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About Siletz news. (Siletz, Oregon) 1983-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1985)
« Page 2 7. Is the Chairman honest in distinguishing who gets paid $5.00 an hour and for what duties? 8. When you have a To the Editor: I must correct a portion of tremendous hangover and Dear Editor: To the Editor, the Chairman’s report that collect $40.00 for occupying a la in writing in response to I felt that I had to write Chair during a Tribal Coun your'article in the October this letter concerning Ver appeared in the October Tribal newspaper. cil meeting is this neglect of News letter. In the first non Brown. My letter to the Council on duty and falsifying a time place I think the Council was I still feel there is some out of place in accusing Ver thing else behind all of this September 11, 1985 regar sheet? Our timber money? 9. When you can give a non of “ripping off the tribe’’ business about 4 hours of ding expulsion action was report for a meeting you in an open meeting. They Culture time, and soliciting again interpreted by experts should have done it in ex money for himself through and for their benefit. My ex never atten d e d is this neglect of duty, misconduct ecutive session. Whenever a the tribe’s name. Vernon act words in that letter were — “none of us are beyond and falsifying a time sheet? council member is in doubt always kept an eye on things reproach, the disturbing fact Our timber money? of some wrongdoings, a that went on in the offices, 10. When you can snoop, meeting should be called and and had to put a couple of ad is that some do not get discuss and accuse behind the council member should ministrative employees in c a u g h t as q u ick ly as ones back, whether it is over be faced with the problem in their places; for these ac others”, and I did give some examples hoping the Council the phone, in an office or on a executive session. tions Vernon wasn’t very Also in Brenda Bremner’s popular, BUT!!! What was would examine their cons barstool, is this misconduct? article on the front page in done to Vernon Brown was ciences before resolving Our timber money? Pro the second paragraph, she very unethical. Now is the their allegations. On all gram money? stated Vernon received cash time for the people to get in other occasions where per 11. We could not get ade donations which he used for volved in our tribal business.. sonalities are involved the quate food baskets, garden personal gains. I do not know Three vacancies are com Council doors are closed to ing and food preservation why she would print such a ing up and now is the time to the public. The chairman funds because no indirect lie. After all she was sitting vote for someone who would has used this authority many dollars were there to fatten a in the front row when Ver help the people, and not times so why do we need a wallet? We lost the S.T.O.W. non’s bank statements were themselves. We don’t need a “Goat” now? and first E.D.A. grants I also need answers to because timely and account passed around. Every penny “ MA P R E M ” and her was accounted for. As for the followers on our Council. We, several more questions — • able proposals could not be 1. Re: Motion #27 in the written, but while we got 4 hours Delores Pigsley the people, haven’t got a referred to — had she been voice in any tribal business. May minutes. How many v ery little, a pay raise was doing her duties she would We need to amend our Con Council members went to handed out and eventually a have taken care of the 4 stitution to gain power in Warm Springs for Pi-Um- promotion? hours before they were ever order to control tribal coun Sha b u t attended or par 12. When you must rely on sent to accounting. She cil spending of tim ber ticipated in the Softball Rednecks to testify against a stated in her chairman’s revenue monies without our Tournament instead of the Tribal member, Rednecks report that she wants to knowing what’s going in. Pi-Um-Sha activities? Were who are worried that one day stand for honesty and in They are buying more land any of the Council members we will get our original tegrity. Well, I would like to all the time, and for what? publicly accused and expell reservation back or payment say as far as Vernon is con The Council should publish ed for knowingly accepting for it, which will affect their cerned she does not know the the timber revenue budget in money for personal gain and business life, Rednecks who meaning of honesty and in order for the people to know neglect of duty? Our timber were and still are Anti- tegrity. This is NOT the first where their monies are be money? R e s to ra tio n , Anti- 2. On the over-discussed R eservation, Anti-Indian time Vernon has been accus ing spent. ed of wrongdoing. I think it’s about time for and final denial of the 4 hour can still turn the Apple In Since she has been chair tribal members to take a issue and the denial of Tribal dians head? White man win man I believe we have lost stand for what is rightfully C o u n c i l - C o m m i t t e e again? Is this 1895 or 1985? quite a bit. I am talking theirs. They do not need to be members hours for working 13. What m ail to us about contracts & grants. dictated by a handful of on the Pow-Wow, why does deserves a 22<, first class another Tribal Council-Com stamp? Those people are still work tribal council members. ing for the tribe that were 14. Are we being victimiz Joan Washington mittee member get paid for resp o n sib le for w riting Salem, Oregon working at the Health Fair ed of our assets, privileges during the Pow-Wow and a t and priorities? Our timber