TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Cut Wood for the Elders Day
The Tribal Natural Resources Com
mittee and Natural Resources Depart
ment will sponsor another “Cut Wood
for the Elders Day” on June 17.
The woodcut will be held at the
woodpile located along Gwee Shut
Road behind the Tribal Public Works
shop in Siletz. We need lots of volun
teers to help cut and split firewood for
tribal elders.
Bring your chainsaws, hydraulic
wood splitters, splitting mauls, axes,
and lots of energy. Even if you don't
have any of those, we can use the moral
support! Lunch, drinks, and snacks will
be provided. We will start at 8 a.m.
There is a long list of elders who
burn wood for their winter heat. People
willing to haul firewood to elders out
side of the Siletz area should contact
Elders Coordinator Angela Ramirez at
541-444-8225 or 1-800-922-1399,
ext. 1225, and she will pair you up with
an elder in need. We especially need
folks who can haul wood to the Eu
gene, Salem, and Portland areas.
Previous woodcuts have seen more
elders showing up to work than young
folks! This is a challenge to all you
“youngsters” (in body and/or spirit)
out there to come out and show your
respect for the elders by providing
them with the means to keep warm
during the cold months.
Children and grandchildren of all
elders who rely on wood for their heat
need to come to this event.
Underage Drinking Awareness
by Delina John, Prevention Coordinator
For this month’s article, I have cho
sen to give parents facts about alcohol,
what it is and what it does to our bod
ies when consumed and also the health
hazards for our youth.
I want the truth to be known so that
if you as a parent are faced with your
children using alcohol, you can tell them
what the results can be if they choose
to continue, as I have stated in the past.
The message is very clear: Alco
hol use is very risky business for young
people. The longer you delay alcohol
use in your children, the less likely they
are to develop any problems associated
with it.
The information given here was
gathered from different Web sites that
are listed below. Please check them out;
they are great resources for you parents
to help with any problems you may have.
I also am available to help if needed
and can be reached at 1-800-600-5599
or 541-444-8267.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a depressant that comes
from organic sources, including grapes,
grains, and berries. These are fer
mented or distilled into a liquid.
Alcohol affects every part of the
body. It’s carried through the blood
stream to the brain, stomach, internal
organs, liver, kidneys, and muscles -
everywhere. It’s absorbed very quickly
(as short as five to 10 minutes) and can
stay in the body for several hours.
Alcohol affects the central nervous
system and brain. It can make users
loosen up, relax, and feel more comfort
able or can make them more aggressive.
Unfortunately, it also lowers their
inhibitions, which can set them up for
dangerous or embarrassing behavior.
Alcohol is a drug and is legal only for
people over age 21.
According to the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Adminis
tration (SAMSHA), 2.6 million young
people do not know that a person can
die from an overdose of alcohol. Al
cohol poisoning occurs when a person
drinks a large quantity of alcohol in a
short amount of time.
A standard drink is one 12-ounce
bottle of beer or wine cooler, one
5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces
of 80-proof distilled spirits.
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Health Hazards
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People who begin drinking before
age 15 are four times more likely to
develop alcohol dependence than
those who wait until age 21. Each
additional year of delayed drinking
onset reduces the probability of al
cohol dependence by 14 percent.
Adolescents who drink heavily as
sume the same long-term health
risks as adults who drink heavily.
This means they are at increased
risk of developing cirrhosis of the
liver, pancreatitis, hemorrhagic
stroke, and certain forms of cancer.
Adolescents who use alcohol are
more likely to become sexually
active, which places them at greater
risk of HIV infection and other
sexually transmitted diseases.
One study showed that students
diagnosed with alcohol abuse were
four times more likely to experi
ence major depression than those
without an alcohol problem.
Alcohol use among adolescents
has been associated with consider
ing, planning, attempting, and com
pleting suicide.
For more information about talk
ing with your children about alcohol,
tips for handling peer pressure, and
warning signs of a drinking problem,
please visit these Web sites:
www.niaaa.nih.gov
www.freevibe.com
www.theantidrug.com
Keyword: Drug Help
The Lincoln County Food Share purchased a cargo van to deliver food stock
to pantries in the county. The purchase was funded in part by the
Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund.
Firewood News
As of early May, the tribe’s Sam
Creek and Dry Creek firewood areas
are closed. A new unit, however -
North Fork #2 - is expected to open
by early June and will remain open
until fire season begins.
This unit has a mixture of fir, hem
lock, cedar, and a little bit of hardwood
located in decks at two landings. The
unit was logged this past winter.
Permits are required and may be
obtained at the Tribal Natural Re
sources office in the administration
building in Siletz from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
weekdays. Maps and directions also are
available at the same location.
Permits will be issued to tribal
members only, who will need to show
their tribal ID card and provide the li
cense number of the vehicle they will
use to haul the wood. Out-of-the-Siletz-
area woodcutters can call the numbers
below to have a permit mailed to them.
The permits are for tribal member
woodcutting for personal use only. This
firewood may not be sold. The person
named on the permit must be present
when cutting and hauling the firewood.
Tribal members wishing to cut
wood for tribal elders must present a
signed note from the elder stating that
the individual is authorized to cut fire
wood on their behalf. The note must
include the elder’s tribal ID number.
Permits are good for two weeks and
allow up to two cords of wood to be
cut on each permit. Each tribal mem
ber is allowed up to five cords total per
year from tribal firewood units.
The North Fork #2 unit may be
burned at any time to prepare for plant
ing, so get your firewood now.
For more information, stop by the
Natural Resources Office or call Tribal
Forester Mike Kennedy at 541-444-8232
or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1232.
Summer Internships Available
by Tina Retasket
The tribe once again is offering
summer internship opportunities for
higher education students.
Applications will be mailed auto
matically to higher education program
participants. If you are attending college
and would like an application mailed
to you. please contact the education
specialist in your service area or call
Darlene Carkhuff at 541-444-8201 or
1-800-922-1399, ext. 1201.
Summer internships are paid posi
tions that offer real-life experience with
a job at the tribe or at a position in the
area where you reside. The tribe is in
terested in giving our college students
work experience to supplement their
education in hopes that students will
return to work for the tribe in the future.
By working within a tribal organi
zational structure, students get a better
idea about the broad range of positions
within the tribe that might be of inter
est to them in the future.
Deadline for applications is June 9,
2006. Applications must include an un
official copy of the student's transcripts.
Selections will be made the week of
June 12-16, with a projected start date
of June 19.
June 2006
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Siletz News
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