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
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