CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Oregon Indian Day at
State Capitol
The early history of the Con
federated Tribes of Siletz Indians of
Oregon is basically the same as the
history of tribes across the country:
Indian-white hostility and conflicts,
forced removal from their homelands,
and the wholesale theft of Indian lands
(which some Oregon legislators
actively lobbied for in Congress early
in our state’s history).
What has happened in Oregon
during the past few years is remarkable.
Who would have thought that chair
men of the nine Oregon tribes would
be sitting at the podium of the Oregon
State Legislature where the speaker of
the house and other state officials
customarily sit?
And who would have thought that
tribal officials and tribal youth would
be sitting in the state legislators’ seats?
If you had been there, that’s exactly
what you would have seen May 20
during American Indian week at the State
Capitol. Times have certainly changed!
On that day, Indian color guards
and the chairmen of the nine Oregon
tribes were escorted to the podium by
Indian youth to the beat of Portland’s
Urban Indian Center drummers.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who spoke
to the assembled tribal and state
representatives and who signed the
Indian Day Proclamation, also was
escorted to the podium by Indian youth.
The governor reminded us that it
was 30 years ago that the Commission
on Indian Services, composed of both
• tribal and state officials, was officially
established by the Legislature to
address Indian issues.
The concept of government-to-
govemment relations, he said, isn’t just
a “buzz word” but an important concept
“we are taking to heart ... based on
mutual respect and dialogue.” He
pointed out that the cluster groups
composed of tribal and state officials
continue to meet regularly on a
government-to-government basis to
address concrete issues. “We worked
hard,” he said, “to bring us to this point.”
All nine tribal chairmen had an
opportunity to speak. We all touched on
the importance and achievements of
state/tribal relations in Oregon. Several
spoke of tribes as sovereigns, a principle
articulated in Gov. John Kitzhaber’s
executive order of May 1996. The annual
Chairman Delores Pigsley
summit meetings of top tribal and state
officials and the intervening cluster
groups of tribal officials and staff have
evolved based on mutual respect and
listening to, and acting on, tribal concerns.
Others further expressed the
concept of sovereignty, saying that
“tribal councils have a duty to see to it
that treaties are upheld” and that
“sovereigns are not all alike; there are
differences among our heritages.”
One speaker, reflecting the feelings
of other tribal officials, recognized Karen
Quigley, the commission’s executive
director, who has played a key role in
coordinating tribal/state communications.
A primary theme throughout was
concern for Indian children and youth.
The tribes’ progress in education was
recognized. I, for one, called attention
to the fact that while there were only
two college graduates when the Siletz
Tribe was restored, we now have 35.
And even Bums Paiute, as small as it
is, has two members who at present are
each working on a Ph.D.
At the same time, we were
reminded that tribes like the Burns
Paiute and Warm Springs are plagued
by unemployment - the college-
educated have few jobs to return home
to, which underscores the need for
greater economic opportunities.
Sen. Kate Brown, Rep. Tom Butler,
and Secretary of State Bill Bradbury
then spoke, one about the “healing
process ... learning from the past”;
another about the need to “honor all
cultures, the value of working with
tribes and to strive to honor and make
govemment-to-government relations
successful”; and another of “ensuring
that our present won’t be at the expense
of the future ... of working without
compromising the future generations.”
I believe a high point of the day was
the Siletz Feather Dancers, representing
all Siletz high school students, led by
Bud Lane and Robert Kentta. They
danced just as our forefathers did in
aboriginal times in their special,
traditional regalia.
The performance, seldom seen
outside our traditional Dance House in
Siletz, was an emotional experience for
everyone present, reminding us that
Indian tribes are indeed unique,
distinguished culturally from one another.
I was very proud of our feather
dancers for what they contributed to
make American Indian Day a very
special and meaningful day in the state
capitol for all who attended.
In closing, I want to express my
thanks to the Culture Department and
to Katrina and Ashley Reis, Ami Case,
Monique Lane, Jennifer Butler, Karli
Jay, and Caleb Bremner, who helped
make our contribution to American
Indian Day a success.
Purchase of the Shilo
The official signing that transferred
ownership of the Shilo Inns hotel and
luxury suites in Lincoln City took place
June 1. “Chinook Winds Casino Resort”
is how the phone is now answered.
It was pretty exciting for us to sign
these documents, for the Siletz Tribe to
become owners of the hotel adjacent to
our casino, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Memorial Services in
Washington, D.C., and Siletz
I had the opportunity to accompany
six of our eight World War II veterans
- Buck Downey, Eddie Collins, Alfred
Lane Jr., Ken Hatch, Calvin Van Pelt,
and Ed Ben - to the dedication of the
World War II Memorial in Washington,
D.C. Emmit Douthit and John Roe Sr.
also are WWII veterans, but were
unable to attend.
The Siletz Tribe sponsored the
veterans and their spouses/attendants to
travel to Washington to attend this
historic event. Councilman Bud Lane
and I represented the Siletz Tribe.
Several other veterans’ family members
attended at their own expense. The
Siletz Tribe was well represented at this
historic event on the Capitol Mall.
Our veterans visited many of the
nation’s significant monuments and
contacted other veterans who served in
their units. Three U.S. presidents
attended as well as many other
important government officials.
Our veterans were on the mall from
9 a.m. until the conclusion of the
ceremonies at 3:30 p.m. I was proud
that our tribe recognized the Siletz
veterans by sponsoring them to take
part in this event. After all, they
dedicated their lives for us during World
War II. Many of those who attended
said this was one of the most
memorable events of their lives.
On behalf of our tribe, I want to
thank our veterans - thank you!
Our own tribal Memorial Day
ceremony took place on Memorial Day
in Siletz. Our veterans, who looked
fine in their new shirts, also were
appropriately present for our local
ceremony. The elders and area offices
presented wreaths in memory of all
those who have passed on.
The Dancing Again Singers opened
and closed the ceremony. Guest speaker
Gayla Jones, our former council
secretary and retired master sergeant,
gave a wonderfully moving speech.
I want to thank all who participated
in this event and the Culture Committee
for preparing the delicious lunch.
Katrina Reis, Ashley Reis, Karli Jay, Caleb Bremner, Jennifer Butler, Ami Case,
and Monique Lane represent the tribe at the State Capitol.
July 2004 □
Siletz News
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