Siletz news /, December 01, 2001, Page 13, Image 13

TRIBAL MEMBER NEWS/NOTICES
....
Jackson
Receives Award
for Excellence
Fonda Jackson has received an
Area Director’s Award for Excellence
from the Portland office of the Indian
Health Service. Fonda is the director
of the Information Resource
Management department and was
nominated by the staff. In addition to
the award, Fonda received $1,000.
.
Comments from staff on
the nominating form include
the following:
“Several years ago, Fonda
reluctantly accepted the position as the
director of Information Resource
Management because the department just lost several senior staff members and
DIRM was also beginning several major projects. Put simply, the department
was a mess ...
“Rebuilding DI RM is one of Fonda's greatest accomplishments... Over the
past few years, Fonda has created a very cohesive and knowledgeable team of
employees. She has created a very positive work environment by encouraging
her employees to explore and learn new technologies. Today, DIRM is capable
of performing almost any task required ...”
The nomination goes on to compliment Fonda’s oversight in implementing
new technology, coordinating Internet access and e-mail services, and installing
a new phone system. ‘‘Our ability to access the Internet, read e-mail, or even
make a simple phone call is the result of Fonda’s dedication to the Indian Health
Service,” said the staff in the nomination.
“It was not easy to be proud of who you were after the federal government
decided that it could no longer recognize Siletz Indians. It was not easy, when tribal
traditions were dying and no ways to keep them ... but somehow, the Siletz Tribe
... set goals ... listened to the concerns of its neighbors and respected their interests
... also listened to its own people, and kept those interests above all others.
“Today, the Siletz are a people who have come a long ways ... their path has not
always been an easy one, but I believe it has brought them to the place they are at today ...
“... it has set a course not only for its own future but for other tribes and
governments as well ... has worked with citizens and officials at all levels-from
city hall to the state Capitol ... the halls of Congress and the White House ...
They have met with other tribal governments in Oregon and with Indian people
from across the United States. They understood what was right for them and what
was not ... have known what they needed and what they could do without. They
have not been afraid to go ahead when they had to, but neither have they been
unwilling to bend when necessary.
“I doubt that many of us can fully understand what the Siletz Tribe has
accomplished - the endless work and the tireless dedication that has brought the
Siletz Tribe to this point.
“... the evidence of what the tribe has achieved is all around us. That evidence
is in the faces of the Siletz people ... also in the lands of the Siletz Reservation.
“The significance of today’s celebration is not only that the Siletz have re­
established a land base ... but that they have recaptured a strong spirit for their future.
“Government Hill represents the geographical center of tribal life for the Siletz
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New GED Test Arrives in January
To meet the increasing requirements of a high school education and
workforce skills needs, the GED test is changing in 2(X)2. The new tests will
incorporate the most up-to-date, widely used curriculum standards and
standardized assessment practices available.
Oregon has issued 211,170 certificates since 1944. Last year, 9,156
Oregonians earned GED credentials. Nationally, the GED test has served as a
bridge to education and employment for an estimated 13 million adults.
The changes to the test affect Oregonians in a variety of ways:
1.
2.
Oregonians working toward their GED certificates have until Dec. 31,2001,
to successfully complete the current GED test. A new test will be released
in January 2002. Any GED candidate who has not successfully completed
the current GED test battery must start again with the 2002 series of GED
tests and pay a new testing fee to qualify for an Oregon GED certificate.
People who choose to wait until January 2002 to start the GED testing
series will find the following changes:
© The new tests use real life materials to a greater extent. These materials
- editorial cartoons, graphs for economic data, and business memoranda
- cut across traditional classroom subject areas and require candidates
to process information in multiple disciplines simultaneously.
O The new tests require a calculator on half of the mathematics test. The
old test did not allow any calculator use.
O The new tests continue to emphasize language arts, reading and writing,
mathematics, science, and social studies, but have a greater focus on
history, civics, government, health, and environmental and space
science.
Local GED testing and education centers can be found at
http://www.literacynet.org/oregon/gedframe.html, or by calling 1 -800-322-8715
or the GED Department at your local community college.
The Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development in
Salem is currently searching for 8,000 people who began testing for their GED
certificates and must complete testing by Dec. 31. It also is trying to notify
people ... where tribal ceremonies take place, where tribal members are
remembered and honored ... and to the east ... are timberlands which not only
provide income for tribal programs, but allow tribal members to gather plants,
bark, and berries for traditional uses and to harvest fish and wildlife for cultural
purposes and for personal sustenance.
“... tribal leaders ... recognized that the Siletz Tribe was not a museum or relic
... they knew that the future of the Siletz Tribe was just as important as its past... set
their goals high and accomplished much more than thought possible.
“The Siletz Tribe now has the tools ... to guarantee a bright future for new
generations of tribal members. It is legally recognized as an Indian nation and has
organized to carry out its responsibilities as a government... now, has a land base
that it can call home and has tribal members who care about their heritage and are
dedicated to improving their future.
“Moreover, through haid work, patience, and wisdom, the Siletz Tribe has earned the
respect of Indian tribes and other communities in Oregon, the Northwest, and the nation.
“We, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Indians, value highly the
ongoing support and encouragement of the Siletz nation and people. They have
never attempted to discourage our nation from positive progress or tried to interfere
with our sovereignty.
“We are proud to have the Siletz nation and people as allies. We proudly
support their land and sovereignty and we know they will always support us.”
I think it is fitting to conclude my report with Rudy’s final words, “May the
Great Creator bless and care for the Siletz people and nation forever.”
December 2001
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Siletz News
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