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About Siletz news letter. (Siletz, Oregon) 1989-1997 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1994)
2 April 1994 <W W X X zX <>9W W W <X X X X X X X ^^ Letters to the^ Editor^ Letters to the Editor : All letters received will be printed except those which are determined to be slanderous. Please type or write legible, no profane language w ill be p r in te d . The Siletz News letter and Tribal Government accept no responsibility for statements made in the letters to the editor. The opinions expressed are souly those of in d iv id u a ls w ritin g in. LETTERS THAT EXCEED 350 WORDS IN LENGTH WILL BE EDITED as approved &Y__ Tribal Council Resolution #91-04.____ All__ letters must include vour name, address and s ig n a tu re . Send letters to : Siletz News, P.O. Box 549, Siletz, Oregon 97380. Attn: Teresa Miller, Managing Editor. PLEASE NOTE: The Chief Executive O fficer of the Siletz Tribe is the Chief E d ito r of th e S ile tz N e w s le tte r. To Tribal Members, There are a couple of concerns that I have. First I keep hearing every year how our Tribal Council is always for our Tribal Elders. Every year nothing. I feel that our Tribe should give our Elders something in CASH. Every tribe in Oregon does. Around Christmas a couple hundred dollars to help out our Elders is a nice way of saying thanks for being there. Second there are over 2,200 Tribal members enrolled here. For funding for the Tribe they are all counted. This means no matter where they live. In State or out of State, all Tribal members should benefit from this. Royce Strong Thank you: I would like to take the time to thank everyone who called and kept me in their prayers, during the time of having surgery. Also those who came to be with my kids and. grand kids during that time. Thank you, Walter Easter I love you Grandpa, I love you Grandma.... z<x Phil Rilatos, Jr. . S s l Tribal Members: I would like to thank those of you who voted for me. I am very disappointed that a lower blood degree vote did not occur, but there were too many choices. •As ch a irm a n Dee Pigsley so ably pointed out, 297 Tribal Members wanted the blood degree lowered. 282 people voted to accept the 1978 roll, this is a problem because it will create inequality. The solution, as I see it, is desendency. A person in whose mind and heart is a proud Siletz Tribal Member is all that is necessary. How soon some have forgotten Term ination. Now that we are legal Indians we can now discriminate against our own descendents because they do not meet a magical fraction of a whole number. In the 50's the Federal Government made promises and painted a rosy picture and promised money if we (the Tribe) voted to terminate. The Tribe (our families) voted to do ju s t th a t and we were terminated. The promises are gone, the money and cars are gone, and the alcohol killed and destroyed many of our Tribal Members. The people remained and after agonizing years of being Non-Indian, determined Tribal Members and our friends made us again proud members of a federally recognized Tribe. I want our Tribe to continue to grow, expand and prosper as werhave done since Restoration. Please do not continue to discrim inate against our d e s c e n d e n ts . We trie d termination once and it did not work. Do not let us breed ourselves into termination. Than you for listening to me, Bensell Breon Dear Editor, I am w ritin g in response to some letters in the February Newsletter. I own a teepee. I am building a sweat lodge. I have read many books about Indians and by Indians. I attend PowWows. I listen to tapes of Indian flute music and Indian drumming and singing. I have read a lot about Oregon Indians and the history of Oregon Indians and the tragic impact and relations with the white man. I may know quite a bit more about local Indians, than many Indians do. I make replications of Indian regalia. I volunteer at the O.S.U. Indian Longhouse. I wish I knew Elders and could learn directly from them, but the simple fact rem ains I do not have Indian blood in my veins. I am not an Indian. Even if I was raised by Indians that would not make me an Indian. There has to be some legal way to determine who is Indian. Blood quantum tests would seem to be an objective way to d e te rm in e ones heritage. I would hope and pray that politics would not enter these matters. You either have the needed blood degree or you d o n 't. W ishing you did, believing you do, being told you do, just doesn't make it so. I deeply respect those who past the test. Sincerely, Jay Gray To The People of Siletz Tribes: I have always shown those of the Indian the respect they deserve. I have very little respect for you at this time, it's turning to shame. I have lived here long enough to see peoples struggle from misery and poverty. Many have worked hard and taken many chances that you would be where you are today controlling your own destiny and wealth and most of you deserve this. The ones of truth, honor and respect, the brave ones, who if they knew and knew how to, would act. There will always be sun eels in the run. You know what I mean and you know who they are. In the dark and all the confusion some slip into the sack. When this happens you know what to do. Those fortunate enough to be in charge of the children, who act with compassion, humility and confidence-that comes with truth, honor and respect, those are the ones who fear no one. When they look into their hearts shame and regret holds no part of them. Shame will not cross their minds when they meet their maker. Those are the ones of the blessed eternal. I have been straight forward with your people, an act of respect. I could have gone over your heads. I might still. But there still is a chance if you act now. With the right people in position-you know who they are n o t-th e Indian Nation has a chance to set an example for the white nation. ; 8>iltt$ &Ut> W :: Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Sun-Thur;; ; 1 1 :0 0 - 2 a.m. Fri-Sat ;; : Phone 444-7012 ;; * Proprietors: Bud Shoemake & :: > Bud Lane „ ; » ♦ » > < ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ » ♦ ................ «»»♦♦»»* Don't think there aren't those in the position and poised to take back the control you now enjoy. Those Jobs you fear losing you Will lose through fear to act. Cast the sun eels from the sack before it's too late: I still have respect and am honored I might aid your people. Don't let it turn to pity and shame I had anything to do with you. That I had to speak out is bad enough. H. Scott Rasmussen (Edited for Length)
