Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor are published at the discretion of the
Editor, as space permits. No letter which contains
defamatory or malicious statements will be published. Any
letter which contains questionable material will be sent to
the Office of Reservation Attorney for legal review. All
letters must contain the writer’s signature, address, and
telephone number (if available). Letters NOT signed will not
be published. Letters are limited to 450 words. Letters
exceeding 450 words may be published if space allows and the
Editor so chooses. The Editor reserves the right to edit any
letter for content, clarity, and length.
Views and opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor,
complimentary or critical, are those of the writer of the
letter. They are not endorsed by the Tribal Tribune staff,
Tribal Administration, Tribal Business Council, or the
Colville Confederated Tribes’ membership as a whole.
We need the power of the
vote
Nespelem Tribal Members,
I thank all of the 180 Nespelem District voters who voted for
me in the Nespelem District General Election. The results
showed that more of you voted in the General election than the
Primary election. I especially want to thank those of you who
campaigned and encouraged other voters to vote and you know
who you are.
My campaign was mostly about changes that need to be made in
order for our Tribe to move forward rather than stay in the
same stalemate that the Tribe seems to be in. Most of the
Tribal Council has been in office for some time and nothing
changes or no progress has taken place. What I heard from most
of you and it wasn’t all Nespelem District voters who called
me, is that the lack of information from the Tribal Government
on what is happening with the Wells Dam settlement, Mt. Tolman
mining, per capitas, Tribal Gaming and what is happening with
tribal dollars and are we broke? The Tribal budget always
seems to be in trouble and will we have to sell some of our
timber in order to balance our budget again.
The Tribe has to be pro-active in dealing with the Federal
Government as well as the local and state governments. The
only way that Native Americans throughout the United States
will ever get the funding that was promised through the “trust
responsibilities” from the U.S. is by lobbying the United
States Congress.
The Tribal Council represents us Tribal Members at the All
Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) and the National Congress
of American Indians (NCAI) conferences. The ATNI and NCAI
organizations, as well as all Tribes throughout the U.S., we
need to contact United States Congressmen and Senators that we
need more funding in the BIA and Indian Health Services and
uphold the promises of ‘trust responsibilities’. This is
called “lobbying” and the Department of Interior (BIA),
Department of Health & Human Services (IHS) mainly but other
federal departments cannot lobby in behalf of us for more
funding because it is against federal law. We as the Colville
Confederated Tribes plus all the tribes in ATNI & NCAI need to
lobby for more funding.
Political power is by the numbers and more people that you
have voting than that puts more influence to the Federal
Government. Native people only make up about 3% of the total
United States population. BUT the Hispanic people are growing
faster in U.S. population than any other race (1-7 are
Hispanic) and we need to gain political power with the
Hispanic people.
Think about it – we cannot be thinking about what happened
yesterday, today, tomorrow but for next month, year and next
generations to come. It is time to play the political game and
we need the power of the vote.
Lem-lem,
Eldon L. Wilson
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I have a major concern...
Dear Sirs:
Hello again members, I have a major concern for Tribal members
on and off the Reservation in reference to the hiring
practices of the Colville Tribal Personnel Department. We have
some very qualified applicants, that in some way or another
have hands on experience, sometimes more valuable than
textbook learning, that have been placed on “do not hire list”
because they don’t have the credentials, such as Master Degree
and or Bachelors Degree.
I realize that this was or must have been a recent change,
because I know for a fact that some Council members, past or
present – don’t have education past that of Grade school
level, sometimes it shows, sometimes not, but again Political
gain is all about deviance. In any event, I do not understand
how a manager that has been in personnel for several years be
exempt from these rulings, PLUS, not have a valid driver’s
license – always a pre-requisite of any position. Especially
if you’re in managerial level, yet make all these restrictions
to hiring perfectly qualified members. All while sitting there
contemplating the next wine tasting event—looking for a new
D.U.I. –to add to the stack of them already, which mandated
the reason there is no license to speak of.
If this criteria is that of a Federal ruling for all Indian
Tribes, then I must demand that this ruling be placed across
the board – and not earmarked for these that are unemployed,
yet have considerable knowledge and experience, yet are
seemingly “blackballed” from any hiring. I believe the
announcements should read, experience substitutes year for
year for education. Be fair about this, you’re losing out on
people that have invaluable experience because of this
statement.
