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 Letters NOT signed will not
be published.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.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
Wai! I would like to see more tribal members in
attendance at General Membership meetings, and scheduled
quarterly, rather than twice a year. We are seasonal people;
four seasons, four directions, thus four (quarterly) meetings
a year. Our Membership meetings provide excellent opportunity
to put council faces to names, and witness their personal
response to tribal member’s questions. Members have the right
to answers, while council has the obligation to provide those
answers. I addressed my points of interest to the council, or
those who could answer my concerns. The person after me, said,
“I don’t have laundry list of complaints”. Still another said,
“If we have the concerns, we should have the solutions. Why
should we expect the council to provide all the answers”?
Excuse me? We elect tribal members to listen to our concerns
and work toward solutions in the best interest of tribal
people. If your coffers are full, evidently, my concerns don’t
apply to you.
On another note, I am often the recipient of criticism, and
“attitude” because I speak my mind. I think it’s juvenile when
tribal council or administration “pout”, or retaliate for
bringing issues to light. Elected officials should provide
answers. Long-term council members and long-term
administrative management need to be held accountable for bad
debts due to bad management. We are in a deficit. Who’s to
blame? Certainly not a tribal member’s inherent right to the
Wells Dam Annual Payments that are being taken to cover bad
debt. During the General, the membership should’ve been given
the right to vote in the disbursement of the Annual Wells Dam
Payment, and the bogus Mining proposal. I am disappointed to
report, all four Nespelem District council voted “in the
affirmative” to KEEP our ANNUAL Wells Dam Payment.
General Membership meetings, most funerals, wakes, tribal
court, and important adult meetings are no place for little
children who get bored and restless. Small children aren’t
able to set still for 8 hours, or longer. Respect your little
ones needs. The council needs to remain attentive at
Committee, district, and membership meetings. Four-year
council terms? Two years is too long for incompetence! If the
people feel their representative is doing a good job, they
will retain them. All council: take care of business at home,
before traveling. I’m weary of the sorry excuse; excessive
travel brings in more money to the tribe. I don’t see it. How
do frequent flyer miles benefit our deficit? Correct me if I’m
wrong. My condolences to the families who have lost their
loved ones this past year. No loss is greater than the other.
Each loss is soul deep, and my prayers are with you. Lam-Lampt.
Be Strong.
Charlene BearCub
“Was-Way”
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A humorous look at
location change
Concerned Persons:
I write this letter to spread information and encourage the
council to look at short comings, inherent in administrative
policy. I have written letters to (a) council person(s) and
the enrollment office to trace my August 2005 per capita check
which I have not received at this time. When I went to the
enrollment office to initiate tracing of my per capita check,
I was informed… “the person I had to see was not there and to
please come back Monday.” I had already traveled over 100
miles thus far.
I was also told to make a report to the Sheriff’s office. I
wondered which one.
The check was lost in the mail, probably in Idaho. A
forwarding address (the wrong one) was sent to the Idaho post
office and a correction was made via the Inchelium post
office. I’ve worked in postal distribution, so I know the
postal service will attempt mail delivery at least twice or
until all the post marks along a tracing route are on the
envelope, and clerks familiar with the mails have had their
chance at correctly routing it. However, substitute-temporary
clerks are employed routinely and mistakes are recorded. My
mistake was getting confused in filling out the mail
forwarding form provided by the post office. Time was a factor
and I wrote down the wrong box number in the wrong place. This
has been corrected.
Since I’ve worked in the postal system, I know the
distribution quirks; bulk mail permit mail is not forwarded at
times. Bulk mail permits either are not or should not be
permissible for 1st Class mailings.
Herein lays a message to the council: why pay “my money” to
print logo check, envelopes and stationary and not use “my
money” to mail “my per capita money” to me to make sure it’s
forwardable. Why spend on showing me who sent the check
instead of buying a stamp to insure delivery of same. Even
though it won’t be delivered. This makes about 1900 bucks lost
in transit.
