LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
This letter is directed to the indi-
vidual(s) who left an off-the-wall note
on a brochure at the Singing Springs
Resort in Agness, Oregon. It was left
there by one of our elders during their
stay at the Run to the Rogue.
It seems the owners of Singing
Springs complained when they asked
a certain party not to drive on their lawn
and to not block the driveways, in case
of an emergency. Because the owners
wanted these rules followed, the author
of the note described Alan and Teri
Durham as Indian haters. I’m wonder
ing if this senior citizen would allow
anyone to tear up their lawn or to block
their own driveway?
Alan and Teri view the Indian
people of the lower Rogue River as the
original owners of that land and bend
over backwards to please us.
During my language classes, they
charged us $1,000 to use seven cabins
for over a week, which included laun
dry facilities, electricity, water, and
garbage. You would never find a deal
like that coming from white people.
And they allowed us to build a
sweat house on their grounds. Any
one knows, who has used a sweat
house, you have to make a large hole
for the rock pit and the fire pit. When
we were leaving, you wouldn't even
know a sweat house was there.
I travel there to attend the small gath
ering al Big Bend. Mr. and Mrs. Durham
allow' me to slay in their large travel
trailer for free. When Mrs. Durham
cooks breakfast for the many fishermen
who come through there on a daily ba
sis, I am invited to join in at no cost.
I am not "Indian in my heart'’- I am
% Tututni and % Hoopa. Roll number
934, and direct descendant of Chief
Ensalsun (see I960 rolls of the Tututni)
and Nocnoscia.
I can say very clearly that Mr. and
Mrs. Durham are not Indian haters.
Gilbert Jr. Towner
u
2
To the editor:
Dear tribal members
While I do not want to take away
from the compliment paid the general
manager of the casino in a recent letter, I
think that credit for recent increases in
our revenues from the casino should go
to the people who actually caused the
increases to happen, the Tribal Council.
The first big jump in the revenues
came after our two interim managers
took over. While the current manager
showed a $2 million increase his first
year, the prior managers had to make
up a carryover debt of nearly $2 mil
lion left by the prior manager.
The next big increase came after
the Tribal Council did a major refinance
of the loan we had on the area covered
by the expanded parking lot. We had a
high interest rate on that loan and they
were able to get a much lower rate.
Instead of leaving the rent payment
from the casino to the tribe the same, the
council decided to pass the interest sav
ings on to the casino operations. This
increased the casino revenues that year
by almost the exact amount of debt
reduction passed on from the council.
This past year, you noticed that the
per capita payments were almost ex
actly the same as the prior year. Up
until December, the projected payments
were lower than last year. The council
voted to change some of the payment
structures again in order to keep the
revenues up just high enough to cover
the new tribal members who were
added during the year and keep the per
capita payments the same.
If you discount the revenue in
creases attributed to council actions, the
income derived from casino operations
has actually been flat over the past few
years. Council should get the credit due
them for their actions taken to bring so
much needed money to our tribe.
This year you should see a large
increase in the net revenues from the
casino. The debt on the casino was paid
off about halfway through the year.
This eliminated millions of dollars in
principal and interest payments that
will now come back to the tribe as ex
cess revenue.
Gerald Ben
To the editor:
Dear Siletz. Tribal members,
I regret that I have to inform you
about my relinquishment in being Miss
Siletz 06-07. I haven't made the best
choices and my actions have proven
that to be true. 1 sincerely apologize to
all of you for disrespecting our past,
present, and our future.
I would like to amend the pain I have
caused to my family and my supporters.
To the editor:
Hum' chi' my relatives,
My name is Che' Butler and I am a
Siletz Tribal member. I am 17 years old
and a graduating senior of Taft High
School in Lincoln City. Oregon.
In 2004, I was elected by both the
OIEA membership and OIEA youth
membership to sit on the OIEA Board
to represent the youth in Oregon. I
have approached the OIEA Board with
three concerns that have been brought
to attention by my peers and adults.
These issues and concerns affect the
youth and our education in Oregon:
•
•
•
November as Native American
Month
Creating another award nomination
category for OIEA
Native mascots
The OIEA Board listened and made
some of the requested changes. I will
be addressing the Oregon Department
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
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Siletz News
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380-0549
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Siletz News
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Editor-in-Chief: Brenda Bremner
Editor: Diane Rodriquez
Assistant: Laurel Johnson
November 2006
.................
of Education's Board in December re
garding the “Oregon Native Mascots"
issue. I would like to hear how my rela
tives feel about the mascots. Please feel
free to write to me at Che' Butler. P.O.
Box 738, Lincoln City, OR 97367.
As a young person representing
my tribe and school. I find playing a
school that disrespects our people very
offensive. I have a younger brother
and many young cousins and nephews
who I don't want feeling the way that
I did/do. Disrespected when trying to
do the right thing and staying out of
confrontations can sometimes be hard
to do.
My relatives, you are welcome to
attend this Board meeting and support
us. We are your next generation and
the disrespect has to stop. I am not say
ing that using tribal mascots is offen
sive, but “it's in the context that they
use it."
Che' Butler
To the editor:
To tribal members,
My term as a Tribal Council member is up in February 2007. I will be apply
ing for another term and would like the support of your vote in February.
I will be putting a statement in the Voter's Pamphlet at a later date. For those
who have not registered to vote, I encourage you to call the Enrollment Depart
ment to get a registration card.
Lillie Butler
Siletz News Letters Policy
Please note: The general manager
of the Siletz Tribe is the editor-in-chief
of Siletz News.
I would like to add one more thing
- gossip. There is no need to talk about
my faults, although a majority of the
time that's all people can do and that's
all they do do! I have been more criti
cal of myself than any other person
could ever be.
Respectfully,
Tasha Rilatos
541-444-8291 or
1-800-922-1399, ext. 1291
Fax: 541-444-2307
E-mail: pias@ctsi.nsn.us
Deadline for the December is
sue is Nov. 9. Submission of articles
and photos is encouraged. Please
read the Passages Policy on page 20
when submitting items for Passages.
Member of the Native American
Journalists Association
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