LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
Soon, the Bureau of Indian Affairs
will conduct an election to determine
whether the Siletz Constitution will be
amended to limit voting rights and pro
hibit tribal employees from serving on
the council.
As it was adopted, our Constitution
is a model of “inclusion.” As a people,
we pride ourselves in our commitment to
equal rights for all tribal members. If we
adopt the proposed amendment, we will
become a tribe that promotes “exclusion.”
Why is this amendment under con
sideration? I wish I had a good answer
to that. I wish a good reason existed to
exclude some tribal members from the
political process.
Proponents say that tribal employees
inherently are in a conflict situation.
Can anyone truthfully say that tribal
voters cannot decide who will best
represent them on the council? Can
anyone truthfully say that every tribal
employee will abuse his or her position
if elected?
No one disputes that safeguards are
necessary to prevent council members
from abusing their offices. We have many
safeguards in place, including a consti
tutional prohibition against council
members voting on matters where a
conflict exists. Our ethics codes and
other rules prohibit all kinds of bad
conduct. Our council, if it chooses
to, already has authority to do what is
necessary to prevent abuses in office.
More important, we need to remem
ber that we now have the greatest safe
guard of all against council abuse. We
have the right to cast a vote in every
election for the candidates of our
choice. As voters, if the council won’t
police itself, we can do it for them by
voting them out. The amendment speaks
loudly that tribal voters can’t be trusted
to vote wisely. Every tribal member
should be offended by this insinuation.
Sadly, the purpose of this election
isn’t to protect the tribe as a whole.
Make no mistake about it, the funda
mental reason a minority of our council
wants this amendment is simply to
exclude potential, qualified opposition
candidates from running against them.
If the amendment passes, a signifi
cant and productive segment of our
tribal population, and future generations
of our tribal population, wHI be barred
from participation in tribal government.
And the only reason is to protect some
council members’ seats.
This election is about the rights of
all tribal members to run for the Tribal
Council and to have full and fair choices
to make in each and every election.
Letting the voters decide and letting all
tribal members participate in our gov
ernment is democracy. Prohibiting
anyone, let alone a whole segment of
our membership, from participating in
government is discrimination.
Please join me in protecting our
rights and vote no to defeat this unnec
essary and discriminatory amendment.
Thank you,
Alfred “Bud” Lane III
To the editor:
We’ve all probably received our
mail-out registration packet and the
deadline even expired to register with
the BIA for the special constitutional
election. I hope everyone did register
and is taking this threat to our rights
seriously.
Those on council who voted to
bring this issue to us in this way are
apparently willing to use any means to
get their way. There has already been a
court case over this issue and the judge
spoke clearly on the issue, cautioning
the Siletz Tribal Council to not interfere
with tribal members’ constitutional rights.
The people have also clearly spoken
on the issue previously by voting Bud
Lane into office when he was already
employed with the tribe while stating
openly that he intended to challenge the
policies and ordinances set by Tribal
Council barring tribal member employ
ees from serving on council.
I’m sickened by the time, energy,
and money wasted by council in fight
ing this issue when there is, as I’ve
already said, clear direction from the
court and our tribal people. This is sim
ply an attempt by some of our Tribal
Council members to limit the field of
candidates (i.e., competition), which
catches them in a contradiction because
the same ones used a potential larger
field of candidates as reasons to vote
for the proposed hourly rate increase
for council wage.
Do we really want to establish tribal
member employees as second-class
tribal citizens? And limit their ability
to contribute to the decision-making
body of our tribe when they are often
the most qualified and experienced in
dealing with the issues?
What about the goal of employing
even more tribal members in our ad
ministration, casino, and the growing
list of affiliated businesses? All would
be barred - based on their employment
status - if you vote yes. Barring a class
of people in an already small pool is a
threat to effective tribal government.
We have had a tribal member
employee serving since last February.
The sky has not fallen and he has con
tributed greatly to the discussion and
decision-making of the tribe.
Please think long and hard before
voting on this issue and decide if we
really want to begin limiting tribal
members’ rights by amending our
Constitution. Our Constitution has
served us well and to tamper with that
is a serious matter.
Please vote no on the constitutional
amendment and tell the Tribal Council
members responsible for this to focus
on more constructive issues.
Sincerely,
Robert Kentta
October USDA Distribution Dates
Siletz Tribe, Chinook Winds,
Chamber Host Candidates Fair
The Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians of Oregon, Chinook
Winds Casino Resort, and the Lin
coln City Chamber of Commerce
will co-host a Candidates Fair in the
casino’s convention center on Oct. 3
at 2 p.m.
All candidates who will appear
on the ballot for Lincoln City voters
have been invited to participate in this
event, including those running for
city, county, state, and federal offices.
Local radio personality Roger
Robertson from KBCH will moder
ate the Candidate’s Fair and monitor
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Siletz News
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the live remote that will be broadcast
over radio stations KBCH in Lincoln
City and KNPT in Newport, reach
ing a listening audience covering cen
tral and north Lincoln County as well
as south Tillamook County.
The format allows each candidate
time to present his/her platform and
answer questions from the audience.
The public is encouraged to at
tend this free event. Refreshments
will be provided and tables will be
available for candidates’ information
and information on ballot measures.
October 2004
Siletz
Monday, Oct. 4
Tuesday, Oct. 5
Wednesday, Oct. 6
Thursday, Oct. 7
Friday, Oct. 8
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Salem
Monday, Oct. 18 1:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 19
9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 20
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
We are making some very exciting
changes to the USDA commodity pro
gram in the coming months. Come by and
check it out if you get the opportunity.
We also would like to thank Ramona
Fisher for placing youth at our ware
house for the summer. Spencer Hatch
has been a great addition to the ware
house, especially when we are
palletizing food to take to our Salem
warehouse and receiving shipments.
Thanks also to Frede Rodriguez,
and they always had a friend with them,
Josh VanHoorebeke. They were a great
help with distribution, transfers, and
new shipments.
Remember, we are always looking
for a community member to come into
our kitchen at both
the Salem and
Siletz warehouses
to do a cooking
demonstration. If
you call in advance
and let us know what you need for your
recipe, we will make sure we have the
additional items.
Happy meals!