Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1978)
PAGE 4 DECEMBER 15, 1978 Editorial E COOSH EEWA: (The way it is) —Letters to the Editor We Need Police To the Editor: I am writing this letter for two reasons . . . first, I would like this opportunity to thank Ray Scott and the Police Force for doing a commendable job in solving the disappearance of my uncle, Herbie Switzler. There isn’t enough words of praise for a job well done by Ray. There were week-ends when he worked on his own free time to help solve this case. If it weren’t for dedicated officers such as Ray, can the people imagine what the reservation would be like! This brings on the second reason. There are certain parties that would like the Police De partment cut. Personally, I be lieve that would be very disast rous for our people and the community. We need our Juvenile depart ment to help guide our growing children, who are no longer ignorant of drugs, paint sniffing, etc., at elementary age. We need the Assistant Police Chief because of his great con cern for our people plus to help ease the load of our Chief of Police. We need our patrolmen to make this community feel ade quately protected. If enough of the community members ex press their concern we may be able to help keep our present Police personnel. Thank you for taking this time to read this letter. One of many concerned persons, Tina Kalama Editor's Note T H £ t3 O Ÿ '£ Ju s/ We must have respect and love for our people I am writing this letter in Tribal Planner and to let a hopes of clearing up a misunder handful of white men control our standing. When I attended the money and lives on our reserva budget meetings, it was not my tion is wrong. intent to glorify myself or to We must have more respect politic for the Health Branch and-love for our people than this. Manager’s position! As we all Today, we have many educated know, there are many problems brothers and sisters who felt they that exist on our reservation. At had to leave our people because a Whiteman, said they were not one time, when our ancestors walked upon our earth mother, I qualified. This has been going on am told that our people thought for years and years. Isn’t it time as one Indian and this was we called our people home? because of our respect and love Today our people are scat for the ways our Creator gave us tered and hurt. Some are dead, to live and worship, be it the or in a Whiteman’s jail, or being Longhouse way or the Sun Dance killed by the Whiteman’s alcohol, way! We were taught to respect living their hurts! Why? Is it our people that passed on to the because we have turned this Spirit World, our elders, all our place into a tourist attraction brothers and sisters, the young with little to offer our own pure people whose lives we must people? Has Warm Springs guide, and our future genera turned into a police state .or do tions, the unborn. we really have a say on the path To live with respect for all ■ we walk? What will there be left life: for the wingeds, the four to offer our future generations? leggeds, our brothers that live in I feel it is time to clear the our earth mother’s blood, for paths of our unborn and our plant life. To respect all of life, to young. This is not a place to live and breathe as one. This is make a Whiteman or a small the way that has been given us by 'group of people rich while the our Creator. rest suffer! All you elder men To sit back and let our people know what it is to live a hard life. and all of life on our reservation You’ve lived through wars, the be disrespectful I feel is wrong. loss of Celilo, and many bouts To do this would make me a with the alcohol spirit. I respect hypocrite, which we are not! you for this. Some of you didn’t For years we have watched survive I feel sadness because of Kah-Nee-Ta and our sacred this. While you wear scars of a waters be abused as have our lifetime, you also wear your woods, and all of life there is for pride. I apologize if I may have the sake of the almighty dollar. insulted you at the budget meet- To accept a White man as our Open Letter to Mr. Ray Scott There’s really no words that can express ourk heartfelt thanks and appreciation for everything you have done in finding and locating our loved one, Herbie Switzler. You have given more than your many long hours on your own time, and traveled many long and weary miles, without pay, until you accom plished a task that was brought before you. Even though it brought a lot of grief and sadness to the family, it also brought a deep feeling of relief that he was found so that a proper burial could be given. Again, we say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. May the Lord bless you, and give you a long, happy and prosper ous life. We know your job is very thankless, but you will forever have a warm place in our hearts and you will be remembered in alio u r prayers. We also thank the Warm Springs Police