PAGE 4 January 27, 1989
Warm Springs, Oregon
Spilyay Tymoo
Editorial
E Coosli EEWA
X
(The way it is)
Letters to the Editor
ma
"Spifyay Spealts"
Well, what's in store for the
next year for our nation, as it
was reported that the 1988 infla
tion held on to ending up the
same as that of 1987.
As the rate of inflation was
identical for the past two years
the rising of prices were vis
ibally indifferent. The summer
drought soared the food prices
as they went up 5.2 percent as to
the 3.5 percent jump in 1987.
With the inauguration all in
the past, and President Bush is
now at the controls he is facing
all those promises he has to live
up to. It will be interesting to
see the outcome for the first
year he is in office. While on the
other hand President Reagan
bowed out claiming everything
was on the up swing since
he has been in office. You can just about hear him saying, '
those were great years.
Now it's Bush and Quayle who have the lead roles, so let's hope
the new season won't have all re-runs for the next term while they
are in office, so well just have to wait and see the outcome.
S
In any organization if you have something good going for you,
never disrupt it. Like a boss has the authority to tell his employees
what to do. A good boss dosen't have to go around ordering people
what to do. It usually isn't necessary. It's not an effective way to get
things done. People don't like to be ordered around especially by
someone who enjoys playing the, "Big Wig." A good boss never
has to order anyone to do anything. Just ask them what you want
and sometimes it doesn't hurt to use the word "please." It's not a
sign of weakness it's a matter of simple courtesy, of voluntary
respect for the people who work for you. When you ask someone
to do something, take the time to explainwhy. If there's a special
reason why you want that person to do it because it's important
and you know he or she will do a good job say so. If there are any
problems within the department, they can all be hashed out during
the staff meeting. A good department is like a good, happy family.
"Nigh."
Look to yourself for
An open letter:
Hello to all who take time to read
this. I am writing this letter to the
Spilyay to offer hope to those of
you who may be confused or who
may think they may have a slight
problem with drinking or drug use.
Some of you may also be led to
believe that nothing will work for
you, nothing will stop you from
using alcohol or drugs, nothing or
no one will help and that all is
hopeless.
There is hope, there is help! It
doesn't come from the person who
so negatively tells you ho w it doesn't
work. It won't come from the per
son who fills you with false hope of
being employed. It won't come
from another bonus. It will come
from yourself, inside of you! You
are the only one who can and the
only one who will help yourself.
To help yourself means you will
do all the work. Some people will
support and give guidance, but you
will be the one to overcome this
hopelessness. It's your choice!
; Some will tell you it's not going
to work. When I hear this, I think,
"Did you try?"; "Maybe it didn't
for you, but it may for me."; "There
are other ways to try." and "It
doesn't work, I work it." Most will
not support you, and many won't
help. You can do it. You also can
stop this deadly cycle of alcoholism
and drug addiction. Try it.. .try it
more than once and keep on trying.
There are support groups. Alco
holics Anonymous is one. There
EDITOR'S NOTE
Spilyay Tymoo welcomes articles and letters from its readers. All
letters, preferably 300 words or less, must include the author's
signature and address. Thank you letters and poetry will be published
at the editor's discretion.
All letters are the opinion of the author and do not reflect in any way
the opinion of Spilyay Tymoo. Spilyay Tymoo reserves the right to
edit all copy OR refuse publication of any material that may contain
libelous statements.
Teditor
'Well,
S
are people in tnese groups who will
give you their hope, their courage
and their experience in recovery.
When some unfortunate soul tells
you it's hopeless, it may be that this
person himself feels no hope. It is
not a hopeless situation. Recovery
is possible and it won't be a piece of
cake. It is all up to you. Do you
want to stop? Do you want to live
life as it comes? Do you want better
communication with the people
around you? Do you want to look
forward to another day?
You can have all of this, how
Support group provides help take control
To fellow
members:
tribal and community
Do you ever think the problems
will never end? We all know there
has been a morning or atime of day
when you wished you could just let
it all out and let someone know
what's going on, but to who? Where?
And when? You just don't feel safe
to do this. Do you ever find youself
feeling like you're going crazy even
if you're not drinking or using
something, and someone else living
around or near you is?
Do things sometimes APPEAR
to be going right or okay, but you
still continue to hide your feelings
because that's what you're used to
doing? And still you continued to
hold back your feelings or that
Member disagrees with
To: InltlatoriSupporteri of the
Apportionment Petition
The plight of all Native Ameri
cans echoes across this nation cry
ing out the injustices done to all
Indian tribes over the past 100
years and more. It speaks of the
unjust treatment brought on by
campaigns to eliminate the Indian
people and take control of lands
traditionally held roamed used by
tribes from generation to gene
ration. I oday, this same plight is embo
died within the confines of the
Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
Harbored among this "Confeder
acy" which is proudly recognized
as one of the lcadingand most pro
gressive tribes in the United States,
exists a campaign to unbalance
equal tribal representation in Coun
cil by dissolution of the Seeksee
qua District Paiute tribe.
