September 15, 1998
News and Opinion
3
Smoke Signals changes name
By Tracy Dugan, Editor
It's probably very obvious to you
that Smoke Signals has changed its
name. For the past year, we have
tried to develop a new, more polished
look to the tribal newspaper. This
has included more color and action
photos, graphics, and a wider vari
ety of news ranging from Grand
Ronde tribal news to local and even
national coverage of Native Ameri
can issues which affect us all.
As editor of the paper, my goal has
always been to make our newspaper
the most widely-read paper of its kind
in Oregon. For the past several
years, my staff and I have worked
hard to increase circulation by incor
porating news that appeals to not only
tribal members, but educators, senior
officials, and civic leaders. I am
happy to note that we have accom
plished this. It makes me proud to
know that Oregon's public and pri
vate schools and universities keep
copies of this newspaper in their li
braries and that it is used by profes
sors, students, and teachers who are
studying Oregon tribes or ethnic di
versity issues. I am also proud that
Oregon state representatives, may
ors, city council members, and other
elected officials use it to keep in
formed on Grand Ronde tribal devel
opment and happenings. Most im
portant though, is the fact that tribal
members use the paper to access in
formation concerning the Tribe's
most important issues.
Because the Grand Ronde Tribe has '
emerged as a serious social and fi
nancial entity in Oregon and the Or
egon economy, I felt that the news
paper should have a more serious
name. This paper is no longer a
newsletter. It's a newspaper, which
is published twice per month, and
may be published weekly in the near
future.
We chose the name The Grand
Ronde Review, due to the fact that a
paper published every two weeks
can't give the reader immediate in
formation the way a daily paper can.
So, for our readers, its more of a re
view of the news.
Oregon's other tribes also publish
papers for their members and con
stituents: Siletz Newsletter, Klamath
Tribal News, and Warm Springs'
Spilyay Tymoo are just a few. The
Umatilla tribal paper, Confederated
Umatilla Journal, is published once
per month, but in my opinion is the
best tribal publication in Oregon. It
has won national awards for writing
and design. It is my hope that The
Grand Ronde Review can achieve that
level of excellence. The Review staff
hopes that you will continue to find
the information and stories in the pa
per interesting and helpful. If you
have any comments about the paper's
name change, we welcome them.
Please call me at 1-800-422-0232,
extension 2254.
THE GRAND RONDE
REVIEW
9615 Grand Ronde Road
Grand Ronde, Or 97347
EDITOR:
TRACY DUGAN 879-2254
REPORTER:
OSCAR JOHNSON 879-2321
GRAPHICS & NEWS
COORDINATOR:
KIM MUELLER 879-2264
1-800-422-0232
FAX: (503) 879-2263
E-MAIL ADDRESSES:
tracynewsmacnet .com
kimnewsmacnet.com
oscarJohnsonjournalist.com
Members of the Native American
Journalist Association, the Associated
Press, and Society of News Design.
UPCOMING DEADLINE:
Friday, Sept. 18, 1998
Drugs and our children
By Sunny Bigby, ICW staff
The problem of drug use among
Native Americans has escalated to the
proportions that alcohol has been for
generations. Alcohol and drugs have
been commonly used to kill pain that
forced acculturation, poverty, unem
ployment, and other problems that we
as Indian people face as an oppressed
people. Drug abuse runs rampant in
this country, and causes more pain
than it masks. One person addicted
to drugs affects his or her immediate
family, extended family, friends, and
the community. The ones who suf
fer most are the children.
Children of drug addicts face prob
lems not addressed in the discovery
of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal
Alcohol Effect. Unborn babies are
suffering strokes in the womb due to
the mother's drug use during preg
nancy. These babies are born addicted
and their tiny bodies have to suffer
through withdrawal, which can cause
physiological damage and even death.
These immediate concerns are just the
tip of the iceberg. Often, there are
lifelong consequences that a child
faces. These can include brain and
nervous system damage, which are
not always visible until after extensive
medical testing. Learning disabilities
and behavior problems are seen in
most children exposed to drugs before
birth, and some uncontrollable behav
ior escalates with age. These prob
lems are totally preventable.
One director of an early childhood
development center recently said that
her organization has had to set up a
special program just to treat the nu
merous cases that are being diag
nosed. One behavior, she stresses, is
uncontrollable rage with lack of re
gard for others or consequences of
one's actions. These children seem to
be missing something. They appear
to have no conscience. If these chil
dren were adults, they would meet the
diagnostic guidelines for Anti-Social
Personality Disorder which can be
dangerous. Much time is spent in play
therapy trying to teach these children
regard for others, but the success of
these sessions is hard to measure.
Drug babies often exhibit Attention
Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
that disrupts the child's life both at
home and in school. Interestingly,
some of these cases have been mani
fested in cases where the father was
using drugs, and the mother was not.
Because of these behaviors, it is
very hard for these children to make
and keep friends, a crucial part of
childhood development. Teachers in
public schools are asking for help,
because they are encountering be
haviors in children that they have
never been trained to deal with. Later
in life, the child born drug affected
may be unable to get or keep a job.
Many do not take direction well from
employers and supervisors, or they
simply do not have the ambition to
look for work. As adults, they may
act without thinking about the conse
quences or unintentional harm they
may cause to others or themselves.
Many times, others see them as lazy,
stupid, or irresponsible, when if fact,
the reason for their behavior is their
biological parents' drug use.
Even if a child NOT born drug af
fected, but who has parents who use
drugs face problems as well. They
often do not behave in a socially ac
ceptable manner due to the disrup
tions in their lives, and never really
learn the proper way to handle them
selves in social, academic, or per
sonal situations.
Would you knowingly subject your
child to this kind of life? This is what
you are doing when you use drugs.
Now is the time to stop the transgen
erational cycle of pain and addiction.
What you are doing doesn't just af
fect your life. Drugs can destroy our
wellness as a Native people, just as
alcohol has done for generations. It
is time to build a strong and healthy
future for our kids. To do this we
must be drug and alcohol free! For
more information on the Tribe's
Chemical Dependency program, call:
(503) 879-2026 or 1-800-775-0095.
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Dear Editor:
It has been three months now since
I have been through my surgeries
and healing time. Now, I am finally
doing well enough to get my "thank
yous" in.
Lots of love and thankfulness goes
to my daughters. Diane, who has
been there for me all through my sur
geries; Charisse, who set aside her
appointments to fill in; and to my sis
ter Marcella, who is always there
when I need her.
Thanks goes to my niece, Ida
Patterson, for the use of her fan.
Thanks, Ida you saved me!
Thanks also to the rest of my family,
for their visits and flowers at the hos
pital. Also, to my husband, Dalton,
who spent his whole vacation time
with me in the hospital.
Thanks to my friends from Warm
Springs for their prayers and en
couragement. Also, to our Tribal
Council, Kathleen Marquart, and all
the clinic staff who made it possible
for me to have these surgeries and
after-care.
Last but not least, thanks to the Cul
tural Resources staff and those in the
same office building for their flow
ers and prayers. Thanks so much to
all of you. I will heal and walk again,
and will work with all of you.
I love you all,
Marilee Norwest Davis
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