Department for their part in this sad task, and all others who helped as a team to make things easier for one another. Again we thank you. The mother, brothers, sisters, and numerous nephews and nieces of Herbie Switzler ing. It was not intentional. It is to you the elder man we look to for your wisdom and spiritual strength for the people. We do not need a big shopping center, but how about a food co-op for the people to make sure they are not hungry? We do not need anymore programs that just spend the people’s money and only give the people shame. It is .tiring listening to a Whiteman hide behind a bunch of big words and a smile which is nothing more than a thin veil that covers his greed and insensiti vity towards the people! Let us lead our own teaching love and respect the way our ancestors taught us. A big juvenile center is not needed in Warm Springs. It would only breed hate and disrespect. No person or group of people should rule over us in this way. Give your Red brothers your respect and you will have his. Give him your love and you will have his. Our court system should be here to care for us. Not to abuse us. To hurt our own people with false charges is a big shame. But who carries this shame and hate for our own people? Today as bonus time draws closer, we must protect our selves from many bad spirits that are here to hurt us. The court system and surrounding police forces are already in creasing fines and stopping our people unjustly in anticipation of our bonus! There must be some one to help our people with our rights which are being violated. There are already too many of our people in the Whiteman’s jails instead of with their fami lies. We have tribal lawyers but they don’t seem to be here for the people. So who is it to be? I ask you to think about these problems with an open heart and a lot of love for your people. I do not write this letter to stir up a lot of hate, but to uncover and nourish the unity, respect and love of and for our people. All my Relations Sincerely Yours, LeRoy Bobb û. CHILDREN NEED LOVE, - CAN YOU G IV I IT? ATTENTION: COMMUNITY! Once again there is a serious need for emergency shelter homes and foster homes. There are a number of homes that are certified to be foster parents, however, in most families the wife is working full time. We are having difficulty finding foster homes where the wife is home. The children that are in need of care, whether for a short time or long term, need nurturing full time. I’m appealing to you mothers who are at home and have an abundance of love in your heart for children. Perhaps you have felt you wanted to do something for your people and to feel good about yourself for having shared your self with another person. The reward for being a foster mother and father will not be a financial reward by any means. The reward is the satisfaction of feeling good in your heart for giving the greatest gift we can give, LOVE. •Please call our office for any information regarding foster care. Sincerely, Lola May Sohappy, Foster Care Counselor Do as I do The world is fast losing its sense of values and morals. Everything that is ungodly is being legalized. That’s why the young people are in so much trouble. There is much confusion in their minds as to what is right and what is wrong. They hear their elders telling them “Do this and do that,” “this is the right way we used to do it” and then see their elders doing the very things they say are not right! We, as mothers and fathers have, to wake up and realize that we are the ones that have to change before we can change our kids. We cannot continue to tell our children to “Do as I say not do as I do.” Because eventually as they grow up they are going to do as we do anyhow. I’m not only speaking of drinking and smok ing and cursing, I’m speaking of how we treat others, how we care for our homes, how we care for our body and our appearance, how we talk, meaning if we talk hatefully of things and people, make fun of, put down or talk fairly of all people, understand ing that every person has his faults and his goodness. The Great Spirit or God is the creator of all people. Every race has something unique and beautiful about them. Each is different in speech and culture but none, in God’s eyes is better than another. If we could but see each-other as God sees us. What great peace we would have in our hearts. What great turmoil would be stilled in our minds. PATH-Foster Care T rib al C ouncil A genda Dec. 18 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:00 a.m. 1. 10:00 a.m. - Enrollments 2. 2:00 p.m. - Realty, Phillip David’s Right-of-way Dec. 19 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:00 a.m. 1,10:00 a.m. - Budget Items held in abeyance - Ken Smith, Branch Managers 2. 2:00 p.m. - Sanders-Rickard, Roads - Progress Report NOTE : Special meetings will be called as required. SIMNASHO District Meeting to be scheduled re Law and Order .
