CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Last month, we celebrated the 26th
anniversary of the restoration of the
Siletz Tribe. It was a day to recall the
dark days of termination, reminisce
about our successful but difficult
struggle to be restored, and celebrate
our achievements since restoration. We
reminded ourselves that we had much
for which to be thankful.
And as we counted our blessings,
we were particularly mindful of the
hundreds of Indian families made home
less by the fires in Southern California
as they fled the burning inferno with
only the shirts on their backs. The suf
fering of others - our fellow Indians -
helped put into perspective how
fortunate we are, and how humble and
thankful we should be for what we have.
Since I’ve been chairman and with
active Tribal Council involvement, we
became the first in Oregon, and within
the first 20 in the nation, to become a
self-governance tribe. As such, we’re
able to exercise greater self-
determination and flexibility in
operating federal programs and funds.
More than 10 years ago, the council
decided to pursue gaming. Chinook
Winds has become a highly successful
gaming enterprise despite fierce
competition from our close neighbor,
which has a greater metropolitan
market area to draw from.
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Chairman Delores Pigsley
Our gaming revenues have enabled
us to create and dispense housing
grants, and establish an Economic
Development department that is
implementing plans for diversifying our
tribe’s economic base.
Chinook Winds has made possible
the funding of endowments, the interests
from which will be used to enhance
health, education, and culture programs.
A wide variety of programs now are
available for our elders, including many
trips for entertainment, education, special
programs, and Wal-Mart gift cards for
whatever purchases the elders wish.
And of course, we were able to
distribute nearly 2,000 computers to
2004 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 one Siletz Tribal Council
member, three Siletz Tribal members, two non-tribal members from Lincoln
County, and one member of the gerenal 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 Jan. 30, 2004.
Please send your application to Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of
Oregon, Attn: Christine Goodell, P.O. Box 549, Siletz, OR 97380-0549;
Fax: 541-444-2307
Name:____________________ —____________
Number:
Address:----------------------- -------------------- —----------------------------------------
City:_____________________ - State: ZIP:---------------------
Telephone: (Day) ------ -------------------- (Evening)----------------------------------
Tribal Council will review applications and approve appointments at the I
regular Tribal Council meeting on Feb. 20-21,2004. If you have any questions, I
please call Christine Goodell at 1-800-922-1399, ext. 200, or 541-444-8200. I
the Siletz Tribe, to express our concerns
Siletz Tribal households that have
about the proposed reorganization.
helped put information at the fingertips
You notice I used the term “so-
of all tribal members, especially our
called consultation.” This is because the
school-age children.
department had already decided to move
And of great importance, out of the
forward with its reorganization plan,
total amount of gaming revenues
which for one thing involved the creation
generated for tribal use (called excess
pledge gaming revenues), 35 percent
of several new positions in Washington,
annually is committed to per capitas.
D.C., whether or not the tribes agreed.
With Tribal Council oversight and
In addition to expressing concern
competent Chinook Winds manage that this wasn’t true consultation since
ment, gaming revenues for tribal use
decisions had already been made, I
have significantly increased each year.
asked specifically how the plan benefits
This doesn’t mean that gaming
tribes. No explanation was given.
revenues will continue to increase in the
Regarding funding, the assistant
future. Many things will determine how
secretary said that the new positions
much Chinook Winds will make for us.
would be paid out of carry-over funds
It’s not only how it’s managed, but also and from FY2005 appropriations,
market conditions.
which should be directed to benefit
New casinos are under way just
Indian tribes. Further, she said she
north of the Columbia River that may
couldn’t promise that funds normally
have an impact on our Oregon casinos.
dedicated to tribal priority programs
Also, enemies of tribes continue to be
wouldn’t be used to implement the
intent on destroying Indian gaming not
reorganization plan. The fact is that the
only at the national level, but here in cost of reorganization, totaling between
Oregon as well. As chairman, it’s been
$15 million and $24 million, would, if
my responsibility to see that these issues
shared with the tribes, help reduce our
are dealt with.
tribal unmet needs.
Last month, Vice Chairman Jessie
Our position is that carry-over
Davis, council member Jane John, and
funds and any new funds should be used
I attended an Oregon Gaming Alliance
for regional and field office positions
meeting. We discussed with other tribal
that assist and strengthen tribal
leaders the recent and very serious anti governments, not central office staff. I
Indian gaming activities in Oregon that
said that to do anything different would
have the potential of seriously
be a step back in time.
undermining Indian gaming.
I concluded by stating that the
And also last month, I wrote letters
reorganization at this point is totally
to the Senate Committee on Indian
unrealistic since there is no real budget
Affairs detailing the Siletz Tribe’s
and the BIA has no real assurance there
concerns about Senate Bill 1529 which,
will ever be enough money to make
if passed by Congress as written, will
these changes. Further, I and other tribal
be extremely harmful to Indian gaming.
leaders firmly believe that decision
Also, I suggested items to be added to
making authority should reside in the
the bill to strengthen Indian gaming.
regional and field offices rather than in
Not only has Indian gaming been
Washington, D.C.
in danger, but also the funding of Indian
I include these comments from the
programs and services. Recently, I
Las Vegas meeting to show that the
attended two special meetings where
Siletz Tribe must deal with many
tribal leaders expressed their concerns
critical issues that are created not only
about certain Indian issues.
by outside anti-Indian forces, but by the
In Washington, D.C., 1 was among
tribal officials who laid out for con federal government itself.
But over the years, I as tribal
gressional leaders, including Sens. Tom
Daschle (D-S.D.) and Hillary Clinton chairman with supportive Tribal
Councils have dealt constructively and
(D-N.Y.) that tribes have many critical
unmet needs that Congress must some effectively with the many critical
federal, state, and tribal issues that have
how address. And also last month, I spoke
confronted us.
at the so-called consultation session in
I believe, based on our strength as
Las Vegas on BIA reorganization, con
a tribe and as a people, that we can look
vened by the Department of the Interior.
I used the opportunity, as chairman of to the future with confidence.
December
2003
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