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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2009)
TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS Governor Pays Visit to Siletz By Diane Rodriquez Gov. Ted Kulongoski toured the Siletz Reservation on June 19, visit ing several Tribal facilities and gaining firsthand knowledge of Tribal issues and successes. After discussing various subjects with members of the Tribal Council, Gov. Kulongoski and his staff visited the Siletz Clinic. In addition to guiding the group on a brief tour of the current facilities, Health Director Judy Muschamp also showed the governor the plans for the new clinic to be built on Gwee-Shut Road in Siletz. Then everyone boarded a Tribal bus, driven by General Manager Brenda Brem ner, for a tour of other Tribal properties, starting with the most recent housing built on the west side of Siletz. Everyone got off the bus (funded by the state’s Spe cial Transportation Funds) to go inside the Tillicum Fitness Center and the gym next door, discussing the Tribe’s efforts to encourage physical activity among its mem bers. Then it was back on the bus for a ride through the original Tribal housing, down Gwee-Shut Road by the Public Works build ings and the land for the new clinic building, then past Elders’ housing and up the road to Government Hill by the Paul Washington Cemetery and Veterans Memorial. A lunch at the community center prepared by Bristo Bayya was enjoyed by all, as were the desserts made by Bonnie Petersen. The short break in the day was followed by a trip to the dance house, where Bud Lane explained the intricacies of the feather dance and his teaching of the Athabascan language. The Tribal Council gave gifts to Gov. Kulongoski and his staff - Kelly Skye, legal counsel; Mike Carrier, natural re sources policy advisor; and Griff Holland and Dave Kammerman with the state police security detail. Then, despite several comments from Gov. Kulongoski and his staff about wish ing they could stay in the dance house for at least the rest of the afternoon, the group headed to Eugene for another meeting. bADLKSHIP — Health Director Judy Muschamp gives Gov. Ted Kulongoski a tour of the current Siletz Clinic during the governor's visit to Siletz. Several Tribal Council members, including Delores Pigsley, Robert Kentta and Bud Lane joined the tour and talked about issues of concern to the Siletz Tribe and all of Indian Country. Hunting and Fishing News by Mike Kennedy New Youth Deer Hunt: We are offering a new hunting opportunity for Tribal member youth age 12-17 who have successfully completed their hunter safety course. Eight tags will be available by drawing for an Oct. 3-Nov. 6 antlerless or spike deer hunt in the Stott Mt. and Alsea units (four tags each unit). To enter the drawing, youth should fill out the drawing form that’s available on the Tribe’s website or in the Natural Resources Department office and return it to the Natural Resources Depart ment by Sept. 4. The drawing will be at 5 p.m. on Sept. 14 in the Natural Resources Department map room. Youth must be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older when hunting using this tag. Hunter Safety Course: All Tribal youth age 12-17 who wish to hunt using a Tribal tag must first successfully complete a hunter safety course. The Tribe’s Hous ing Department is working with a local hunter safety trainer to set up a course in Siletz sometime this summer, most likely after pow-wow. Watch for posters in the Tribe’s offices and on the Tribe’s website for the date, time and place. You also can check the Oregon De partment of Fish and Wildlife’s website (www.dfw.state.or.us/outdoor_skills/ hunter/courses/index.asp) to find an up coming course near you. Mentored Youth Hunting Pro gram: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has instituted a new Men tored Youth Hunting Program for youth age 9-13 who have not yet passed a hunter education course. The Tribe will mirror this program for Tribal youth. Any Tribal hunter age 21 or older with a valid license and tag can mentor a Tribal youth age 9-13. The youth does not need to have passed a hunter education course to participate. The youth will hunt under the men tor's license and tag and any animal killed will count as filling the mentor’s tag. The mentor is responsible for training the youth in firearm and hunter safety before hunting. Both the mentor and the youth must review and sign a Safe Hunt ing Information form (available from the Natural Resources Department), which the youth must keep in his/her possession while hunting. The mentor can only hunt with one youth at a time, but the mentor can hunt with different youth at different times and a