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