Chairman’s Report
Veterans Day
Siletz Valley Schools hosted a Vet
erans Ceremony just prior to Veterans
Day. The students were very enthusiastic
and showed much respect and pride in
honoring veterans from all branches of
the service.
The Tribe can take great pride in our
students and the school. Thank you to all
Tribal veterans - you make us proud.
Tribal Nations Conference with
President Obama
President Obama is holding a Tribal
Nations Conference in early December
for the third time during his presidency.
This is his commitment to Tribes to listen
to Tribal issues and concerns.
One Tribal representative from each
Tribe is invited to attend; all Tribes are
included. I will attend and also will take
the opportunity to talk with our congres
sional delegation about our legislation and
other matters of importance.
tions with the State and the governor. The
meeting was well-attended.
Our casino staff did a wonderful
job of hosting the event. Our chef, Jack
Strong, provided an outstanding meal for
the governor and the Tribal chairmen.
Budgets
The Tribal Council has been review
ing all budgets in work sessions over
the past month. It’s still unclear what
funds we will actually receive from the
federal government. The congressional
Super Committee gave the president its
conclusions on reductions at its Nov. 23
deadline.
Chemawa Indian School
We have seen increases in the past two
years but have been told we should expect
cuts in this fiscal year. Our Tribe’s budget
has been approved with the understanding
there likely will be cuts.
Delores Pigsley
Governor’s Summit
We were pleased to be asked to host
the annual Governor’s Summit this year at
Chinook Winds. It was great to welcome
the other Oregon Tribes as well as the
governor, his staff and agency directors.
Policy discussions took place that
hopefully will enhance our communica
Bud Lane and I recently had the honor
of giving Congressman Kurt Schrader and
his staff a tour of Chemawa Indian School.
We have been working with him in an
effort to get the Chemawa school land
taken into trust for the nine Oregon Tribes.
We believe the tour gave him a better
understanding of some of the issues that
affect Chemawa land. I have reported on
this in prior newspaper issues and will
keep you informed of our progress.
The Christmas season is upon us; it
seems to come quicker than I am ready.
It is my wish that everyone has a joyous
holiday season and that you are able to
spend it with family and loved ones.
Siletz connections renewed - basket donated to Tribe as stories connect
By Robert Kentta, Cultural Director
A little more than a year ago, The
Oregonian ran an article written by Karen
Rathe about her grandmother, Bessie
Hanseth, having taught school at Upper
Farm (Logsden) ca 1921, inheriting the
baskets and photos her grandmother took
with her when she left in 1922 or 1923 and
her decision to donate the largest of the
baskets and share the photos, letters and
her experience of arriving at that decision.
A lady name Ina Riverman, living
southwest of Portland, read the article and
was inspired to renew her connections to
Siletz. Her parents had lived in Siletz in
the late 1920s as a newly married couple
and her mother had worked in a café with
a Tribal member named Ina. They became
great friends.
Ina (Campbell) Riverman was con
ceived while her parents lived here and
was named after her mother’s friend.
Before she was bom, however, the family
had moved on to the next logging camp
and the next job. As a parting gift, Ina had
given Mrs. Riverman’s mother a basket
made by her grandmother.
The basket was well-kept all these
years and Mrs. Riverman knew only essen
tial bits of the story about how she came
to be named “Ina” (pronounced eye-nah).
She and her husband visited Siletz and
met Buddy Lane at our Cultural offices on
Government Hill, showed him the basket
and shared what they knew - hoping for
more pieces to be added to the story.
They promised to return with the bas
ket and donate it. In the meantime, they
hoped to locate a picture of her mother
and the Tribal member named Ina, sitting
on the step of the café in Siletz ca. 1929,
that her mother had kept.
This September, Ina and her daughter,
Sandy — who teaches English language
at OSU - returned with the basket and
a longer conversation was had about the
story behind it. This time, I happened to
be in the office, heard what she knew and
it quickly became apparent she was talk
ing about Ina Larson (later Wilcox). The
grandmother who wove the basket would
have been none other than Martha Adams,
my own great-grandmother.
Ina was so pleased to hear more of
the story about the origin of her name and
who had woven the basket that had been
in her family’s care.
We were very pleased
to help her with that
connection and to
receive her generous
donation.
Good people with
open hearts can make
great things happen.
Many thanks again to
Karen Rathe for her
many kindnesses and
eagerness to share her
story, which brought
about this new dona
tion, another re
connection on many
levels and helped
answer a lot of ques
tions for a sweet lady.
Many thanks
also to the Riverman
family for their kind
donation.
Courtesy photo
Ina Riverman
N uu-wee-ya
(our words)
Introduction to the Athabaskan language
Send letters to:
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.
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
Name:
Address:
Deadline for the January issue is
Dec. 8. Submission of articles and
photos is encouraged. Please see the
Passages Policy on page 27 when
submitting items for Passages.
Member of the Native American
Journalists Association
2
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Siletz News
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Open to Tribal members of all ages
Eugene
Portland
Eugene Area Office
Dec. 5 - 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 2 - 6-8 p.m.
Portland Area Office
Dec. 12 - 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 9 - 6-8 p.m.
Siletz
Salem
Siletz Tribal Community Center
Dec. 6 - 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 3 - 6-8 p.m.
Salem Area Office
Dec. 13 - 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 10 - 6-8 p.m.
Phone:
Change of address: Tribal mem
bers - contact the Enrollment Depart
ment at 541-444-8258; 800-922-1399,
ext. 1258; orangelam@ctsi.nsn.us. All
others - call the newspaper office.
December 2011
Classes begin with basic instruction and progress over the year. They also
are a refresher course for more-advanced students. Come and join other members
of your community and Tribe in learning to speak one of our ancient languages.
We also have equipment in the Cultural Department available for use in
grinding and drilling shell or pine nuts or other applications. If you need to use
the equipment, call the number below to set up an appointment.
For more information, contact Bud Lane at the Siletz Cultural Department at
541-444-8320 or 800-922-1399, ext. 1320; ore-mail budl@ctsi.nsn.us.