2
January 1994
Letters to
the Editor
Remember that
special someone with
a Valentine Greeting!
Your message o f 50 words
or less will be printed in thé
February issue o f the Siletz
News Letter. Deadline for
submission is January 15.
Please sign your submission
(for our records) and include
your address.
The following is the
second
half
of
Gary
Butler's letter which was
printed in the December
issue of the Newsletter
and edited for length.
We beco m e a l c o
holics,
dru g
addicted,
violent,
an d u n a c c e p t
able b y societies s t a n
dards..
The p a i n and
misery
cannot
continue
to d e stroy m y life.
The
dreams I ha v e h a d are
real
and
forthcoming.
There was a time in m y
life not long ago when
people wo u l d wond e r w h y
I was the w a y I was, wh y
I felt no pain, why I
ma r r i e d
my
cousin
in
Siletz at Illahee Park
a n d invited, everyone,. . I
d i d ,, this be c a u s e there
was so rnuph ^pain^ b e y o n d
understanding.
Even to
me to this d a y it is
v e r y h a r d to a c c e p t .
I
still go to counseling.
I see a p e r s o n who is a
proud
n ativ e
of
this
land.
I can't stress
enough the importance of
our children to be c o u n
seled b y ou r own.
ICW
needs
to
structure
a
s ystem
that
twill
en
courage
our
children,
not discoura g e them.
I
can't stress enou g h how
education is v e r y v i t a l .
To d a y I feel better, a l
most like a m ight have
made one of our sons,
nephews,
or
brothers
feel that there is some
one out here that does
care.
That is a feeling
that
I
ne v e r
got
a
chance to feel when I
was a child, but n o w I
a m a g r o w n m a n of 36,
who will n o doubt help
an d not be m o l d e d and
c r eated
by
a
society
that w a n t e d our nations
gone off the face of the
E arth an d what today we
k n o w was an act of g e n o
cide.
Whatever way I
can to keep our children
in our societies to keep
our na t i o n s
strong to
get a l o n g a nd not always
argue a n d fight amongst
ourselves.
N o w there is
no d r e a m but there are
m a n y v i sions of change
that can cre a t e what so
many of""us t hought t h e
impossible.
E x cuses are u n a c
ceptable w h e n our chil-.
dren are tre a t e d in this
manner.
Today, I c o n
tact e d m a n y people.
To
day, I went ba c k to hell
for a split second.
To
day,
I
feel
like
a
p r o u d , indigenous human
b e ing * w ho can ho l d his
h e a d u p a n d not look at
the ground.
-
Today, T p r a y for
m y p e o p l e s unders t a n d i n g
and op e n minds.
G a r y -L. Butler
Good Day!
My name is Shelley
U pchurch,
d a ugh ter
of,
Rosemary Lawson and Herman
Ricketts, grandaughter of Irene
Dowd and Blsh Lawson. I would
like to take this opportunity to
thank som6 bfV in y - famity
members for their help during
the Restoration Pow-Wow.
F irst d f alU-jfcSSiny of y$u,
consumed the "Fry . Bread", it
wa& I, the ’’Dough Lady* whd
made it. Any comments or
suggestions should fee directed
to -myself or Rik Lbaton (who
gave me the recipe).
I would like to thank my
dear
Aunt
Lilly
(Lillian
Bayya/Lawson) for letting us
use her water for coffee,
batter, hotdogs, and clean-up,
as well as her stove and pans
for heating up chili and hotdogs. .
Without her help in the process,
it would not have been possible
to supply the Pow-Wow with
the food we prepared. Again-
Thank You, Auntie!
Thank you goes out to
Sheila Bayya for the use of her
electric skillet, can opener, and
encouragem ent
(essential
basics).
Thank you to Lou Moceikis
and
her daughter Misty
(daughter and grandaughter of
"Harry Lawson") for their very
hard work, sense of humor, and
loyalty to help-out another
family during an almost crisis.
Thank you so much to Heidi
Jo and Rick Bayya for coming
to my aide. They are such neat-
(cool)-good young individuals,
and I am proud to have them as
family members.
Thank you to Bristo Bayya
and his wife Kristi Martin-
Bayya for being so gracious to
let me "crash" at their home .
for the night.
Thank you to Laurie Brown-
Godfrey and husband Chuck for
their help. They express with
actions and labor what it means
to be part of this Tribe and help-
out when the going gets tough.
Thank, you out there to
anyone that I may have
forgotten to mention.
The day and night of the
Restoration Pow-Wow was one
of being hectic. But, together
the
"L a w s o n "
fa m ily
descendants stuck together and
pulled together to make it all
possible. How very proud I am
to be a part of it, and feel in
my heart and spirit our loved
ones now in the Great After
-Life must have been smiling
down upon us. They live on in
us, guiding us with their
spirits, and encourage us ,to
stick together as a family, as.
the
"Lawson"
fam ily
of
descendents.
Therefore, my main thanks
at Thanksgiving is to thank the
Lord for my friends and family.
Sincerely,
Shefley Mae1 Upchurch’/ ;
Lawson/Dowd
.
1
TO THE EDITOR: g
- My name is Rene' Lane
(maiden ■ name Burden) my
mother Is Arlene Steggell, my
Grandfather Is Lloyd "Tiny"
Baker. -
There was an error
made
in
the
December
Newsletter because it said
Bobby Simmons had only 2 sons
and 1 daughter. I am Bobby's
daughter and I Know there are
others who were also not
mentioned.
I am ¿ware, as I'm sure
many people are, that this is
not the editor's fault.
Also,
I've
always
wanted to meet my brothers
and sisters but I didn't think it
was possible.
If Bobby
Simmons is your biological
fa th e r, I would love to hear
from you.
Rene' Lane
c/o Arlene Steggell
P.O. Box 572
Tillamook, Or. 97141
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
I want to take time and
say Thank You to a few people
that have really helped me the
last few months.
Last June I was a single
mom, still living, at home with
my mother, and not really
knowing what I wanted to do. I
knew I wanted to get my life
going in a better direction.
Thanks to Bob Tom, I'm doing
that. I am now a student at
Delta College of Business and
w ill
get
my degree
in
C o m p u te r iz e d
O ffic e
Management in a few months.
Bob helped encourage me, and
helped with all the necessary
paperwork that needed to be
completed.
I also want to Thank
Connie Hoffman. I now have my
own home, and with the Tribes
help can afford to live on my
own. My son and I love our new
place, and it's all "OURS."
Connie put up with all my
nagging phone calls, and even
came all the way to Springfield
on a Saturday to do my
inspection. I really appreciate
all her help.
Thanks again both of
you! It's not only an honor to be
a tribal
Klftv aft
privilege!
y(n&»ne rus. &
Misty Fisher
SILETZ NEWS DEADLINE
Januairy 1 5, 1994
mail articles and p h o to s T & f.j
Siletz News, P.O. Box 549, ''
Siletz, Oregon 97380; i
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responsibility for statements
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editor. LETTERS THAT EXCEED
350 WORDS IN LENGTH WILL BE
EDITED as approved bv Tribal
Council Resolution #91-04. All
letters must include vour name.
address and signature. Send
letters to : Siletz News, P.O.
Box 549, Siletz," Oregon 97380.
Attn: Teresa Miller, Managing
Editor.
PLEASE NOTE: The Chief
Executive Officer of the
Siletz Tribe is the Chief
Editor
of
the
Siletz
N ew sletter.