I would like to share my con
cerns with you regarding the peti
tion you initiated or signed, which
involves changes in Article IV, Sec
tion 2 Apportionment and Arti
cle IV, Section 8 Vacancies and
Removal from Office. Initiators of
this petition would have you believe
this change is for the good of the
Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs.
I provide you with some food for
thought, as this reservation con
tinually fights for the traditional
and sovereign rights of this confed
eration in the legal battlegrounds
of today's world, forever falling
back on the traditional values that
mean so much to the Indian people.
Opinions recommendations
from non-Indians are sought out
by initiators of these changes to
our tribal Constitution and By-
Thank you
Thank you:
It has taken me a whole year to
do this. I never really got around to
thanking the people for being so
thoughtful and kind when I lost my
niece Suzanne Sam, the mother of
the children that I am raising. It
has been a hard year for me and the
girls.
A big thanks to Beans and her
answers
ever, the first step is up to you. My
first step was admitting and accept
ing that I am an alcoholic and an
addict and that these things made
my life unmanageable. Do you
have the courage to take that first
step and to start living? Or do you
enjoy jails, hangovers, fights, loss
of jobs, marriages or homes.. .even
loss of life? No amount of money
will stop you from drinking, no
job, no spouse, no jail will stop
you... You will stop yourself. Today,
try it for today. If that works, try it
again tomorrow. It's only one day
good cry that needs to come out.
..did you even realize this is very
unhealthy for you?
Someday, and we think real
soon.. .you will realize YOU DO
HAVE A CHOICE IN ALL OF
THIS and you will believe that you
need to do something for yourself
because you do want to be happy.
That decision is up to you alone.
That doesn't mean breaking all ties
with the person(s) affecting you
it means beginning to take care of
you. ..yourself.. .and beginning to
feel your self worth. It means learn
ing to detach from the other per
son, in a good way.
Friends.. .you are a good person!
You are successful! You are doing
some good things in your life, and
you have got to believe that! You
Laws. These initiators who claim
to be working for the"good"of the
reservation, did not look for coun
sel and guidance from the three Cheifs,
from the elders of this reservation,
nor from the people as was the tra
ditional legacy passed on to this
confederation by the first Tribal
council. The dissolution of the
Secksccqua District brings out the
fact that one tribal group will not
be guaranteed any representation
on Tribal Council at all, this being
the Paiute tribe; and this being the
real intentions of the petitioners.
After careful review of each name
placed upon the petition, I appeal
to all of you to ask yourselves these
questions:
Why didn't the petition initia
tors seek input from all tribal mem
bers when drafting up these very
important changes? Why wcrenH
these proposed changes discussed
at length, fairly and openly among
all the people? Who gave the initia
tors legal advice regarding the
formulation of the proposed
changes? Why were there only a
few elders' signatures on this peti
tion? Did you seek out the wisdom
of your elders before you placed
your name on this petition? Were
you told the consequences these
changes would have on this tribe?
Were you given a true statement by
the collectors as to the exact changes
proposed? Are you willing to place
the credibility ot the Warm Springs
Confedrated Tribes on the line by
your decision and the consequen-
ces that will surely come about?
Many tribal members who signed
the petition have since stepped forth
and shared what they were told by
the collectors, after 'finding, out
that the collectors, verbally mise-.
for help
girls for being there at the hospital
the night that it happened. Thank
you Lester and Pat Tanewasha for
opening your home to us. I don't
know what I would have done that
night almost a year ago.
Thank you again from the bottom
of my heart.
Mary Danzuka and children
Sally and Jennifer
you have to do it.. .one day at a
time!
Today, I won't use or drink. I
will face my problems, I will accept
people around me who seem so
negative, for I can't change them.
Today I will please myself, today I
will live.
Today, January 20, 1989, is the
431st day I have done it! There is
hope. There is love, there is life!
Choose your path carefully. I
care. I have hope in my heart for
you.
Thank you.
William Wilson
CAN get a handle on things and
not have to carry that lump around
in your throat, that fear in your
heart, the pulse in your head or
your hands, or be unable to get a
good night's sleep becaue of
thoughts of a situation or of what a
person has been doing. YOU
DON'T HAVE TO BE ON EDGE
all the time with your nerves.
THERE ARE GOOD FRIENDS
OUT THERE WHO CARE, and
YOU NEED TO BELIEVE THAT
YOU CAN TRUST SOMEONE,
that there IS hope, and there IS
recovery for you.
It's not normal to live that way,
and you have a choice to get out of
that way of life.. .if you really want
to.
But first.. .you must wake up.. .it
can be anytime of the day or night.
and you must open your eyes
(REALLY OPEN YOUR EYES)
and see how beautiful life can be,
how calm, rewarding and mean
ingful it can be.. .just with a few
changes at a timc.one day at a
time. You need to step back and
take a good look at what's going
on, what you see in yourself, and
why you also act the way you do.
