Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current, March 30, 2016, Page 6, Image 6

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    Page 6
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
March 30, 2016
Agency District candidates
Dan Martinez
The community of
Warm Springs has been
my home for 45 years. I
have worked 41 years
for the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs,
all my adult life except
for the years when I
served in the U.S. Ma-
rine Corps.
I have leadership ex-
perience, personal and
professional. I was the
Confederated Tribes of
War m Springs Fire
Chief for 19 years. This
involved emergency
management, govern-
ment-to-government re-
lationships, budgeting,
and administrative re-
sponsibilities.
Changes I would like
to see in Warm Springs
over the next 10 years:
Economic develop-
ment with current and
future ventures that re-
sult in livable wage jobs
for tribal members, res-
toration of benefits to
tribal members, includ-
ing the elders’ Pension,
and per capita. We need
more retail options, so
more money is spent in
the local community.
We need a healthy
community, with nurtur-
ing, drug-free families
who can easily access the
resources they need to
achieve and support recov-
ery and healthy lifestyles.
This includes continued em-
phasis and support to em-
brace our traditional ways—
fishing, hunting, food gath-
ering, and protecting our
natural resources and sover-
eignty.
We need additional af-
fordable housing, infrastruc-
ture development—water
and sewer—and new tribal
buildings—a courthouse, ad-
ministration, community cen-
ter and public safety facili-
ties.
Alcohol, drugs and addic-
tion have negatively affected
our community. I am not
aware of any family that has
not been harmed by addic-
tion. Addiction breaks down
families, and keeps people in
poverty, including children.
Addiction is one of the
Anita Jackson
biggest contributors to
our struggles, past and
present. I believe that our
people deserve the best
possible treatment re-
sources and recovery
supports.
People who are seek-
ing recovery from addic-
tion also need clean/so-
ber housing and employ-
ment.
I believe that holding
people who commit
crimes accountable is im-
portant; however, I would
like to see the local crimi-
nal justice system focus
on rehabilitation, and af-
fording people with ad-
diction issues the oppor-
tunity to engage in recov-
ery and gain back their
dignity.
Regarding employ-
ment: Our people need
jobs, and jobs that pay a
livable wage. When
people can support their
families and not simply
“scrape by,” kids are
healthier, the community
is healthier, there is less
crime, and the local
economy improves.
I support tribal mem-
ber preference in hiring,
tribal member successor
and apprenticeship pro-
grams.
Dan Martinez
Demus Martinez
My experience in-
cludes work with the
Tribal Court, as an advo-
cate with legal aid, and as
a private practice.
A requirement was
passing the local bar
exam. I gained knowledge
of the tribal written and
unwritten laws, the Treaty
and Constitution and By-
Laws, and federal Indian
law.
I’ve worked with Vic-
tims of Crime Services,
and the Native Aspira-
tions Prevention Coali-
tion, focusing on alcohol
and drug, suicide and to-
bacco prevention.
I believe in volunteer
work. For instance re-
cently, I volunteered with
the cannabis referendum.
Over the next 10 years
on the reservation, I be-
lieve the number one pri-
ority is employment. I
think a realistic goal
would be slashing unemploy-
ment by 50 percent.
I would also like to see
justice reform, including a
new justice facility. To exer-
cise sovereignty you have to
have sound justice system,
including Corrections.
A third thing would be
more small business owner-
ship, helping the community
and creating employment.
We have many people on
the reservation with great
talents who could de-
velop small businesses.
Working with the Pre-
vention Coalition, I know
the impact that alcohol
and drugs have on the res-
ervation. I’ve witnessed
this personally, and in my
family.
Through the Tribal
Court, I know that a large
percentage of the crimi-
nal cases involve alcohol
and drug abuse. I believe
in prevention starting at
a young age.
Working on Tribal
Council requires that a
person set aside personal
interests, and work for a
common goal. My work
with the court gives me
this experience, as nego-
tiations is a requirement
in the justice system.
Demus Martinez
Greetings fellow tribal
members,
My name is Anita
Jackson, and I am a can-
didate for an Agency Dis-
trict Tribal Council posi-
tion.
Over the past 20 years
we as a tribe have experi-
enced a sharp decline in
many areas, despite ef-
forts to prevent it. This
current Tribal Council
worked very hard to halt
the decline and to estab-
lish a solid base from
which we can start to re-
cover. I applaud them
for their efforts, and be-
lieve that we as a tribe are
now in a good position to
continue to improve our
economy, increase em-
ployment with livable
wages, and rebuild the
tribe to its former great-
ness.
Our future is in our
hands. We need to elect
members to Tribal Coun-
cil who we can rely on to
protect our sovereign
rights, to work together
in the best interests of
the membership and our
future generations.
