Page 2 December 1, 1995 - SMOKE SIGNALS
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:
The reform brought about by Mr. Pearsall, Mr. LaBonte,
and Mr. Haller is for the benefit of all the Tribe, not certain
individuals. I hope the Council will continue to keep fo
cused. I am but a pony in a herd, but without honest lead
ers, there is no herd.
We are in a rich pasture now. And there will be those
with self-interest.
The Tribal Council has a great responsibility, they must
be the guard and watchdog of all of us.
Our ancestors would be overjoyed to see us growing in
stature and monetary wealth. The Tribal Council needs to
make sure the whole herd gets water and feed. Such a re
sponsibility is great and worrisome.
We, as tribal members, must stay in contact with the Coun
cil. Change for the better is brought about within the Tribe!
Let the Tribal Council know your feelings.
We are only as strong as our leaders. The Indian way is
to be stoic. But in these times of turmoil throughout the
world, we need to stand up for our leaders a Tribal Coun
cil that cares about the whole Tribe no matter where the
trail has led them.
Mr. LaBonte, Mr. Pearsall, and Mr. Haller are leaders
who deserve praise. They helped open doors that were pre
viously closed. I wish to openly thank them.
William A. Kellogg
Ulysses, Kansas
A special thank you to tribal member
Pam Warren, who gave us a Thanksgiving Ham.
Her donation helped four families
have a better holiday.
God Bless Her!
Marcia Bolton
To the Editor:
I was stunned by the letter you received from Vonnie
Edmondson. Rather than take issue with the points in her
letter, I would like to give you my thoughts on the way the
Grand Ronde Tribe has been handling various matters.
Not only do my children and I take seriously our duty to
vote in tribal elections, but we enthusiastically attend tribal
meetings held in Portland. We are very pleased with the
decision by Tribal Council to hold meetings in Portland,
Salem, and Eugene in order to involve tribal members liv
ing in those areas.
We were impressed with the feedback the Tribe received
from members. We discovered that at all meetings the in
terest in receiving individual handouts (per capita payments)
from casino profits was a low priority for most members.
Instead, the members' emphasis fell on such matters as health
and retirement benefits for tribal members, housing, edu
cation, and endowments to ensure members would receive
help as needed in the future. The endowments are intended
to make up for cuts the Tribe will face in government spend
ing. Tribal leaders then put all the results together in a very
readable summary, which Vonnie Edmondson could easily
obtain from the Tribal Council.
In another positive note, I would like to compliment our
tribal leaders for the wonderful job they have done on the
Spirit Mountain Casino. My entire family attended the
Grand Opening and we were so pleased with the Casino
and the way the opening was organized. We especially
like the non-smoking casino. ..thank you!
Finally, I am very proud of the Tribe for being the first in
the nation to receive funds from a major lending institution
(John Hancock) for the Casino. The lender was obviously
very impressed with the way the Tribal Council researched
and planned for the building of the Casino. I'm impressed,
too!
Yours truly,
Marilyn Portwood
Roll 2915
Dear Editor:
It has been many years
since I have been able to
say, with pride, the name
of my employer, but now
I am able to...I work for
Spirit Mountain Casino
and I am truly proud.
I was born inMcMinn
ville and shortly there
after my family and I
moved away. I returned
specifically to work at our casino, but more important...I
returned home. I have met and re-met more relatives than
anyone could dream of. Several relatives dropped by to
welcome me and the new ones that I have met have made
me feel like I have always lived here.
The first thing I did when I learned of our casino was
PACK! I was packed and ready to go for almost a year
before my plans became a reality. I knew I was going to be
a permanent part of our casino from Day One, but it took a
little longer for the casino to catch up to my plans. I was
determined to be a part of the casino, whether in the Hu
man Resources Department, or as a Dealer. I am thrilled to
say that I am a part of the Human Resources team. My
direct supervisor, Kit Devine, as well as Joe Smith from the
Gaming Commission have both taught me so much when it
comes to treating people with respect and dignity.
My background is in Human Resources, but not in the
gaming industry, and not on the volume level of staff that
our casino has. I have over 700 co-workers! Trying to
remember everyone's name is a personal goal of mine, but
fortunately each employee wears a badge with his or her
first name on it.. .that's a great help.
Spirit Mountain Casino is truly a place to plan your ca
reer as well as build friendships. When you hear that "fun"
is a part of our work atmosphere, believe it! I am here to
stay and thrilled each and every day to get into my car and
drive to a place I enjoy spending time.
Thanks Spirit Mountain Casino, for choosing me to be
one of your team members.
Mary Brooks, Roll 48
Human Resources Assistant
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Smoke Signals is a publication of the Confed
erated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of
Oregon. We have established an Editorial Policy
to encourage input from readers about stories
printed in Smoke Signals, as well as other tribal
issues.
Letters must be printed or typed, and cannot
exceed 300 words. Smoke Signals reserves the
right to edit any letter for clarity and length, and
to refuse publication of any letter or any part of
a letter that may contain libelous statements or
personal attacks. Not all letters are guaranteed
publication upon submission. Published letters
do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Smoke
Signals, tribal employees, or Tribal Council.
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