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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2006)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the editor: There was a comment made in the last newsletter by Lisa L. Brown regard ing our Tribal Council members who are also employed by the tribe. In re sponse to her “opposition,” I would like to point out that the Tribal Council members who are employed full time for the tribe are not out of the office any more than any other regular full- time employee. Being a fellow employee, I can state factually that all staff take occasional time off from their jobs as well as some of them normally work outside the of fice in the field, with other agencies, transporting, and providing services. Why should we deprive any mem ber from gainful employment to sup port themselves and their families? How many tribal members could work for $ 10 an hour and take care of them selves and their family? We as the membership had the op portunity to vote and pay Tribal Coun- cil a decent wage, and the majority voted against it. Tribal Council gets no benefits, including Social Security and retirement, so that when they do reach retirement age, they have no benefits to draw off of from the tribe If these Tribal Council members were employed by another organiza tion. would there still be opposition to them taking time off from their employ ment? If Lisa Brown is elected to Tribal Council, is she going to close her busi ness when she has to attend to Tribal Council duties? Also in response to the letters regard ing the proposed elders stipend, I would like to say thank you to the tribal gov ernment for even considering such a ben efit to our tribal elders even if at age 70+. I believe our tribal government is not selecting individuals to receive the stipend; they tire just utilizing the funds that are available. It’s unfortunate that we cannot provide this stipend to all el- ders or even all tribal members, but we are restricted on the amount of funds that are available for these benefits. Our casino is doing very well and our tribal government is venturing into additional businesses. Unfortunately, we cannot meet every tribal member's needs or desires because of laws and restric tions placed upon us as a sovereign na tion funded primarily by the federal gov ernment. Federal funds are decreasing annually, which means we have to use our revenues to fund services and programs. I understand it's frustrating for tribal members who live out of the tribes service area, but the majority of tribal members do reside within the 11 counties and I feel that the tribal gov ernment is doing a fine job at making sure those services are available and provided. We should all be thankful for what the tribe can provide. Thank you, Kelley Ellis To the editor: I'd like Tribal Council to vote on whether tribal members who need di alysis, chemotherapy, any serious dis ease can be transported on holidays. In 2004, 1 had coronary artery dis ease and infection in the sternum. In 2005, I had myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, renal dysfunc tion, respiratory failure, and kidney failure; now, kidney disease. Kidney failure needs dialysis. When you can't get rid of the fluids in your body, it causes swelling in your face, hands, feet, and lungs, making breathing very difficult. I had surgery for dialysis. One needle with a tube is inserted in my arm, draws out blood and puts it through a filter, cleaned and then flows back into my arm with another needle and tube. The filter removes the toxins and waste products from my body and bal ances the chemicals in my blood so they don't reach dangerous levels. I sit there for four and half hours, three times a week, I asked the doctors how long I’ll need dialysis, they told me, “Rest of my life.” I have no transportation; my mom cannot drive that far so 1 depend on tribal transporting. I had trouble getting a ride on Memorial Day, a Monday. The clinic said “no” when asked for transportation. Dialysis isn’t an office visit. It should be taken seriously and 1 hope Tribal Council votes on this. Another issue is dogs. I take my little niece to the park with my electric wheel chair; she likes the one by the mailboxes. 1 always face the park to watch her. As I was sitting there, three dogs surrounded me, one on each side and one behind me. The ones on the sides were very close to biting and attack ing me. They were a white/grey one, a black one, and a dark one. They did this for a few minutes, then left. Then they came back and did it again. My nephew who lives across the park saw them and rode his bike over to me and the dogs left. I asked him who the dogs belonged to. He said his neighbors. There are policies for dogs. They need to be kept in a fenced yard, tied up with a leash, or kept inside their house. Tribal Council should raise the fee for dogs. It's only $100 and should be raised to $1,000 to cover for lawsuits. Had those dogs attacked me, I would file a lawsuit for more than $100. Since that happened, I bought pep per spray and 1 keep it in my hands when at the park. I’d also like people in Siletz to keep an eye out for me, I’m missing a red beaded watchband; three beaded medal lions -green, black and silver, and red and white. I’m also missing an eagle fan with long fringe, a gold and garnet ring, a digital camera, and a beaded wallet. We just lost our last full-blooded tribal member. We’ll never have another full-blood enrolled again. This is sad. With respect. William S Strong To the editor: As a tribal member, I was very shocked and saddened that we lost a very valuable pharmacist. Melanie Liddell has always shown a great respect and caring for our tribal members who needed medication. Whatever happened, I feel there was great injustice done and it is going to be hard to replace her. Joella Strong To the editor: Dear Siletz Tribal members, I’m Edward G. Collins and I am writing today to the tribal paper for the first time. Respect goes both ways, from the top of an organization to the bottom. If you want your employees to have respect, you have to show respect. As a people we honor both the Eagle and the Raven. There is an Eagle on display at the casino that has not been respected. It is faded and filthy. Elders from other tribes come to the Oregon Coast and our casino. They not only see a poorly maintained build ing, but also see a tired and disrespected symbol of our people. Take the Eagle down; it is far better to not have it on display than to disrespect it. I have many other thoughts on the issues of respect/disrespect. Start with the Eagle, removing it would be one less thing at the casino that reflects poorly on the Siletz people. It would be a start, although there is still more that needs to be done. Let us start with one of our honored symbols. I am open to discussion on the is sue of respect. I now live in Lincoln City at The Dorchester House. My phone number is 541-994-9810. Call me if you want to talk about what could be done to improve the respect within the casino, the tribe, and for our people. Edward G. Collins r------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Siletz News Letters Policy Send letters to: Siletz News, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, is published once a month. Our editorial policy encourages input from readers about stories printed in Siletz News and other tribal issues. All letters must include the author's signature, address, and phone number in order to be considered for publication. Siletz News reserves the right to edit any letter for clarity and length, and to refuse publication of any letter or any part of a letter that may contain profane language, libelous statements, personal attacks, or unsubstantiated statements. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Siletz News, tribal employees, or Tribal Council. Please type or write legibly. Letters longer than 450 words may be edited for length as approved by Tribal Council Resolution #96-142. Siletz News P.O. Box 549 Siletz, OR 97380-0549 Please note: The general manager of the Siletz Tribe is the editor-in-chief 2 • Siletz News Editor-in-Chief: Brenda Bremner Editor: Diane Rodriquez Assistant: Laurel Johnson August 2006 541-444-8291 or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1291 Fax: 541-444-2307 E-mail: pias@ctsi.nsn.us Deadline for the September is sue is Aug. 10. Submission of articles and photos is encouraged. Please read the Passages Policy on page 24 when submitting items for Passages. Member of the Native American Journalists Association | | | I Siletz News is free to enrolled Siletz Tribal members. For all others, a $12 annual subscription fee applies. 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