SILETZ NEWS
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Vol. 46, No. 1
January 2018
Presorted
First-Class
Mail
U.S. Postage
Paid - Permit
No. 178
Salem, OR
Siletz News
Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380-0549
Delores Pigsley,
Tribal Chairman
Brenda Bremner,
General Manager
and Editor-in-Chief
City of Portland
announces new
Tribal liaison
Photo by Andrea Taylor
Three young Siletz Tribal Head Start students participate in a musical number based on the – you guessed it – “How the
Grinch Stole Christmas” theme at the Siletz Community Christmas Program on Dec. 13 at the Tribal Community Center.
Employee of the Year
Kurtis Barker
477 Self-Sufficiency Program
Director
From the nomination form: “Kurtis
excels in his position as the 477 Self-
Sufficiency Program director. He is on
various committees, and oversees bud-
gets and policies for other programs in
the Tribe along with his own. His efforts
accomplished the newly built computer
lab. The lab will assist Tribal members
in getting the training they need to suc-
ceed. He has been working on targeted
case management and re-entry pro-
grams on top of his daily duties.”
Photo by Andrea Taylor
Maggie McAfee, Human Resources
Assistant (left), and General Manager
Brenda Bremner wrap Kurtis Barker
in a Tribal Pendleton blanket.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Laura John, a
descendent of the Blackfeet and Seneca
Nations, started working in December as
the City of Portland’s Tribal liaison. John
will act as the primary representative of
the mayor, elected City Council and all
bureaus and offices in relationships with
sovereign Tribal governments and the
urban Native American community.
“I am humbled to be selected for this
position,” John shared. “It is truly a privi-
lege to serve the community that I grew
up in. I look forward to elevating the voice
of the Portland Native community through
outreach, inclusion and representation.”
John has deep roots in Portland’s
American Indian community and an
extensive background in Tribal advocacy
and community engagement as she has
worked in American Indian communities
for the past 20 years.
She previously was a researcher and
program evaluator for the National Indian
Child Welfare Association, an early career
scientist for the Native American Research
Center of Health and coordinator of a
child abuse prevention program for the
Native American Rehabilitation Associa-
tion in Portland.
John was a state policy fellow with the
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
during which time she served as the state-
Tribal policy analyst for the Montana Bud-
get & Policy Center and worked closely
with American Indian state legislators and
elected Tribal leaders in Montana.
She holds undergraduate degrees
from Portland State University and
Haskell Indian Nations University, and
graduate degrees from Washington State
University and the University of Montana.
“I heard from the robust and diverse
Native communities in Portland about the
critical importance of the Tribal liaison
position. Laura has a history of being a
strong advocate for American Indian and
Alaska Native communities,” said Mayor
Ted Wheeler. “Her experience and exist-
ing close ties with the Portland Native
American community will help us form
more meaningful relationships and work
together to create solutions.”
Rep. Tawna Sanchez (HD 43/North
and Northeast Portland), director of Family
Services at the Native American Youth and
Family Center, commented, “I am thrilled
to hear that Laura has been selected to
serve as the Tribal liaison for the City of
Portland. I have known her for many years
and see her new position as a wonderful
opportunity to develop partnerships with
Portland’s Native community and Tribes.”
The Tribal liaison assists the City
Council and all city bureaus in strengthen-
See Liaison on page 6