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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2007)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the editor: Big red flags appeared when I viewed some statements (www.siletz.net) made by Dee Pigsley and Craig Dorsay regarding the proposed constitutional amendment to remove approval of at torney contracts. This action was in place, according to Dorsay, “to prevent unscrupulous at torneys from exploiting Indian tribes” and as a “limitation on the power of the Siletz Tribal Council.” What is it going to take to define to those who are in these positions what actions constitute a conflict of interest? Without addressing the question of Craig’s scruples, which it looks like he thinks are just fine, if Congress put a law in place and our tribe’s founders (including Dee) incorporated it into our Constitution, by what mysterious mechanism does its relevancy suddenly evaporate less than 30 years later? Are there no more unscrupulous attorneys? The disciplinary committees of the bars in any state in the Union will dif fer. Crooks don't magically come forth and say they’re crooks! Let’s not ignore the conflict of in terest for Craig. He is basically saying: “I’m OK without my client using any safeguards - trust me!” It is a huge conflict for our attorney who stands to gain huge fees to be giving this opin ion; again, conflict! This amendment needs revision. Any such amendment should be put before the people, before it is put on a ballot, to receive suggestions from the mem bership. The same needs to be done with our ordinances/laws. I offer thanks to Lisa Brown for shar ing information with me and to Dianne McLeod for her help to publish the Tribal Court survey for the member ship to have a chance to respond and provide feedback. I am fearful of attorneys conduct ing business in secret with our Tribal Council and administration. At this time I have suffered extreme emotional, financial, and physical hardships fight ing for fair and equal treatment in our court system. The most frustrating is the process for our Tribal Court to support taking my per capita for child support. I be- lieve there should be an ordinance that limits the amount to be recovered to a maximum of 50 percent (realizing that nine times out of 10, the state of Or egon only takes 25 percent), so I can plan to use that revenue for bills or things I need for my family. I encourage others to share about their experiences and ideas for solutions. Respectfully, Glen Yarbrough 4 • Siletz News • Dear tribal members: It seems we have some members on our roll who are no more Indian than a KKK member. They would cast out anyone if they thought they would get one more dollar. Their mindset is I am Indian, give me money. Indian is in the heart and how you act. If you act like a hang around the fort beggar Indian, then you are to be pitied and ignored. People in glass houses should not throw stones. And I think you protest too much. You don’t end hate letters with God bless. You can’t believe in God and not what he teaches. If we put babies out in a field, would you run across them to chase money in the wind? Wise up; end your hate and anger. Remember, our dead don’t spit on their memory. Phil Rilatos Jr. To the editor: It has now been two months since our tribal elections and I have received some very strong statements on how we proceed in maximizing the return on our dollar. These are tax dollars and every taxpayer has a legal right to know how they arc spent! For the most part, I’m not against investment. I am against investment without due diligence! One of the tribe’s new partners owes his previous investors over $500,000! Dennis Lancaster of our STBC (old STEDCO) stated at the Feb ruary General Council meeting that he didn’t have a problem with that! It was interesting to note Mr. Cagey's facial reaction to that statement! I do not know who brought this company (UTSI) to our tribal and busi ness leadership, but due diligence was certainly not part of the process! These people need to be removed from our Tribal Council and our STBC board. At this point, 1 now have enough evidence to charge a number of Tribal Council with neglect of duty and gross misconduct. These charges will be stated at the May General Council meeting. The Tribal Council Ethics Ordi nance, Section 2.201 states, “Tribal Council shall maintain high standards of honesty and integrity." This entire policy has been grossly neglected! Also, with the motel and golf course under the umbrella of the casino, those catastrophic purchases now become overhead for the casino! Know this, the retired casino mortgage funds should have legally gone back into the net fund distribution, not simply pirated to “pay other bills,” as Frank Simmons stated at the last General Council meeting. I will challenge this at the state level and enforce our