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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2013)
Chairman’s Report Tribal Nations Summit President Obama once again invited all Tribal leaders in the United States to attend the 2013 White House Tribal Nations Summit in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 13 at the Department of Interior. Bud Lane, Tribal vice chairman, repre sented Siletz at the summit (see article on page 1). The White House Council on Native American Affairs was established earlier this year and was a discussion item at the summit. The Departments of Interior, Veter ans Affairs, Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection, Transporta tion, Energy, Justice, Labor, Housing, Homeland Security, Small Business Administration and Agriculture made pre sentations, along with President Obama. Tribes generally don't get to speak at this meeting; usually pre-conference meetings cover Tribal issues that may be local. This year the president met with 12 Tribes the day before the summit to understand individual Tribal interests. We all have issues in common, but also have issues specific to our region. Bud and Robert Kentta also met with our congressional delegation as well as some committee staff members. On Nov. 14, Bud testified before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee about how sequestration affects the Siletz Tribe (see testimony below). Holidays 1 hope you enjoyed our Restoration Celebration and your Thanksgiving. Blessings to you for the holiday season. May you have a safe New Year and an awesome beginning to 2014. Delores Pigsley Testimony of Alfred “Bud” Lane, III, Tribal Council Vice Chairman • Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians of Oregon Before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Hearing on Contract Support Costs and Sequestration: Fiscal Crisis in Indian Country My name is Bud Lane. As Tribal Vice Chairman for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, I want to thank you for creating this opportunity to hear directly from Tribes on the impacts of sequestration. While some in the media, like The Washington Post, maintain that sequestration effects are minimal or non-existent, I can assure you this has not been the case for Indian Country and for the Siletz Tribe. 2008 Economic Collapse. Like the rest of the nation, the Siletz Tribe has been trying to recover from the 2008 crash of the economy. We have worked diligently to keep services and jobs intact for our Tribal members and focused funding cuts in the areas of travel, training and staffing. To that end. we have left vacated positions unfilled and shifted duties to other staff, froze salaries and step increases from 2010 through 2012 and provided no COLA in 2010, a 1% COLA in 2011 and no COLA in 2012. Compare that to federal agencies who, while freezing salaries, still received step increases and bonuses, including a 3.6% COLA for 2012. The Siletz Tribe's recovery has been limited - Tribal revenue is slowly coming 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. back but as of 2012 we are still down 35% from where we were in 2008. Our federal funding has steadily declined in this same time period. Through frugal planning, the Tribe was able to plan for and budget a 2% COLA and 2% step increase for employees in 2013. However, given the current sequestration and those proposed tor the future, these are the last increases for the foreseeable future. 2013 Sequestration. The Tribe has continued cost cutting in response to the first round of sequestration cuts. Staff travel is restricted to mandatory grantee meetings and to trainings required to maintain professional licensing and certifications. For 2013, we continued not filling most vacated positions and in some instances reduced full-time positions to part-time to achieve savings in salary and fringe benefits. At this point we have lost 26 positions (10% of our staff). For the first time ever, the Tribe's Contract Health Services program began the year on priority levels which restricted services: (1) authorized care is limited to health services needed for Continued on next page Elders Council Meeting Dec. 14*1-4 p.m. • Chinook Winds Casino Resort For more information, contact Dee Navarro at 800-922-1399. ext. 1261 ; 541-444-8261 ; or deen@ctsi.nsn.us. Name: Address: Phone: NUU”WeG-y3 Change of address: Tribal members - contact the Enrollment Depart ment at 541-444-8258; 800-922-1399, ext. 1258; or covas@ctsi.nsn.us. All others - call the newspaper office. Send information to: Deadline for the January issue is Dec. 10 Siletz News Submission of articles and photos is encouraged. Please see the Passages Policy on page 24 when sub mitting items for Passages. P.O. Box 549 Siletz, OR 97380-0549 541-444-8291 or 800-922-1399, ext. 1291 Fax: 541-444-2307 Email: pias@ctsi.nsn.us 2 • Siletz News • Member of the Native American Journalists Association December 2013 (our words) Introduction to the Athabaskan language Open to Tribal members of all ages Eugene Eugene Area Office Dec. 2 - 6-8 p.m. Jan. 6 - 6-8 p.m. Portland Portland Area Office Dec. 9 - 6-8 p.m. Jan. 13 - 6-8 p.m. Siletz Siletz Tribal Community Center Dec. 3 - 6-8 p.m. Jan. 7 - 6-8 p.m. Salem Salem Area Office Dec. 10 - 6-8 p.m. Jan. 14 - 6-8 p.m. 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; or email budl@ctsi.nsn.us.
