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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2009)
Richards Selected Chinook Winds GM We were capable not only of recon structing a traditional Dance House, but also of teaching and carrying on our cus tom at the Dance House with our children. The dancers are knowledgeable and skill ful in the performance of our traditional Native dances and ceremonies. Our Culture Camp held last month is evidence of the interest, popularity and awareness of carrying on our heritage in a participatory way that touches almost every family in our Tribe. In the face of all the remarkable achievements of our Tribal Councils since Restoration, how can anyone have the audacity to say on siletz.net: Tribal member Sar Richards has been selected by the Tribal Council as the general manager of Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Sar brings years of experience to the position, having worked at the Tribal Gaming Commission and the casino. He has been the acting general manager since February of this year. Congratulations, Sar! Edenfield Appointed to Tribal Council Sharon Edenfield’s name was recom mended to the Tribal Council by me to fill the vacancy on the Tribal Council. As in the past, consideration was given to Tribal members who have previously served on the council and on committees, as well as staff and other members who have contributed to the Tribe. According to our Constitution, the chairman recommends a name to the council. The chairman does not make the appointment. The council acts on the rec ommendation, voting either up or down. Sharon was approved by a 6 to 2 vote. No other names were recommended by the chairman or any other council member. Regarding the appointment of Sharon to fill the seat vacated by the expulsion of Lisa Brown, the following was reported on the non-Tribal website siletz.net: • “It’s not likely ... that she’ll be an independent voice on the Tribal Council ... this appointment will increase Chair man Pigsley’s power base on the Tribal Council to a lopsided 7-2 majority.” Delores Pigsley Council Accomplishments Negated on Siletz.net For almost 24 years, I have proudly served as chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, serving a total of 29 years. Serving with me have been many dedicated Tribal Council members. Despite what the siletz.net says and some naysayers, our councils have always been highly active and successful in our endeavors for the Siletz Tribe. Unfortunately, siletz.net, a privately owned website, has been publishing false and negative statements about the accom plishments of the Siletz Tribal Council. In the March postings, relative to the expulsion of Lisa Brown from the council, a Tribal member directing her comments to the Tribal Council said: “It is totally obvious that you don't care what the tribe wants or needs ... by your actions, you have made it clear that your lives, your families lives and your own way ot life is all that is important to you.” The fact is, Sharon has always been a strong, capable and independent voice in The fact is, the Siletz Tribal Council the Tribe's administration and it’s there under my chairmanship “does care what the fore presumptuous to assume any “power tribe wants or needs,” as demonstrated by base on the Tribal Council.” the Tribe’s remarkable accomplishments Sharon will be a great asset. There is since Restoration. We have always had our no basis in fact for the assumption that focus on the Tribe’s best interests. was reported. I have not been the chairman for all As administrative manager, Sharon of those years but have been for many of holds one of the top employment positions them. The credit goes to the many mem in the Tribe. The posting says it’s “inter bers who have served and to our staff. esting to see if she retains her high paying Our Tribal Councils planned, financed position while holding office, as so many and established the Tribe’s successful Tribal Council members have.” gaming enterprise, Chinook Winds, 15 The fact is there are now six on the years ago. We have acquired the Shilo Inn present council who work in some capac in Lincoln City, a first-class, ocean-front, ity for the Tribe. Four are employees of luxury hotel adjacent to Chinook Winds the government, one is an employee of a We have financed and developed Tribal entity and one as a contractor for a a first-class RV park and acquired the Tribal entity. So Lynette’s statement, “as administration building that houses the so many Tribal Council members have” gaming commission (and other offices) is a gross exaggeration. that overlooks our magnificent casino. As a matter of record, the Tribal Court We were able to finance and construct upheld the right under the Siletz Consti a Tribal administration building and a tution of Tribal member employees to modem community health clinic in the city run for and serve on Tribal Council. The of Siletz. We were able to establish excel Constitution was voted on and approved lent housing projects throughout Siletz. by the Tribal membership. We were able to be federally recog Thank you to all of you who have nized as a self-governance Tribe, one of communicated support for Sharon. the first 20 in the nation. We were able Lisa Brown has filed an appeal of to establish a history/culture department the Tribal judge's expulsion decision. As with a competent and dedicated staff that of the publication of this issue of Siletz has recovered and catalogued a tremen News, no decision had yet been made on dous wealth of historical documents about when the appellate hearing will be held. our Tribe. 