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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2005)
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT I recently attended the Minnesota/ Great Plains Indian Gaming Association annual meeting in Minneapolis. Off- reservation gaming was an important topic of discussion at the tribal chairman's roundtable discussion. Sen. John McCain has stated that he intends to reopen 1GRA because the off- reservation language is not good enough. There is constant pressure on Indian gam ing and the senator also stated that it’s not properly regulated. Therefore, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) needs more authority. Tribes have used the Harvard study to prove otherwise, but Sen. McCain is not listening. There are those who feel that he has his eyes on the presidency and is trying to distance himself from gaming. Some tribes have enjoyed great suc cess and that is why some in the non Indian world attack it so vigorously. They forget that tribes had to give up their To the editor: I would like to congratulate Van Peters, teachers, support staff, and the Siletz Valley School Board on the won derful article that ran in the News-Times on June 10. It’s great to know that our students are well taken care of and learn ing up to their potential. Keep up the good work. We, the com munity, are very proud of all that you have achieved. To the editor: It’s good to hear that ICW is working hard or has the ability to work to their potential. What saddens me is what one has to do to receive this type of work or help. The negative experiences that people have had with ICW are in fact real and have happened to real people. This is not a popularity contest. To comply, to speak up for what is right, makes no difference to ICW if judg ment has already been placed about the individual or their family. What happened to standing up for what is right for all people from all walks of life (without prejudicial judgment or conflict)? Reunification starts from the family. No person can break that bond! To our people who feel lost, don't give up your young spirit to any man. Pray. Don't give up. as we will all reunite again! Sincerely. Florieene Hutchinson (Flo) Frank used the term. “Where's the beef?” for those who claim that bad things are happening. No one has stepped up and said what bad things are happening homelands and certain rights to live on reservations, that is, where the U.S. wanted tribes. Now that tribes have found a way to be successful, people are trying to put restrictions on that success. Tribes did not want IGRA because it did restrict, but it was imposed and everyone made the best out of it. Tribes have been urged to write to Sen. McCain and express their concerns. If IGRA is re-opened for any reason, it will be unfairly used to add other provi sions that will not be helpful to tribes. At the roundtable discussion of tribal chair men. not one single tribe was in favor of re-opening IGRA. Frank Ducheneaux, former tribal lob byist, was the keynote speaker. He very eloquently expressed exactly how he felt about gaming regulations and re-opening IGRA. He said that there was much discus sion about the need to re-open IGRA because of the off-reservation issues that have been in the news. He says the pro cess is clearly defined in the law; it couldn’t possibly be defined better. To the editor: Everything looks good from a dis tance. But somewhere there is a toxic poison that has seeped into our commu nity and snatched the minds and bodies of the people we used to know and love. Somebody out there has been hang ing out with people who spend their time in a toxic kitchen pouring drain cleaner, rat poison and cold medicine together to make this poison to get high. I live a simple life and try to maintain it. I work hard to help kids have a sense of identity so they don’t need drugs or alco hol to feel like somebody. I try to get eight hours of sleep at night and 1 keep crank out of my life (crystal meth, speed, ice). Yet as I try so hard to keep it out, how did it creep into my backyard, smash out my car window with an ax, and ride off into the full moon street on my wallet full of irreplaceable photos and prescription sunglasses, plus cash that I worked for? If only drug addiction could be a per sonal choice - to each their own, but it’s become an epidemic, with good people getting caught in the proverbial crossfire of passive violence. This is not a victim less crime. Drug use has immense conse quences and horrific violence is involved - economically, spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially. I feel like our community is quickly morphing into a science fiction horror full of pod people and shells of people who once were and now are taken over by a virus that must continuously feed itself this poison. How beautiful are you when your soul is shattered into hollowness from a drug that will permanently alter your brain function into a state of irrevocable atrophy? How beautiful are you when you need to steal from other people to main tain your addiction, your disease? I feel sad and from a distance I see this once genuine and beautiful tribal and hometown community disintegrating from law enforcement and legislation lacking the power to stop this epidemic. This most recent incident that made me a victim (again) of this epidemic has upset me. If someone thought it would make me shy away - you're wrong! I’m com mitted much more now than I was before. I'm talking to everyone, even people who are using this drug now! Please give my stuff back - and get help. The last time this happened, my camera got returned and the person is on a better path now. Remember, by not taking action you give no resistance to the problem or the people who are the problem. Please be come a part of the solution; call and see what you can do to help. Respectfully, and with thanks to Kesa Emi Nomiyama of Eugene, whose phras ing in a letter in Eugene Weekly helped inspire this letter. Lisa Brown 541 -444-1290 or nadosh2@yahoo.com Delores Pigsley or where. Tribes also spend more money regu lating than Nevada or New Jersey. The fallacy that tribal regulation is not satis factory is just not true. He challenged NIGC to tell where the problem is, if there is one, which he believes there is not. 10th Anniversary During the weekend of June 25, Chi nook Winds celebrated its l0,h anniver sary. All of you remember the tense years prior to acquiring the property when our tribe actively sought a site for the casino. We all can be proud of the opening of the tent and then the grand opening of the casino. 1 hope you visited the casino and helped celebrate 10 years of success. General Council Meeting Aug. 6, 2005 -1 p.m. Siletz Tribal Community Center Siletz, Oregon Most Often Requested Numbers Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Salem Area Office Salem Finance Office Portland Area Office Eugene Area Office Springfield Siletz Tribal Head Start Contract Health Services (CHS) Siletz Community Health Clinic Siletz Alcohol and Drug Chinook Winds Casino Resort Chemawa Health Clinic Bureau of Indian Affairs 1-800-922-1399 503-390-9494 1-888-870-9051 503-238-1512 541-484-4234 541-747-0161 1-800-628-5720 1-800-648-0449 1 -800-600-5599 1-888-244-6665 1-800-452-7823 I-8OO-323-8517 Web Site www.ctsi.nsn.us Agenda Call to Order Invocation Roll Call Approval of Agenda Approval of Minutes Program Reports: Tribal Council Committee Reports Tribal Member Concerns Chairman's Report Announcements Adjournment July 2005 Siletz News • 3
