LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
Wellbriety - Walk to Dinner on
Sept. 26,2001, was a great success. The
gathering at the community center was
filled with great fun and joy. Lots of
children, grown-ups, and a few elders
participated in the games and jovialness.
Holding hands and hugging each other,
laughing and clapping, and just having
such merriment.
Dinner and desserts were
sumptuous. T-shirts were given to
everyone, door prizes and brochures and
posters were given away. There was
great interaction between the children
and adults. It was so enriching to see
the children participate in the various
games and mingling with the different
members of the community.
I commend Lisa Brown for
arranging this gathering with the help
of others. Thank you, Lisa. It was a joy
to be one of the participants.
With a great deal of sincerity,
Maria Westervelt (Tribal Elder)
To the editor:
God bless America, our home
sweet home.
WitfT the broken stillness of quiet
sobs, we are challenged to look deep
within for courage.
The spirit of America has not been
broken but challenged, challenged to reach
beyond the security of our communities
to help comfort while making a
commitment of solidarity, voicing the
freedom our great nation is built upon.
Petty differences are minor when
major concerns wrap themselves
throughout the heartbeat of our society.
Each of us can commit to be part of
a solution and tomorrow will bring a new
dawn. A ribbon-colored rainbow weaving
a fabric of strength, many colors, border
to border from sea to shining sea.
The quiet prayer for healing and
comfort awaken a glimmer where there
is total darkness. Where sorrow is so great,
each breath is overwhelming, a whisper
upon the wind will be heard and felt.
After a storm, birds sing. Let
freedom ring.
Respectfully submitted,
Eva E. Clayton
To the editor:
Hello to all tribal members. It is election time again and I would like to
announce my candidacy for the upcoming elections.
I am not going to go into my concerns in this letter. I would like to say to our
Tribal Council that the new parking lot at Chinook Winds looks very nice. I am
happy to hear that we are having a more profitable year this year at the casino. I
hope that the tribal members will benefit from some of the profits.
Thanks to all who supported me last year. I will say again that if I am elected,
I will remember how I got there. I will work hard for the good will of the people.
Thank you.
Loraine Y. Butler
To the editor:
For the past few months, Pat Duncan has sent in a series of letters full of
misleading statements. Most of her comments have been rebutted, but there were
a few things that were missed.
Ms. Duncan seems to forget that while on council, she made a motion to refer
an increase in Tribal Council salaries to the people. She wanted council paid $35,(XX)
per year and the chairman paid $40,(XX). No increase in duties or hours, just a base
salary. Under Ms. Duncan’s proposal, Dee would have made $40,(XX) last year in
wages instead of $21,324 and Jessie would have made $35,000 instead of $ 18,913.
I would have made $35,000 instead of $6,200. The big difference is Ms. Duncan
was on council then and wanted the benefits. She also was part of the council who
paid themselves for 30 hours a week even if they did not work 30 hours.
Ms. Duncan must have forgotten when she testified in court that she helped
with the recall of five council members. I still have the letter she sent asking me to
meet with her and work on a strategy for the recall.
When she resigned, Ms. Duncan said she was doing it for the good of the people.
She must have forgotten the phone call she made to me. She said she felt she had to
resign because she was afraid of being expelled. After hearing about the thousands of
dollars she spent fighting the recall, she could have had reason to worry.
She did not worry about tending to the elders when she was spending money
to save her council position. Oh yes, Ms. Duncan became an elder earlier this year
and is now eligible for all these benefits she is asking for.
Regarding information supplied to the General Council, Ms. Duncan seems
to forget that while she was on council, there were almost no newsletters going
out. The paper was always delayed and when it did come out, letters were edited
to the point that the people who wrote the letters could hardly recognize them.
One month after she resigned, it was announced that the health care system
was virtually out of money. She did not relay this information in her resignation
speech. She was chairman most of that year; why didn’t she tell people health
care was in trouble?
In each of her letters, Ms. Duncan asks you to remember what happened in
the past. I also encourage you to do the same. Remember: “Those who forget the
past are doomed to repeat it.”
Gerald Ben
Deadline Change for January 2002 issue
Because of the holidays and changes to printing schedules, the deadline for
the January 2002 issue of Siletz News will be Dec. 5,2001, not Dec. 10. Please
make every effort to submit your articles and photos on time. Thank you!
LETTERS, DEADLINES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
Siletz News Letters Policy
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 and other tribal issues.
All letters must include the
author’s signature, address, and phone
number in order to be considered for
publication. Siletz News reserves the
right to edit any letter for clarity and
length, and to refuse publication of any
letter or any part of a letter that may
contain profane language, libelous
statements, personal attacks, or
unsubstantiated statements.
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Siletz News
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Not all letters are guaranteed
publication upon submission. Published
letters do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of Siletz News, tribal
employees, or Tribal Council.
Please type or write legibly. Letters
longer than 450 words may be edited
for length as approved by Tribal Council
Resolution #96-142.
Please note: The general manager
of the Siletz Tribe is the editor-in-chief
of Siletz News.
Editor-in-Chief: Brenda Bremner
Editor: Diane Rodriquez
November 2001
Send letters to:
Siletz News
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380
The newsletter is free to enrolled
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Fill out this form and mail it with $12
(make check payable to Confederated
Tribes of Siletz) to Siletz News.
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Name:__________ 2___________________
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Deadline for the December issue
is Nov. 9. Photos are encouraged.
Everyone loves to see photos of events,
tribal members, and especially babies.
Don’t forget those birthday or
anniversary wishes for loved ones.
_____________________
Change of address:
Tribal
members call Lisa Norton, enrollment
clerk, at 541-444-8258; all others, call
the newsletter office at 541-444-8291
and leave your new address with
the editor.