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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1983)
Page 4 August 12,1983 Editorial E Coosh EEWA: (The way it is) Tji 'i •X; Letters to the editor Law suit too costly an endeavor To the Editor, T h is h a s b e e n v e ry educational and a real “eye To those of you who have opener” in finding out in these been following my case against times that I cannot, nor can any the Tribal Council, I wish to other Tribal member, obtain report the following: “Do as I any remedy for violation of any say, but don’t do as I do,” could civil rights within our “great” possibly be appropriate. In my Tribal organization. This is a endeavor to right a wrong, the great change from the time, estimated cost to continue to some years ago, that I defended continue going in circles is very a Tribal Council member in costly and very financially Tribal Court as the Tribal difficult to continue with my Council member’s spokesman case to prove the Tribal (para-professional lawyer), and Council should have followed I was successful in defending the Tribal Constitution and the the Tribal Council member. Election Ordinance properly That case was a matter of and not to ignore or do away principle with me just as much w ith e sta b lish e d e le c tio n as the present case that I now procedures in a very informal find too financially difficult to m anner. Everyone makes continue. If I were certain that I mistakes, but it appears that it would eventually have my day is difficult for our governing in court, I would continue body to admit. regardless of the difficult costs, but even that objective is not certain. To date, it has just been a paper process by the attorney and the latest is that the Tribal Court could not handle the case. It appears to be a great run-around that is costly to me. No one in the BI A or Tribes has, to date, come forth to tell me or hand me a document that tells me if I have any rights or what process I might follow. No one has proved that I am wrong. I wish to thank the many Tribal members, and non-. Tribal members who expressed their agreem ent With my- endeavor to right a wrong. I would like for all of you who have been genuinely concerned over the outcome of my case to know that I am not a quitter—I will continue to take a stand on any issue th a t I feel is unjust, unfair or illegal; however, I am presently forced to make my opinions known in some other m an n er th a t is n o t so financially taxing. This country was supposedly established by people fighting for their rights and so now I am being suppressed by the process or lack of process. Lloyd G. Smith, Sr. Fashion show scheduled In you’re interested in the latest styles and hairdos, plan to attend one of two of the upcoming fall hair and fashion shows to be held August 21 and 22 at Kah-Nee-Ta Lodge. The first showing on August 21 will be during the Sunday brunch in the Juniper Dining Room. The second showing on August 22 will be held during a special luncheon front 11:30 a.m . to 1 p.m . in the Confederated/Warm Springs room. Tickets are $7.00 for the luncheon show. The theme of the show is “ T he C h an g in g T im e s.” Fashions will be sponsored by Hopfenstiens and hair designs will be by Richard Herrara of “About Hair.” Models for the show are all Warm Springs residents and most are tribal or Kah-Nee-Ta e m p lo y e e s. F o r f u r th e r information contact the sales staff at Kah-Nee-Ta at 553- 1112, ext. 436. Yakima member concerned about chief appointment To the Editor, This is in response to an article in the April 30, 1983 issue of the Y N R —“ Ike appointed C hief’ of the Rock C reek Longhouse by his people. Well, I for one, along with other members, had no part in such an appointment. Some of the Rock Creek people didn’t even agree with what was going on. But just like in other groups, no one would speak out. Some were afraid, some of us knew it wouldn’t do any good because the groups responsible wouldn’t listen to anyone considered dumb and not religious enough. The young people didn’t speak out due to respect for their elders. Well, I ’m not afraid to write the truth the way it happened. I want the people to know the other side of the story, because I ’m tired of one sided stories. I ’m also tired of watching my brother Levi being put down by some of his own people. I can go on and on with all that’s been happening this past year, but I won’t. I just couldn’t let it go on any lo n g e r a n d h ave p eo p le believe that* “ o u r chief” would “abandon” his people because he felt that his job as a Tribal Council member was more im portant, and that there Was a conflict of interest as it Was stated in the article. There was no conflict of interest in Levi being on the Tribal Council and chief of the Rock Creek Band. There couldn’t oe. . because he wasn’t getting paid for his position as chief. Levi was nev er given much of a choice. They can call it that, but we know if he didn’t step down volunta rily, they would have found a way to remove him. Levi didn’t