LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
Congratulations to our 2006
elected leaders - Reggie, Frank, and
Jessie! Thank you to persons who sup
ported my candidacy this year.
Some of the comments I received:
“You are passing on valuable informa
tion that a lot of us do not have access
to ...” “Calling a spade a spade, while
honest, makes some people nervous
...” “Bureaucracy that is strangling the
tribe and creates division between
those who ‘rule’ and those who get
‘services,’” “1 appreciate your honesty
and your integrity. Keep on going, you
are doing fine.”
I was saddened by the low number
of ballots returned (only 46 percent of
voters’ opinions represented, 54 per
cent of ballots uncounted or not
returned - this doesn’t count the
number of persons who were “not reg
istered” or didn’t even receive a bal
lot!). (This can change by printing list
in December).
I hope we’ll see “term limits” for
council members - see minutes Grand
Ronde General Council (they acknowl
edge what every tribal members says
(listing roll #). (www.grandronde.org/
cou nci l/meeti ngs/ge neral /1 0-09-
2005.pdf)
Posting Tribal Council and commit
tee meeting minutes on the Internet
would allow members to ask questions
about what was voted on, help us get
from where we are to a more open
honest governmental body, listening
to, advocating, and sharing info with
the membership.
I believe proposed changes to or
dinances should appear in our tribal
news 60 days prior to these changes
being approved (In 1997, this occurred.
thanks to efforts of Ray Blacketer. Why
did it stop?)
I look to Jessie Davis as the person
who could make a motion to allow
tribal members and tribal casino em
ployees to attend Chinook Winds
Board of Directors meetings, implement
procedures that support our tribal Con
stitution in the treatment of our tribal
member casino employees, and seri
ously look at our “Employee Conduct
Policy,” which violates our civil rights.
We have a right to speak about what
we feel is injustice or no access to de
tails involving our revenue from our
casino, or how the revenue is being used
to operate programs that provide ser
vices to our members. Our tribal mem
bers fear retribution, we have limited
and at times no access to health care.
We must be proactive and in order
to do that in the most efficient manner,
we need access to information. Not
censorship. Contact me 541-444-1290,
541-351-0003 (cell), or nadosh2@
yahoo.com.
Don’t allow tribal government of
ficials or administrative staff to support
censorship. Request admittance at
meetings where decisions occur/deter-
mine outcome of tribal member finan
cial resources and program services.
Make certain your voice and concerns
appear in the written minutes - others
want to know what you think!
Omission of your perspective is
censorship and is used as a method
to control votes! I made a commit
ment and I’ll continue to share with
those persons and anyone who contacts
me in the future.
Respectfully,
Lisa Brown
2006 Charitable Contributions
Advisory Board
The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians has established a Siletz. Tribal
Charitable Contributions Fund Advisory Board to distribute profits from Chi
nook Winds Casino Resort. The advisory board will consist of one Siletz
Tribal Council member, three Siletz Tribal members, two non-tribal mem
bers from Lincoln County, and one member of the general public from the
tribe’s service area.
Term of office is three years. Siletz Tribal members interested in serving
on this committee must fill out the following form and return it to the address
below by April 28, 2006.
Please send your application to Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians,
Attn: Kelley Ellis, P.O. Box 549, Siletz, OR 97380-0549; fax 541-444-2307.
Roll Number:_______
Name:
Address:__________________________________________________________
City:
State:
_________ZIP:_________
Telephone: (Day)____________________ (Evening)______________________
E-mail:_____________________________________________________________
Tribal Council will review applications and approve appointments at its
Regular Tribal Council meeting in May. If you have any questions, please
call Kelley Ellis at 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1227, or 541-444-8227.
4
•
Siletz News
•
April 2006
To the editor:
On 2/14/06 just shortly after 8 p.m.,
the heat at Chinook Winds quit work
ing. There was no heat all night on
graveyard and into the day shift.
At 10 a.m., the temperature was 58
degrees. The cage was using space
heaters from the box office until they
opened and took them back.
