TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
“The Restoration Act is as important as our Tribal
treaties. It gave us back programs and services
and it outlined a plan for obtaining a land base.”
Delores Pigsley
Little Miss Siletz llleana Rose Blacketer, Delores Pigsley, Jr. Miss Siletz Rose
Pigsley, and Don Pigsley take part in the Honor Dance for the 2007-2008
Siletz Royalty at the Nesika Illahee Pow-Wow. (photo hy Laurel K Johnson)
Restoration, con’t from page 1
"The social programs, health care and
education benefits went away, such as they
were. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was
a different animal and those under their
jurisdiction didn’t necessarily have a
good relationship. The reservation had
been greatly diminished and it appears
the members felt hopeless about the future."
Termination not only ended fund
ing for much-needed programs, but
was a designation of extinction for the
Tribe, ending all recognition of the
Tribe as a government or community
of Native people.
Restoration meant reversal of the
Termination Act for the Siletz. Among
the key players during the Restoration
effort of the early ’70s was Tribal leader
Joe H. Lane, Sr. It was Lane who be
gan to gather members of the Tribe to
hold meetings to discuss the merits of
Restoration and how to achieve it.
"When Joe Lane began the effort to
kxik at Restoration, a few Tribal members
agreed that it was a good thing to do,"
explained Pigsley. “Initially, it was slow
trying to convince our members. It was
an even bigger job trying to convince
our neighbors and our legislators.”
Although the job ahead was a
daunting task. Lane and others went
to work. All they had to do was look at
the poverty of their people to gain mo
tivation to organize and attend meet
ings and to tell their story to local law
makers and decision makers.
“The need of our members was ter
rific,” said Pigsley. “While some mem
bers succeeded in the bigger economic
world, others did not. Jobs, health care
and social programs were desperately
needed. Tribal leaders knew a land base
would be necessary for housing and
that a land base would be the basis for
the Tribe’s economic recovery.
“Few Tribal members today re
member those years from termination
through to Restoration,” said Pigsley.
“The Restoration Act is as important
as our Tribal treaties. It gave us back
programs and services and it outlined
a plan for obtaining a land base.”
After the Restoration Act was passed
(Nov. 18, 1977) and led to the creation
of a service area for Tribal programs that
today encompasses I I Oregon counties,
the 1980 Siletz Reservation Act estab
lished a 3.6(X)-)acre reservation land base
when it was passed into law.
"This truly was a new beginning
for the Siletz people,” said Pigsley.
“This new beginning in November of
1977 was one of the most important
events in the history of the Tribe."
Siletz Tribal Elder Linda Merrill, the
daughter of Joe Lane, remembers the
hard work of her father and others to
achieve Restoration for the people. She
said he had heard that other Tribes in
the country were organizing and he
used that as motivation to begin gath
ering members of his own Tribe.
“My Dad started the Restoration
process and saw it through to a suc
cessful end.” said Merrill. "It (Restora
tion) was successful because those in
support of the project believed in his
dream, which became their dream.”
Merrill said her father's efforts to
Restore Siletz found support in Sister
Francella Griggs and Alaskan Native
Charley Johnson. Merrill, who made it
to the Restoration meetings from her
home in Milwaukee, said Lane began
traveling back and forth from his home
in the Portland area to Siletz in an old
Winnebago he purchased for the effort.
It was Lane’s relationship with Or
egon Senator Mark Hatfield that turned
out to be key to the Tribe’s successful
efforts.
“I know he had the support of his
friend Mark O. Hatfield at the time,” said
Merrill. “Mr. Hatfield has always sup
ported the interests of Native Americans."
Today, Restoration has brought
opportunity to the Tribe in the modern
day. That opportunity is a direct result
of the efforts of a handful of individu
als who believed in a dream.
As any Tribal member recognizes though, Restoration is more of a process than an event. Many years of devastating federal policies are
difficult to overcome. Many milestones have been reached in the past 30 years - which gives more hope for the next 30 years.
Anniversary, con’t from page 1
revitalize tribal culture was for the
Siletz Tribe to regain its status as a tribe
recognized by the United States.
In November 1977, after years of
intense lobbying, Congress and Presi
dent Jimmy Carter approved Public
Law 95-195, which reinstated recog
nition of the Siletz as a federal Indian
tribe. The Siletz Tribe was the second
in the nation - and the first in Oregon
- to achieve restoration.
Dedicated to improving the qual
ity of life of its nearly 4,400 members,
the tribe puts strong emphasis on the
education, health and the social well
being of all its members.
Significant tribal accomplishments
since Restoration include opening a
health clinic in 1991; building more
than 100 homes and multiple dwellings
for tribal members; completing the
Siletz Dance House in 1996; opening
the Tenas Illahee Child Care Center and
the Siletz Gas & Mini-Mart in 2003; open
ing the Logan Road RV Resort in Lin
coln City in 2004; and opening the Hee
Hee Illahee RV Park in Salem in 2006.
The tribe also played a lead role in
opening Siletz Valley School in 2003
and the Siletz Valley Early College
Academy in 2006.
Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln
City opened in May 1995. In June
2004, the Siletz Tribe purchased the
former Shilo Inn adjacent to the casino
and opened Chinook Winds Casino
Resort. Chinook Winds Golf Resort
opened in April 2005 when the tribe
purchased the former Lakeside Golf
and Fitness Center in Lincoln City. The
combination of tribal employees and
those at Chinook Winds Casino Resort
has allowed the Siletz Tribe to become
the largest employer in Lincoln County.
The Siletz Tribe has honored its tra
dition of sharing within the community
by distributing more than $5.4 million
through the Siletz Tribal Charitable
Contribution Fund and other tribal re
sources. Chinook Winds has donated
more than $1.25 million in cash and
fund-raising items since 1995. It also
provides in-kind donations of conven
tion. space for various fund-raisers as
well as technical support, advertising
and manpower for events.
30th Anniversary
Restoration Celebration
Nov. 17, 2007
Chinook Winds Casino Resort
Agenda
l() a.m.
Welcome and Invocation
Siletz Feather Dancers
Head Start Students
Guest Speakers
Picture Presentation
Buffet Luncheon
Closing Remarks
6 p.m.
Pow-Wow Grand Entry
November 2007 •
Siletz News
•
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