Collaboration among programs helps create new kitchen island in USDA
Healthy Traditions,
Force Account, Housing
Maintenance and USDA
create new work space
By Diane Rodriquez
A new kitchen island will greet par
ticipants in food preservation and cooking
classes this year thanks to the combined
efforts of several Tribal programs.
The Healthy Traditions program
has made quite an impact on the Tribe's
USDA warehouse in Siletz, providing
funding for a new stove and dishwasher
in addition to the new island.
“We didn't have a good cooking
classroom to use. These new things in the
kitchen ... give us a central place to gather
and share stories,’’ said Sharia Robinson,
Healthy Traditions Program coordinator.
“Culturally, families used to cook together
as a group.”
The 5-by-10 island provides a large
working space for classes and doubles as
Photos by Diane Rodriquez
a storage area with cabinets underneath
the countertop.
The new kitchen island (top right)
One end of the island is lower to
provides a large work space for food
accommodate disabled individuals and
preservation and cooking classes at the
has no cabinets underneath.
USDA warehouse in Siletz.
Adrienne Crookes, community health
advocate in the Eugene area office,
Adrienne Crookes, Joyce Retherford
designed the island. The Force Account
and Sharia Robinson (right) plan for
crew framed and installed the cabinets
future activities.
at no charge. Precision Countertops in
Wilsonville, Ore., made the countertops.
Joyce Retherford, USDA Food Program
The Housing Maintenance crew
director (above), holds the new cloth
installed the stove and dishwasher.
bags available for USDA clients.
Settlement, con’t from page 1
non-monetary trust resources that, for far
too long, have been a source of conflict
between Indian Tribes and the United
States,” said Holder. “Our commitment
to Tribes is the cornerstone of the Depart
ment of Justice’s policies and initiatives
in Indian Country and these settlements
will enable the Tribal community to
pursue the goals and objectives they
deem to be appropriate while marking
another step in our shared future built
upon mutual respect and strong bonds of
trust between Tribal governments and the
United States.”
“These important settlements reflect
President Obama’s continuing commit
ment to ensuring empowerment and
reconciliation for American Indians,” said
Salazar. “It strengthens the govemment-
to-government relationship with Tribal
nations, helps restore a positive working
relationship with Indian Country leaders
and empowers American Indian com
munities. I want to commend Attorney
General Holder, our Interior Solicitor
Hilary Tompkins and other key officials
who were involved in the long nego
tiations leading to these historic agree
ments. I look forward to working with
Tribal leaders to further strengthen our
govemment-to-govemment relationship
based on mutual respect and a shared
concern for the proper management of
Tribal trust assets and funds.”
The Department of the Interior man
ages almost 56 million acres of trust lands
for federally recognized Tribes and more
than 100,000 leases on those lands for
various uses, including housing, timber
harvesting, farming, grazing, oil and gas
extraction, business leasing, rights-of-way
and easements. Interior also manages
about 2,500 Tribal trust accounts for more
than 250 Tribes.
Starting in the fall of 2009, lawyers
for many of the Tribes with litigation
pending against the U.S. wrote to the
president and asked the administration
to engage in expedited settlement discus
sions with their clients.
In April 2010, Associate Attorney
General Tom Perrelli, Assistant Attorney
General of the Environment and Natural
Resources Division Ignacia Moreno,
Interior Department Solicitor Hilary
Tompkins and Treasury Department Gen
eral Counsel George Madison met with
attorneys for the Tribes and the parties
embarked on a settlement process that the
Tribes termed the Settlement Proposal to
Obama Administration (SPOA), which
led in part to this announcement.
In addition to the SPOA process,
the departments of Justice, Interior and
Treasury have engaged in other settle
ment processes involving other litigating
Tribes. Those processes have been both
positive and productive, resulting in
the past settlement of other Tribal trust
accounting and management cases.
The processes will continue for other
ongoing cases. The U.S. is committed to
resolving the trust accounting and trust
management claims of the Tribes in a
manner that is fair, honorable and reason
able to the Tribes and the U.S.
.V ?”
Under the negotiated settlement agree
ments, litigation will end regarding the
Department of the Interior's accounting and
management of the Tribes’ trust accounts,
trust lands and other natural resources.
With monies from the congres
sionally appropriated Judgment Fund,
which is used to pay settlements or final
judgments against the government, the
U.S. will compensate the Tribes for their
breach of trust claims and the Tribes will
waive, release and dismiss their claims
with prejudice.
The parties have agreed to infor
mation sharing procedures that will
strengthen the management of trust assets
and improve communication between
Tribes and the Department of the Interior.
The settlement agreements also include
dispute resolution provisions to reduce
the likelihood of future litigation.
To use mail order pharmacy
to order your refills after hours and
on weekends: Please call the Siletz
Clinic 7-10 days before you need
your refills. This allows us time to
contact your provider, if necessary,
and for mailing.
Call 800-648-0449; enter 1624
as soon as the clinic’s message
begins - you’ll be transferred to
the refill line.
Or, call the refill line direct -
541-444-9624.
Response, con’t from page 1
The Siletz Tribal Council is very
pleased with NARF’s representa
tion of the Tribe in this case. NARF
coordinated with our Tribal attorney,
Craig Dorsay, throughout this case.
The Tribe’s $9.14 million settlement
award is subject to NARF's attorney
fees, which are being determined.
The Siletz Tribal Council made
it an express condition of settlement
of this case that the Tribe does not
waive any other claims it might have
against the United States, includ
ing but not limited to pursuit of
the Tribe’s historical claims, treaty
claims or contract support costs for
federal contracts and services. The
settlement is limited to the specific
claims that were subject of this case.
The Tribal Council is planning
for the use and placement of the
settlement award. Use of the funds
under the settlement agreement is
completely up to the Tribe and is not
subject to any further trust status.
The Siletz Tribal Council is
satisfied that the United States has
finally acknowledged its wrongful
conduct against the Siletz Tribe for
these claims and is looking forward
to moving forward on all the other
important issues that face the Tribe.
May 2012
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Siletz News
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