I believe we are all
equal, and I will do all I
can to ensure that every
family, ever y man,
woman and child have
equal access and oppor-
tunity to benefit from
our tribal and individual
rights and assets. I be-
lieve the membership
should have meaningful
opportunities to partici-
pate in our government,
and be heard and in-
cluded in major tribal de-
cisions.
I believe leaders listen
first, think and process
information, and then make
decisions based on the best
information they have. Our
leaders must base their ac-
tions on what is beneficial to
the tribe, rather than a small
group or their family and
friends.
I believe our leaders have
a duty to keep the member-
ship informed, to let the
membership know the basis
for each decision, to be able
to admit mistakes and cor-
rect them, and to respond to
the membership’s questions
and concerns. I believe each
Council person represents
the entire tribe, as well as his
or her district.
I believe our leaders
should be guided by our tra-
ditions, our culture, our un-
written laws that were given
to us by the Creator. Educa-
tion is a lifelong process that
in this day and age includes
the teachings of our elders,
life experiences, and ‘formal’
school-based education. Our
elders always stressed the im-
portance of comparing new
ideas against our traditions
and culture. We live in the
twenty-first center but our
old ways still provide the
guidance we need to ensure
a great future.
There are many issues
that our leaders must act
on immediately. An ex-
ample is the physical in-
frastructure of our res-
ervation—it is not ad-
equate to meet our needs,
and we must find ways to
make the necessary im-
provements. The federal
government has a trust
responsibility to uphold
our 1855 Treaty rights,
and we must hold all the
federal agencies account-
able, including Interior,
Justice, Education and
Health, as well as Con-
gress, to ensure there is
adequate funding and re-
sources available to ful-
fill that responsibility. We
must utilize the federal
court system to uphold
our legal rights under our
Treaty and under federal
law.
We as a tribe need to
come together. We can-
not afford to leave one
person behind! We are
resilient but only by work-
ing together will we once
against reach our full po-
tential as a great and gen-
erous tribe, and proudly
guide our nation into the
future.
I will not make prom-
ises to get votes. We have
a tough road ahead and
hard and difficult deci-
sions will have to be
made. I am not afraid to
make them. I can prom-
ise that I will make the
best decisions I can for
all our people and our
future generations.
I humbly ask for your
vote in the upcoming
Tribal Council election.
Anita Jackson
Leona Ike Smith
Wife of Kanim Smith
Sr., mom to Jonathan R.
Smith, Mario L. Smith,
and Julius B. Smith Sr.
Grandmother to Tyrell
Smith, Joseph Smith Jr.,
Keshawn Clements-
Smith, Kanim Smith III,
Julius Smith Jr., Latasha
and Ashley Sampson,
Tashena Smith and Kisha
(Smith).
Stepmom to Aaron,
Kanim Jr., Joseph and An-
gela Smith-Sampson
(autwai 2007). Adopted
mom to Emily Blackdog
Ponyah, Sioux and Jermaine
Williams, Mojave (autwai
2011).
Eldest daughter to
Chief of Middle Colum-
bia Fred Ike Sr. (autwai
2003) and medicine soci-
ety Daisy Ike (autwai
2013). Sister to Fred Jr.,
Ivan (autwai 1957),
Lucas, Tyrone, Tom
(autwai 2005), James,
Freddie, Nelson, Deana
(autwai 1958), Lovie and
Lena.
Step-daughter to
Wilbur Slockish, Fud
Suppah, Loretta Yallup
(autwai) and Yvonne
Colfax.
Cameron Smith Lucero
Call 541-
553-1182
2321 Ollallie Lane
(PO Box 6)
Warm Springs, OR
97761
Dear tribal member,
Hello, my name is
Cameron J. Smith-
Lucero. I am one of
many proud members
of the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs
(enrollment no. 4156).
My tribal heritage is
Wasco and War m
Springs. I’m writing to ask
you to vote for me as an
Agency District member
of Tribal Council.
I am the oldest of
four, and the only male.
My three younger sisters
are Leanne Smith
Lucero, Illante Smith
and Tai’Anne Smith.
The two last names I
have are because I rep-
resent both my mother
and father’s families. My
mother’s name is Rachelle
Smith, and my father’s name
is Leander Lucero.
“Why not?” is the biggest
question I’ve asked myself
every time I look in the mir-
ror. And my answer is, “I be-
lieve I can help make a
change.” I may have only
gotten my GED, but I’m
also a very honest and
humble person who prac-
tices what I preach.
Yes, I do have a past,
one that I’ve learned
from. Negative choices
and mistakes were re-
placed with positivity and
humility here in the
present day. And the
positive changes I’ve
made I believe can be
applied to help make
changes in our tribes for
the better—and make for
a brighter future for our
future generations. Lead
by example.
Cameron J. Smith-
Lucero.