state gaming compact! I see in the latest issue of Nesika Illahee that Aeroteam now has only one tribal member in training. The number is supposed to be four. Why aren’t our alternates filling these “train ing” positions? Who is going to man our $2 million facility? I hope you all (friend and foe) have a great summer. Thank you, Monte W. Kentta To the editor: In response to Randall Hartwell’s letter ... what have I done? Unfortu nately I am sadly lacking in this area. 1 have never experienced a high from drugs; I have never had a problem with alcohol, I have not had the thrill of carrying a weapon. I have not had the sensation of being handcuffed or hearing a cell door slam behind me - all of the things you seem so proud of. And worst of all, I was raised by two very strict parents without help from anyone who taught me to be honest, independent, go to school, work hard, respect my country and the law. Oh yeah - and they threw in a few threats about getting into drugs, gangs, premarital sex, and other things that were suppos edly cool at the time. And what do ya' know - they accomplished their task. I am more concerned about how our children are raised than most people. I think our children should be raised in a two-parent home, free of alcohol, drugs, and abuse. 1 believe they should be in school, in church, and in the house before dark. I believe they need to work at age 16. I believe they need to respect their parents, their country, and the laws of the land. I believe they should be loved unconditionally! Every person has the right to make their own choices. If you choose the wrong things, you deserve the fallout from those choices. It is my opinion that our tribe is there to help tribal mem bers if and when they need help. Unfortunately, sometimes it ap pears that only those who take drugs or have babies with no daddies around, etc. can get help. Our responsibility is to raise our children (and in some cases our grandchildren) to do for themselves first and not rely on our tribe to always bail them out. I am proud of my heritage. My grandfather was a good man and he would be turning over in his grave if he saw some of the things going on in our tribe. Cindy Jackson May 2007 To the editor: On behalf of the Mason family, I would like to thank everyone for the phone calls and continued support you have shown my family and myself in regards to our letters in the April issue of Siletz News. It has never been my intention to humiliate anybody, but only to bring forward the truth. My family has a very strong value in our tribe and protect ing it and its members. This issue affects every one of us as tribal members. Our tribe has worked every day to get back what was taken from our an cestors and by enrolling people not of Siletz blood, history will repeat itself. Thanks again, respectfully, Kari Schaller To the editor: I have a concern regarding Tristan John being asked to take a paternity test. I don’t want to comment on Tristen or the Mason family. However, I do want to suggest that council change the Enrollment Ordinance immediately. My son is enrolled with no father on his birth certificate, only who I hand wrote on the enrollment application, which is Tyrone Roman Scott. My son's father was deceased when 1 had him so he had no say-so about me enrolling him and I am 110 percent sure he is the father. I was and still am willing to give him a pater nity test to anyone who would contest it. The problem is this: Not one single person questioned me when I put him down as the father of my child when I had him enrolled. Some people were spreading rumors that he may not be the father, but that was just pure stu pidity on their part, poor souls. But still, nobody questioned it. Tyrone never got to sign the birth certificate and to this day, my son's birth certificate is blank under “Father's Name.” My son could still be enrolled even if Tyrone wasn't his father. But his blood quantum would be different, which would possibly make a differ- ence down the line. When I had my son, I told my mother that I wouldn't be able to en roll Tyrone Jr. under his dad’s blood quantum because he didn't sign the birth certificate and she said, “Yeah, you will, don’t worry.” Sure enough, I went right in there and enrolled him under half ol my and Tyrone’s blood quantum. So. I ask council and other mem bers of the tribe, does my son need to take a paternity test? How many other “tribal members” need to take one? I am sure 1 am not alone in this boat 1 am simply one person who isn't scared to stand up and say there is a big possi bility that there are people enrolled here who shouldn't even be enrolled here and if council is going to request that Tristen do a paternity test, then maybe they need to request that all people with any questions as to their enrollment be tested My son will go first - we have nothing to hide. Trish Carey
