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
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Siletz News
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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