LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
1 have read the Feb. 3, 2007, Gen
eral Council Meeting minutes and I
agree with Kelley Ellis that an Enrollment
Committee needs to be put in place.
There should not be one person in
volved in processing and recommend
ing approval/removal of tribal members.
The Enrollment clerk should be
treated like other committees, as a “staff
representative” recommending actions to
council based on committee decisions.
I encourage every tribal member to
read Tribal Council minutes. You can
be put on a mailing list by contacting
the Tribal Council secretaries.
Sincerely,
Cindy Urbach
To the editor:
After reading the letters in the April
issue of Siletz News, I would hope the
Tribal Council is taking a proactive
approach in making sure something like
this does not happen again.
Safeguards need to be put in place
in the Enrollment Department to pre
vent this from happening in the future.
Our tribe is not above fraud, and iden
tity theft is on the rise.
1. An Enrollment Committee should
be put in place to look at applica
tions for enrollment.
2. The ancestor the applicant is claim
ing should be posted on the Enroll
ment posting.
3. The Enrollment posting should be put
in our monthly Siletz News paper.
Thank you,
To the editor:
Kelly Lane
My name is Angella Robertson and
I live in Missouri. I just received my April
newsletter. I read all the letters submit
ted to the editor from the Mason family
and Wilma and Joella Strong.
I read that the Mason family has gone
to council and asked for a DNA test to To the editor:
I would like to thank Dr. Phillipson
be done on a man claiming to be the
son of Terrence Mason. His name reads for being a good doctor.
I will never forget in 2(M)4. my heart
Tristen, Leroy, John. Holt, Trudell.
1 read each and every one of their was fluttering. I called in and tried to
articles and I say they were all well- make an appointment but was told you
written and have left us readers all the had no opening for a couple of weeks,
facts, along with quoting the correct I thought I could wait.
My heart kept fluttering, so I called
ordinances and section on why this
back to try to get in earlier and the clinic-
man should take this DNA test.
If this man has submitted the cor told me that they could squeeze me in
rect paperwork like every one of our that afternoon, so I thought I could wait.
Well, my heart kept fluttering, so 1
enrolled tribal members had to do to get
onto the rolls, then there should be no called back again. I told the clinic that
I could not wait. I never had this hap
questions if he is eligible to be enrolled.
But since in reading the articles the pen to me before so they called the nurses
proper paperwork was not correct and and told them that 1 was calling and what
my heart was doing. They told me to
the Mason family went to court and
proved that the paperwork was falsified come in right now.
When I got there. Dr. Phillipson
and not legal, then how in the world
was waiting for me. She had a nitro
can one be enrolled? Good question.
I respectfully ask the Tribal Coun glycerin pill waiting for me. When I put
cil who voted to have this man not take that under my tongue, the fluttering
the DNA test, please give your reason stopped. I thought that now I-can go
ing here in our tribal newsletter. I am home, but 1 heard Dr. Phillipson tell the
very confused as to why you once nurse to call an ambulance.
I had heart surgery within a couple
voted to have him take the DNA test
and then you voted again and decided of days. I also got staff infection, but 1
am thankful that Dr. Phillipson knew
for him not to have to take one.
Was there any new evidence to sug what was wrong with me.
In 2001, my foot was in so much
gest he was eligible to be enrolled be
fore you voted the second time that pain. I never felt pain before; this was
wasn't mentioned in the tribal minutes? a bone infection. I felt the pain.
I went to the clinic; this was a dif
Did I miss something in my reading of
ferent doctor. I told him I was in pain
the minutes?
I also ask respectfully to the coun and I never felt this before and some
cil members who voted no, was this a thing was wrong. I also had a fever.
He just looked at my foot and said
personal reason on your part or did you
that he saw no blood. He told me to get
go only by the factual documentation
presented before, when you made your some cough syrup and go home and I
decision to vote no the second time on would be healed in three days.
Well, that night, my foot blew open.
this DNA matter?
Are there more facts to this case that There were two craters on the top of
my foot. Sometimes, I wondered why
the Mason family has left out? Or did
you have any unanswered question you didn't the doctor take a blood test or an
X-ray. Would he have seen something?
felt the Mason family didn't answer?
