To the editor:
Conflict of Interest
Back in the late '90s when Dee was voted out as chairman, Tribal Council began
to nominate itself the Board of Directors for STEDCO, gaming, clinic, etc. 1 was at
the meeting when this was taking place and Craig Dorsay warned those on council at
the time it was a conflict of interest for them to take this action.
This was used as one of the reasons to justify the recall that followed. It wasn’t
“the” reason, but one of them. However, after the recall was successful and Dee was
nominated for chairman, it was forgotten that it was a conflict of interest for the Tribal
Council to remain the Board of Directors of everything.
This may not sound like a big issue. But if you go to Tribal Council to ask for
attention, as is your right as a Tribal member, you are told that a Tribal Council person
will not or cannot talk to you because they are the Board of Directors.
Council is elected to represent “Tribal members and their concerns.” If they take
on a role that limits that responsibility, they are not doing justice to their role as rep
resentatives of Tribal members.
Back when the Indian Gaming Regulatory Commission censored Tribal Council,
one of the issues was the Tribal Gaming Commission and commissioners were being
supervised by the Board of Directors. They were instructed to separate the Tribal
Gaming Commission from the Board of Directors and Tribal Council.
However, the current director of the Gaming Commission is supervised by Tribal
Council, which is another conflict of interest. The reason you want a completely
autonomous Tribal Gaming Commission is to ensure that Tribal interests are repre
sented, in addition to providing oversight of the Chinook Winds gaming operations.
I may not have the terminology or the events in chronological order; the point 1
am making is that Tribal Council remaining the Board of Directors of everything, they
are violating their duties as Tribal Council members whose sole responsibility is to
Siletz Tribal members who voted them in.
This may not sound serious, but if you have ever gone to a Tribal Council member
about an ICW issue or employment issue or hunting and fishing issue and gotten told
they could not even “talk” to you about it because they have a conflict, then you know
just how serious it is for Tribal Council to be wearing so many hats.
For each different hat they wear, this limits Tribal Council members' ability to
address their elected duties as Tribal Council members. Please call your council mem
bers and encourage them to address this issue.
Ray Blacketer
Courtesy photo by Chinook Winds Casino Resort staff
Chinook Winds Golf Resort donates to the community by hosting a Hole in
One competition in September for the Men's Club. If Mike Fisher, Eric
Smileuske, Chuck McPherson, Randy Fisher or Sar Richards had shot a hole
in one, they would have donated their win to the Taft High Booster Club. This
was an insured prize where the winner would receive a 2012 Corvette or a cash
equivalent. No one hit it, but the Boosters walked away with $250 for the
organization. The demo car was provided by Power Autogroup. Tina Marshal
(left) and Kathy Joy (right) represented the Taft High Boosters.
New golf rates set for Tribal members
Siletz Tribal members now can play
golf at Chinook Winds Golf Resort at no
charge. If you wish to use a golf cart, there
is a cart fee of $ 10 for nine holes and $ 15
for 18 holes.
Aaron Johnson, head golf profes
sional at Chinook Winds, also offers a 50
percent discount on golf lessons for Tribal
members. Your cost is $45 per hour rather
than the standard rate of $90.
Call the pro shop at 541-994-8442 to
arrange a lesson or make a tee time. You
must show your Tribal identification for
these great rates.
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Enrollment Contacts
Address and/or Contact
Number Updates: If you relocate
or change your contact number, please
update the Enrollment Department.
Enrollment Forms: The Appli
cation for Enrollment, Death Benefit
Beneficiary Designation and Infor
mation Change forms are available
on the Tribal website at ctsi.nsn.us.
■ Go to Government Listings, click on
Enrollment then click on the form you
want to open and print. You also can
contact Enrollment staff to mail these
= forms to you.
Enrollment staff contact
information
Cova St. Onge, Acting Enrollment Clerk
541-444-8258
covas@ctsi.nsn.us
Nahni Metcalf, Data Coordinator
541-444-8292
nahnim@ctsi.nsn.us
Fax:
P.O. Box 549; Siletz, OR
97380-0549
Siletz News Letters Policy
Siletz News,' a publication of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, is
published once a month. Our editorial policy encourages input from readers about
stories printed in Siletz News and other tribal issues.
All letters must include the author’s signature, address, and phone number in
order to be considered for publication. Siletz News reserves the right to edit any
letter for clarity and length, and to refuse publication of any letter or any part of
a letter that may contain profane language, libelous statements, personal attacks,
or unsubstantiated statements.
Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Published let
ters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Siletz News, Tribal employees, or
Tribal Council.
Please type or write legibly. Letters longer than 450 words may be edited for
length as approved by Tribal Council Resolution #96-142.
Please note: The general manager
of the Siletz Tribe is the editor-in-chief
of Siletz News.
•
541-444-8296
Toll-Free: 800-922-1399, ext. 1258 or
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Mail:
Dear friends:
You are invited to join us for the Seventh Annual Northwest Indian Storytelling
Festival and Emerging Tribal Storytelling Workshop on Oct. 26-28 at Portland
State University's Native American Student and Community Center and George C.
Hoffmann Hall.
We invite you to become a member of the Northwest Indian Storytellers Associa
tion (NISA). Membership is free, then you can register for NISA’s Emerging Tribal
Storytellers Workshop and Festival.
The NISA Tribal Storytelling Festival and Emerging Tribal Storytellers Workshop
events include:
Editor-in-Chief: Brenda Bremner
Editor: Diane Rodriquez
Assistant: Natasha Kavanaugh
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Tribal Storytelling Festival event on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at PSU Native American
Student and Community Center (NASCC), 710 S W Jackson, comer of SW Broad
way and Jackson
Emerging Tribal Storytellers Workshop on Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at NASCC
Festival event on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at PSU Hoffmann Hall, 1833 S W 11,h near SW
Harrison and 11th; see map at fap.pdx.edu/floorplans/docs/HOFFJ1285026248.pdf
Salmon dinner prior to festival events on Oct. 26-27 at 5 p.m. at NASCC
*
Home-cooked meals during the weekend of events
Silent auction of American Indian arts and crafts and other items (please bring a
cultural item for the auction)
Registration is $40 plus an item for our silent auction. This covers meals, workshop
expenses and a weekend of Tribal culture and learning, plus you have a free pass to
attend both evening festival events.
«
Scholarships are available; contact Rebecca Tait at NISA@wisdomoftheelders.
org for more information.
Sponsors are the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association (NISA), PSU’s Indig
enous Nations Studies Program, PSU’s Native American Student and Community
Center, and Wisdom of the Elders, Inc.
If you can't attend the weekend workshop, you are invited to join us at the Oct. 27
evening festival. Tickets are available at our website. No one will be turned away for
lack of funds. More details are at our website at wisdomoftheelders.org.
Contact Rebecca Tait, NISA coordinator, at NISA@wisdomoftheelders.org or
503-775-4014 for additional information. Also, watch for regular updates at wisdom-
oftheelders.org and sign up for our e-newsletter.
Dogidinh (“thank you” in Deg Hit’an Dine)
Rose High Bear (Deg Hit’an Dine)
Executive Director/Executive Producer
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Wisdom of the Elders, Inc.
October 2012
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Siletz News
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