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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2011)
Green resolutions for the new year will help reduce, reuse, repair, recycle It’s that time of year when we make promises about how we’ll change our selves in the upcoming New Year. We look for ways to make a change in our lives, hoping for better health, a better job or less stress. Some resolutions are small; others are big life-changing challenges. New Year’s resolutions often are bro ken, especially if they are hastily made without thinking through the logistics. But if you take a few moments to think about what you want for the upcoming year, you’re more likely to choose realistic commitments. Going green is a great way to start off the new year, but it's such a broad term that the specifics of how you’ll go green could end up taking a back seat to daily life. Instead of making a broad generaliza tion, choose a few specific ways to green your life in 2011. Not sure where to start? Here are a few suggestions. Most suggestions fall into the broad categories of reduce, reuse, repair and recycle. Pick one and follow through! Let us know how you do. Reduce • • • • • • Single-use bags - plastic or paper Single-use coffee cups at the drive- through Plastic water bottles Disposable dishes Single-use batteries Bills sent through the mail - use electronic delivery instead • • • • • Junk mail Packaging Car trips with a single person or a single destination New purchases Purchases from big-box stores; buy local instead Reuse Before you throw it away, see if some- . one else can use it or if you can use it in a different way. • Donate to and buy from thrift shops, flea markets or garage sales. • panies to make items from recycled material. Close the loop. Be careful not to fall for green consumerism. While buying green products is a good idea, it’s not green if you’re overdoing it. Think about what you really need before you shop. Buying stainless steel water bottles and lunch boxes and reusable shopping bags makes sense because then you’ll use fewer one-use items. Buying an entire new wardrobe of clothing so you can get it all organic or locally does not. If you have any questions about these tips or other energy efficiency and con servation questions, please call the Siletz Tribal Energy Program at 800-922-1399 or 541 -444-2532, ext. 1276,1300 or 1271 ; or e-mail us at step@ctsi.nsn.us. The first five people to call or e-mail us after Jan. 6 will receive a free reusable water bottle. Repair • • Getting more than one use out of something not only saves you money, it also is hugely satisfying. Half of electrical goods left at dumps still work or require only very basic re pairs, so think before throwing it out. Recycle • Learn new things to recycle, such as: 1. 2. 3. Batteries Compact florescent lights Plastic bags - the ones you use when you forget the reusable bag! Electronics Cell phones 4. 5. • Purchase items made from recycled material in order to encourage com- Photo by Natasha Kavanaugh Ralene, David and Cecillie Butler spend a moment with Santa Claus at the Community Christmas Gathering at the Siletz Tribal Community Center on Dec. 8. 2011 standing committee applications due Deadline for consideration for committees is Jan. 31,2011 Any Tribal member interested in serving on a committee for a two-year term must fill out the following form and return it to the address below prior to Jan. 31, 2011. Please mail or fax your application to Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Attn: Executive Secretary to Tribal Council, P.O. Box 549, Siletz, OR 97380-0549; fax: 541-444-8325. Courtesy photo by Tiffany Wisdom Third-grade students at Kamiah Elementary School perform Crow Lady, a Kalapuya story, as one of seven American Indian legends performed during an assembly. Third-graders retell Kalapuya story and others at school assembly By Tiffany Wisdom Kamiah Elementary School third-grade students performed seven American Indian legends on Dec. 2, 2010, at the school-wide assembly. Students performed the legends using the readers theatre method. This strategy is a best practice for developing readers. Students read their script over and over and eventually become fluent at their speaking part. The following Tribal stories were told - the Heart of the Monster, Ant and Yellow Jacket, Coyote Builds a Dam (Nimiipuu/Nez Perce), Smudge Face (Mi’kmaq), the Mud Pony (Pawnee), Moose Meet His Match (Northeast Tribes) and Crow Lady (Kalapuya). My reading group was able to tell the story of Crow Lady, which I learned from Siletz Elder Esther Stutzman. I then turned this story into a script. My reading group learned more about Siletz culture from this story and the morals we live by. I had lots of laughs and smiles during the performance from the outstanding sound effects and wonderful acting of the third-graders. The Kalapua story also was shared with the Nimiipuu Elders at the Lookingglass Senior Center in Kamiah, Idaho, during the last week of December. Queciyeyee (thank you in Nimiipuu), Esther Stutzman, for sharing this story with me so I could share it with others. Name:_______________________________________Roll No:________________ Address:______________________________________________________________ City:______________________ State:___________________ZIP:_____________ Telephone: Day ( )________________Evening ( )______________________ Choose the first, second and third choice of committees you are requesting by numbering your preference 1,2, 3 in the space provided. If you only want to be considered for one committee, please indicate this by inserting the number 1. ___ Education Committee (3) ___ Housing Committee (3) ___ Natural Resources Committee (3) ____ Pow-Wow Committee (no limit) ___ Health Committee (3) ___ Budget Committee (1) ___ Cultural Heritage Committee (3) ___ Enrollment Committee (1) Tribal Council will review applications and approve appointments at the Regular Tribal Council meeting in February 2011. If you have any questions, please call Tami Miner, Tribal Council executive secretary, at 800-922-1399, ext. 1203, or 541-444-8203. January 2011 • Siletz News • 15
