Siletz tribal newspaper., October 01, 1997, Page 2, Image 2

Page 2
CHAIRMANS REPORT
From: Lillie Butler
The Oregon Tribes met with Governor Kitzhaber and about
twenty Oregon State Departments. The Governor spoke about the Signed
Executive Order that recognizes Tribes as Sovereign Governments.
He spoke of long relationships with Tribes and trust of one another. He
realizes that working together is not easy but the opportunity is there to
build a strong, vital relationship.
The Tribes spoke on Sovereignty, Treaties, Restoration, Cul­
ture, Tribal Organizations and Programs that are available to tribal
membership. Oregon State Departments gave a brief background of
their departments and how they interrelate with Tribal programs.
Robert Kentta, Culture Specialist, gave a brief history on Siletz’s
treaties, lost land, allotments, termination and Restoration. Frank
Petersen, Programs Manager, told of tribal organization, programs and
detail of programs. The Council appreciated Robert and Frank’s will­
ingness to share information about the Siletz Tribe.
A water system improvement within the City of Siletz will
cost $3.7 million. The Tribe received a CDBG Grant of $320,000 and
Indian Health Service will contribute $150,000 toward improvements
o f the City’s water system. The balance of the $3.7 million will come
from Rural Development. We looked forward to receiving this grant as
the Housing Authority currently has 105 housing units in Siletz and 75
Section (8) vouchers for the eleven county service area. The Housing
Authority has plans to build an additional twenty units in Siletz.
Chinook Winds currently has 610 employees with 15% Tribal
Members, 4% Other Indians and 81% non-Indians.
This may sound like a continued story, but the Gaming Com­
pact is still in negotiations. One part of the negotiations issues that the
Committee is working on is the State proposed 6% Community Contri­
bution.
A confidential letter is being mailed out to tribal members of
financial information of the tribe. The last page of the report has phone
numbers of council members if you to wish to speak to them regarding
the financial information. You can, also, call die toll free number 1-
800-922-1399.
If you ever have any question, feel free to contact your Coun­
cilman.
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE
SILETZ NEWSPAPER
I would like to take this time to introduce myself and to discuss what 1
believe is the mission and purpose of the newspaper and hopefully, put
an end to the controversies that have plagued the paper in recent weeks.
I believe the Siletz Papers’ purpose is to inform the General Council of
current events that affect and impact the lives of each and every Tribal
member without regard to one’s political or family affiliation. It is a
medium that allows the transmission of news and events that impact
your community.
It is a vehicle to deliver news that may be both informative and contro­
versial. It also is a forum that allows each and every Tribal member the
opportunity to express ones’ views regarding the events that impact your
lives. It also allows others to read the views o f others.
Siletz Tribal Newspaper
Letter from The Chief Editor, Conti.
When sucft views are expressed it is tne responsioiiity ot each author to limit their expres­
sions or views to fact and to follow the following guidelines:
1) .
Factual information must be verifiable and based on reliable resources.
2) .
Information which is not factual and may result in injury or damage to the Tribe or
another entity or individual will not be printed (i.e,, detriment statements).
3) ,
Information obtained from Tribal Council executive sessions or other confidential
meetings of the Tribal Council, Committees or Departments will not be printed.
4) .
Letters to the editor, opinions or other articles with sexually explicit, derogatory
or obscene content will not be printed.
5) .
Views and opinions representing opposite view points will be printed whenever
possible in order to obtain a balanced perspective on the topic in question: and
6) .
Limited to 450 words per letter.
It is not my responsibility as the Editor-In -Chief o f your newspaper to censor your views,
but only to review such articles to make sure they are factual and fall within the guidelines
listed above. If they are not factual it is my responsibility to confer with the author and
point out areas, statements, or facts that do not fall within the guidelines. If the author and
I can resolve these issues, then the letter will be printed. If these issues cannot be resolved,
then it is my duty not to print the letters. I do not take this responsibility lightly and will
utilize the Tribe’s Attorney to verify that the articles at issue do contain facts or statements
that fall within the above guidelines. The views of writers do not reflect the position of the
paper nor the Tribe, they are the exclusive views of the author and the Siletz paper will not
be held responsible for the views expressed by others. The Tribal members who wish to
express themselves in the Siletz Newspaper will be limited exclusively to the Letters to the
Editor section of the newspaper. An article which appeared in the September issue on the
front page was an editorial of one person’s view and did not belong on the front page. It
contained statements that were not totally accurate nor verifiable and should not have been
printed until such statements could be verified. But since it did appear on the front page,
this article should have presented die issue from all perspectives and not just the perspec­
tives of the author and the statements presented in the article should have been accurate and
verifiable.
It is true that I am part of the controversy presented in this article but not of my choosing.
It is true I am an attorney, but there is a lot more to know about me.
I am an enrolled member of the Blackfoot Tribe located in Browning, Montana. I was
bom and raised in Renton, Washington. I have an undergraduate degree in Business Ad­
ministration with a minor in Economics and Indian Studies. My undergraduate degree has
been enhanced with over sixty credits from the University of Washington’s Graduate School
of Business.
I graduated from the University of Puget Sound Law School with an emphasis in criminal
law and Native American Law and was the Legal Director for the Seattle Indian Center.
My law degree has been enhanced with over 140 Continuing Legal Education credits.
I have participated in Native American issues since I was a teenager. I assisted in forming
the first recognized urban Native American organization in the Seattle-King County area,
The National Association of the Blackfoot Indians (NABI). I represented Green River
Community College as the President of their Native American Club, as well as represented
my law school at Native American law conferences. I have worked for local tribes in the
Puget Sound region both as an employee and volunteer.
I worked as a legal intern while attending law school for the Puyallup Indian Tribe, as well
as being the Director of the Tribe’s CETA Summer Youth Program, which received na­
tional recognition for it’s success. I have volunteered for other Tribes within the Puget
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