The finance director would not al
low the cashiers to wear long-sleeve
sweaters, only short-sleeve. The cash
iers pay for those sweaters out of
pocket for a reason, when it’s cold. The
cashiers were given little heaters to use,
but when they were plugged in they
shorted the breakers, shutting down
equipment needed to run the windows.
This of course forced the customers
to leave.
Why was all that money spent on a
new system and no backup? Why
would management not allow employ
ees to wear sweaters that the employee
paid for to stay warm? There were cash
iers working who were very sick.
I guess this is just another way for
management to save money. I did not
realize the employees could be treated
any worse.
I can’t say this enough - manage
ment needs to be changed, starting at
the top! I wish that someday the general
manager and everybody else would
To the editor:
This letter is for Jimmy Kikumoto,
Jessie Davis, and Dee Pigsley.
Jimmy, the lights on our casino are
a disgrace and an embarrassment to the
entire tribe. It makes my pride hurt.
You already know how 1 feel about
standing in line. Change people used
to cash tickets, a brilliant customer con
venience. What happened? You wrote
me a letter and said that you had an
aggressive action plan going in place.
When? I still have the letter.
Jessie Davis, I’m so glad to see you
back on Tribal Council. Jimmy has
everyone programmed not to look up.
Bull dog and roughhouse the key away
from him, jam it in his back, and wind
him up good and tight.
Poor job performance, poor work
habits, refusal to work are grounds for
immediate termination. Explain that to
him. Phil Rilatos? Please help Jessie and
pay attention. It’s lesson time!
Dee, I'm so disappointed in you.
One personal letter, two letters to the edi
tor. Ten, 11 months and not a single word.
On Feb. 4 at the General Tribal
Council meeting and elections, you
leaned over the table and called me and
Bennie Brown the Peanut Gallery. I
heard peanut real clear. Remember?
Ask Bennie. Better yet, check the video.
I’m known for my smile and good
manners, so as nice as I can, I want you
realize that it is the employees who
keep that casino running.
So why treat the front-line employ
ees like dirt? I see employees away
from the casino and all they can say is
that Chinook Winds is the worst place
to work, but the pay is good. The pay
should not be the only reason people
work at Chinook Winds! Besides pay,
people want management that stands
behind them and works with the
employee, better benefits that don't get
worse all the time and change with
no notice.
Most of all, the unwritten policies,
such as the cage manager’s unwritten
policy that does not allow cage super
visors to associate with cashiers away
from work, yet the manager has super
visors and cashiers at her house all the
time! Since when do the managers
have control over the employees away
from work?
It’s not hard to see that if we keep
certain members of management, the
casino will be run into the ground. If
only we can go back to the days when
Chris Steinbach and Jim Lorson were
both acting as general manager. But
they were too knowledgeable and were
let go.
George Blacketer
to know that I no longer support or back
anything about you. No mail either,
please, I don’t like chain letters, Dee.
My name is Woody Muschamp and
my local family history comes from a
place called Lower Farm. Have you
ever heard of Lower Farm or did you
forget? It’s down river from Siletz.
My mother. Gladys Muschamp,
said that in the old days it went clear to
the ocean. She also said that if anyone
ever talked to you and they put er on
farm, don’t use (listen) your ears any
more. They’re not from Lower Farm.
Please apologize to Bennie Brown.
1 don't want one nor will I accept one.
Frank Simmons? Tell my elder
friends that I’ll visit and eat with them
in 2013 when I turn 65. I ll miss the
bus rides the most.
Tell your elder friends “one down”
- then give each other a handshake,
big, big hug. include a smile ... it won't
cost a thing. Get my drift?
Frank, I have a brand new over
hauled heart, three months of re-hab.
In 30 days, we pick up the pace.
True and Truer,
Woody Muschamp
Via Lower Farm
P.S. Please tell me, someone, what’s
wrong with a lowly janitor wanting
the very best for our tribal casino and
CTSI ... anyone?