You CAN change the things that
are affecting you by the way you
think and feel. We all allow things
to affect us, sometimes far too
long. As long as you do nothing,
that is a choice that y ou have made.
apportionment idea
presented the changes. It these
people cannot be honest at this
point, don't you wonder what will
happen later?
Arc the people of Warm Springs
ready to face the extreme changes
this proposal will bring about? The
population distribution will con
tinue to grow and change over the
years, how many times will our
Constitution and By-Laws also
change? Initiators claim imbalance
of the district, but how many of
you really belong in the Agency
District? Mow many Agency Dis
trict members truly belong to the
Simnasho District? How many Agency
District members truly belong in
Seeksccqua? Why has this auto
matic placement occurred? What is
the actual voter turnout per Dis
trict? Was this factor even looked
into when considering thechanges?
Did you know that you have the
option of stating which district you
wish to belong to?
If the reservation's traditional
use areas cannot be maintained for
the Paiute, Wasco and Warm
Springs tribes, how will this even
tually affect the off-reservation
traditional use sites that this tribe
so strongly fought to save? If this
tribe cannot maintain the tradi
tional use sites here on the reserva
tion, how will this affect the off
reservation sites in the future? I
question all of this and more, par
ticularly when our Constitution
and By-Laws are being threatened
by these radical changes,
I have grown up with many of
you and have tried to overcome the
ill feelings directed at me as a Pai-
ute Indian over the years. I try to
see past the people who have dealt i
Memorial and stone setting to be
held Saturday, February 4
...
I? V ' ' i'A
The family of Suzanne Sam:
and Clydell; Brothers Leslie,
v4 mi
'Hi H r
Aunts Lee, Nancy and Mary
and you, alone, are responsible for
that decision.
You will soon see, IF YOU LET
YOURSELF.. .as you begin to
change and grow, as you begin to
have hope, that your family mem
bers or friends will begin to change
along with you. There will be, and
can be, some good changes. There
can be an end to all of this crazi
ness...to a good end.
And remember.. .your children,
nieces and nephews, neighbors, and
friends, are watching you and modeling
themselves after you. We all affect
each other. THERE IS A PLACE
FOR YOU TO UNWIND, TO BE
ABLE TO SHARE YOUR HEART
ACHES, YOUR HONEST FEEL
INGS. We've all been through it
and CAN HELP EACH OTHER.
Thanks to a
To Bill Howland,
We would like to give thanks to
you as a good personal friend and
say goodbye as a police officer in
Warm Springs as you are leaving at
the end of the month to become
deputy sheriff in Jefferson County.
You were a good friend to our fam
ily; you were always there to help
and were very good w ith our sons
and daughters.
my heritage many dcragatory ex
periences and have tried to look to
the good in tribal members. I have
suffered from the stones you have
cast upon me for too long, and now
admit that I cannot remain silent
any longer.
You, the initiators and suppor
ters of this change, must bear the
burden you place upon this reser
vation and all that it entails, if this
vote takes place and changes be
come a reality.
To the many other tribal members
who refused to sign the petition,
you have my highest respect, for
you possess the wisdom, courage
and foresight of the original tribal
leaders of this reservation. It is tri
bal members like you, who have
the best interests and welfare of the
Warm Springs Confederated Tribes
at heart. I thank you for the spirit
ual strength you have given me to
voice the injustices of the changes,
and remind everyone that this is
what we must fall back on in review
of this proposal.
In closing, we must not forget
the blessings our Creator passed
upon us as a Confederation, as
Native Americans, and strive to
remain united.
"Long ago, God spoke to our
ancestors through dreams and
revelation, but in the last day he
has spoken to us through his Son."
(Hebrews 1:1)
Let us keep this in mind as we
search ourselves for an answer and
struggle to overcome the barriers
that are placed before us each day.
Carolyn E. Wewa
Tribal memberWarm Springs
Confederated Tribes of Oregon
We welcome you to,
join us in the memorial
and stone setting for
Suzanne Sam on
February 4, 1989 at the
Agency Longhouse.
The stone setting will
be before lunch as will
be the rejoining
services. Watch for
posters announcing
the time.
Sisters Maria, Julie, Lucy
Robert and Tharon and
Don't ever feel that you are the
only one who makes excuses for
the person who is using (we've all
done this, I'm sure, but it's up to us
to stop this behavior). Don't ever
feel like you alone are to blame for
there being no money to pay the
light bill, to buy groceries, or put
gas in the car to go to town or to
pick your kids up. Don't ever feel
that you have to make that phone
call to the user's boss and make an
excuse for them not being able to
come into work (when you really
know the truth about it). Don't
make anymore excuses for not being
able to pay the rent.
Don't pour the beer (or hard
liquor) out anymore; don't drink
Continued on pace 8
good friend
Thank you.
Pennington Family
McKinley Family
Mason Family
Volunteers appreciated
To the Editor,
Volunteers give the best gift
themselves. F.R.O.S.T.Y. says
Continued on page 8