LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear tribal members and family:
I feel compelled to respond to
some of the responses in last month’s
newsletter.
To the General Council: Do not be
fooled by the political twists that have
been put on this issue. No one is request
ing DNA for anyone else but Tristen. That
is because his application was false.
I have submitted IX pieces of evi
dence against Tristen being my brother,
two being legal documents. This is not
hearsay. Tristen has only submitted one
and it was found to be altered and false,
both by the legal birth certificate obtained
directly by our Enrollment clerk and
by a professional handwriting analysis.
When you apply for a job, there is
a disclaimer on your application that
states something like, “At any time if
any of the information you have dis
closed on this application is false, you
may be terminated immediately.” There
is no statute of limitations.
This is no different. There is no
statute of limitations in our enrollment
ordinance or our Constitution in regards
to fraud. Fraud is fraud. To ignore this
issue is disrespectful to our ancestors
and anyone supporting fraud against
our tribe is even more disrespectful.
We are asking for DNA and the truth.
Because Tristen is refusing to take the
DNA test and the Tribal Council has
passed a resolution requiring him to do
so, I feel he should be removed from
our rolls until he can prove he is a direct
descendant of a Siletz Tribal member.
In loving memory of my father,
Terry Mason
Kari Schaller
Elders’ Council
Meeting
June 9,2007
Chinook Winds Casino Resort
2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
For more information, please
contact Angela Ramirez
1-800-922-1399, ext. 1225;
541-444-8225; or
angelar@ctsi.nsn. us
Dear tribal members:
My name is Monica (Mason)
Bessette. I wasn’t intending on writing
another letter, but after reading some
of the May issue’s letters, 1 feel 1 should
respond to some of the comments writ
ten about the Tristen John Holt case.
I want to address Tristen’s letter. He
states that he doesn’t know what the
new and substantial evidence is that we
provided to Tribal Council. Probably
because that was one of the many
council meetings Tristen didn’t attend.
At this Tribal Council meeting, I read
a letter from my niece, Kari (Mason)
Schaller. We also had statements from a
guy (not a stranger) that Tristen’s mom
lived with saying he always thought
Tristen was his son and even said Tristen’s
middle name was named after him.
When my brother died in a boating
accident, there was a life insurance
policy for all of Terry’s children -
Tristen’s mom never claimed it. When
Terry was alive he told family mem
bers that he did not think Tristen was
his - that is not hearsay!
Last, Tribal Council’s attorney
(Craig Dorsay) had an expert handwrit
ing analysis say that on Tristen’s birth
record, it was probable that my brother’s
name was handwritten in by Tristen’s mom.
For all the people who think we are
doing this for greed - they couldn’t be
further from the truth. The only thing
we have ever asked for is for Tristen to
take a DNA test and prove that he is
our brother’s son.
I think it is a slap in all our faces
that he states in his letter that he will
not take a DNA test. Since he refuses -
there needs to be a consequence!
In Tristen’s letter, he refers to my
brother as “a man deceased for over
20 years” - not once has he asked any
of us about my brother. That is truly
sad to me if he does think my brother
is his biological father and doesn’t
want to know about him!
So in honor of my brother,
Terrence Michael Mason, we will pur
sue this until Tristen John Holt takes a
DNA test and proves he is the son of
my brother Terry!
Once again, God Bless
Monica Mason Bessette
CTSI Jobs
CTSI Employment Job Line
541 -444-8296 or 1 -800-922-1399, ext. 1296
Visit our Web site at www.ctsi.nsn.us
CTSI is constantly looking for
temporary employees to cover va
cancy, vacations, maternity leave,
and extend sick leave. If you are re
tired, a homemaker, or a student and
are looking for temporary work that
can last from two weeks to 12 weeks,
please submit a temporary applica
tion for the temp pool.
4
•
Siletz News
•
Note: “Open Until Filled” vacan
cies may close at any time. The tribe’s
Indian Preference policy will apply.
Tribal government will not discrimi
nate in selection because of r&O
creed, age, sex, color, national origin,
physical handicap, marital status, poli
tics, membership or non-membership
in an employee organization.