I am not speaking for myself, but for several Tribal members
that have voiced personal concerns to me. In retrospect, the
hiring of Non-Tribal members would not have been necessary, if
qualified members were given the chance to show their
abilities – keyword, experience – prior to being deleted for
lack of education.
Thank you for your time, and welcome your input and criticism.
Marlene Cardona (formerly Xhurape)
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Yep, assimilation was
very effective
To all Tribal Members and
Descendants:
When I enlarge the picture that includes the past and the
present this is what I see:
Europeans who were not wanted in Europe came here to Indian
country. Yep the dregs were our first visitors. They couldn’t
kill all of our people so they set up business and began
writing policies to annihilate them (and now us) in other
ways. The main goal was land and resource: the main target was
Indian culture.
One of the main policies of that first encounter was
‘assimilation’ (which means to make us think like them). It
was quite a brainstorm that stayed in effect throughout the
following years. In recent tribal history (1980s), one of our
people who became assimilated was Eddie Palmanteer, Jr. As he
was leaving the position of BIA Superintendent, he wrote in
our Tribune that his job was to push assimilation and felt
that after five years he did his job well. Then, in a recent
Tribune article, he referred to us who resisted assimilation
and continue to oppose mining as “naysayers”. Of course! We
say “NO” to destructive ways.
Every year around July 4th people celebrate the European
invasion. A lot of hard-earned money is wasted on fireworks.
Our Council donates our money for fireworks ($300 to the
Convalescent Center and $850 to Round Lake organizers) – up in
smoke – helping pollute our once clean air – teaching our
children how to celebrate greed, theft, and cultural
destruction. Since the 1970’s, a small group of us have been
trying to preserve cultural values through a full-time
education center and, ironically, Round Lake was one of the
sites that we tried unsuccessfully to get back then.
As a result of assimilation, our people are searching for
something they can’t fine—happiness—and crime, drugs, suicides
and other alcohol-related tragedies have worsened.
Meanwhile, Bush’s gang is happily at work encroaching upon
other lands and exploiting resources and they have a lot of
help. Their assimilated puppets on our reservation are
hurriedly trying to sacrifice one of our mountains to provide
minerals for Bush’s war games. Yep, assimilation was very
effective.
Sincerely,
Yvonne Swan
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Together, we can survive
Tribal members,
Today, June 6, 2005, we buried another young man. Tonight, I
sit and listen to some of his friends get drunk, I guess to
mourn his life. The ironic thing is, this young man died
because of alcohol. We will add his name to the already too
long list of people we have lost to alcohol and drugs, and I
pray that this night we do not add any more.
People, it is time to stop this horrible cycle. I did not
attend the funeral for this young man. I could not bear to
watch another young person be put in the ground for a
completely senseless reason. I don’t even know anymore how
many of my friends and relatives I have lost because of the
drinking and drugging. I don’t know how many more I will lose.
I guess I should say I don’t know how many more WE will lose.
These people are also your friends and family, they are your
loss also, and it is way past time to put a stop to this. I
have talked to different council members over the years about
making our reservation a dry reservation, and I am always told
it is not possible because then the people would just travel
off the Rez to get their beer or whiskey, but I think if we
demand our Reservation be declared a dry Reservation, and
adopt a zero tolerance policy, with the help of each other,
and total enforcement by our tribal police and tribal courts,
it could be done.
I understand that people will travel off the Rez to get their
alcohol, and their drugs, but if we enforce stricter laws and
increase the fines, it would be a good deterrent to those that
are going on the beer runs, and those that are bringing the
drugs in. Why can’t we make it so that if you are caught
selling drugs on the Rez, you can’t live on the Rez for a
while, and if you are caught brining alcohol on the Rez, you
have to pay a minimum fine of $1000.00 for the first offense
and increase by $500.00 for each offense thereafter? Give that
person a mandatory jail sentence and mandatory time in a drug
and alcohol treatment center, and if that person continues to
disobey this law, then they too must leave the Rez for a
certain amount of time.
I know that this sounds hard and unrealistic to most of you,
but death is also hard and very real. And very final. Think
about this people; let’s start working on a solution to our
problem. Let’s end this cycle once and for all. If you have
ideas or thoughts, write to me, or better yet, let your
council know, if enough of us can stand up and say that we
want a change, that we want our young people to live, things
can and will change. I am only one person, one voice,
together, we can help each other, together, we can survive.
