Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 1986)
March 19, 1986 Page 6 Special Tribal Council Candidates' Insert Simnasho District r" fim . : t : V ; f r7 h U' HUI - ; "J ' I - J Harold Cutpus I can't make promises because it is hard to accom plish what a person thinks he can do because in Council there are ten other members who each think , r 3 K)Av'-l 1 ' f-H" i'-4 Sal Sahme My people, friends, and relatives: During the past two Simnasho District nomi nations I had been nomi nated. I chose to decline because I felt I needed more experience. Today I feel I'm ready to take on the challenge of these times of turmoil, change, and tran sition. I'm ready to act upon the dreams of my Grand fathers', those ancient and old dreams that we had: To be a free and self-determining people! I say this knowing full well that there is not going to be any easy way. It is my intention to pro tect and preserve our Treaty rights, assuring that our unborn share the same bene fits and privileges that we enjoy today. Those rights our Grandfathers preserved that were not given to us, but rights we granted. During the nomination acceptance speeches, seve ral of the nominees spoke to their fear and distrust of educated tribal members. In trying to understand this, I've tried to put myself in their place. We ask our children to attend the white mans' schools, accepting those good things offered rejecting the bad. We accept the work of the non-tribal members while trying to find every fault in the work of ourown.Thetribal mem ber demonstrates the abili ty, the knowledge, and "know-how" to write, pre sent and speak in our behalf, make difficult decisions that cause our people to be responsible and account able for their actions, receives no gesture or word of thanks. We expect our children to know their lan 1 1 1 , ' 1 14. ., m ml.' . & t w. . a ' a . u- n-df! " Candidates Continued or see a matter a little diffe rent. There are no two peo ple who look at one thing and feel or think the very same thoughts about it. Each person will see some thing just a little different. If I am elected all I can really say is that I will do the best I can for all the people. I would try to protect the rights of tribal members who live off the reservation as well as those who are living on the reservation. I have been on and off Tribal Council since 1959 and I always tried to do the best I could. I would conti nue with that same thought. I have served on various committees Fish and Wild life, Housing, Alcoholism and Education. Today I am on the Fish and Wildlife committee, a committee that is of great importance be cause it exercises our treaty rights. I would hope that all the voters will vote on the up coming Tribal Council elec tion. guage, and spiritual beliefs are important. Those who speak to our traditions, are their words true to how they act and behave in our community? It has been said, "The more one speaks to their religion, the less one believes." I believe that the young people who don't speak our language still reflect and carry the values, thinking, and lifestyles and character of their parents and grandparents who do speak the, language. Our young must live in both the white mans' world and theirown. We need to help ourchildren feel their spe cialness. We must help them connect and bond with their oralspoken history and tra ditions. We don't do this by giving them confusing and mixed messages about their education. On the long term, we need to get out in front of our economic, health, and social problems. We can accomplish this through teaching our people how to get, and keep, a feeling of belonging in ourcommu nityand connection toour spiritual beliefs and prac tices. We can be self-sufficient, not sick, and act and look in a way that shows we like ourselves. We can do this by offering our people good choice. Of fering programs and ser vices that don't take away their responsibilities, not rewarding people for bad behavior that hurts them selves and others. In the old days, what a person gave away, not what a per son said, earned or received, was the measure of one's commitment to the people. If funds are not available and a program is worth saving, why not use volun teers to save it? Communication, open, trusting talk between our leaders and the people is not happening. We say we respect the elderly and lis ten to their advice. Do they approve and disapprove actions and trends in our community that guide our spiritual and cultural growth as people? I say ask our elders to play a more impor tant role in shaping our affairs, sharing the wisdom that they have with us. One thought, create a Council of Elders, but not at the expense of having them give up powwows, raffles, gambling, rummage sales, and those things they enjoy. On the other extreme, how are we involving our future leaders? Are the Ray Moody My name is Ray Moody more commonly known as "Captain." My Indian name is "Wa-Soom-a-nut." After graduating from Madras High School in 1979 1 joined young being well prepared for the future? I believe we're starting to see some improvements. I suggest we continue the efforts our Education Department and and Tribal Education Com mittee are using to prepare our students. Today, before tribal members can receive tribal funds to go away to school, they are first re quired to take tests to find out what their school strengths and weaknesses are. Once this is found, the next step is to help them build a plan that matches their education interests with their existing school strengths. If a student is weak is one or more areas, we ask that they take a class(es) locally. Once they've demonstrated school success, showing they can stand on their own, they are funded (with a percen tage of their living costs theirresponsibility) so they can go away for school. You may be thinking, "This sounds all good and well, but how will we know we're Election Day Thursday, April 3, 1986 Polls open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Community Center Absentee ballots can be picked up at the Vital Statistics office anytime prior to Election Day. the Marine Corps for four years achieving the rank of corporal and was honor ably discharged in 1984. 