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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2004)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the editor: In April 2004,1 wrote a letter to the Tribal Council in regards to the Shilo purchase. As of June 10, 2004,1 have not yet received a reply to my letter or answers to my questions. I thought that the Tribal Council listened to the general membership and had the common courtesy to answer our questions. Maybe they thought there was no need to reply. I think that the portion from my letter below does have questions (in bold) that could and should be answered. As tribal members, I believe we have a right to ask and the council as elected officials should be able to answer these questions. The letter stated that you had begun a 60-day due diligence period to inspect this property so that you would be able to make an informed decision. Now, in just a few weeks, the council decides to buy it? What happened with the researching of this purchase? Could Mr. Hemstreet be pressuring the tribe to hurry up and purchase this property at such an overpriced amount? Why is it so important to pur chase this property right now? How old is this structure? How much money will have to be put into it? The patrons of the Shilo Inn, whether To the editor: Wow - I don’t know where to begin. I just ended my two-week temp job. I have been employed with the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz, in the Accounting Department, since July 1996. I started out being asked to temp as the accounting clerk trainee and I just moved my way up to a bookkeeper position. And quite frankly, I thought that I was going to just waltz my little butt out and not look back. Well it didn’t happen like that. I have made more friends than I realized. Thank you. So at this time, I want to thank all of my accounting people. I want to say thanks for putting up with me for so long and giving me the chance to grow with all of you. I have to say that my early-morning girlfriends will be missed a lot. To Debbie 4 □ Siletz News □ owned by the tribe or anyone else, will probably more than likely patronize Chinook Winds. I have read in the tribal newsletters many times how the Tribal Council encourages the general membership’s input, that you want to hear from us, but when it came to this large a purchase, the general membership was not allowed to have any input. Why not? Our casino would have been paid for soon and why could we have not waited a few years before we go into a $46.5 million debt. We all know that there are many needs among our people and especially for those who don’t reside in the 11-county service area. I still think that when it comes to purchases this large that the general membership should have some input. Surely I am not alone in this concept. I just wish that our “elected” Tribal Council could have at least responded to a tribal member’s letter, who lives over 1,100 miles away and cannot attend meetings. In fact, any tribal member should receive acknowledge ment from our “elected” officials. Sincerely, Carlotta Lane El Cajon, Calif. To the editor: The Tribal Council is putting to the vote of the membership a constitutional amendment on an employee being on the Tribal Council. I worked for the Siletz Tribe in Contract Health and resigned the position on becoming a Tribal Councilman in 2001. Holding two positions within the tribal system will certainly hinder one job or the other. The Siletz Tribal administration allows employees to take one-half hour for exercise, be it walking, using an exercise machine, etc. I did not take advantage of this program as an employee because I felt it would take me away from the job I was hired to do and that was a service to the membership. My contact with the membership as an employee was by telephone and I felt I needed to be available. An employee cannot do service to the membership if they are not available. Being a Tribal Councilman also has many duties. The Siletz Tribe is currently a multimillion dollar business, plus working with programs that service the membership. In 1997, I asked the then general manager to start meetings with staff and council on program goals. The staff at that time came to the council with one- year goals. We are not a tribe that can only plan one year for our future. We need to look into the future for our membership. I feel it is important that council has the many meetings because of business, budget, land use planning, and planning for the future. If a councilman is an employee, the many meetings that council has will take that employee away from their duties. I realize that a councilman also needs employment and I supported taking to the membership a vote on full- time council pay, and that vote failed. The tribal judge implied that the present council was maybe rich or retired, but 1 am neither rich nor eligible to retire. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for holding a constitutional election, but the Tribal Council at date of this letter had not heard when that election will be held. The membership will have the opportunity to vote on a Siletz Tribal employee being a councilman. I encourage you to vote. The Bureau of Indian Affairs will hold the election and you will have to sign a signature card for the bureau. This signature card is not the same as for Siletz Tribal elections. Be sure to sign and return that signature card. Again, I encourage you to vote. Lillie Butler To the editor: - for being a very patient person with me. She has helped me in so many ways. To Stephanie - she is the sunshine in my day. She has been a great person to work with, very gifted in all she has done for the department. To Cheryl - well, she is my very special friend. We have had a lot of good times together. I will miss you and all our talks. You have a strong shoulder. I have had the pleasure of having Karen as my supervisor for quite some time and I appreciate all that she does for the tribe and the department and the dedication that she puts forth. To Kelly - well, I will miss your whistling, singing, and playing Name That Tune. (LIAR) And for all the others in the depart ment (Sharon E., Trish, Pam, Gregg, Jack, and Darlene) - I have enjoyed working with you and having all those July 2004 potlucks, for whatever reasons we used, a lot of good food. And to Christie - she is my Baber girlfriend. I will see ya’ out there, riding hard and fast as we can. I have enjoyed working with you. Oh, I think that is all of the people ... no no, I forgot one. The New Guy, you know, Dan. Well, he knows I know him. He is my friend. I will miss all the B.S. we used to do and probably still will do. We are two of kind, like two peas in a pod. Well, maybe not... And last but not least, Wilbur Metcalf (joke) lol. I will miss you the most, no more chit-chatting. Wow - not sure how I can handle this, you are, iiiii ... you know where they are. So tell me when you see me, ‘k, one more time - for our friend, Benz ... Violet Lafferty-Moore In recent weeks, I have had tribal members come up to me and tell me they saw my daughter in Siletz News. Though I am very proud of Kristen, I can’t take the credit for raising her since I am her aunt. The thanks go to my brother and sister-in-law, Henry and Jan Downey, and Kristen’s grandparents, Buck and Mary Jean Downey. Both my niece, Kristen Downey, and my sister, CSM Denise Kraxberger, appeared in Siletz News in June. I am very proud of both of them and I love all my nieces (3), nephews (4), daughter (1), and grandson (1). I also want to give a shout out to my dad, Buck Downey. Happy Birthday, Dad ... love you. Thanks, Jolyne Downey
