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.
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Siletz News
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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
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