1 am currently employed by the tribes and a participant in the Forestry Technician Trainee program I am 24 years of age and unmarried. In accepting a nomination to run for tribal council as a representative of the Simnasho District, I have placed myself in the firing zone. I have the greatest respect for the men who serve as our Simnasho repre sentative and have total trust and faith in the leader ship they provide. If we, as a district, are to remain as strong it might be the time to begin the training of the younger men. I seek the knowledge that these men have acquired over many years of leading. With the propertrainingtutoring I would become an invest ment in our future. I haven't the college education but what I've learned, from the improving?" You recall in my accepting the nomina tion Monday night, if elected I pledged to talk openly and truthfully to you. To begin with, I will ask you to share your feelings about our problems and how to solve them. I will expect you to share how we can make things better for you and me, more important, for all our people. We'll own not only ourproblems, but, together we'll work to solve them. The way we'll do this is through meetings in either my home, your home or the community buildings along with the regular District Council sessions. I pledge to make a quarterly report, giving you a track record of our accom plishments and the failures or mistakes, so we can learn from them. I am a educated tribal member. The trials, the mistakes, and sacrifices along with my education and honors have made me a stronger and healthier hard work and training from my younger days and the time spent in the military, is just as important. My tribal government experience began at the age of 17 when I served on the Tribal Education Com mittee. Instead of political promises I offer my ambi tion, honesty, and fairness to serve our district the .best I can. What I can of fer are some insights into resources which we hold very dear to our hearts. In working as a forest technician, I have begun to see and under stand the policies and ma nagement practices that we follow. Everything that is done in the forest affects the rest of our natural re sources, so we must strive to meet the needs of both. If we are to leave anything for future generations we mustjnsure that a healthy forest will be there. In being a young person I face a different sort of person. All of these things help me in my commitment to serving my people. When my father was alive he often told me. "Sonny don't be like me, get an education." Equally important are the spiritual teachings I received from by grandmother, elder aunts, and mother. Those "roots" are bonding with my past gave me the founda tion of who I am today. I would like to share the wordsof an elder American Indian Scholar, Rupert Costo: "This is a moment of truth for the American Indian. . .A moment when we stand on the threshold of great change. We have it in our power to overcome the disaster of centuries, and to perform a miracle of change in favor of a better life for our people. Among us, traditionally, the scholars are the servents of the people. The "People" reign supreme, by virtue of their right to approve or disapprove actions in all areas of life, and by reason challenge; for we are now in a different period of time. There is high unemploy ment, a lack of quality edu cation and training, housing problems and alcohol and drug abuse. We must see to it that every young person is given an equal opportuni ty to succeed. An education is only as effective as the person who has it in their grasp. Honesty, hardwork and tradition are the beliefs in which I was raised and taught by mygrandmothers and elders. Belonging to a close knit family, which has always helped one another with hardships, has taught me a lot about loyalty. I cannot promise a quick and easy solution to the problems we face but using the appropriate resources, that are available, should help to correct any situation we encounter. I thank you for your time and also your confidence. Good luck to all. of their perogative to protect individual and Tribal rights. And so we say. . .let the people come for help to their own scholars. And let the scholars spend "Their very lives" and energies in the service of their people. I think that the true Indian values, however, persist. And I am proud to know this, and to know that my people still hold to their spiritual life and their love of their land. I believe in the deep and profound inte grity 'droufrepple. IMm in that we Indians have more to offer this world than any other section of society today. " I believe this message applies to Tribal Council members as well. My people, friends, and relatives, I've made my best case, I've done the best I can, I explained to you why I feel the way I do, and I hope that you will agree with me. I want to serve our people to help them selves. My intentions are decent and honorable.
