LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
As a 2002 Over-Income Construc
tion Rehabilitation Program applicant,
I called the Siletz Tribal Housing
Department (STHD) in June 2003 to
inquire about my application. STHD
originally received 47 applications by
the given deadline of Sept. 30, 2002.
Each applicant received a lottery
number to determine the order in which
they will be served. The tribe served 20
applicants in 2002 and the remaining
applicants were put on a waiting list.
Jerry Howell informed me that I’m
number 18 on the current list, but that I
would have to reapply with the new
applicants in 2003 and that I would
receive a new lottery number.
I stated this was unfair, as they served
20 of the original 47 applicants in 2002
and that they should continue to serve
the remaining 2002 applicants on the
waiting list by the lottery number they
were given, as established in the 2002
written policy and stated in the Septem
ber 2002 Siletz Tribal newsletter.
He stated there was nothing I could
do. I stated I wanted to grieve this
decision. He stated there was no
grievance procedure as this is over
income per capita funding and that it is
Tribal Council’s whim on how they
spend these funds.
I went to Siletz in August and
received a copy of the Over-Income
Construction Rehabilitation Program
Policy. I learned that there is a grievance
policy and have filed a grievance on the
proposed changes to this program. I was
recently notified that Tribal Council
didn’t formally make these changes to
the policy until Aug. 2, 2003,
eliminating the waiting list. They did
this action without notification or due
process to the original applicants.
These actions by Tribal Council
do not constitute fair and just treatment
for all of the 2002 Over-Income
Construction Rehabilitation Program
applicants and this must be challenged.
All applicants deserve to be treated
according to the written policy under
which they applied for services.
I didn’t vote in the last Tribal Council
election to have my representative vote
my whim. I thought that our elected
officials would follow written proce
dures when providing services or bene
fits to tribal members. Evidently, I was
wrong. I’m writing to inform other
tribal members that what may be a
written policy may now be changed by
Tribal Council whim. I’ve heard other
issues that appear to be the same,
decisions made that aren’t based on any
apparent reason.
I’m shocked that any elected body
would not follow the written guidelines
that they originally established. The
only impact we can make is by writing
and informing others of these types of
decisions and changing our vote to a
more equitable leadership that will
follow the written guidelines they estab
lish and serve all tribal members fairly.
Sincerely,
Laurie Brown-Godfrey
Run to the Rogue IX
To the editor:
I would like to share an observation
I found in a book on business that de
scribes my concerns regarding our tribe.
The author said in his experience,
organizations go through four phases.
The first phase is the creating stage.
In this stage, everybody is pulling
together, working hard toward their
dream. They put all their energies into
making the dream come true and do so.
The second phase is the organizing
stage. During this stage, people start
organizing and managing what has been
created. Offices and staff obtained,
buildings must be built and policies
must be created.
The third phase is the defending
phase. The primary concern is defend
ing what has been created, even if there
are serious flaws needing correcting.
The organization becomes obsessed
with safety. The rules that were meant
to facilitate the primary purpose of the
group are now used against each other.
Procedures developed to assist in the
distribution of the assets garnered in
stage one are now turned into ironclad
rules used to exclude rather than
include. Any attempt to address
problems is perceived as attacks.
The fourth phase is dividing the
spoils stage. In this stage, energies are
turned inward and time is spent fighting
among themselves on how to divide the
spoils. They have forgotten what it was
like to be on the cutting edge, creating
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and building from nothing. Time is
spent arguing and squabbling; everyone
is working to justify a bigger slice of
the employment pie or benefits. So the
group stagnates. He goes on to say if
this process isn’t reversed, the
organization goes broke or disbands.
I think many will agree the tribe is
in stage four. There’s favoritism in
employment and advancement. Council
wants to be in charge of everything but
accountable for nothing. They do this
by limiting Tribal Court’s jurisdiction
and funding. They write ordinances that
protect council and administrators.
Procedures and rules are used to
discriminate against each other.
We have lost our dreams. Tribal
treaty lands are still not a priority.
Hunting, fishing, and gathering rights
are still in the state’s hands. We have
many without homes or jobs. Alcohol
and drugs are a huge problem.
The solution is to go back to stage
one. By making a goal that all jobs are
held by tribal members and to get our
treaty lands back. To have a $2,000 per
month per capita; housing, and medical
benefits for all.
I won’t be running this year, but
Frank Simmons will be. I encourage all
who voted for me to vote for Frank. He
has been on both sides of the fence and
understands the problem(s) facing us.
Thank you,
Ray Blacketer
October 2003
Head Start students kick off Run to the Rogue IX by walking the first mile.
Craig Whitehead also is joined by Head Start staff and parents.
Wade Newbegin (I) and Teri Nielsen (carrying eagle staff), Siletz Valley School
staff members, head out of Siletz.