E Coosb EEWA: The way it is
Page 4 Spilyay Tymoo January 22, 2004
r
Spilyay
Speaks
Thoughts on
the New Year,
and on gaming
By Sid Miller
Spilyay Tymoo Publisher Limerilus
When the New Year came in, I'll bet there were many
resolutions made. Some resolutions are made to try and
correct mistakes we made in the past. At least 50 percent
of all resolutions will be broken before the end of the year.
Many resolutions pertain to quitting smoking, quitting
drinking, not spending money foolishly, etc.
Too much gambling might be a good sub
ject to consider, that's if one gambles a lot.
But there is an old saying that goes, "Every
day when you get out of bed for the new day,
that's a gamble."
But the point I'm referring to is going out to the Indian
Head Casino. To me it's hard to imagine anyone going out
there and losing his or her paycheck. Don't know if any
one really does that, but there are some people who be
come addicted to gambling. They are always looking for
that big payoff. Each time a person presses the button and
the wheels start to spin, they are probably thinking, "This
time I'll get it, I've got to win back what I lost."
I hear people say that they hit the machines for a couple
hundred bucks, but I wonder how much they put into the
machine before it did pay off. I also hear people say that
they played a machine and lost their money and quit the
machine, then here comes someone else drops in a quarter
and hits a payoff, makes all his money. But that's gam
bling, huh!
I believe a casino can be just as bad or just as good no
matter how you look at it. I believe it is something to be
looked at as "personal entertainment," a way to pass time
, for amusement, and a source of income for the tribe.
Myself, I don't go out there much, maybe once in a while,
like once a night. Aye! Once a month or so, as a thing to
do, pass the time away. When I do go out there I give my
self an allowance, maybe $5, to spend anyway I want, so
if I lose my allowance, I'm done. I consider that my contri
bution to the tribal gaming establishment.
One of these days I'll hit it and maybe come out ten
bucks ahead. I also don't go into the casino unless I find a
parking place real close, because I won't walk a half a mile
to lose my allowance. At Spirit Mountain they have a
shuttle bus going to and from the parking lot, so people
don't have to walk. They are let off right at the door. I
wouldn't be surprised that many more people would go to
the casino if we had a shuttle bus. Well, that's all I got to
say about that.
But I still believe if we would move Indian Head Ca
sino to highway 26, it would bring in a substantial amount
of income. We really don't have any good income state
ments from where it is located. Many people in Pordand
say that they do a lot of business in the Greater Oregon
area and pass through a lot. And if the casino were along
the highway, they would be more than willing to stop and
relax for a while playing the Machines. They say Kah-Nee-Ta
is just too far out of the way for them to stop.
I thought that in the beginning we were going to try the
casino out at Kah-Nee-Ta for five years, and if it didn't
pay off, then we should consider relocating it. Well, it's
been a lot more than five years. AHH-NA-CHI-TOON!
Letters to the Editor
A thank you
I would like to say thank you
to those who helped out with do
nations of cash and prizes for
my raffle to help pay for the
winners of the Christinas Pow
wow Drumming and Singing
Contest. Drums from White
Swan, Wash., Pendleton,
Chiloquin, and one from
Canada.
First place went to
Blacklodge, Second to Echoing
Thunder, the No. 3 spot went
to Quartz Creek. The contest
was put on for the singers that
have gone on to the good life
with the creator. This is a list of
those that have drummed with
the Wa-wo kya Drum. Lead:
Leroy Selam, Dewayne Heath,
Timmie Heath, Eli Little, Oly
Meanus Sr.. Just to name a few
I thought was the best way I
could let them go and release
myself and go on with my drum
ming and singing.
Again, thanks goes out to
Pearl Culps, Wishbone Heath,
Lois Knight and all of those of
you who bought tickets from
me. In all everything went good.
If I didn't write you down don't
feel that I forgot you. This let
ter is to thank all who helped.
Roy Heath, drumming and
singing contest coordinator.
Be aware
To my people,
Hello friends and relatives. I
thought I'd write this letter to
perhaps help others before they
end up in my situation. I've seen
my life turn topsy turny in about
six months due to my and oth
ers use of drugs and alcohol.
Instead of free and gainfully
employed as I once was, I'm
incarcerated up here at the
WSPD. Instead of my kids liv
ing the "good life" they are in
CPS.
When I see my significant
other, it is no longer love and
satisfaction in her eyes, I only
get hate and discontent. Our life
is shattered by our abuses. I'm
hoping and praying for things to
get better. Please don't let this
happen to you and cherish what
you have.
Thank you for your time, a
fellow warrior Keith C. Jr. co
WSPD PO Box C, Warm
Springs, OR 97761.
In memory
From your red brothers of
Snake River Correctional Insti
tutional Prison, 777 Stanton
Blvd., Ontario, and all others
who send their respects.
