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TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS TLC Attitudes of Gratitude by Lynn Whitlow This is the big Thanksgiving month. No matter your perspective on the purported origins of this holiday, there is no doubt that all of us need to be reminded to look at what we have to be thankful for, every day. At the October Women’s Talking Circle, the subject of commitment came up. Walt Klamath gave me a com mitment stick on New Year's three or four years ago. It came with a stipula tion not to take it unless I was willing to make a commitment and stick with it. I have that stick in my office in plain sight. I may not “see” it every day, but when I do, it reminds me to stick to my commitments. Lisa Brown gifted the Talking Circle with another stick a couple years ago. It’s a monthly reminder to all who attend. When folks make promises and are not committed to what they promise, it can cause anger, disappointment, grief and anxiety to those who are counting on what they perceived as commitment. Commitments come in many forms - personal promises, appointments made, dates set and contracts signed. Some commitments are very formal - legal contracts or marriage certificates, for example. When one violates these commitments, there are usually legal or financial consequences (or both!). Informal commitments are the promises we make or dates we set with family or friends. When we violate these commitments, we may or may not see or feel consequences. Know that break ing your promise, however, at the very least is going to cause disappointment to the person who has found you not true to your word. Probably you will be forgiven if the incident is minor, but repeated occur rences lead to anger, sorrow and dis trust of anything you say. A person who makes commitments and sticks to them is perceived as trust worthy. These people call to say they can’t make an appointment or attend a planned event before the event, with a reasonable explanation. They call and make heartfelt apologies when they have overlooked or missed an event they know is important to someone else. What does this have to do with gratitude? Most of us are grateful to those who hold us in high enough es teem and respect to keep promises, dates and appointments. We are thank ful to those we can count on. At the TLC. we are thankful to those volunteers who commit to being here - Alice McCain. Lisa Brown and Kayte Moore. We appreciate their time, whether it's as overnight staff or offer ing other services during the day or evening. Just knowing they will follow through is comforting. We also are thankful to and for a new volunteer, Linda Olsen. So glad she is here! TLC residents voiced their “Atti tudes of Gratitude” this month. One said she was grateful for “my life, my kids and visits with them, for having food and shelter, that my unborn child will be healthy, and for support from my family.” Another resident said she was grateful for “waking up clean and so ber, for family and friends, for life ex periences, and for TLC - a safe place that gives hope to me.” As TLC coordinator. 1 am commit ted to serving these women and am grateful to be part of this service that gives hope to women who have so re cently experienced hopelessness. Thank yous are sent to Kim Kinion of Toledo Florist for the lovely teapot that coordinates with our kitchen! Sammy Bayya. Maintenance - our gratitude to you for taking time to in stall our new dimmer switch and light ing our life. Please call 541-444-8238 or 1-800- 922-1399. ext. 1238. if you would like to volunteer your time to TLC. The Women’s Domestic Violence support group has been reduced to one meeting a month, the first Thursday at 3:30-5 p.m. Call the number above for more information. The November Women's Talking Circle is scheduled for Nov. 14. Call for more information. Happy Thanksgiving, however and whenever you celebrate your gratitude! General Council Meeting Nov. 3, 2007 • 1 p.m. Agenda Siletz Tribal Community Center • Siletz, Oregon Call to Order Invocation Flag Salute Roll Call Approval of Agenda Approval of Minutes Program Report: Siletz Tribal Economic Development Corporation Tribal Member Concerns Candidate’s Declarations Chairman's Report Announcements Adjourn ment Walt’s Words of Wit and Wisdom by Waif Klamath Well, it’s that time of year again, time to put away all the deer hunting equipment and think about the great elk hunt coming up. But first we must talk to anyone who will listen and sometimes those who don't about the big rack that was seen but was going too fast to get a shot at. And then some of those who listen, in turn, will expect us to listen to their tale of woe or success. Now if it’s a success story, then there needs to be a nice warm fire, pref erably in a nice yurt-type building out in the forest somewhere. There, the setting is right for the stories to follow. How many I have had to sit through, waiting to tell them the truth, something I don't think the average hunter even knows how to spell. Each year, though, it s the same story about the same hunt in the same place but with different results. Each year the deer gets bigger, smarter and faster, the shots are made farther away. The first year it may be 50 yards. By the end ot the third year, it's 3(X) yards; the 10th year over 1.000 yards, the animal going at full gate way. hit in the head right where aimed at. This is true, though. I have done that, but others kind of stretch it a little. Personally, I don't hunt for deer very rigorously anymore. I have done that since I was 6 years old packing a .22 that was at least 6 feet long, tagging along with my dad. That's when I learned about the stories. Everyone tells them except me; I tell the truth. As I have written before, all the old-time hunters used to leave their mark in the tree where the kill was made. Now myself, I am concerned about the animals that frequent our orchard. Since deer season started. 1 have not seen the doe or the three-point buck. The two fawns still come and sleep in the orchard. These fool animals are used to people and are not that afraid. They see people coming to the sweat lodge and they do give the people a little room, but not much. Maybe after hunting sea son they will return. Elk Season Elk season is different. Seems that elk are much smarter than deer. 1 don't know how such a big ani mal can get through such a small space so quickly. I am convinced though, that it’s a good thing the elk are hunting us. Not only I have seen those animals come from nowhere, from out of space. Seems all of a sudden there they are and we have been watch ing the hillside intensely. Course, when I was camping out and the nights came early, a nice big fire and a few good companions from all over sitting around eating, al that time drinking, telling sto ries of other places we have hunted and the good hunting we had. If it was so good, why are we here? We always had to talk about the elk hanging in different camps, wanted to know where they got them “down in the canyon.” That was no help: there are canyons all over the fool place. Of course there are the unfortunate who did get a large elk at the bottom of a canyon and would come to camp to borrow lanterns so they could haul the fool animal out. These were young bucks though, didn't know belter than to go deep in the canyon. These were the days of old. • Now for me the canyon hunting is over. Hunting is dull. I hunt now the wiay I was very critical of people hunt ing. Now I know why they hunt that way - no choice. Well, there is a choice, all right. Quit hunting; not going to do that till have to. Not much hunting to it. but it s good to be out in the mountains see ing different country from a different perspective, not knowing where any thing is anymore. All the old trails are gone, the old houses gone, the old or chards or apple trees gone. Kind of sad in a way. But guess that is progress At this writing. I have not been deer hunting. Don't know' if I will but I will be out there elk hunting. Doesn’t mat ter if I get one or even see one. I will enjoy it and will see many good tribal members out there and others. Besides, after the kill the work be gins and to me that is not the best times, unless I can con someone into doing it for me. This worked well in-the past. November 2007 • Siletz News • 9