Gina Lawrence
Inchelium
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Hiring Non-tribal
electrician members
Concerned Tribal Members,
The Good, all you concerned tribal members, from each
district, have expressed your right to vote and have truly
expressed THE CHANGE that has continuously been expressed
throughout all the years. To hear and see some first time
voters was a blessing within its own, that statement set THE
CONCERNS for next year’s Tribal Elections. To see the younger
generation vote/voice their rights tops all blessings. Now the
elected, respected, accountable leaders need to work together
and do what’s right, by their campaign promises, instilling by
ACTION what accountable abilities they have from within, with
continued respect for those that voted them in and those that
haven’t.
The Bad, the Ugly, of the employment practice of Hiring
Non-tribal electrician members, partially through waivers
signed off by the TERO program and the 30-day grace period,
being continuously overlooked, ignored, is still alive and
prospering.
In reference to what “I” know about our 2 tribal mills and the
Construction (electrical) Dept. at Nespelem, what are the
concerned Human Resources personnel/persons doing to change
this all time practice/policy/procedure in reporting to the
C.T.E.C. board members, and/or other concerned departments, as
Justible, Accountable reports?
There are qualified members in this field of Profelizm, that
are continuously being written off as Non-qualified, given Bad
reports/evaluations, by Non-tribal members in their reports.
Why?
Because the Non-tribal person doesn’t want to lose out on
their job, be replaced, or lose all the benefits that goes
with the job.
There are at least a dozen or more that’s making a very
comfortable living off the tribal jobs. For years, extensive
$$ are being benefited by these so-called professional persons
that, in some cases, have not have had to take a testing
qualification whatsoever. Could/would they make it, if ever
replaced, as Journeyman Electricians?
You should read the Disqualifying letter “a friend & I”
(tribal members) received from the TERO Director and the
Non-tribal person that evaluated our job, very interesting,
professional documented put/let down.
Also, what simple test did the Human Resource persons have to
take that qualified them for their position?
Who interviewed them? When & How often are they evaluated?
Ask the number of tribal members that they have supported in
this field of expertise? Where are our training programs
located and how many Journeymen, persons, have been qualified
in the past, by tribal training?
For those of you that have experienced the difficulty in
providing “Proof” as to your job qualifications, especially
here on the reservation, don’t give up (or move away) on your
goals, for a better life, always remember what goes around
comes around. The other person will have to be accountable one
day in the future. Instill prayer back to our tribal meetings,
experience the change.
With respect,
Garry J. McDonald, Sr.
Omak, Washington
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The Red Writer says Let’s
Get It Together
Once again its time to swear in new council members and pray
they make good decisions. First of all let me congratulate all
the new council members.
As I’m not one to beat around the old bush, I wish to address
our huge, ever growing drug society, the loss of many young
tribal members and the devastation of families due to drugs.
Druggies behind the auto wheel is like playing rusian
roulette. Drugs has many ways to kill, especially through drug
babies, who will never have the right mind to become
productive citizens.
Imagine the next generation of leaders who will represent us,
this is a sure way to Termination. I ask the tribal council
along with all the people to come together and demand a dry
reservation.
Do you think having non-Indian police officers is a good idea?
Having true empathy for our people is very important. Hey
someone in Law and Order I challenge you to respond to this
request and let the public know what you are going to do about
this problem. Put in next Tribune….and all you writers, Let’s
stay together on this issue and show the power of the people.
How about a writers meeting?? (633-0553).
Now, this has just been brought to my attention, at Inchelium
for the last funeral. A caller just informed me that a big
drug-alcohol party was had at the grave site in honor of their
fallen comrade. Isn’t this a shame, what ever happened to our
traditional ways? Well, god bless you guys anyway. Hope you
have no guilt feelings.
The Red Writer
Mel “Bugs” Toulou
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We need to move forward
The CCT governing body,
Tribal Council, is in need to have the elected members meet
both an educational and trained background. Popular and
cultural status was fine, but we are in a new century and we
need to move forward. I have not seen either educational or
work history on any of those presenting themselves for a
popular vote.
The need of special and specific managerial requirements are
stated, we then would hopefully have a respected and ethical
body. All necessary managerial decisions would hopefully
comply with environmental, resource management, legal
requirements, etc.
For now, the popular council is acting on rumors, making
unfounded assumptions and making a lot of negative decisions
based on micro-management.
The Tribal Council needs to project and plan for the next ten,
fifteen, twenty to thirty years in advance. Washington D.C.
will require us to financially on our own in the not too
distant future.
I hope we have a Tribal Council worthy of this need.
Margaret Orr
Disabled Tribal Elder
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