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
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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)