Gaylord Heath passed with
a brave heart and did not flinch
in facing his end. I lis courage
and faith in Creator, and self
respect in passing can only be
stated as he's a warrior through
and through and has every right
to be thought of as one of the
many strong men of the Warm
Springs Confederated Tribes.
All the Native American
brothers of the Red Circle send
our respects to the family,
friends and foes of our deceased
now spirit home bound released
brother Gaylord leath. We feel
this in a sacred sending, our
thoughts and prayers are with
you in this time of sorrow. In
the passing of our Warm Springs
brother Gaylord I leath on Jan.
7, may the Creator and all his
relations on the other side greet
their relation and rejoice in the
happy hunting grounds beyond
our selves of this short life we
live upon our Mother Earth and
may grief bring relief to all our
relations knowing we are not far
behind a life takes us all to the
next level of life. Richard
Harrington
Pen pal
To the community of Warm
Springs,
Hello I hope this letter
reaches you in good spirits and
I also hope that everyone had a
safe and happy new year. My
name is David L. Burchfield
No. 13427390, and I am friends
with Stuart Smith Sr.
I have 26 months left on my
sentence here in the Oregon
State Penitentiary system. I am
looking for pen pals. I am part
Black, part white, part Choctaw
Native and I'm 23 years old. I
like to write poems and rap lyr
ics. I am just looking for people ,
who have some of the same in
terests as I do so we could be
come good pen pals and maybe
in the future good friends, I will
be looking forward to the let
ters that I get from my new
friends in Warm Springs. Here's
my address: David L.
Burchfield 13427390, PO
Box 9000, Wilsonville, OR
97070.
Nomination
To our People The Confeder
ated Tribes of Warm Springs,
This letter is regarding our
upcoming elections for Tribal
Council. Let me first say that
much thought and prayer has
gone into this decision. Scripture
says in the book of Psalms, that
"When the wicked beareth rule
the people mourn. But when the
righteous are in rule the people
rejoice.
I don't know about you, but
to me and mine, we have seen a
lot of mourning over the years.
Also scripture says in the
Book of Proverbs, "That with
out a vision the people perish."
Wc don't have to look very far
to see that these scriptures speak
the truth. Another truth is that
when people forget about God
and cjuit serving I lim, they bring
about a curse upon themselves,
financial ruin, death, poverty
etc. It's in the Book Of
Deuteronomy, Ch. 28, where it
talks about blessings and curses.
Anyways, on our decision, at
this time I would like to nomi
nate my wifetjustine (Tina)
Aguilar for a Tribal Council spot
for Agency. Please pray on this
matter, and may wc find again
what is the joy of the Lord.
Maranatha (The Lord is
Coming), love in the Lord Jesus
Christ, His humble servant,
Easton Aguilar.
Donations
The Warm Springs Thrift
Shop is asking for donations of
winter clothes: coats, snowsuits,
gloves, scarves, hankies,
legwarmers, thermals, hooded
sweaters, boots, etc. Bring the
items to 2107 Wasco St., Monday-Friday,
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It would also be helpful if
they were washed. Thank you
Warm Springs, Simnasho, I ligh
Ixokce Lodge, Simnasho Com
munity Church, for all your do
nations. It is greatly appreciated.
For more information on the
donations please call Rena at
553-2287. Sincerely,
Rena Suppah-Gomez
Care baskets
Thanks to the community for
helping hands, donations and
delivery Christmas care baskets.
From Vio.
Write soon
To family and friends,
Happy New Years to every
one. I'm just writing to let my
people's on the rez know
everything's fine and dandy
where I'm at. I will write to
people when I reach my desti
nation. I'm currently at the in
take center in Wilsonville. We do
not get commissary here because
of our short stay, so I haven't
written that much. Hi mom.
Stuart Smith Sr.
S1D12275256 PO Box 9000
Wilsonville, OR 97070. j
Apologies
To the people of Warm
Springs and the casino. I apolo
gize for having marijuana in my
purse when I was at the casino
back in February of 2003. 1 am
taking NA classes, I have learned
my lesson. Even though I don't
smoke the stuff, thank you my
people. N.M. Sooksoit.
To the community of Warm
Springs,
I would like to apologize for
my actions. For the incident that
happened on December 13,
2003. Charles Lesarlley
To my family and friends and
all my relations,
I know that I have done
wrong by my drinking. And I
was also driving under the in
fluence, which could have
caused a lot of damage to my
people or even myself and my
friend. I know it is wrong to
drink and drive. Thank you.
Silapam (
I am writing this apology in
regards to my DUII I got in
June 2003. I wish to apologize
to the community, relatives and
friends for this mishap. I do not
intend to place anyone, includ,
ing myself, in danger. I am glad
no one was hurt in this incident.
