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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2005)
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Governor’s Annual Summit On Oct. 21, Gov. Ted Kulongoski met with officials of the nine Oregon tribes in Portland in what has become known as the Governor’s Annual Summit. Tribes were asked to submit to the governor issues and information of spe cial interest in advance of the meeting. Although we were unable to speak on those issues in any detail during the sum mit, the governor and tribal chairmen had an opportunity to comment on and ask questions about the issues. As it was at every previous summit, panels met in what are known as cluster groups to review issues of the past year and highlight those that remain to be ad dressed. The cluster groups, composed of state officials and tribal officials and staff, address specific program areas, i.e., edu cation, economic development, housing, culture, etc. During the general sessions, each tribe had an opportunity to highlight one program that it considers of special inter est and that merits special attention. We chose to present our Aquatic Eel and Fish Restoration program. As our Siletz Tribal members already know, it’s a very innovative program where fish are filmed by underwater cameras in Siletz Bay to study their behavior and identify the issues involved in their sur vival. The program is funded by grants from the Environmental Protection Delores Pigsley Agency, Fish & Wildlife Service, Port land Harbor, and other agencies. We are proud of the fact that the pro gram was featured as a television special on Oregon Public Broadcasting. Our Natural Resource Department is to be commended for this outstanding innova tive program that has far-reaching biologi cal and ecological significance. Oregon Tribal Leaders Forum You will recall how I have commented in previous issues of Siletz News and Nesika Illahee about the fact that Indian tribes currently face critical economic and legal issues. I said that not only can ma jor natural disasters have serious negative Some Siletz Tribal Children Need You! The Indian Child Welfare Program If you are thinking of becoming a I needs good homes for temporary and foster parent or relative placement, or long-term placement for some of our just have questions, contact Sandra Siletz Tribal children. Foster homes and Simmons at 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1275, or 541-444-8275. Packets on the 1 homes for relative placements are needed, both locally and within the 11- certification process and information county service area. sessions are available upon request. __________________________ > impacts on the funding of federal Indian programs, but federal court appointments also can result in adverse legal conse quences for tribes. It was timely that an Oregon Tribal Leaders Forum with Sens. Gordon Smith. John McCain, and Ron Wyden was con vened in October and hosted by Portland State University. All nine Oregon tribes, as well as the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, were present and were given the opportunity to present issues and concerns to our senators. Ma jor concerns brought to the senators’ at tention included the lack of necessary health care funding, stagnant education funding, the Cobell court case (involving all trust issues), and proposed Indian gam ing legislation. In response to our request that Bu reau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service budgets be exempted from any cuts or recessions, the senators listened intently to these concerns and responded that across-the-board budget cuts would not occur. NCAI I attended the annual National Con gress of American Indians (NCAI) con vention in Tulsa, Okla., hosted by the east ern Oklahoma tribes. Reggie Butler, Lillie Butler, and I represented the Siletz Tribe. Typical of NCAI conventions, it in volved a very busy agenda not only with general sessions, but also with breakout meetings held simultaneously on eco nomic development, gaming, and other important topics. The three of us attended the general sessions as well as commit tee sessions and various luncheons, recep tions, and special programs. Joe Garcia, governor of the San Juan Pueblo of New Mexico, with the support of the Northwest tribes, was elected NCAI president. At this annual meeting, we were pleased that the Harvard Project recog nized the Oregon Native American Business Entrepreneurial Network Most Often Requested Numbers (ONABEN), of which our tribe for sev eral years has been an active participant. A special dinner was given in honor of ONABEN along with 12 other diverse programs nationwide. Wilma Mankiller I was proud to be asked to welcome Wilma Mankiller to Oregon, the former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and an Indian leader of national prominence. Wilma currently occupies the Wayne Morse Chair of Law and Politics at the University of Oregon. She spoke elo quently at an evening gathering to a packed audience. I presented her with a Siletz treaty blanket. I also was on the Women’s Leader ship Panel the following day. The Women’s Leadership Conference recog nized Sue Schaeffer, chairman of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians, and Kathryn Harrison of the Grand Ronde Tribe for their accomplishments. Investments Finally, without going into specifics, I would like to report that the Siletz Tribe's common stock investments in sev eral large companies generally are doing well, i.e., Boeing, General Electric, Lowe’s, Pepsi, Merrill Lynch, Google Inc., Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft Corp, Yahoo Inc., to name a few. I urge tribal members to support these companies in which we have vested interests. You know that the Siletz Tribe, with an eye to the future, has been wisely allo cating part of our gaming revenues to various funds, including endowments for culture, capital replacement, health, and education. The principals of these endow ment funds remain untouched and con tinue to grow as gaming revenues are added to them and only their interest will be used for special circumstances. Details of our investments and en dowments will be reported in an upcom ing issue of Nesika Illahee. Nuu-wee-ya’ (our words) Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians 1-800-922-1399 Salem Area Office 503-390-9494 Salem Finance Office 1-888-870-9051 Portland Area Office 503-238-1512 Eugene Area Office 541-484-4234 Springfield Siletz Tribal Head Start 541-747-0161 Contract Health Services (CHS) 1-800-628-5720 Portland Siletz Community Health Clinic 1-800-648-0449 Portland Area Office Siletz Alcohol and Drug 1-800-600-5599 Dec. 13-6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Chinook Winds Casino Resort 1-888-244-6665 Chemawa Health Clinic 1-800-452-7823 Bureau of Indian Affairs 1-800-323-8517 Web Site www.ctsi.nsn.us Introduction to the Athabaskan Language Open to tribal members of all ages Siletz Salem Siletz Tribal Community Center Dec. 6-6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Salem Area Office Dec. 12-6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 3-6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 10-6 p.m. to 8 p.m. i _ Eugene Eugene Area Office Dec. 5-6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 9-6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 17-6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tribal members who need help on cultural projects should contact the Siletz Culture Department. We can assist you prior to the language classes. For more information, contact Bud Lane at the Siletz Culture Department at J 541-444-8320 or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1320; or e-mail budl@ctsi.nsn.us. ........ . . December 2005 u - • Siletz News • 3
