SILETZ NeWS
Presorted
First-Class
Mail
U.S. Postage
Paid - Permit
No. 178
Salem, OR
Delores Pigsley,
Tribal Chairman
Brenda Bremner,
General Manager
and Editor-in-Chief
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Vol. 41, No. 7
Siletz News
Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380-0549
July 2013
Siletz Tribal Energy Program staff members Marleen Wynn, weatherization
coordinator, and Claire Wood, project coordinator, stand at the raffle booth during
the Solar Celebration on June 20 at the Siletz Rec Center and Tillicum Fitness
Center in Siletz (not pictured: Fawn Metcalf, energy auditor/program technician).
The EPA Climate Showcase Communities grant helped with the purchase,
installation and connection of the solar panels.
Claire Wood explains to guests how the solar panels create energy. She points to
the inverts, where you can read how much energy is being produced. The solar
panels (in the upper right of the photo) make energy for the recreation center for
lights and heating. They were purchased from Solar World, an Oregon company,
and installed by Benton Electric from Albany, Ore.
Photos by Tiffany Stuart
Siletz Tribe, Chinook Winds first in
Oregon to use ATNI program’s Tribally
caught salmon in dining venues
Chinook Winds Casino Resort is
proud to announce its partnership with
the ATNI (Affiliated Tribes of Northwest
Indians) Salmon Marketing Program.
“We started this process in September
of 2012, first meeting with Tina Retasket
from our Tribal Council and ATNI at the
Rez Kitchen Tour in Pendleton, Oregon.
It has been a journey of learning, com-
munication and cooperation to make this
a reality. Working with Tribal communi-
ties and highlighting traditional Native
foods resourced by Tribal fishermen is a
passion of mine. And it’s only the begin-
ning,” said Jack Strong, executive chef at
Chinook Winds.
“This program is our opportunity to
invest in Indian Country while serving a
high quality, healthy product throughout
our resort. We are committed to setting
ourselves apart as putting quality first and
supporting inter-Tribal cooperation through
the ATNI initiative,” said Mike Fisher, gen-
eral manager of Chinook Winds.
Created in July 2010, the Salmon
Marketing Program was initially funded
through EDA (Economic Development
Administration, U.S. Department of Com-
merce) and USDA grants of $310,000.
The program’s purpose is to add value
to Tribal fishers’ and harvesters’ catches
and keep more of the value-added chain
in Indian Country.
Since its inception in 2010, program
staff and stakeholders have assisted more
than 125 Tribal fishers, harvesters, indi-
viduals and businesses in generating an
economic impact of more than $1 million
through new sales, increased revenue and
higher premiums.
“As long as I have been involved,
people have been talking ‘Buy Indian.’
It seems like it’s time to walk the walk.
Chinook Winds and the Siletz Tribes are
doing it by being the first Oregon Tribe to
purchase through our program,” said Mike
Burton, director of ATNI’s Economic
Development Corporation (ATNI/EDC).
Chinook Winds purchases seasonal
salmon through the ATNI Salmon Mar-
keting Program in which various Tribes
participate. Currently, the Nisqually Tribe
delivers seasonal salmon caught and pro-
cessed by the Tribe.
The first delivery was for 85 pounds
of steelhead from Quinault Tribal member-
owned Sea-Atco Seafood on March 4. In
total, Chinook Winds has received 2,225
pounds of Quinault River steelhead.
A single Tribe, however, can’t pro-
vide enough fish to fulfill the casino’s
need for an entire year. Chinook Winds
uses more than 20,000 pounds of salmon/
steelhead product every year in all outlets,
so it’s important to work through ATNI’s
program to ensure the need is met.
The ATNI Salmon Marketing Program
works to promote inter-Tribal cooperation
for the greater good of Northwest Tribes. In
recent history, an Indian Country fisherman
wasn’t guaranteed a fair price for his catch.
With this program in place, ATNI works to
keep all of the value in Indian Country, up
to the final sale to the consumer.
“Our Tribe is continuing the efforts
of the ATNI/EDC efforts with the Con-
federated Tribes of Siletz and Chinook
Winds sharing Quinault and Nisqually
salmon with their patrons. Tomorrow
See Salmon, con’t on page 4.
The sun brings energy to the
people. Those who attended the
event included representatives from
the Lincoln County Solid Waste
District, OSU Extension Service,
Newport City Council, City of
Newport and local media, plus
Tribal Council, Tribal employees
and Tribal members.
Tribal bills pass unanimously out
of Natural Resources Committee
Schrader legislation
in US House benefits
Siletz, Grande Ronde
WASHINGTON – Two pieces of
legislation introduced by Congressman
Kurt Schrader (D-OR) to streamline the
process for the Grand Ronde and Siletz
Tribes to take land into trust passed
unanimously June 12 in the House Natural
Resources Committee.
H.R. 841 and H.R. 931 would stream-
line the process to take land into trust
for the Grand Ronde and Siletz Tribes
respectively.
Currently, the Tribes are hampered
in their efforts to restore land within
their original reservations by a lengthy
Bureau of Indian Affairs process. Both
bills introduced by Schrader are designed
to remove cumbersome bureaucratic red
tape and make it easier for each Tribe to
take land into trust within their original
reservation boundaries that existed prior
to termination by the federal government.
“Passage of these bills today in the
House Natural Resources Committee is
very encouraging for the Grand Ronde
and Siletz Tribes as we pursue a long-
term, positive legislative solution to the
longstanding obstacles they face in restor-
ing their historic lands,” said Schrader.
“As we seek to have these important bills
enacted into law, I remain committed to
working with our Tribes and other stake-
holders to build consensus. To that end, I
would thank Representative DeFazio for
his work in the committee to help advance
this process on behalf of our Tribes.”
“The Siletz Tribe and its nearly 5,000
members are truly grateful for Congress-
man Schrader’s hard work on behalf of
his constituents. His legislation is cru-
cial to helping the Siletz Tribe provide
much-needed services, such as housing,
to its membership,” said Delores Pigsley,
chairman of the Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians.
“I want to extend my sincere apprecia-
tion and thanks to Congressman Schrader
for not only introducing H.R. 841, the
Grand Ronde Reservation Act Amend-
ment, but for his personal involvement and
follow-up with the committee and his col-
leagues to ensure the legislation advances
through the legislative process. Congress-
man Schrader understands the importance
of Native people being able to say that ‘this
land is our reservation now and forever,’”
said Reyn Leno, Tribal Council chair of
the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.