want to step down but he was concerned for his family, not for himself. Levi felt th at there had been en o u g h b ad w ords and feelings among the families of the Rock Creek Long- h o u s e a n d m a y b e by stepping down, all the back stabbing would stop. But it is still going on even now. He stayed with it as long as he did with the same belief that a lot of other people have—that a chieftanship is a lifetime position. After being put through alot, he finally gave into what they had been pushing for since the time our father Gus W. George was chief. I have talked to people from nearby reservations and they also believe a chief is for life. So in all reality his own people have declared him dead and appiointed a replacement. When Levi was elected chief in 1963 (even after he tried to decline), he was elected unanimously by the people, the way this re c e n t a p p o in tm e n t was carried out, was not right. If anybody was going to do any appointing it should have been done by Levi himself. (No vote was allowed). It was clear that family wasn’t exactly who they had in mind to be chief. And this may have happened if we had the choice to vote. We knew that for a long time, but we always felt that we belonged because of our mother. Now that link is gone. In fact, the day Levi was replaced was also the day , o u r beloved m other passed away and no respect was shown here by cancel lin g o r p o s tp o n in g th e meeting and resetting it for a later day because that is how eager the group was to replace h im .-S ix . it .doesn’t,. really matter anymore since our link to the longhouse is gone. It went as far as being told that the George family had no interest in the Black W o lf C em etery issue at Rock Creek beause we have our own cemetery at Pine Creek, Washington and that is where the George’s would be buried. It makes me wonder if we should have buried our children, bro thers, sisters and at last our beloved mother, at the Black Wolf Cemetery. It has taken me this long to make up my mind to put this in the YN Review and W a rm S p r in g s S p ily a y Tymoo papers, but I feel that it should be known that there were two sides to the article. I just couldn’t have the people think that Levi “ a b a n d o n e d ” his peo p le when in reality, it was some of his people that “aban d o n e d ” h im . I ’m s u re everyone knows he isn’t the only one that has a home on the reservation and lives there which is also one of the reasons the group felt that he should step down. Last, but not least, I don’t a p p r e c ia te som e p e rs o n going to different meetings as an “elected leader” of the Rock Creeks making state ments concerning different issues, especially when I know that all of us don’t have the same opinions. I do not want people thinking that we are all behind this so called “ elected leader” I may not be as smart as some people, but I did learn some important values from my father and mother and one of them was respect for others. I would never go any place making long dramatic sp e e c h e s a b o u t r e s p e c t, loving one another and our r e lig io n a n d th a n tu r n a ro u n d an d n o t even practice what I preach. I feel that my brother was treated w ithout any respect, by people that preach about it so much. I have written this just the way I feel because What happened was a direct insult to our fam ily, b ut then again, it may have been a b le s s in g th a t L evi w as replaced as chief because now he does not have to go through the verbal abuse from ungrateful people and the stress of trying to please them. T o o u r f a m ily , th e important factor is that his health will improve now, he doesn’t have those added responsibilities of being chief and he will have more time to spend with his immediate family. Thank you for letting me voice the other side of the story. Isabelle George Goldendale, Washington ♦♦Editor’s Note: This letter was subm itted by D alton Davis, Goldendale, Washing ton. Tribal Council AgendJ August 15 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m, 1. 10:00 a.m. Committee/Board Appointments: Water Board Kah-Nee-Ta Board Credit Committee Education Committee W SFPI Board August 16 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. 1. 10:00 a.m. Low Power TV Station-Bill Marsh 2. 2:00 p.m. Budget Procedure August Tribal Council/all committees, Agency Longhouse, 9:00 a.m. 1. 9:00 a.m. Orientation w/staff August 22 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. 1. 10:00 a.m. MOIHS Museum Storyline 2. 2:00 p.m. Enrollments-Dennis Karnopp August 23 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. 1. 10:00 a.m. Health Code/Civil commitments- Howard Arnett 2. 2:00 p.m. Realty-P.O. Lease . Sid waiter District Meeting Mike Clements Residence-7:00 p.m. Agenda: Develop a list of concerns from people in that area August 29 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. 1.10:00 a.m. 1984 Budgets: WSPE, W SFPI, KNT August 30 Tribal Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m. 1. 10:00 a.m. 1983 Financial Report