June 2007
To the editor:
What is being Native? Is it getting
per capita checks? If it is, keep it. 1 don t
want it!
Is being Native two weekends a
month, once a year? To put on regalia
showing off? To project hate, jealousy,
greed, violence and tie it to our Native
ways? No!
In our history, the U.S. government
said, “Poof! You are no longer Native!”
Taking our homelands, rez, federal rec
ognition and attempting to strip us of
our ways. We prevailed and brought
these things back!
Creator gave us these things and
we wouldn’t be here without them. Why?
Jealousy, greed, and hate because we
were different. Why have some of our
people taken this role? This is sad and
I cry.
I’ve been behind the walls for years
now. It has taken me some years to re
alize what being Native is about. To
hold these traditional ways to my heart.
1 know it’s not a check, a few days a
year, to point fingers, to project nega
tivity, to drink or drug, or any other
beliefs that bring our people down.
Being Native is a way of life, your
walk upon the Red Road, the interac
tions with all creations. It is from the
inside out. It is a beautiful way.
It is sad as Natives some of us have
bonded the confusion, not protecting
each other from the real enemy. Drugs,
alcohol, meth, greed, abuse of our
women and children. The focus is on
the greedy dollar or witch hunt.
I believe in our ways. They are far
more important than the confusion that
is a disease within our people. 1 love
my people and traditional ways that I
am learning daily.
I thank the people who supported
my bro Tristen. I got much love for
you, bro. I’ve walked with you upon
the Red Road.
I have seen your deeds as a Native
warrior. The ceremonies, hunting,
prayers, gathering of wood and medi
cines, sacrifice and contributions for
the people - you did these things ask
ing nothing in return. This speaks out
what Native is all about. I recognize
you like this. Shu ashi nin la! You are
and always will be Suletsi-denni!
Brothers and sisters, wake up and
see things for what they are. I am no
better and worse. I hope I never have
to see our tribal members being at
tacked in this way.
I pray for our people daily. I always
will! May the Creator’s holy and sa
cred light bless us all and may we walk
in beauty upon the Red Road. Ah ho!
Sage B. Butler
To the editor:
I’ve been attending our General
Council meetings to ask questions
about program services and I now have
more questions!
In total, I’ve attended four (August,
November, February, and May) where
I asked to receive answers and to date,
not one response (phone/mail) from
our elected leaders. During this time I
have collected information about the
budgets for these programs and the
actions of our elected representatives.
Most concerning is the excessive
amount of money we give to the gov
ernment of Lincoln County and Lin
coln City.
I read in the Newport paper where
Dee Pigsley talks about our contribu
tions and that we are “being a good
neighbor.” To me, I feel like we are be
ing ravaged, much like terrorists, they
are allowing our children's inheritance
to be stolen and I do not think this is
what being a neighbor is about - at all!
When I think of all the money our
Tribal Council “gives” out, the word
“kickbacks” flashes through my mind.
It is very troubling to know that many
of our members need the money from
their per capita and that our elected
leaders so easily just give it away. At
least get something in return ... better
hunting rights/law enforcement/water
rights (positive cash flow from busi
ness ventures).
I’ve recently read about what has
transpired with our losing our law en
forcement services and what “the real
story” is regarding the Toledo law en
forcement staff, and it makes me ill.
It did not dawn on me that 1 have not
seen any patrol in Siletz by the sheriff's
department. In reading on www.siletz.net,
I found out that the county decided to
cut back on services and that our area
was one that was cut. I know we still give
the county a cut of our timber money.
Why don’t we get services?
I hope our leaders will ask for
something in return for the money they
so easily give away. We already gave
them (state/county) our land, water, and
hunting/fishing rights, now we suffer by
receiving less because of what our
leaders take off the top of our gaming
money, so we lose again.
When will this stop? This whole
situation makes me very sad.
I'm still grieving for my mother,
who passed just a little over a year ago.
We grew up very poor, but we were
taught about what was politically cor
rect and what I see confuses me. I con
tinue to do my best, I’m willing to ad
mit my mistakes and talk about them
if it will help others to learn.
My hope is that our elected leaders
will adopt this kind of thought process.
I have many questions that need answers!
Yours truly,
Glen Yarbrough