2 • Siletz News • August 2009 “It is totally obvious that you don’t care what the tribe wants or needs ... by your actions, you have made it clear that your lives, your families lives and your own way of life is all that is important to you.” Regarding the revenues generated by Chinook Winds, we have periodically published in the Tribe’s confidential news letter, Nesika Illahee, for the benefit of our members, the gaming revenues that are allocated to the Tribe for Tribal use after all costs of the gaming operations are paid - the excess pledge revenues. Since our Tribal gaming enterprise began, excess pledge revenues have been allocated to six general categories and are in compliance with federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act guidelines: Government Operations, General Welfare, Economic Development, Investments, Charitable Donations (including municipal services) and Per Capita Distributions. Federal law requires that we distribute revenues to all of these categories to meet Tribal needs and restricts the distribution of net revenues per capita until all Tribal needs have been met. Nesika Illahee pro vides detailed reports of the Tribe’s total revenues generated by our gaming center and the total excess pledge revenues avail able for Tribal use. There are more than 25 categories under Tribal Government Operations and more than 20 under General Welfare. Indi vidual managers responsible for these pro grams present their funding requests to the Tribal Council in each of these categories. In an April 2009 open letter to the Tribe, Delores Riding In made the follow ing unsubstantiated, false and deceptive allegations on siletz.net: Send letters to: Siletz News P.O. Box 549 Siletz, OR 97380-0549 541-444-8291 or 800-922-1399, ext. 1291 Fax: 541-444-2307 E-mail: pias@ctsi.nsn.us “The Siletz Tribe can and will go bankrupt, exactly like the AIG and the Wall Street banks. Secret deals worth millions of tribal dollars have gone out to non-tribal people and are covered up to this day. Mil lions of tribal dollars are ‘missing.’” Where Riding In got her fallacious information is a mystery. The facts are that the Siletz Tribe is not, as Riding In falsely alleges, in danger of going “bankrupt like the AIG and the Wall Street banks.” There are “no secret deals worth mil lions of tribal dollars” that have “gone out to non-tribal people and covered up to this day.” Millions of tribal dollars are not "missing” as Riding In alleges. The Tribe currently has investments in Morgan Stanley, which are fully in sured by the Securities Investors Protec tion Corp up to $500,000 per account. Additionally, Asset Protection Company (CAPCO), an insurance company, fully protects the principals of each account above $500,000. Our investments are fully insured and financially stable. Our other investments are in Atalanta-Sosnoff, none of which are invested in AIG, Merrill Lynch, WAMU, Lehman Bros or Bear Steams. The Tribe's custodial relationships were moved from Bear Steams on Aug. 8, 2008, to Charles Schwab & Co., where transaction charges are lower than Bear Steams. The Tribe’s other investments are in Wells Fargo endowments, which insures up to $500,000 per account. They are not assets of the bank and not subject to bank creditors. Each mutual fund company in which Wells Fargo invested our endowments has its own individual insurance. According to Global Finance, Wells Fargo was desig nated one of the 10 safest banks in 2008. So, for Riding In to make deceitful and unrestrained allegations poses a se rious problem. Tribal members will, as they should, view the extensive record of unreliability on siletz.net with increasing skepticism and disbelief. I do not normally respond to the misstatements and smears published on siletz.net because it only serves to bring more attention to statements that deserve to be ignored, but recent statements on this private website have spread confusion among the membership and are causing great, unwarranted harm to the Tribe and had to be corrected. Siletz News is free to enrolled Siletz Tribal members. For all others, a $12 annual subscription fee applies. Please make checks payable to CTSI and mail to Siletz News. Name: Address: Deadline for the September issue is Aug. 10. Submission of articles and photos is encouraged. Please see the Passages Policy on page 19 when sub mitting items for Passages. Member of the Native American Journalists Association Phone: Change of address: Tribal mem bers - call the Enrollment Department at 541-444-8258 or 800-922-1399, ext. 1258; all others - call the newspa per office.
