TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
TLC Attitudes of
Gratitude
hy Lynn Whitlow
Valentine's Day is upon us! A spe
cial time to remember those we hold
dear to our hearts, be they sweethearts,
family members, or good friends.
Some of us like to do and give nice
surprises to those we care about at un
planned, random times. Others need
little nudges, like scheduled holidays, to
remember to show appreciation to those
who add quality and joy to their life.
Why, oh why, is it so hard to rec
ognize those who add so much to us
and our lives? What in our life experi
ence makes it difficult to say, “Thank
you, I love you and appreciate you."
except on designated calendar days?
For some, it's hard on any day.
Anne Wilson Schaef, in Medita
tions For Living In Balance, says that
often when it comes to showing ten
derness. we have a mistaken belief that
it can make us vulnerable and we have
a fear of vulnerability. We believe that
tenderness is not strong. The reality is that
feeling tenderness and expressing it re
quires greater strength than avoiding it.
Love is such a precious gift. We have
so many expectations of what we want
and need that we often don't realize
what a gift we are being given. Step
back and take an inventory of the love
that is given to you: the gentle trust of
a child, the unconditional love of your
pet, the loyalty of your friend, the sup
port of a parent or sibling, and the time
and affection of your significant other.
Count your blessings and take a
chance. Reach out with tenderness,
gratitude, and generosity of spirit to those
whom you love and who love you.
At the TLC, we are so grateful for
those folks who demonstrate that they
care about us - our families; our
friends; the A&D staff; those folks who
work in support service offices and the
clinic, who sometimes go beyond what
they “have to” to help us; and to the
volunteers who stay with us, support
us, and serve us.
Thank you Trish Morningstar. Alice
McCain, and Levi Simmons!
We still could use a few more vol
unteers to help out. Give me a call at
541-444-8238 or 1-800-922-1399,
ext. 1238, to volunteer.
Happy Valentine’s Day and love be
yours!
Are drugs a problem in
your life?
Narcotics
Anonymous
We can help. You are not alone.
Please call 1-877-ADDICTS to
get meeting times and places.
February USDA Distribution Dates
Siletz
Monday, Feb. 5
9 a.m. - 3 p.m
Tuesday. Feb. 6
Wednesday, Feb. 7
Thursday. Feb. 8
Friday, Feb. 9
9 a.m. - 3 p.m
9 a.m. - 3 p.m
tribes. You don't have to be a Siletz or
Grand Ronde tribal member.
If you have a tribal ID that says you
are a member of any federally recog
nized tribe and you are within the
guidelines set by the USDA Food &
Nutrition Service, you are eligible to
rece i ve commodities.
If you or anybody you know is hav
ing
CT a hard time feeding
G/ their families.
please let them know about our program.
9 a.m. - 3 p.m
9 a.m. - 3 p.m
Salem
Tuesday. Feb. 20
1:30 p.m. - 7 p.m
Wednesday, Feb. 21
9 a.m. - 7 p.m
Thursday, Feb. 22
9 a.m. - 5 p.m
Many people who are receiving
food stamps have suddenly been cut
to $10 per month. We know how im
possible it would be to try to feed your
self for a full month with that amount.
Just remember that the Siletz Tribal
USDA Food Distribution Program is
available to all federally recognized
Kitti Navarro. USDA FDP Director
Joyce Retherford, USDA FDP Clerk
I-800-922-1399. ext. I 279.
or 541-444-8279
Happy Meals!
Cut Wood for the Elders Day
The Tribal Natural Resources Com
mittee and Natural Resources Depart
ment will sponsor a “Cut Wood for the
Elders Day" on Feb. 10. The woodcut
will be held at the old log yard at the
tribe s Toledo .Mill property.
We need lots of volunteers 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 pro
vided. We will meet at the tribal admin
istration building at 8 a.m. and cara
van to the mill. For anyone wishing to
come later, directions to the mill will be
posted on the front door of the building.
The goal of this event will be to
stockpile firewood for future delivery
to elders. There is a long list of elders
who burn wood for their winter heat.
People willing to haul firewood to
elders outside of the Siletz area should
contact Elders Coordinator Angela
Ramirez at 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1225,
or 541-444-8225 and she will pair you
up with an elder in need. We especially
need folks who can haul wood to the
Eugene, 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 pro
viding them
with the
means to
keep warm
during the
cold
months.
If your
parents or
grandparents are elders and burn
wood, you need to be at this event!
Walt’s Words of Wit and Wisdom
by Walt Klamath
Hello again - by darn time does fly.
I don't quite know where it’s going,
but it sure is in a hurry to get there.
Well, the main hunting seasons are
over for last year. Comes now the time
to start planning for this year. Things
are much like they were several years
ago, like what we don’t have and need
greatly, though we haven't brought
down any big game in years but still
need the equipment just in case.
You know it could happen! While
back in the mind, we know this is going
to be the year, can feel it in the bones, or
maybe it's cold weather we are feeling.
The planning takes place over the
kitchen table or on the easy chairs, but
we are not like the fishermen, though.
We don't talk about the one that got
away. It's more about the big one we
seen too far away or the yellow rumps
going through brush that was so thick
we couldn’t get through.
In a group, say maybe three or four
or more hunters, a little advice here.
Don’t be the first ‘cause it's hard to
change the story. As we all know, each
is going to have a bigger elk/deer/bear
than the previous storyteller.
After all is settled down and the
game is in the freezer, had to give over
half away ’cause the 30-foot freezer
was not big enough.
Then comes the distance shot. My
goodness, those mile shots are hard to
top. Then getting two deer or elk with
one shot at 800 yards is hard to top.
Most of us can't even see 800 yards
let alone shoot that far.
At least hunting on the coast here
where we live, some of us anyway, we
really don’t have to plan on meals.
Those of us who go over the mountain
’cause there are more and bigger game,
we think, takes some deep planning.
The bacon, eggs, chili beans, hard-
boiled eggs, not really a good combina
tion for a cramped tent or a 12-t<x>t camper.
Above all. there has to be coffee.
One does need a five-gallon cof
fee pot and several pounds of coffee.
You know - when someone comes by
the campsite, the neighborly thing to
do is offer them coffee.
Once they have tried it. they will
go way around the campsite so as not
to be offered coffee. Course, theirs is
no better and we know it. so we also
take the long way around but invari
ably will come across some dang fool
drinking that “mud" and in order to get
rid of it, offer anyone who comes by.
In fact, it's almost a demand.
After the hunt the same thing starts
over again - the big one seen, the long
distance shot, the whole works. Get
tired of hearing it in our own camp, so
go visit another. That same old coffee,
the same stories told by different people.
Course, I don't do those things.
Everything I say is the gospel, accord
ing to Walt, and it’s hard to keep quiet
and not tell them the truth of how bigga
one I got and is in the cooler waiting
to be transported home.
But like every hunter I know, we
love the companionship, the camara
derie. the fun of being out in the open
complaining about how cold it is.
Ah yes. it’s good to be out in the
woods, the plains, get away to rest for
a few days, then come home and boy.
that big 7x8 bull we missed at almost a
thousand yards. Really, it probably was
a spike missed at 50 yards. Been there,
done that.
Next year, me and my old jeep will
be seen climbing hills looking tor
something.
February 2007
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Siletz News
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