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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2007)
TRIBAL MEMBER NEWS Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership Honors Roberta Conner Bud Lane Honored as Finalist PORTLAND, Ore. - Ecotrust will present the seventh annual Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership to Roberta Conner at a ceremony in Port land on Nov. 29, 2007. The ceremony also will honor four other Northwest finalists for their achievements: Alfred (Bud) Lane HI (Siletz), Siletz, Ore.; Carol Craig (Yakama), Zillah, Wash.; Michael Pavel, Ph.D. (Skokomish), Skokomish, Wash., and Lillian Moyer (Talhtan), Dease Lake. British Columbia, Canada. Supported by the families of Howard and Peter Buffett, the Buffett Award recognizes indigenous leader ship that improves social, economic, political or environmental conditions. This year, the $25,000 Buffett Award Akela Lisa-Lorraine Trina Butler and Ronald Buckland are the proud parents of a beautiful little girl named Akela Lisa-Lorraine: born at 9:43 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2007. She weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was 20 inches long. Hayle Marie Kline Hayle Marie Kline was born at 9:5 1 p.m. on Sept. 15. 2007, at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital. Family mem bers include proud parents Corey and Kayte, brother Austin. Grandma Joel la Strong, and Great-grandma Wilma Strong. At birth. Hayle was 6 pounds, 3.5 ounces, and 20 inches long. 14 • Siletz News • for Indigenous Leadership goes to Roberta (Bobbie) Conner (Umatilla/ Cayuse/Nez Perce) of Pendleton, Ore. The four other finalists each will receive a $5,000 cash award. Conner is honored for her work representing the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation as a community and national leader, mu seum director, curator, speaker and author. Since 1998, she has served as the director of the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, which preserves, protects and promotes the culture of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla. She assisted with curation of the Many Nations Many Voices exhibit. “Bobbie Conner demonstrates business acumen within a deep indig enous cultural framework like no one else we know,” said Spencer B. Beebe, president of Ecotrust, on behalf of the Final Jury Panel. Conner is a lecturer and writer on cultural preservation issues. She cur rently serves on the board of the Wallowa Homeland Project and the Oregon Cultural Trust as a special ad visor for tribal issues. From 1984 to 1997, she worked for the U.S. Small Business Administration in Denver and Sacramento as a Presi dential Management intern, branch manager and district director. “I firmly believe the work many of us do today was willed to us by our ancestors,” Conner said. “Their prayers and deeds that ensured our future were accompanied by great sacrifice.” Alfred (Bud) Lane HI is an hon ored award finalist for his tireless ef forts to restore, teach and promote un derstanding of Siletz Tribal culture. Since 2003, Lane has taught the Athabaskan language as well as bas ket weaving, regalia-making and tra ditional foods gathering/preservation. He is currently vice chairman of the Siletz Tribal Council. Since 2005, Lane has served on the Board of Di rectors of the Northwest Native Ameri can Basketweavers Association. Carol Craig is an honored award fi nalist for her work educating the public about tribal treaty rights, salmon recov ery and environmental protection. As part of her public education efforts over the past 20 years, she has addressed many civic organizations, government employees and Northwest students from kindergarten through college. Since 1995, she has worked as the public information manager for the Yakama Nation Fish and Wildlife Re source Management Program. Michael Pavel. Ph.D.. is an honored award finalist for his work as a Salish tradition bearer, professor, researcher, author, environmental conservationist and community leader. Dr. Pavel is currently an associate professor in the Department of Educa tional Leadership and Counseling Psy November 2007 chology. College of Education, Wash ington State University, in Pullman. He also is the co-author of The American Indian and Alaska Native Student s Guide to College Success (2007). Lillian Moyer is an honored award finalist for her work as a community leader and her ongoing efforts to pro tect the watersheds of the Sacred Head waters of the Stikine, Skeena and Nass wilderness river systems. She is the president of the Tahltan Elders Society and often serves as a spokesperson. Since 1996, Moyer has worked as a family support worker for the Tahltan Band Council. Established in 2001, the Buffett Award provides resources for the de velopment and transfer of knowledge in indigenous communities. First Na tion, Alaska Native or tribal members over age 35 who exhibit extraordinary community leadership within the Salmon Nation region from Alaska to California are eligible for nomination. The Billy Frank. Jr. Conference Center in the Natural Capital Center is the site for this year's Buffett Award dinner and ceremony. This provides an opportunity for the Buffett families, Ecotrust staff, friends and supporters to celebrate and honor these leaders. The annual event brings together current and prior honorees, ties in with other Portland-based community events, and provides networking op portunities for the Buffett Award finalists. Alfred (Bud) Lane III “Knowledge allows us to see further.” The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians experienced a detrimental impact during a war for their homeland, the removal policies of the 1800s and termination policies of the last century. For many years, Lane and his family have focused on strengthening Siletz cultural activities through basket making, teaching the Athabaskan lan guage and helping build the Siletz Dance House and restore its ceremo nial activities. He and his family all are enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. In 2003, the Siletz Tribal Council recruited Lane to fill a newly created position, Language and Traditional Arts instructor. This enabled Lane to leave his union job at a local paper mill and devote all of his energy to teaching the Siletz culture. In this position, he fo cuses much of his time on language instruction, but also teaches basket weaving, regalia-making, and tradi tional foods gathering and preparation. Lane has studied the Athabaskan language with tribal elders for nearly 30 years and is now one of the tribe's most fluent speakers. He teaches community Bud Lane classes and helps with elementary, middle and high school classes at Siletz Valley School and Siletz Valley Early College Academy. Lane also has pro duced language CDs, DVDs and an Athabaskan dictionary. His basketry work is featured in collections of the Hallie Ford Museum and the University of Oregon. He has served as a master artist with the Or egon Historical Society’s Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. Lane is a member of Willamette University’s Native American Advisory Council. In 2008, the Hallie Ford Mu seum will host The Art of Ceremony: Regalia of Native Oregon and Lane is providing guidance to the curator of this exhibit. Since 2005, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Northwest Native American Basketweavers Asso ciation. He hosted a group of Maori weavers when they visited Oregon and then traveled to New Zealand in 2005 and 2007 as part of a cultural exchange. Lane also demonstrated Siletz weaving at the Carriers of Culture: Living Native Basket Traditions exhi bition at the 2006 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Lane is currently vice chairman of the Siletz Tribal Council. He has served on the Tribal Council since 2004 and previously served from 1984 to 1990. In this capacity, he oversees tribal business, legal, financial and social matters and represents the tribe on a regional and national level. Because his father was in the mili tary, Lane grew up away from the res ervation, but returned to Siletz in 1975. After graduating high school, he went to work as a logger for 13 years and then worked for 15 years at the Geor gia Pacific Corporation Pulp and Pa per Division. Lane and his wife, Cheryl, still live in Siletz. They have two chil dren and one grandchild. Buffett Award finalists honored in 2(X)3 included Agnes Pilgrim of the Siletz Tribe, who resides in Grants Pass, Ore. The four finalists honored in 2001 included David Hatch of the Siletz Tribe, who resides in Portland, Ore.
