VICE CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Oregon Gaming Alliance
It was a little over a year ago that a
number of Oregon tribes came together
to form an association to deal with
Indian gaming issues in Oregon. It was
a coincidence that Time magazine had
just published a negative, completely
biased, two-part series on Indian gaming.
But it wasn’t the Time articles and
their devastating impact on the public
that motivated us to form the Oregon
Gaming Alliance. A number of tribes,
including the Siletz, already had begun
meeting months before, having decided
that such an alliance was needed. We
felt we would have greater strength by
working in unity on critical issues
common to all Oregon gaming tribes.
I am pleased to say that with the
opening of Three Rivers Casino by the
Coos Tribe a month ago, all Oregon
tribes are now not only engaged in gam
ing, but also have signed on as members
of the Oregon Gaming Alliance.
I am also pleased that all nine tribes
have offered the use of their tribal attor
neys to the alliance. These attorneys help
by providing legal analysis, advice, and
assistance on gaming-related issues.
At a June 29 alliance meeting hosted
by the Coquille Tribe at the Mill Casino
and Hotel in Coos Bay, attorneys
representing six tribes actively con
tributed their legal views on issues that
we currently face.
Craig Dorsay, the Siletz Tribal
attorney, not only has helped coordinate
the drafting of the organization’s by
laws, but also recently convened a
conference call on a critical Oregon
gaming issue with the attorneys of all
nine tribes participating.
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To promote, protect, and preserve
the general welfare and interests of
Indian tribes through the develop
ment of sound policies and
practices with respect to the
conduct of gaming activities in
Indian country
To disseminate information to the
Indian gaming community; federal,
state, tribal, and local governments;
and the general public on issues
related to the conduct of gaming in
Indian Country
To preserve and protect the
integrity of gaming conducted in
Indian Country
To promote government-to-
government relationships and
effective communications between
tribes and the state of Oregon and
where appropriate, the federal
government and national or
regional tribal organizations
To maintain, protect, and advocate
Indian tribal sovereignty
Because there is still a great deal
of misinformation among the general
public concerning Indian gaming, the
alliance is undertaking a major public
information program to correct that
misinformation. Our objective is to
educate the general public on the fact
that Indian tribes are conducting
gaming effectively and with integrity,
and that Indian gaming has had a
positive impact not only on Indian
Limited Number of Computers
Will be Available
As in the past two years, Tribal
Council again has allocated funding
to purchase desktop computers for
distribution to homes that have not
previously received one. Tribal staff
currently are soliciting bids from
computer companies and will finalize
negotiations in August.
Unlike previous years, however,
the number of computers available
will be extremely limited. Actual
stated in the by-laws of the Oregon
Gaming Alliance.
Although I feel honored to have been
elected to these positions, I understand
and will do my utmost to fulfill the heavy
responsibilities that come with them.
The purposes of the alliance are
expressed in the organization’s by-laws
as follows:
numbers distributed will depend
on price.
If you would like an application,
please contact Tina Retasket at
1-800-922-1399, ext. 1210, or
541-444-8210; or by e-mail at
tinar@ctsi.nsn.us
Please leave your name, tele
phone number beginning with your
area code, and your full mailing
address, and an application will be
mailed to you.
STGRA
Vice Chairman Jessie Davis
tribes, but also on the larger non-Indian
community as well.
The officers of the alliance include
Gary George, who serves as vice-
chairman. Gary is the chief executive
officer of the Umatilla Tribe who
oversees not only the casino, but also
the tribe’s hotel, golf course, and
museum. Bob Garcia serves as treasurer
of the alliance and is the general
manager of the newly established Coos
Tribe’s Three Rivers Casino. I serve as
the chairman of the alliance
As regional representative on the
Executive Board of the National Indian
Gaming Association and as gaming
representative for the Affiliated Tribes
of Northwest Indians, I have a special
responsibility to facilitate the flow of
information among these entities on
matters relating to gaming. Although
expressed in different ways, those
organizations have basically the same
common purposes, which we have
Cy Hill, a former Siletz gaming
commissioner, has been named
executive director of the Siletz Tribal
Gaming Regulatory Agency (STGRA).
As I reported in the last issue of
Siletz News, when Kent Strickler
resigned, Andrea Butler was named as
interim executive director. In the brief
period she served in this capacity, Andrea
did an excellent job. As of July 12, she
has returned to her former position as
STGRA’s enforcement agent.
When Cy resigned as a Siletz gaming
commissioner, he was selected to serve
as compliance officer at Chinook Winds
under then General Manager Tom
Davis. And when Tom accepted the
position of general manager of the
Manistee Tribe in Michigan, Cy inter
viewed for and was appointed chairman
of the Manistee Gaming Commission.
He worked in that capacity until his
recent return to the Siletz Tribe as
executive director of STGRA.
Cy is a tribal member and prior to
his appointment as Siletz gaming
commissioner, he served for seven years
in the Los Angeles Police Department.
With his law enforcement back
ground and his many years of experi
ence in gaming, Cy comes to us with
very sound credentials. He has been
away from the tribe for five years. We
welcome Cy and his family back home.
Open Your Heart and Home to a [
Tribal Child !
The Siletz Indian Child Welfare
Program needs good homes for tribal
children within the 11-county service
area.
Foster homes as well as relative
foster homes are necessary to provide
children in need with the parental care
and nurturing that promotes the
growth and development that our
tribal children deserve.
If you are thinking of becoming
a foster parent, relative placement, or
just have questions, please contact
Bekki Johns at 1-800-922-1399,
ext. 1338, or 541-444-8338.
Call Bekki for an application or
if you would like to learn more about
available programs that provide
specialized foster parent training.
August £004 , □
Siletz News
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