CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about,
or may have actually read, the articles
about Indian tribes and Indian gaming
that appeared in the Dec. 16 and Dec. 23
issues of Time magazine.
Much of what the reporters said in
the more than 20 pages Time devoted
to Indian gaming was based on a lack
of information, misinformation, or the
reporters’ preconceived biases against
Indian tribes and Indian gaming.
With a circulation running into the
millions and with copies in thousands
of public and school libraries and in the
waiting rooms of doctors’ and other
offices across the nation, these Time
articles must have been read by millions,
with great negative public impact.
I immediately responded to the
Time articles by writing a letter that
appeared in a December issue of the
Newport, Ore., News-Times.
During the week of Jan. 6, I at
tended a meeting of tribal leaders who
convened in Washington, D.C., to address
what has become a serious national public
information and public relations issue
for tribes, triggered by the Time articles.
Unfortunately, Time magazine is
not the only source of anti-Indian prop
aganda. The media, including The Boston
Globe, The Wall Street Journal, CNN,
To the editor:
I would like to thank everyone for
the lovely birthday party held for me
on Dec. 15, 2002.
I deeply appreciate my relatives
and friends who braved the stormy
weather to attend. A very special thanks
to the following people for making it
possible - my son, Ronald Hudson and
family; my sisters, Rosalie Bremner
and family, Delores Pigsley and family,
and Donna Woods and family; and my
dear brother, Alfred Lane Jr. and family.
Alfred and Clarice traveled from
National City, Calif.
Thank you so much, you are
all loved.
Sincerely,
Gladys Bolton
A special thanks to my son,
William Hudson and family, in Salem
who gave me the surprise birthday
party. You are loved.
Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma,
Gladys Bolton
Chairman Delores Pigsley
and nationally syndicated columnists like
William Safire, have been disseminating
their opinions about Indian tribes based
on half-truths and false information.
U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R.-Va.),
whom you may remember attempted to
introduce legislation detrimental to
Indian tribes last year, saw to it that the
Time articles were circulated among
members of the U.S. Congress.
It’s important to keep in mind that
although the current furor is specifically
directed against Indian casinos, I’m
afraid the real intent is to undermine
tribal rights and sovereignty itself.
As tribal chairman, I’ll continue to
be involved with the National Indian
Gaming Association and the National
Congress of American Indians in helping
to develop and implement a national
strategy to address these critical public
information and public relations issues.
While these issues are being ad
dressed at the national level, they also
must be addressed at regional, state, and
local levels. Vice Chairman Jessie Davis
is, and will continue to be, actively
involved in this effort.
The Time reporters sought out
disgruntled individual members of
gaming tribes who complained they
were getting little or no benefits from
their casinos. It wouldn’t be difficult to
find such persons in any tribe.
A few tribes cited by Time provide
hundreds of thousands of dollars to their
individual members. The fact is many
2003 Charitable Contributions
Advisory Board
The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon has established a
Charitable Contributions Advisory Board to distribute profits from Chinook
Winds Casino. The advisory board will consist of:
1
3
2
1
Siletz Tribal Council member
Siletz Tribal members
non-tribal members from Lincoln County
member of the general public from the tribe’s service area
Term of office is three years. Siletz Tribal members interested in serving
on this committee must fill out the following form and return it to the address
below by Feb. 12, 2003. Please send your application to:
.
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon
Attn: Christine Williams
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380-0549
Fax: 541-444-2307
Name:Roll Number:
Address:_________________________________________________________ _
City:State:ZIP:
Telephone: (Day) (Evening)----------------------------------
Tribal Council will review applications and approve appointments at the
regular Tribal Council meeting on Feb. 14-15,2003. If you have any questions,
please call Christine Williams at 1 -800-922-1399, ext. 200, or 541 -444-8200.
tribes don’t provide any per capitas at
all. Their casino revenues instead are
invested in priority tribal programs such
as education, health, and economic
development. Tribes differ economi
cally just like state governments, a fact
misunderstood or disregarded by the
Time reporters. How much or whether
tribes provide per capitas at all depends
not only on the amount of revenues
their casinos generate, but also on their
tribal priorities.
I believe the Siletz Tribe has struck
a wise and reasonable balance between
the use of gaming revenues for tribal
purposes and the amount of per capita
payments distributed to individual
members. It’s a set formula based on
the recognition that we must provide
for the needs of our individual members
while being mindful of allocating funds
for the future of the tribe.
When the Siletz Tribal Council
decided to engage in gaming as a tribal
enterprise, we viewed it was a means,
not an end. Recent events should help
make us acutely aware that the threat to
Indian gaming is real and our plan for the
use of gaming revenues is a sound plan.
Tribal Council’s decision to pro
vide computers for Siletz households
was made with this in mind. The long
period of termination was an education
al setback for our people. Our members
tell us how much the computers are
helping their children in school and how
eager many of them are, as adults, to
learn this new technology.
The computer distribution program
is an example of how our gaming reve
nues have helped enhance our education
programs and services as well as health,
housing, and other tribal programs.
In just a few years, the Siletz Tribe
will have paid off the debt service for
the construction of Chinook Winds,
which could make more funds
available for tribal use, including per
capitas. The actual amount of revenues
available, however, will depend not
only on market conditions, but also on
the future of Indian gaming.
This brings me back to what I started
this column with - the Time article and
the forces at work against Indian tribes
and Indian gaming. The Siletz Tribe
must, and will, work cooperatively with
other tribes at the national, regional, and
state levels to vigorously fight to
preserve tribal sovereignty and to protect
the right of tribes to engage in gaming.
February 2003 □
Siletz News
□
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