Page 2 April 18, 1996 - SMOKE SIGNALS
Letters to the Editor
Casino employee spotlight
Dear Editor:
My family and I are currently residing
on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. I
am disabled, and scheduled to have a "spi
nal fusion" surgery on April 29th of this
year.
I recently was forced to write to the Tribal
Council to ask for help with the bills that
were threatening my household. And they
were there for me, and sent me enough
money to make it through a very rough pe
riod. When a person is down from medical
problems, it is very easy to be overwhelmed
with worry. I was so overwhelmed that it
was actually worsening my pain. But with
the help that the Council gave me, I was
able to catch up on a couple of bills, and
breathe a little easier.
So I thank the Tribal Council and the
community from the bottom of my heart.
And I am writing this letter so the people of
Grand Ronde are aware of the fine mem
bers of our Council, and how they came to
the rescue of this family.
Thank you,
Steven Hudson and family
Dear Editor:
I feel strongly within my being (soul),
that alcohol is wrong for our Spirit Moun
tain Casino. Too many people suffer from
the disease of chemical dependency, and
this is our choice as a Tribe of many tribes,
to say NO. Gaming is fun, relaxing, and
also a great coming together event for so
cial interaction. We do not need alcohol or
any other drugs to make the experience
better.
It is enough to allow smoking in the ca
sino and bingo area. Why must we further
damage ourselves with alcohol? Who will
be responsible for the drinking driver who
leaves the casino, drives onto the busy high
way, and gets into a wreck? Not us be
cause we are sovereign. Since we as the
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
and the Spirit Mountain Casino have a
choice, let us consider not making the ex
tra money on serving alcohol which causes
so much grief and anguish.
Walk in Balance,
ClaudetteParazoo
Grand Ronde Elder
EDITORIAL POLICY: Smoke Signals is a publication of the Confeder
ated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. We have estab
lished 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.
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 with your name
and address, then mail it back to Smoke Signals, Attn: Kim Mueller,
9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347.
OLD ADDRESS:
NEW ADDRESS:
My name is Jan Michael Reibach and I
am a tribal member and a Security Guard
Officer at Spirit Mountain Casino. Before
working at the Casino I lived in Gresham
and went to school. I wanted to move to
Grand Ronde because I have a lot of family
here and I wanted to get more involved with
the Tribe. In fact, I have been volunteering
my time at the Spirit House, a non-profit
organization for youth in the area.
The Casino provided me with the employ
ment opportunity I needed to make this pos
sible. I am very grateful for this because it
has changed my life in a positive way. From
the very first day, I felt at home at the Ca
sino. Everyone at Human Resources helped
direct me and answered all of my questions.
When I arrived at the security department,
I was welcomed and receive training and
support.
Even though the Casino was over
whelmed with new policies and issues, ev
eryone worked together. All of my super
visors have been very supportive and un
derstanding of my culture.
I am also thankful to the employees who
brought their experience to the company
and I am equally grateful to those who com
mute to work. In the past few months I have
seen all of the employees come together
more and more as a team. I see a bright
future for Spirit Mountain Casino, and I plan
to be a part of it.
Jan Reibach's real success story
Many people might say that a person who went through security guard training
classes and obtained employment with Spirit Mountain Casino is a success. Jan
Reibach has done all that, but he also has another, more personal success story which
has been an inspiration to him and his family.
In 1994, Jan was diagnosed with Protein Enzyme C Deficiency, a rare blood disor
der which only affects Native Americans and Asian people.
The Protein Enzyme C in our bodies is what prevents our blood from "ultra" clot
ting. The vast majority of the population can expect to find it in their medical blood
tests. Some blood clotting is good, like when we cut ourselves, but without Protein
Enzyme C to slow it down, clots can go crazy in the body, and eventually cause a
stroke. Jan's blood lacks this important enzyme.
In 1994, when Jan was 27 years old, he says "I just woke up one morning and the
entire left side of my body was paralyzed." Jan spent 65 days in the hospital, coma
tose at times, while the doctors ran a series of tests on him, trying to conclude why a
young, healthy person would have a stroke. "Finally," said Jan, "a doctor asked me if
I was Native American, and that's when they realized I had Protein Enzyme C Defi
ciency." Jan said that about one in 10,000 Native American people have the disorder, but
may not realize it because it is so rare, and because most people who have it won't
experience drastic strokes like he did.
"The illness generally doesn't even manifest itself until the second or third decade
of life," he said.
The good news is that there is treatment and medication for Protein Enzyme C
Deficiency. Jan takes his medication, and has regained full use of his left side. He
feels grateful to the physicians who diagnosed the problem, and even more grateful to
the Tribe. "The Tribe provided me with assistance for my medical bills and rehabili
tation," he said. "People from Wellness and the clinic who I didn't even know visited
me in the hospital just because I am a tribal member."
Jan said now that he and his family have moved to Grand Ronde, he won't ever
leave again. "I love it here," he said. "I feel like I'm home."
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