LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
I am a law student working with
Professor Charles Wilkinson of the
University of Colorado on putting to
gether a history of the Siletz Tribe. Para
mount to the development of the book
is the inclusion of Siletz voices. The
research team is currently looking for
Siletz people to interview. We are also
looking for photographs and important
documents.
In 2005, the Siletz Tribal Council
approached Mr. Wilkinson and asked
that he put together a Siletz history b<x)k.
Mr. Wilkinson is an attorney and ac
complished author, and has previously
done legal work for the Siletz Tribe.
The book is rather comprehensive
and includes information from pre
European contact times up until the
modern era of self-determination. Sev
eral chapters of the book have been
written and Mr. Wilkinson and his re
search assistants regularly check in
with the Tribal Council concerning the
book’s progress.
Can you provide information about
the Rogue River Indian War? What about
forced removal? Did your family have
an allotment? Did you participate in log
ging? Did you or your parents go to
Chemawa Indian School? Did your
family participate in Shaker church?
Did your family fish or catch eels?
How was your family affected by ter
mination and restoration? Are you a
veteran or did your grandfather fight
in World War I or World War 11? These
are just some areas in which we can
use your help.
If you would like to share informa
tion with the research team, you can
e-mail me at aparicim@colorado.edu;
call me at 303-492-8262, or write to
Charles Wilkinson at University of
Colorado School of Law, Wolf Law
Building, 401 UCB, Boulder, CO
80309.
If none of these options work, you
can contact Robert Kentta at 541-444-
8244 or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1244,
but it would be much better to contact
us directly.
With much appreciation,
Maria Aparicio
Dear tribal members:
My name is Tad Mason. My brother
is the late Terrence Michael Mason and
my mother is the late “Madge” Mason.
Our mother raised us to be a close-
knit family. If she were here today to
witness the tribal issue we have been
going through for the last two years,
she would be very upset!
Tristen John Holt is enrolled into our
tribe under our brother’s name (Terry
Mason) and is benefiting using our fam
ily name.
We have been placing our trust in
the hands of Tribal Council. We have
provided them with enough evidence
to question Tristen’s true identity. Tribal
Council requested Tristen to take a
DNA test three different times and as
of yet he has not done so.
There needs to be a consequence
for him not taking the DNA test! Tristen
John Holt should not be getting any
benefits from our tribe until he takes
the DNA test and proves he is who he
says he is! If he is so sure he is my
brother’s son, then he shouldn't have
any problem taking the DNA test.
This has been very hard on our fam
ily emotionally, but our mother (Madge
Mason) taught us to keep our spirits up -
so that is what we will continue to do.
Thank you and God Bless.
In loving memory of Terrence
Michael Mason and Madeline “Madge”
Lucia Mason
Sincerely,
Tad Mason
-
To the editor:
I’m writing this letter in concern for
the May letters. Sounds like some may
still be confused. Hopefully this letter
will answer some questions.
Our Constitution is the foundation
of our tribe and our Constitution states
you must possess 1 /16,h of Siletz blood
to be enrolled in our tribe. That is the
bottom line.
The Constitution supercedes any
ordinance, especially when an ordi
nance conflicts with the Constitution.
To the editor:
I have read the April and May
newsletters concerning the issue re
garding Tristen John’s enrollment. I
cannot help noticing that most of the
people who are writing in to support
his enrollment do not seem to have the
facts straight.
I am a Mason by blood and I feel
frustration for my family. The facts are
that ordinances of the enrollment state
policies and procedures that were not
followed correctly.
1 am here to support my family and
I don’t believe there is any shame in
wanting to know who is of our blood.
On the enrollment process being so
easy for some people, I wonder why I
did not receive the same treatment two
years ago when enrolling my daugh
ter under my own blood quantum.
I had submitted an application with
hospital records. Not only did 1 receive
the whole application back, but I also
received a packet on enrollment poli
cies and procedures.
They had highlighted many para
graphs stating the original legal birth
certificates and other forms of original
identity required. So the fact is I was
required to turn in all the legal docu
ments to enroll my daughter, but some
people are not required to do so.
Now I know that I have not lived
in the Siletz area for some time now
and 1 don’t think they tried to make it
hard for me because they have some
thing against me personally. This just
shows inconsistency on behalf of the
Enrollment Department.
This is not the first time I have had
the same treatment. Trying to receive
a car seat, I was denied because I did
not have an original birth certificate to
submit with my Contract Health regis
tration form with me at the time.
I had left with no car seat for my
daughter, all because they were going
exactly by the book. The reason 1 am
telling these stories is because it just
shows inconsistency.
Tristen needs to submit evidence
that will secure his enrollment, for his
kids too, for the future. He has the
power to do so. •
And referring to the comment on my
family being like the KKK, do some
research on your history. I think my
family has shown nothing but integ
rity when writing letters and speaking
on this issue, despite the fact that we
have not received the same in return.
Some of you may think that we are
making a fuss over nothing and are try
ing to just be a “bully.” I think those
people have personal reasons behind
supporting Tristen, to be honest.
Thank you for your time,
Danielle Payne
Tribal Council has a duty and took an
oath to protect our Constitution.
You can quote any ordinance you
want, but fraud is fraud and there is
not one ordinance out there that says
you can be enrolled in our tribe upon
turning in an incomplete application
and an altered birth record. If you want
to quote ordinances, you should quote
the enrollment ordinance that says if
false information is found on the ap
plication after a member is approved,
they can be removed.
This is an entire family that wants
to know the truth, not a couple of
individuals.
1 also read this is all “hearsay”? The
“new and substantial evidence” that
opened this case up was a legal vital
statistics birth certificate that showed
no father.
Again, this issue in not about low
blood quantum. It is about no blood
quantum.
Stephanie Morrow
Siletz News Letters Policy
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
in order to be considered for publication. Siletz News reserves the right to edit
any letter for clarity and length, and to refuse publication of any letter or any part
of a letter that may contain profane language, libelous statements, personal
attacks, or unsubstantiated statements.
Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Published letters
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Tribal Council.
Please type or write legibly. Letters longer than 450 words may be edited for
length as approved by Tribal Council Resolution #96-142.
Siletz News
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380-0549
Please note: The general manager
of the Siletz Tribe is the editor-in-chief
of Siletz News.
541-444-8291 or
1-800-922-1399, ext. 1291
Fax: 541-444-2307
E-mail: pias@ctsi.nsn.us
Deadline for the July issue is
June IL Submission of articles and
photos is encouraged. Please read the
Passages Policy on page 20 when
submitting items for Passages.
Editor-in-Chief: Brenda Bremner
Editor: Diane Rodriquez
Assistant: Laurel Johnson
Member of the Native American
Journalists Association
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Siletz News
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June 2007
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