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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2001)
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT/LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Former Gov. Vic Atiyeh Honored page 4). Following a traditional feast sponsored by the Siletz Tribe, the Siletz Feather Dancers, coordinated by Bud Lane, performed traditional Siletz dances at the tribe’s dance house. On May 24, officials of the Oregon tribes and the state of Oregon gathered at the state Capitol to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Commission on Indian Services. Former Gov. Vic Atiyeh was honored and presented with a Pendleton blanket for his leadership in establishing the commission, a legislatively established arm of the state government. In addition to recognizing Atiyeh, a print by artist Peggy O’Neal was presented to Speaker of the House Mark Simmons and a shell necklace to Sen. Kate Brown in appreciation of their efforts on behalf of Oregon Indians. With offices and staff located in the state Capitol, the commission is composed of state legislators, tribal council members from each of the nine Oregon tribes, plus at-large members representing urban Indians. During the past 25 years, it has become an important vehicle for addressing Indian issues in Oregon. Gov. John Kitzhaber not only has given his support to the commission, but also has given substance to the meaning of tribal sovereignty. His executive order mandates that state agencies must interact with Indian tribes on a government-to-government basis. It is a further extension of the effort that Hosted by the Siletz Tribe, the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society (NAFWS) held its annual conference at Chinook Winds on May 21-24, attended by tribal representatives from across the country. The agenda included a wide variety of subjects, including a panel of Siletz elders who talked about natural, wildlife, and cultural resources issues from their perspective (see photo on To the editor: For several years the policy for the Siletz News publication has been overlooked. Personal attacks, libelous statements, and non-substantiated statements have been published. This is in violation of the policies set by the Tribal Council. One woman, P.D., has a letter in almost every paper about the Tribal Council spending dollars. We have a budget and line items, which we watch carefully. We do all we can for our elders and educational needs are met if the application is complete and on time. I have been told about students not getting tribal education money. When I check it out. I find the application is incomplete or comes in late. P.D. was tribal chairman a few years ago; what did she do? Hold secret meetings with five Tribal Council members. They fired the lawyer, fired the general manager, hired a new general manager, and hired a law firm in Portland that cost the tribe $300,000- $400,000 in a few short months. Those dollars were used to fight the recall that was going on. Those five Tribal Council members were recalled and replaced. They should have been expelled. We have two on the Council now who were very much a part of those private meetings. Four of us didn’t know about the meetings and were shocked when unscrupulous things came up for a vote at the next Council meeting. We were always outvoted 5 to 4. Our tribe is a tribe to be proud of; we have come a long way since 1977.1 have been on the Council for 26 years. I was there on the Interim Council in 1973 when we worked hard for four years to get Restoration. Where were National Foundation for Women Legislators Chairman Delores Pigsley Atiyeh initiated 25 years ago. The commission’s continued viability depends on continued active involvement of tribal officials and state legislators like Simmons and Brown. NAFWS Conference I was privileged enough to take part in the 2001 Women Lawmakers’ Networking Day, held in Washington, D.C., on May 31-June 3. It was an opportunity for tribes to establish relationships with and provide information to some of the nation’s most influential decision-makers on Indian issues. I co-chaired an education section that worked on a policy statement, which will be presented at a follow-up meeting in Puerto Rico, based on President George W. Bush’s theme, “No child must be left behind.” In the White House, we met with Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and attended a forum in the Russell Senate Office building with various congressional staff members. Sue Masten, NCAI president, did an excellent job of making sure that Indian issues were brought to the attention of these congressional representatives. NIGA and NCAI sponsored the get- together as an opportunity for the radicals then? They were not there to help out. I hope our editor follows the policies of the newspaper from now on. Tribes and non-tribal persons get our newspaper too. They call some of us and ask what is going on? They get the true facts. In 1977, we had 929 persons on the tribal roll. I worked for enrollment at the time; much research went into updating those 929 persons. Many of them were deceased. Now we are almost 4,000 strong and the best is being done for our people. Sincerely, Mary “Dolly" Fisher non-Indian legislators to learn about Indian issues. We also participated in a forum with various congressional staff members and although it involved both Indian and non-Indian political issues, Sue made sure that Indian issues were especially targeted for discussion. Together with other tribal officials from across the country, including Grand Ronde and Klamath, 1 attended the National Press Club luncheon. You may already know that this is an organization of the nation’s leading news people. Again, Sue took the opportunity of talking about critical Indian issues. It was an opportunity for us, the tribal representatives, to make our presence and issues known. Oregon Tribes Meeting On May 25, representatives of the Oregon tribes met at Chinook Winds. The main topics included fee-to-trust issues and gaming legislation in Oregon. As we have reported in previous issues of Siletz News, there is a persistent effort through the state Legislature to directly or indirectly negatively impact Indian gaming. We discussed the need for the Oregon tribes to always be vigilant about these threats and to work cooperatively to prevent damaging legislation from happening. General Council Meeting Siletz Tribal Community Center Aug. 4, 2001 ' Agenda 1 p.m. Call to Order Invocation Roll Call Approval of Agenda Approval of Minutes: May 5, 2001 Program Presentations: Housing Program Education Program Tribal Member Concerns Chairman’s Report Announcements Adjourn July 2001 □ Siletz News* □ 3
