian Affairs,
understood tribal sovereignty and
battled vigorously on behalf of
Indian tribes on many issues.
We also should remember that
President Nixon’s administration
instituted major policy changes that
were favorable to Indian tribes. At
the same time, there have been and
are Democrats in Congress who
have fought against, and continue
to fight against, Indian rights
and programs.
My point is that we don’t
know how the new officials will act
on Indian issues. Simply being
Chairman Delores Pigs ley
Democrat or Republican doesn’t
determine whether they support, or
are hostile to, Indians. In any event,
we need to actively educate, work
with, and make an effort to gain the
support of these government
officials, whichever side of the
political fence they are on.
Kitzhaber’s Executive
Order Continues
As for the state of Oregon, we
are fortunate that Gov. John
Kitzhaber has been re-elected for
another term. He can continue to
implement his executive order that
requires his departments to work
with Oregon tribes on a
govemment-to-govemment basis.
This continues the efforts initiated
by former Gov. Vic Atiyeh, a
Republican.
We have reported in previous
issues of Siletz News how the
governor and his top staff meet
annually with tribal government
officials, the most recent being held
on the Portland State University
campus. Has the governor’s
executive order and these annual
government-to-government
meetings really made any
difference? I can state emphatically
that they have, which can be
attested to by our own tribal staff.
First of all, state officials have
a greater understanding of and
respect for the cultural, social, and
political nature of the Siletz Tribe.
Mike Kennedy, our tribal forester,
says it has helped in concrete ways.
We now know exactly who to call
to get answers on issues and he
cited
the
Department
of
Environmental Quality as an
example of how the state is working
cooperatively with us on specific
environmental issues.
Tina Retasket, assistant GM,
states that the nature of the
relationship has changed. Rather
than imposing their control over
tribes, state agencies are
increasingly treating tribes as
governments, not as just another
social organization. For example,
in health and human services, rather
than imposing their standards and
control, state agencies are even
developing separate codes to
accommodate the unique needs of
the Siletz Tribe.
I believe the governor’s
executive order continues to have a
profound impact, and I can speak
specifically about relationships
between the state and the Siletz
Tribe. It has helped set the climate
and framework for relationships
based on respect and cooperation
which, in turn, are reflected in the
constructive way that concrete
issues are being addressed. It’s up
to us to build on this foundation.
Issues of Confidential
Tribal Information
The issue I am about to
address involves the publication of
letters to the editor in Siletz News.
Although it’s basically an internal
tribal issue, I believe that because
Siletz News is distributed to people
outside the tribe, it’s important
that I discuss this issue as
tribal chairman.
Unlike many other tribes, the
Siletz Tribe has a policy that I
believe is a very good one. It’s
obvious to anyone who reads Siletz
News that tribal members are given
virtually free rein to say just about
anything they want to say in their
letters to the editor as long as the
letters aren’t slanderous or obscene.
It’s an excellent opportunity
for members to express their views
about issues confronting the tribe.
Most are excellent in that they
address tribal issues, with the
writers
offering
valuable
perspectives, constructive criticism,
and suggestions about our tribal
government and administration.
Unfortunately, however, some
are letters from disgruntled
members who continue to abuse
this privilege. They express
opinions based on rumors - who
themselves are often responsible for
the rumors - deliberately or out of
ignorance, making statements and
accusations that simply are not
true and cannot be responded
to publicly.
I trust the general public
understands that some of the issues
are of such a confidential nature -
financial or personal - that they
cannot appropriately be addressed
in a public forum such as
Siletz News.
It was for this reason that two
years ago, the Tribal Council
instituted a confidential newsletter
called Nesika Illahee, which is
distributed to every adult tribal
member by first-class mail every
three months. In addition to a great
deal of information that is
disseminated via Siletz News,
tribal members are provided
information directly via the
confidential newsletter.
We continue to urge our
members to read these publications
carefully and to contact me, other
Council members, or the general
manager of the tribe if any
questions remain unanswered. I as
tribal chairman and the Tribal
Council have an obligation to help
keep our members accurately and
fully informed. At the same time,
it’s the obligation of every tribal
member to seek the facts by
carefully reading these newsletters,
attending community meetings,
and personally contacting tribal
officials for reliable information
before jumping to conclusions.
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