Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2002)
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT By the time you read this, the tribal election will be over and three council members will have been elected. Whether those elected are the best qualified to serve on the council is now beside the point. We must believe they will bring with them a commitment to serve diligently and with honor. In any case, the people have spoken and I congratulate the winners. For the good of the tribe, we must once again put aside partisan politics and pull together as a tribe - as we have always done. Too much is at stake to do otherwise. I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the election and some of the statements made by the candidates in their campaign letters, at candidates’ fairs, and in the voter’s pamphlet. I could see a common theme running through them all - concern about unmet needs and the candidate’s desire to help meet those needs. There was, however, an acknowledgment, as one candidate said about the tribe, “We have accomplished a lot.” And as the record shows, I believe we have. The candidates spoke about their qualifications, many having served in the past on Tribal Council, tribal committees, and some having had business experiences. Reflecting the thoughts of other candidates, an incumbent pledged that she would “continue to bring fairness, commitment, and integrity to the Tribal Council office.” Chairman Delores Pigsley Several candidates expressed the need for diversifying our economic base - one candidate stating we “can’t be solely dependent on the casino.” That has been my concern and a priority as tribal chairman - to expand our economic base and increase our tribal revenues. One candidate was concerned about increasing revenues so “there can be larger per capitas.” I believe, however, that candidates generally understood that the need for bigger per capitas must be balanced with the need to address other pressing unmet tribal needs - and the candidates identified many. One candidate stated that for “every job we have, they should be held by tribal members.” That is certainly an ideal for which we must strive. The Siletz Tribe has a Tribal/Indian To the editor: Tribal Council has decided to give us the cost of the new casino parking, $ 1,200,000! In slight defense of T.C., I agree we needed more parking ... however, not at the cost of $9.2M plus! As I stated in our previous publication, these huge, misguided expenditures will have vast influences on all economic endeavors. It has already influenced our previous No. 1 economic breadwinner - timber. Sales have been slashed by $100,000 to meet a market that we should not be forced to meet. A “slush” fund should have been funded long ago to meet all possible negative impacts in any given five-year period. It appears that the combination of huge debt, excess management at the casino/ regulatory agency, and excess costs of lawyers and consultants will be this Tribal Council’s legacy to us, our children, and our grandchildren. I once thought reducing our T.C. to three members would be the answer. Now, I believe we can do much better without a Tribal Council, and leave all decisions to General Council. Furthermore, with what I’ve learned this past month, I know a Senate investigation is our only recourse. If we require a complete tribal shutdown to “sort things out,” so be it. Monte Wayne Kentta Preference Policy that requires the hiring of qualified tribal members whenever positions need to be filled. We are faced with a fundamental dilemma, however: Do we fill key positions with tribal members who have only minimum qualifications when the position is extremely demanding, i.e., responsibility and control over millions of dollars of tribal assets? It’s a question of the best interest of the tribe vs. the employment interests of individual tribal members with minimum qualifications. Again, tribal preference is and should be our policy and objective. In accomplishing this, we must strengthen our training programs so we have a pool of candidates with unquestioned abilities to fill our key tribal positions. Almost all candidates expressed the need for improved health and education benefits, especially for those who live outside our 11-county service area. One candidate was concerned about budgeting sufficient funds to maintain, protect, and manage our forests. Others saw the need for increased benefits for the elders, and others saw the need for something we have talked about for a long time - a museum to house our valuable historical treasures. In view of these needs, the question is: How can we, as a Tribal Council, address them all? As any council member knows, the decisions don’t come easily and won’t satisfy everyone. But the council makes decisions as it did with the two priority projects. We are well on our way toward establishing a child care center and facility for the elderly. This matter of priorities and planning brings me to the need expressed by one candidate for “planned and measurable progress with tribal member input - with prioritized goals and objectives.” I agree. Although we have accomplished much, we need to strengthen our planning process. This candidate specifically identified health care for tribal members who live outside the service area. Faced with limited gaming revenues, the council established an endowment program to address the future health »_______________m____ See Chairman on page 15. To the editor: I would like to thank the elders who responded to the tribal assessment who are out of the service area. A special “thank you” to those who opened your homes to Kathryn Dick and myself for home visits and who took time at the Restoration Pow-Wow and Christmas party to answer the questions. Also, those of you who attended the Christmas party in the Portland area office - I can honestly say that you made it a wonderful Christmas for me. Even though I was saddened to see the needs of our elders and some have gone on for a decade or more. Hopefully through this assessment and visits, we can make a change. God bless each one of you, Elouise Case To the editor: Tribal concerns: 1 .) Winter is here. Every year, Judd Road can get real slick with ice or black ice. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has a budget of $5,000 to Siletz Housing for maintenance of the road for winter. Where is the money and how is it being spent? A.) Find the money. B.) Contact the Lincoln County roads maintenance and make an agreement to sand the road and send an invoice for payment. 2 .) Electric power - Every winter this happens, loss of electricity, some for hours and other times a day or longer when Consumers Power goes out. It was my understanding that an easement was done two or three years ago by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for Lincoln County PUD to kick in when Consumers Power goes out. Big question: Why has Housing not followed through? We have tribal members who are elders, young women having babies, and not to forget people who are disabled. Someone in Housing must be held accountable. Royce R. Strong February 2002 □ Siletz News □ 3