youth may hunt with different mentors during the year. Only one legal firearm is allowed between the mentor and the youth. The mentor must remain in immediate control of the youth, meaning the two must stay in close proximity to each other at all times while the youth is in possession of a legal hunting weapon. Cultural Hunts: Every year the Natu ral Resources Committee sets aside several antlerless elk tags as cultural tags. These tags are hunted by Tribal member volun teers and the meat is given to the Tribe for distribution to needy Tribal members. If you are interested in volunteering to hunt one of these tags, please contact Mike Kennedy in the Natural Resources Depart ment to get on the list of cultural hunters. The Natural Resources Committee will then choose from the pool of volunteers. The Tribe does not reimburse the vol unteer for any of his/her hunting costs, but it does take care of the cost of processing the meat. Anyone volunteering must be willing to spend the necessary time and effort to harvest an elk. Deer and Elk Bow Tags: Deer and elk bow tags will be available for the early bow season (Aug. 29-Sept. 27) on a first- come, first-served basis beginning July 27 at 8 a.m. at the Natural Resources Depart ment office. Hunters must physically show up to obtain a tag. A waiting list will be developed for the late season bow hunt if all of the early season tags are issued. The distribution schedule for the rest of the hunting tags, along with the fishing tags, can be found at the Tribe’s website, at the Natural Resources Department and in this issue of Siletz News on page 4. Natural Resources Department staff also will visit the Eugene and Salem Area Offices in late August to issue tags. Subsistence Fish Distribution: As of mid-June, the Tribe had received a portion of the annual allotment of subsis tence salmon from the Oregon Depart ment of Fish and Wildlife. The rest was expected by the end of June. Each area office will distribute the packages of fish on its own schedule. Watch for notices in the offices and on the Tribe’s website for the distribution schedule. Each Tribal member will be allowed to pick up one package of fish. If you are picking up for anyone else, you must have a note from that person authorizing you to pick up for them. Depending on availabil ity, we also might have a limited number of fish heads, along with cured eggs for all of you fishermen (and women). Siletz Whole Bodied Steelhead: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wild life periodically supplies the Tribe with surplus steelhead from the Siletz River fish trap. These fish are available to Tribal members on a first-come, first-served ba sis while the supply lasts. The number of fish available at any particular time varies anywhere from 10 fish to more than 75, depending on the conditions at the time. This year the fish will be distributed from the area near the Tribal Housing office on Tolowa Court, where a new fish-cleaning station is available for Tribal member use. Watch the Tribal website for announcements of when the fish are in. We also maintain a call list if you wish to receive a phone call when fish are expected. Call Mike Kennedy or Kelley Ellis in the Natural Resources Department to get on that list. Shellfish Permits: Tribal members can be issued a shellfish gathering permit from the Natural Resources Department for harvest in Lincoln County of sea anemones, rock oysters (piddocks), salt water mussels and clams. If you get one of these permits, be sure to report your harvest to the Natural Resources Department. No permits are required to harvest eels, seaweed or fresh water mussels within Lincoln County. Willamette Falls Eel Permits: Tribal member harvest of eels at Wil lamette Falls for personal use is open from June 1 -July 31, 2009, on Fridays through Mondays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (no harvest allowed on Tuesdays through Thursdays). Tribal IDs serve as the permit, but Tribal members must contact the Natural Re sources Department to obtain a copy of the harvest regulations and a harvest record card before going to Willamette Falls. The card must be filled out before leav ing the falls with eels and then turned in to the Natural Resources Department by Aug. 10. Depending on equipment availability and water levels at the falls, Tribal staff may lead a small contingent of Tribal mem bers to the falls to gather eels and bring them back for general Tribal distribution sometime in late June or early July. If you have any questions about any of the Tribe's hunting, fishing or gather ing opportunities, call Natural Resources Manager Mike Kennedy at 541 -444-8232 or 800-922-1399, ext. 1232. July 2009 • Siletz News • 5
