LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
My name is Phil Rilatos, Sr. It’s
coming up to election time again and
time for me to let you know that I will
be running for election again.
It was a close race last year. I re
ceived 330 votes and I still lost. The
first time I was elected to the Tribal
Council, I was elected by a “landslide”
of 175 votes. How times have changed!
I have some hot issues that I will
address during my campaign and that
will be on my agenda if I get elected
to the Tribal Council: housing, ICW,
hiring/firing practices, and Tribal Coun
cil involvement in all the boards.
When we started all this, we set
about creating programs and enterprises
to benefit our tribal members. We built
homes, we built a clinic, we set up a
court system, and we built a casino,
supposedly all for the benefit of our
tribal members. Then a ton of rules and
regulations were created that keep our
tribal members from participating or
being successful.
I would like you to know that my
concerns are not with the staff of these
programs. My issue is with the policies,
rules, and regulations that govern these
programs and the governing bodies that
develop them.
This past year, I have experienced
or have heard of situations that are just
plain dumb. What have we become?
Today, tribal progress, success, and
wealth have destroyed what we once
held dear to us when we were poor.
Grandparents used to always have a
voice that was honored and respected.
“Homeless” was not a word in our vo
cabulary because we cared and shared
what we had. It may not have been
much, but we shared.
I can get quite emotional when talk
ing about some of these things because
I am old enough to remember “the good
old days” when money didn’t mean
much because no one had had any. We
never had such a thing as homeless be
cause our doors were always open and
no one went hungry because we shared.
Children always had a home as long
as we had grandpa and grandma. Evic
tion was something white folks did.
There was nothing to evict from. Evic
tion creates homeless people.
If elected, I want to work toward
reviewing and revising some of these
policies, rules, and regulations so they
benefit tribal members as they were
originally intended to do.
If you have any issues/concems you
would like to talk to me about, you can
reach me at 541-563-2739, or by fax at
541-563-6789, or P.O. Box 1927,
Waldport, OR 97394.
Phil Rilatos, Sr.
To the editor:
I just want to thank my husband,
Todd, for all the support that he has
given me, for letting me quit and have
a good summer with the kids. I have
been in need of a long vacation and
finally I was able to do it this year.
I still keep busy, but not in the way
as before. My kids have been fun to
hang out with. I have learned a lot from
them and I am glad that 1 have had the
opportunity to spend quality time and
do things that we never were able to do
before. I also had fun with my little
cuzzies (Ryan, Ab. and Damian).
Thanks, boyz.
So now that summer is over and all
the kids are back in school, I will have
to find something else to keep me busy.
Not to hard to do, rainy weather com
ing, good time to play on my quad again.
Violet Lafferty-Moore
4
•
Siletz News
•
November 2004
To the editor:
To my family,
I’ve never asked permission to act
as I do, never felt compelled to explain
myself. I act as I do straight from the
heart, as it comes naturally to me, right
or wrong.
I see need and I’m there. I often feel
misunderstood. But I know those who
would judge me probably should. For
as they focus their anger on me, some
one else who normally carries that bur
den is finding relief. Without benefit of
even a conversation to get to know me,
people often judge me.
I am loving everyone, praying for
forgiveness, understanding, and a sense
of community. Maybe I just hurt too
much inside to see that I’m not alone,
but all my life, for 29 years, that’s how
it’s been for me.
I was punished for my parents’ sins,
just like all the kids taken by ICW who
will end up like this. No foundation of
spirituality, no traditions, no roots, just
skin that looks different and a heart that
beats stronger than anything they read
about in books.
We are Native! That can’t be de
nied. I’m living proof that given time,
the blood will rise. It’ll rage out until it’s
heard. If I’ve offended, if my actions
have pushed you away, please under
stand that they were screaming for what
1 was too afraid to say. 1 need all of you.
If you knew how hard it was to get
here, maybe you wouldn’t see a men
ace, but a child who is frightened, not
been hugged, loved, or comforted in
years. And because of my life, I won’t
let anyone near. Just like a wild animal,
I can sense the fear that means there’s
no trust and it screams danger to me.
Ask one of the kids, they all know
me. I see them every day as I run the
streets. None of them fears me. I’m do
ing the best that I can to make up for
my hatred by sharing in love, by learn
ing to forgive.
But it’s so hard, it terrifies me. I
haven’t quit, so please, don’t quit on
me. The kids listen and if they’re down
in the trenches, that’s where you’ll find
me. I’ll leave no child abandoned as
long as there is breath in me.
I did it once to my own son and it’s
all I can do to look in the mirror and
remember. All these messed-up kids on
probation, headed for MacLaren, they help
me. They teach me to hope because they
trust me. And together, we’re brothers
- a tribe - so please, I beg you all, help me!
I just want to clear up my life and
help keep kids off the streets, teach
them the songs around the sacred drum.
I swear before my Creator, all of this is
true. 1 don’t know how you can help
me, but please do what you can.
Thank you for listening.
AHO-Undatyae (All My Relations)
Randall Butler