Siletz news /, June 01, 2012, Page 9, Image 9

Photos by Diane Rodriquez
Stan Werth, Sar Richards and Ed Ben (above left) and Lloyd Irvine, Clint Muschamp,
Tony Molina and Alan Fish (above) form the Color Guard for the opening session
of the ATNI Convention. The West Coast Boyz (below) brought in the Color Guard.
Photo by Natasha Kavanaugh
Tribal Council members Reggie Butler Sr. and Loraine Butler (both left), and Lillie
Butler (far right) visit with Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber during activities that kicked
off American Indian Week in Oregon 2012.
ATNI brings Northwest Tribal leaders to Chinook Winds for convention
Tribe also participates
in events at state capítol
many scattered parcels of land, mostly
not contiguous.”
Pigsley thanked other Tribes and
By Diane Rodriquez
ATNI for their support of the success of
The mid-year convention of the Affili­ the Siletz Tribe.
ated Tribes of Northwest Indians was
“We owe a great deal of gratitude
held at Chinook Winds Casino Resort on
to the Affiliated Tribes and to the small
May 21-24 and those attending discussed Tribes of Western Washington, who have
a wide range of topics, sampled Siletz been extremely important to our Tribe’s
culture and took in the sights and sounds restoration effort and our success. And
of Lincoln City.
we’ll always be grateful to ATNI and
Following a golf scramble fundraiser especially to all the Tribes that have sup­
at Chinook Winds Golf Resort and a youth ported us over the years,” she said. “We
ambassador round table, the convention
know that if Tribes don’t support Tribes,
opened with the West Coast Boyz bring­ we don’t get very far.”
ing in the Color Guard made up mostly
Anderson also shared words of wel­
of Siletz Tribal members. Following an
come, encouraging people to explore the
invocation by Tribal Vice Chairman Bud
area and come back in the future.
Lane, Tribal Chairman Delores Pigsley
“Thank you, Chairwoman Pigsley,
and Lincoln City Mayor Dick Anderson
for this opportunity to welcome your
welcomed people to the area.
guests to the Central Oregon Coast and
“Good morning and welcome to more specifically to beachside Lincoln
Chinook Winds Casino Resort and the
City. This portion of Oregon is blessed
Confederated Tribes of Siletz. We’re
with natural beauty. We all should enjoy
very proud to host this year’s convention
it,” he said. “Thank you again for travel­
and we’re very proud to welcome you to
ing; I know you’ve traveled from all over
our homelands. Thank you for choosing
the Northwest to this part of Oregon. It’s
to come here,” said Pigsley in welcome
a beautiful place and I’m hoping you’ll
as she spoke about the Tribe. “All of the enjoy your stay. When you decide to leave
land that you’re on is former reservation.
- no rush - I certainly hope you’ll travel
The Tribe’s land base when the Tribe
safely and return someday.”
was restored was a cemetery; it was eight
ATNI President Fawn Sharp (Quinault)
acres. Today we have over 15,000 acres then led a discussion on trust reform, strat­
of land that we’ve either purchased or has
egies and the Commission on Indian Trust
been deeded back to the Tribe. And it’s
Administration. Tribal leaders addressed
five questions, including, “Are there any
trust administration models the ITC should
examine as it looks toward improving the
Department of Interior’s trust administra­
tion and management?” and “Do you have
any recommendations and/or suggestions
that would improve the nation-to-nation
relationship between DOI and Tribes with
respect to trust administration?”
The Siletz Tribe hosted lunch on the
first day of the convention with a buffet in
the showroom. Vendors included the Siletz
Tribal Arts and Heritage Society with a
silent auction and the Siletz Tribal Energy
Program with an information table.
Committee meetings ensued after
lunch and lasted into the next day.
They included Culture/Elders, Eco­
nomic Development, Education, Gam­
ing, Health, Housing, Human Resources,
Indian Child Welfare/Social Services,
Law and Justice, Native Vote, Natural
Resources/Land, TANF, TERC, Telecom­
munications and Energy, Transportation,
Trust Reform and Veterans.
Resolutions established during the
committee meetings were presented on
the last day of the convention.
Special thanks to several Tribal mem­
bers who volunteered during the conven­
tion, including Darlene Carkhuff, Valerie
Hibdon, Celesta Lee, Tami Miner, Sonya
Moody-Jurado, Bonnie Petersen, Wendi
Schamp, Cathem Tufts, Rosie Williams
and Tracey Wo rm an.
Tribal Government Day
The Legislative Commission on
Indian Services held its annual Tribal
Government Day at the state capitol in
Salem on May 11.
The highlight of the day was the proc­
lamation signed by Gov. John Kitzhaber
proclaiming May 13-19 as American
Indian Week in Oregon.
The proclamation read, in part, “We
continually discover the many ways in
which Oregon is enriched by the past,
present and future contributions of Ore­
gon’s nine federally recognized Tribes,
their ancestors, their elders, their present
and future leaders; ...”
“There are many opportunities to
explore the precious cultural and natural
resources of our state that have been
respected and preserved by Oregon’s
Tribes for generations; ...”
Tribal members and visitors found
time to network and watch one of several
short films produced by various Tribes in
Oregon, including one by the Umatilla
Tribe on its transit program and another
by the Klamath Tribes on elders and chil­
dren digging roots.
The events on May 11 followed an
afternoon of meetings between Tribal
representatives and their state counter­
parts on the subjects of “Consultation
with Tribal Governments: How to Do It,
What to Avoid” and “Who We Are: Tribal
Governments Today.”
June 2012
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Siletz News
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