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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2018)
SILETZ NEWS Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Vol. 46, No. 3 March 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 Tribe elects 2 incumbents, 1 newcomer to Tribal Council; officers chosen Sharon Edenfield, Reggie Butler Sr. and Angela Ramirez were elected to the Tribal Council of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in elections held Feb. 3. Edenfield, from Siletz, Ore., was re- elected with 343 votes; Butler, from Siletz, Ore., was re-elected with 303 votes; and Ramirez, from Siletz, Ore., was elected with 300 votes. Eight candidates ran for the three open positions and the three who received the most votes were elected. These individuals will serve with Lillie Butler and Alfred (Bud) Lane III, both of Siletz, and Delores Pigsley from Keizer, Ore., whose terms expire in 2019; and with Loraine Butler of Siletz, Gloria Ingle of Lincoln City and Robert Kentta of Logsden, whose terms expire in 2020. Term of office is three years for each posi- tion on the nine-member council. Seven hundred nine ballots were returned and accepted. Enrolled mem- bers of the Siletz Tribe who are age 18 and older are eligible to vote in Tribal elections. The Tribe has more than 5,200 enrolled members. The swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected council members took place Feb. 4. Officers are elected on an annual basis and those selected for 2018 include: • • • • Delores Pigsley, chairman Alfred (Bud) Lane III, vice chairman Sharon Edenfield, secretary Robert Kentta, treasurer Photo by Andy Taylor The 2018 Siletz Tribal Council (l to r): Lillie Butler, Gloria Ingle, Delores Pigsley, Reggie Butler Sr., Robert Kentta, Loraine Butler, Alfred (Bud) Lane III, Sharon Edenfield and Angela Ramirez Pigsley currently has served 32.5 years as Tribal chairman out of 39 years on the council, while Lillie Butler has served 26; Reggie Butler, 21; Bud Lane, 20; Robert Kentta and Loraine Butler, 13 each; Sharon Edenfield, nearly 8 years; and Gloria Ingle, 4 years. The Siletz Tribe has spent the last 40 years rebuilding its government and economic structure. The signing of Public Law 95-195 in 1977, which restored gov- ernment-to-government relations between the Siletz Tribe and the federal govern- ment, started this process. The Siletz Tribe Remarks of President Jefferson Keel 16 th Annual State of Indian Nations Address Washington, D.C. • Feb. 13, 2018 Good morning! I am humbled to serve you – once again – as president of the National Congress of American Indians. Normally, at this point I’d say: On behalf of the 567 federally-recognized Tribal nations and dozens of state-recognized Tribal nations that we serve, I’m honored to welcome you here today. But last month, six Virginia Tribes were finally granted federal recognition. I congratulate the Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Upper Mattaponi, Rap- pahannock, Monacan, and Nansemond Tribes on this long-overdue affirmation of their sovereignty. So now, on behalf of the 573 federally recognized Tribal nations and dozens of state-recognized Tribal nations we serve, I’m honored to share this message of our power and purpose with members of Congress and the administration. The state of Indian nations is strong and resilient and everlasting. We were here before all others. We are still here. We will always be here. Like so many others, my Tribe, the Chickasaw, was removed from our home in Mississippi in the 1830s. We were uprooted from our homes, driven hundreds of hard miles across the rivers and mountains, enduring unmentionable hardship, losing almost half of our Tribal members to what is now known as Oklahoma. There, we started over and we rebuilt our nation. Our love of our culture and our commitment to our values kept us strong, and enabled us to persevere. Today, we proudly call ourselves the Unconquered and Unconquerable Chickasaw Nation. And, we are among the strongest economic forces in Oklahoma. In every part of this land, we see the enduring resilience of Native peoples. We are a wellspring of governing ingenuity and local solutions to tough challenges, indigenous knowledge and environmental stewardship, and new jobs and economic growth. Yet, too often – and for too long – Indian Country has been overlooked. See Indian Nations on page 12 was the second in the nation – and the first in Oregon – to achieve restoration. The Siletz Tribe was among the first to become a self-governance Tribe, giving Tribal government more control over ser- vices provided to Tribal members. Under self-governance, the U.S. government pro- vides general funding to the Tribe (rather than to specific programs), then Tribal employees and the Tribal Council decide how funds will be spent. Significant Tribal accomplishments since Restoration include opening the original health clinic in 1991 and a new much larger clinic in 2010; building more than 150 homes and multiple dwellings for Tribal members, including 28 units at Neachesna Village in Lincoln City that have opened since 2009, 19 apartments in Siletz that opened in 2010 and 12 homes in the Tillamook subdivision in Siletz that have opened since 2013; completing the Siletz Dance House in 1996; opening the Tenas Illahee Childcare Center in 2003; opening the Tillicum Fitness Center and a new USDA food distribution warehouse in Siletz in 2008; and opening the Siletz Recreation Center in 2009. Through its economic development division, the Siletz Tribal Business Cor- poration, the Tribe purchased the Lincoln Shores office complex in Lincoln City in 2001 and opened the Siletz Gas & Mini- Mart in Siletz in 2004, the Logan Road RV Park in Lincoln City in 2004 and the Hee Hee Illahee RV Resort in Salem in 2006. Tribal offices in Portland, Salem and Eugene are housed in Tribally owned buildings. The Eugene office moved to its current location in 2005, the Salem office did the same in 2006 and the Port- land office moved to its current location in 2008. The Tribe also played a lead role in opening the Siletz Valley School in 2003 and the Siletz Valley Early College Acad- emy in 2006. See Election on page 6 Patient portal now available at Siletz Clinic The Siletz Community Health Clinic is thrilled to offer you a new feature – The Patient Portal! This is a convenient, secure online tool available 24/7 so you can: • Exchange secure messages with your medical team • Access your health record • Search patient educational material • View visit summary documents • Send your health records to other providers • Attach your dependents’ medical information to your portal account Parents and legal guardians can attach minor’s medical information to their portal account. To do so, the par- ent/legal guardian must send a message request from their portal account or come into the clinic. If you have any questions regarding the enrollment process, call our patient care coordinators at 541-444-1030 or 800-648-0449, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