grants. te n d in g a Pow-Wow dollars are dwindling away,, I would like to thank Ed ceremony? Getting paid for yet we cannot qualify for a Ben for the compliment he attending Pow-Wow was a small per-capita payment, gave the Chairman of the big No-No in May. Is it again even though we voted for one pow wow committee, even not what is done but who about a year ago? though he referred to the does it? Our timber money? wrong person as being chair 15. Has the expulsion of a 3. Who gets paid wages respected, outspoken and man. I asked the pow wow and travel for transporting ' resourceful Council member committee to keep me in the background merely because the Tribal Council mail and added to the proud, tall im I do not like BORING the other documents to the age of being an Indian? Has people by building up myself Chairm an in Albany or it just scraped the tip of the or my family. Salem? iceberg? In closing, I would like to 4. Why do we accept a Mary “Dolly” Fisher say that those who pointed Chairman that cannot be their finger at Vernon that here at the Siletz Office daily there is always three fingers to answer the mail, sign To the Editor: pointed back at them. documents and oversee the My family enjoyed the W ith th a t, I c lo se . daily Tribal Operations? We many displays, and films Doug Brown do have a Vice-Chairman but that were shown at the Toledo, Oregon he has no directions from the cultural fair and thank the Chair, he sees very little Cultural Com m ittee and mail, he has very little participants in sharing their communications with Staff, cultural items. he is seldom asked to attend Lillie, Ralene, Reggie, Lee or informed of meetings but B u t l e r he does get to meet with Tribal members and at their convenience. We do have concerns and questions and USDA cannot afford long distance “ Thank you” , to Don All let;ers received will be printed. Please type phone calls to the Chairman. Pigsley at Chemawa School, or write legible, no profane language will be 5. Is our Tribal head- • for donating chairs, to make quarters in Siletz or Salem? printed. All letters must include your name and it more confortable for our 6. Is the lawyer taking address. Send letters to: "Siletz News", P.O. Box clients. over the role of Tribal Court 549, Siletz, OR. 97380. Questions? Call 444-2536 too? Letters ToThe Editor "Opinions Questions, Concerns" I O y Dear Editor, I am compelled to react to what seems to be “mud- slinging” by my tribal coun cil against a councilman for whom I voted in the last elec tion. The reason I, and others, voted for Vernon Brown is because of his honesty, integrity, and deep c o n c e rn for a ll trib a l members. Because he is a minister, a man of God, I honestly feel that he would not intentionally turn his back on his beliefs and his personal commitment to the tribe and jeopardize his reputation within the com munity. As I understand it, Mr. Brown can account for every penny that was collected and used for the Pow Wow Com mittee. And, I am sure, the four hours claimed on his tim e sheet m onths ago represent an innocent error, an error th$t has been made by other trib al council members with no significant repercussions, and should have been caught at the time of submission by the approv ing officer. The unproven a lleg atio n that Mr. Brown intentionally used tribal funds for personal gain is not enough to eject an elected of ficial. If we, the people of the C onfederated T rib es of Siletz, elect an official, we do not want that person replac ed by the chairperson’s ap p o in tee w ithout a full investigation into the allega tions. The whole situation has brought to light numerous rumors regarding some of the council members, all of which can be described as “ gross m isconduct” far more accurately than that of which Mr. Brown is being ac cused. There have also been rumors that members of the council do not want Vernon elected because of his commitment to all tribal members, including those living outside the eight coun ty service area, and that these same council members have been trying to get him out. I am offended that my tribal council seems to be us ing their authority to inflict personal vendettas. Perhaps those that “cast the first s to n e ” sh o u ld be in vestigated themselves! Sincere'/, Pat Morrell Concerned Tribal Member y\*A A / Indian Burial Law Changes Reprint from Commission on Indian Ser vices Newsletter Effective September 23, 1985, any person who willful ly violates the Oregon Indian Burial Law and is convicted, will be committing a Class C Felony instead of a Class A Misdemeanor. This means that a person convicted of an Indian burial law violation will be subject to a penalty of up to five years imprison ment and/or a $10,000 fine in stead of one year imprison ment and/or $2,500 fine. Other changes made in the Burial Law as a result of HB 2084 require that it more clearly states the prohibi tio n s c o n c e rn in g the removal of artifacts from In dian graves. Standing is also given under the law to out-of- state tribes whose culture areas include Oregon lands. Those in stru m en tal in passage of HB 2084 were the Legislative Law Improve m en t C o m m itte e , Representative Bob Brogoit- ti of LaGrande, the Com mission on Indian Services and the Society of People Struggling to Be Free, a Newport-based organization dedicated to the preserva tion of American Indian cultural resources. SILETZ NEWS Don Hudson, EDITOR Mailing Address: P.O. Box 549 Siletz, Oregon 97380 Telephone: (503) 444-2532 D e a d lin e for December New sletter is November 16,1985 Send all articles and photos (black Cr w h ite only) to P.O. Box 549, Siletz. OR. 97380.