I called Gatekeepers and told the
Respectfully,
nurse who answered the phone to see
Angella Robertson
6
•
Siletz News
•
May 2007
To the editor:
Our elected leaders/administration
have the unfair advantage of provid
ing the facts that look good. Some tribal
members/employees portray a differ
ent perspective.
In the article, Dee Pigsley Among
Top 10 Gaming Women (... Pigsley cer
tainly gains the respect from those
around her), “People with new ideas and
fresh perspectives on improving pro
cesses inspire me, both of which can
be found in current employees. It’s good
to sometimes look beyond manage
ment for those fresh ideas. It is always
good to get consumer feedback.”
My viewpoint: 1 recall a tribal mem
ber who received less than favorable
feedback from the public when asking
them to complete a cultural center sur
vey. I wonder what the vote would be,
if left up to gaming enterprise employ
ees (not management), if they didn't
fear reprisal?
Managers are rewarded with lavish
bonuses, while workers share countless
stories about facility problems, mistreat
ment from managers and co-workers.
Management seemingly continues to
support an environment that lacks posi
tive morale/respectful communication.
There are many questions/concerns
pertaining to management of tribal en-
terprises/programs. The most pressing
is pursuit of construction of a “new'
health clinic.
The cost has been stated as
$7,500,000, a grant $2M (http://
tinyurl.com/3dfgu7) has been acquired
(the bill to us is going to be at least
$5.5M). This is optimistic because con
struction jobs seldom come in below
projected cost.
A comment that Lynette Warren
shared on www.siletz.net: “... members
who live out of area will get very little
benefit from this costly expansion. Yet,
all tribal members would benefit from
some fiscal responsibility on the part
of the tribal government. Maybe a more
modest renovation of the clinic is jus
tifiable, but our tribal government has
been on a decades-long spending
spree. They need to begin to apply re
if I could go to emergency. I told her straint and foresight when it comes to
what my foot looked like and that I was spending the tribal members’ money.”
in pain. She said, “No."
In my opinion, expansion of the
My niece came to my place to help present building, eliminating the park
me wrap my foot to try and stop the ing space (casino employees walk,
bleeding. I also had her call Gatekeep maybe same for clinic staff?), and a
ers and she too explained what was
multi-level structure could suffice,
happening and what my foot looked
rather that obligating revenue we don't
like. Finally, she said that I could go to have readily accessible.
emergency.
I'd like to see a transparent/detailed
There was a big difference with Dr.
accounting of tribal programs/projects
Phillipson. She knew what she was do (expenses related and funding
ing. I appreciate her for being here.
sources). Most importantly, goals/
Thanks.
objectives to determine how success
With respect,
ful we’ve been, if less than favorable,
William S. Strong
why/what can be done differently, and
who was responsible?
We now pay Toledo $268,196 for
law enforcement and we don’t have an
officer that resides in Siletz. It seems,
in the past, it wasn’t possible to suc
cessfully manage law enforcement, so
it was outsourced to the City of Toledo.
The Budget Committee? Dee Pigsley,
May 28
Bud Lane, Phil Rilatos Sr., Brenda
11 a.m.
Bremner, Sharon Edenfield. Brendii
Government Hill
Bremner supervised Law Enforcement,
Judy Muschamp - Clinic, Terry Fisher
Siletz, Oregon
- Housing, Jim Kikumoto - Casino.
This gives members an idea of where
Procession to Veterans Memorial
to start for questions that need answers.
Honor Guard
Yours truly
Lisa Brown, CPS
Welcome - Delores Pigsley
541-444-1290; nadosh2@yahoo.com
Invocation
The Lord's Prayer - Siletz Royalty
Memorial Day Address
I Mark Your Calendars
Presentation of Flowers
Culture Camp
Gun Salute - Honor Guard
Taps
j
July 17-19, 2007
Memorial Day
Ceremony
Closing
Lunch at the Tribal Community
Center at noon
Provided by the Culture Committee
|
If you’re interested in vol-
| unteering or attending the camp
| planning meetings, please call
I Selene Rilatos at I-800-922-1399,
I ext. 1246, or 541-444-8246.