Page 2 February 1, 1996 - SMOKE SIGNALS
Readers submitting letters: Please avoid libelous statements
By Tracy Dugan
As many of you are aware, the Smoke Signals
Editorial Page was started in 1993 with the ap
proval of Tribal Council and the tribal adminis
tration. When this idea was conceived, we at Smoke Sig
nals intended to print editorial columns, cartoons,
and letters which conveyed the opinions of Grand
Ronde tribal members. We wanted to generate
healthy debate about contemporary tribal issues
which concern all Indian people, as well as the
local Native American populations.
As editor of Smoke Signals, I believe tribal mem
bers have the right to comment on the actions of
their tribal government and administration. "Let
ters to the Editor" was designed to be an outlet
for this purpose, particularly for those members
living outside of the Grand Ronde area or those
who cannot regularly attend Tribal Council meet
ings. The Tribe's tremendous growth during the past
couple of years has prompted many letters to
Smoke Signals, some written by members who
have strong concerns about the direction our tribe
is headed. I understand and appreciate these con
cerns. If you feel strongly on a particular issue
involving the Tribe, and are inclined to submit a
letter for publication, I urge you to do so.
However, recently we have received some let
ters which, although written well, contain state
ments we just can't print. Because the letters usu
ally contain good points and arguments, we have
(in the past) deleted the libelous statement(s) and
printed the bulk of the letter. It has been called to
our attention that many writers do not want their
letters altered in any way. Our Editorial Policy
states that all letters may be edited for a variety of
reasons. In order to print your letter in its en
tirety, you must follow the guidelines outlined in
our Editorial Policy.
Please remember that Smoke Signals cannot
print personal attacks or libelous statements
against any person or group. We can only pub
lish your opinion based on a personal experience
you have had, or known fact. When writing a
Letter to the Editor, it is important to concentrate
on issues or situations, and what your opinion of
it is.
The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel
Manual defines libel as, "Words, pictures or car
toons that expose a person to public hatred, shame,
disgrace or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a
person..." Smoke Signals is no different from any
other publication in that we have to follow the
guidelines against libel.
Remarks about a person's character or personal
life are irrelevant and have no place in a serious
publication.
Again, at Smoke Signals, we understand that
tribal members have very deep feelings about cer
tain issues which affect all of us, and we respect
your right to be heard on these issues. However,
we do have an obligation to print letters based on
opinions of the issues, and not use the newsletter
to foster unfair statements about Tribal Council,
tribal organizations, employees, or tribal mem
bers. If you have any questions regarding our
Editorial Policy, please call or write the Smoke
Signals office.
EDITOR: Tracy Dugan
ASSISTANT COORDINA TOR: Kim Mueller
Smoke Signals is a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Commu
nity 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 necessar
ily reflect the opinions of Smoke Signals, tribal employees, or Tribal Council.
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If you have recently moved or plan on moving, let us know so you won't
miss a single issue of your favorite newspaper. Smoke Signals is available
to anyone at no cost. Just fill out this form below with your name and
address, then mail it back to the Smoke Signals.
OLD ADDRESS:
NEW ADDRESS:
B SMOKE SIGNAL
9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347
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ATTN: Kim Mueller g
Resource Directory
The Tribe has just mailed out the
Resource Directory. The Resource
Team hopes that everyone will find
these directories very useful. How
ever, a problem occurred at the
printer please note that some di
rectories are missing pages 3,4, 49,
and 50. Please check your copy.
If you have received a copy miss
ing these pages, please call Kim
Mueller at 879-2264 or Tracy
Dugan at 879-2254, or 1-800-422-0232.
We will replace the incor
rect copy with a new one. Sorry
for the inconvenience.
IPRHHBI