Isadore Charley (
1
Dear Dan Brisbois Jr.,
I'm writing you to apologize
for assaulting you on October
23, 2003. I am disappointed in
myself, and I am very sorry for
any trouble I have caused in your
life. I know that you will neveir
forgive me and I wouldn't ex
pect you to. I wish you the best
now and in the future. Sincerest
apologies from Travis Jonas.
Letters to the editor
Please write to the Spilyay spilyaytymoowstribes.org.
For space reasons, letters
should be no longer than 350
words in length.
Thank you for writing.
at P.O. Box 870, Warm
Springs, 97761, or drop by the
office. Or send your letters by
e-mial to this address:
Native American journalist comments on Oregonian articles
The air was cool. The snow
had not yet touched the land of
a proud sovereign nation of the
Warm Springs Indian Reserva
tion. But that was to come sev
eral days later.
As I first began my two
month visit to this area, I was
overwhelmed by the courtesy
extended to me by all the tribal
members. Though I had, some
what, noticed a dark mist in the
air. Only to learn later of the
series of articles that had been
published by the Oregonian ("A
place where children die," Dec.
7-1 1, 2003) regarding death tolls
on this resenation.
As a Native American jour
nalist, my thoughts included,
"Was an imitation extended to
these writers to come and inter
view the tribal members?"
I found the series of articles
to be offensive. Not just to the
tribal members of the Warm
Springs Reservation, but to all
of Indian Country.
It seemed as though history
uas repeating itself. After all, it
was written bv non-Native
Americans. It was insensitive to
bring sorrow and pain back to
this reservation. The holidays
were just around the corner.
This is a time when families
are reunited, traditional meals
are prepared and ancestral sto
ries remembered. Some of the
messages conveyed in the ar
ticles created racist images and
the words were inflammatory.
The Oregonian missed the
opportunity to provide meaning
ful dialogue about the Warm
Springs Indian Reservation.
The Oregonian must be re
minded of the suffering of our
women, men and children
throughout the history of this
country due to traditions such
as slavery, segregation and suf
frage. It takes courage to come be
fore tribal elders and request
their permission to take photos
or even ask time for an inter
view, especially on the topic of
death of loved ones. I was dis
appointed by the lack of jour
nalistic ethics demonstrated by
The Oregonian.
I have served as tribal secre
tary for three different tribal
chairmen for the San Carlos
Apache Reservation of San
Carlos, Arb. I have also been
director of the Tribal Elderly
Care Center, which involved the
physical and spiritual nourish
ment and various cultural events
and programs for our tribal el
ders. I am a past editor of the San
Carlos weekly newspaper, The
Moccasin, and now have been
publishing a weekly column en
tided, "Traditionally Speaking."
Though I have lived most of my
life on our reservation, I at
tended Brigham Young Univer
sity. For over 20 years I have been
active and involved in tribal gov
ernment activities and elections.
With this experience, I hope that
The Oregonian will hear and re
spect my plea. The record must
be set straight
I believe that the Warm
Springs Indian Reservation is a
place where children are pro
vided an educational opportu
nity to excel and to succeed in
life. I have three grandchildren,
Angelo and Tanasia George and
Tahleeni Nizhoni White, who
attend the ECE. A place where
early childhood education be
gins. A place where our children
and grandchildren are nourished
with language, education and tra
ditional customs. A place that
the leaders of this reservation
should be proud of.
Not all sovereign Indian na
tions throughout Indian Coun
try have this available to their
children, who are our future
leaders.
My daughter Tanayia Leigh
is married to Dennis White, a
local police officer and an en
rolled member of this sovereign
nation. I am proud of my son-in-law,
who takes his job seri
ously and extends his life for the
betterment of a safer commu
nity. Regardless of the weather
and although the roads are icy,
Officer White diligently reports
for a job he thoroughly enjoys
and takes pride in. These are the
aspects that must be instilled
within this community'. I chal
lenge the leaders of this sover
eign nation to reunite your tribal
members.
Over a century and five de
cades ago, the U.S. government
gave you back only 600,000
acres of reservation land after
your people gave up 10 million
acres of land.
Tribal sovereignty, Indian
health and trust responsibility
must be protected. )
The public interest factor of
the articles published in The Or
egonian should have weighed in
favor of the tribal members of
the Warm Springs Indian Res
ervation. Ashoong! (Thank you
in Apache). i
Sandra Rambler.
Spilyay Tymoo
(Coyote News, Est. 1976)
Publisher Emeritus: Sid Miller
Editor: Dave McMechan
Management Successor: Selena T. Boise
Advertising Manager: Sam Howard
Receptionist: Angie Blackwolf
Media Advisor: Bill Rhoades
Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs. Our offices are located in the white house at 1100
Wasco Street. Any written materials submitted to Spilyay Tymoo
should be addressed to:
Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 870, Warm Springs, OR 97761. Phone:
(541) 553-1644 or 553-3274. FAX No. (541) 553-3539. E-Mail:
spilyaytymoo wstribes.org. Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.:
$15.00.
t