CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
New Siletz Tribal Council
I wish to begin my chairman’s re
port this month by welcoming newly
elected members Robert Kentta, Phil
Rilatos, and Loraine Butler to the Siletz
Tribal Council.
Robert and Lorraine are new, never
having served on the council before, but
Phil is an experienced council member,
having served several years ago. All
three bring to the tribe’s governing body
diverse backgrounds, knowledge,
and perspectives.
I also would like to acknowledge
and express my gratitude for the many
years of dedicated service to the Siletz
Tribe by Jessie Davis, Jane John, and
Rosemary Landis, the three incumbents
who lost their council seats in the re
cent election.
And finally, a personal note about
my being re-elected tribal chairman: I
appreciate the confidence placed in me
by the Tribal Council. At the same time,
I am acutely aware of the responsibili
ties that come with this office and the
challenges that lie ahead for our tribe.
I will, as I always have, represent
the Siletz Tribe to the best of my ability
and welcome the opportunity of work
ing with newly elected executive officers
of the council. The new vice chairman
Wilkinson, who has wanted to write
a history of the Siletz Tribe, will com
mence working on the project next
month. Many of you may remember
that Charles greatly assisted the tribe
in gaining restoration back in the ‘70s.
The tribe’s recent trust application
met with some resistance from the lo
cal community. The concerns raised by
community members were responded
to. It should be noted that the Siletz
Tribe has made contributions to Siletz
Valley School and to the city of Siletz.
Dedication of U of O
Longhouse
Chairman Delores Pigsley
is Bud Lane, secretary is JoAnn Miller,
and treasurer is Phil Rilatos.
Wilkinson to Document
Siletz History
Charles Wilkinson, nationally rec
ognized expert on Indian law, has
agreed to write a history of the Siletz
Tribe. Charles’ historical account will
be based on extensive documented re
search conducted over the past several
years not only by our tribal historian
and tribal attorney, but also independent
studies conducted by credible histori
cal and legal experts.
I was pleased to present some re
marks at the dedication of the Univer
sity of Oregon Longhouse in Eugene,
Ore., in January.
I expressed the fact that the
longhouse had special significance and
held fond memories for me because it
was in the old longhouse that we had
many meetings during the period when
we were struggling to be restored.
The purpose and meaning of the
new longhouse will have great signifi
cance to the university. It’s a beautiful
facility that will be a great asset. The
chairmen of the nine Oregon tribes will
serve as an advisory group.
Meeting with Sen. Smith
Oregon tribes had another oppor
tunity to interact with Sen. Gordon Smith
- this time at a breakfast meeting in
Portland, Ore. He listened to the con
cerns and issues expressed by the tribal
representatives, specifically regarding
such issues as health and education.
Contributions to Lincoln
City, City of Siletz
Peter Hatch, Delores Pigsley, and David Hatch at the Native American Ball
in Washington, D.C.
Of concern to the Lincoln City
Council has been the issue of tax con
tributions by the Siletz Tribe.
In response to its request, I ad
dressed the City Council on the issue
of future tax revenues to the city if and
when the tribe applies for trust status
for lot 57 and the hotel property in Lin
coln City. Essentially, the tribe agreed
to make contributions to the city (not
pay taxes) comparable to the current
transient room tax.
While I was meeting with the City
Council in Lincoln City, other Tribal
Council members were meeting with
the Siletz City Council, specifically re
garding the purchase of land for hous
ing units in Siletz.
Inauguration and
Congressional Contacts
Like other tribes across the coun
try, the Siletz Tribe was represented at
the Presidential Inauguration by coun
cil members Rosemary Landis, Jane
John, Dave Hatch, Reggie and Lillie
Butler, and myself.
We also used this opportunity to
meet with the staffs of our two Oregon
senators, Gordon Smith and Ron
Wyden, as well as with Phil Hogen,
chairman of the National Indian Gam
ing Commission.
We were caught in a crowd of a
million people for the Inauguration;
because of security we had a difficult
time trying to watch the parade. All of
us attended the Native American Ball.
The weather was extremely cold and
as expected, security was at an all-time
high, but we were out there on the mall
with 1 million other visitors to the city.
Willamette University
Anniversary
At the Founders Day Anniversary
of Willamette University in Salem, Ore.,
I spoke about the past and present of the
Siletz Tribe within the Willamette Valley.
I recounted specifically how the
Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 was
superceded by an executive order
on Nov. 9, 1855, that moved the
Willamette Valley tribes to the Coast
Reservation.
I specifically named the tribes in
volved, which included the Molalla,
Kaiapuya, Santiam, and others.
I also pointed out that the tribe’s
past connection to the valley was rec
ognized by the U.S. Congress when the
Siletz Tribe was restored and given our
service area. This initially was an eight
county service area that later was ex
panded to 11 counties, including counties
within the Willamette Valley.
March 2005
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Siletz News
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