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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2005)
TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS Ask Raven Raven will answer your questions about problems associated with alco hol, tobacco, and other drugs. Look for boxes in tribal offices with Raven’s picture. You can leave your questions for Raven in these boxes. Those ques tions suitable for Siletz News will be answered here. If you want a confiden tial answer to a question, please leave an address and Raven will contact you. Dear Raven: Why does alcohol and tobacco consistently play a huge role in this nation’s history? Dee Dear Dee: When the Europeans came to North America, they brought alcohol. Native people saw alcohol as a supernatural substance that could dull pain and change how a person saw things. Many also thought it was not a good thing. They believed it was poison - something that could make a person become possessed by a bad spirit. The fur trade in the 1700s spread alcohol use to a wide group of people. Traders used it not only as a reward for a good trapping, but also to cheat people out of their rightful payment. In the early 1800s, Native leaders started calling for the U.S. government to stop the traders from offering alco hol to their people. These leaders saw that family violence, social destruction, suicide, and murder happened when their people drank alcohol. Little action was taken until 1832 when the Fort Smith outpost in Arkansas was burned to the ground by a group of angry people who were under the influence of alcohol. Congress then passed a law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to Native American people. The law remained in effect until 1953. The only way a Native person could get alcohol was through bootleg gers and smugglers. Because of this, those who wanted to drink had to hide their alcohol. They bought it in large quantities and tended to drink it all at once. These practices continue. Native Americans have one of the highest rates of non-drinkers of any ethnic group in America. However, they also have one of the highest rates of suicide, violence, incarceration, accidents, and illness due to alcohol compared to any other eth nic group. 8 • Siletz News • Siletz Tribal Alcohol & Drug Programs Prevention, Outpatient Treatment, and Women’s Transitional Siletz: 1-800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286 Eugene: 541-484-4234 Next month I will talk about to bacco. There also is a lot more to say about alcohol. If others want to contrib ute to this conversation, please put your comments in the Raven boxes. Thanks for writing, Dee! Raven Dear Raven: Do you think you should force your child to take a drug test if you think they are using? Anonymous Dear Anonymous: Most of the time, my answer to this question is “yes!” If you find out that your child is not using drugs, then the worst that has happened is that they will feel you didn’t trust or believe them. You can work to let them know that you do have confi dence in them, but that sometimes as a parent you have hard decisions to make and have to do the best you can to make sure they are safe. If you find that your child is using drugs, then you may have intervened at a critical time, making the difference in your child’s future. If you think that you may want to have your children take a drug test, tell them ahead of time so it will not come as a surprise. Like I said a few months ago, “Get between your child and drugs any way you can!” Good luck! Raven Announcements If you think your child may be at risk for alcohol, tobacco, or other drug problems and/or juvenile delinquency behaviors, please call Delina or Crista at 1-800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286. One of them will talk with you about risk factors and those things that help protect your child from developing those problems. They will help you develop a prevention plan that will support you as a parent and provide your child with support for making good choices. Activities It’s almost spring and spring break! If you want to be involved in kayaking, canoeing, or hiking, please let an A&D staff person know. March 2005 Meth Task Force Meeting March 1, 2005 - Noon Siletz Tribal Housing Department Conference Room Salem: 503-390-9494 Portland: 503-238-1512 willing to chaperone. All volunteers need to have a criminal background check, so please contact us now if you have any interest. Area Office Services Male Volunteers Needed We need you to volunteer, even once a year, to chaperone a youth prevention activity. We currently have one male staff person who chaperones. Without more help, we will have to limit over night activities for boys and young men. We will be glad to talk with you about the kinds of activities you are We have a new counselor in the Eugene office. Please call Nora Moore if you need A&D services in the Eugene area. A vacancy still exists in Portland and Conrad is going there one day a week. Hopefully, there will be a coun selor there soon. If you have any questions about services, please call the Siletz office at 1-800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286. Royalty Crown Proposals Due The Pow-Wow Committee is now accepting proposals for the 2005 royalty crowns, which are for Miss Siletz, Jr. Miss Siletz, and Little Miss Siletz. Crowns do not include years but do include separate barrettes that are approximately j 3 inches in di ameter with the year 2005 on them and matching the B crown’s colors. All pro- posals must W be submitted with a pro- posed design, j including color scheme, size of beads, size of crown(s) and total cost. Preference will be given to crowns containing the state of Oregon with treaty date, cursive writing, and mini mum bead size of 11 or smaller. -J ' K S' Proposals must be re ceived by March 31, 2005. You can submit proposals for as many crowns as you would like. Payment is made after the crown(s) and barrette(s) have been completed. Crowns must be finished by July 31,2005. Mail pro posals to Siletz Pow- Wow Com mittee, P.O. Box 549, Siletz, OR 97380-0549. Questions? Please contact Nick Sixkiller at 541 -484-4234. ms 4 I I