In tracing the check – why am I treated like a thief in the
enrollment office? I had and still have substantial funds to
get me through times of no per-cap so I don’t miss what was
never delivered. There are other funds owed me which I am
tracing so I hope no one takes offense at my dilemma touching
them. This letter lets the people know what can and will go
wrong with a simple move even if it’s temporary.
It appears I made one of the initial mistakes in all this. I
am still waiting for my October and August 2005 per capitas
and now my crop money from Idaho and NO ONE pays me interest.
Lem Lemt,
Lavern Covington
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Using scare tactics
Dear Editor:
I’ve read the numerous letters to the Editor opposing Mt.
Tolman and feel I must respond to what I believe is misleading
information that is being presented as fact. Those who oppose
the development of Mt. Tolman are using scare tactics to voice
their opposition to the mine and are attempting to convey two
messages that are wrong.
1. If Mt. Tolman mine is developed it will poison the
groundwater.
2. If you are for Mt. Tolman, then you must be for poisoning
the groundwater.
I think that those who oppose the mine have gotten a lot of
mileage using this tactic in convincing others that developing
the mine would be bad for the Tribe. The mining industry
across the country has a well deserved bad reputation for past
practices that have contaminated groundwater. However, I
anticipate that when the mine is developed it will use today’s
technology and environmental practices to protect the
groundwater.
I sense that there is a lot more hope that this mine will go
forward from our people who don’t have the capacity to express
that hope in a meaningful way. We need good wage paying jobs
to support our families. Also, we need to be able to instill
hope into our children and grandchildren that they have a
bright future, and Mt. Tolman could be part of that bright
future.
Sincerely,
Chester LaFountaine
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Imagine that you and your cousin are out celebrating the
Fourth of July, you’ve been out all night and it is 5:00 a.m.
the following morning and time to go home. Neither of you are
in any state to drive, so when your cousin’s boyfriend (a guy
you have known most of your life) shows up and offers everyone
a ride home you decide to accept it. After all this is a guy
with whom you trust.
Your so-called friend sends your cousin home and then drives
everyone else home. Along the way you pass out, only to be
awoken to him having his way with you in the front seat of his
car, while parked along some dirt road.
After you finally realize what is happening, you kick him off
of you and ask, “What the *@#! Are you doing?” He scrambles to
cover himself, you get dressed, and then he finally drives you
home. All the while you are in a daze, not believing what has
just happened to you.
Well, that is what happened to me and this is what I did.
While he was driving me home he kept telling me how sorry he
was, I just stared out the window in disbelief. When I got
home, I sat on my couch for hours staring at the floor not
knowing what to do. Should I tell someone? How could I have
ever let that happen? What made him think he could do that to
me? How could he be so sick! What is wrong with me?
I finally decided that I would tell no one and just forget
about it. That was until he showed up at my house for my
brother’s birthday bar-b-que later that afternoon. I watched
him walk to my back yard like nothing had happened. Smiling
and laughing with MY family like he was this nice and decent
person.
That “....” me off, so I decided right then and there that I
HAD to tell some one. And I told my two sisters and my (ex)
husband, who in turn told me that I had to tell my cousin.
Because if I didn’t it would drive me crazy. I called my
cousin into my kitchen to break the morbid news to her, all
the while scared of the hurt she would feel.
I ended up reporting my rape to the police, undergoing the
invasion of completing a “Rape Kit” and going through court to
prosecute my rapist.
I was disappointed with the outcome. He was allowed to plea
bargain down from Rape to Indecent Liberties. But he had to
confess to the rape and will have to obtain a sexual deviancy
Evaluation, both requirements for the plea bargain. So I guess
he at least had to admit to the truth and will hopefully get
the help he needs.
Writing this has helped in my healing process. Thank you for
taking the time to read my letter. I hope it will give someone
else the strength to speak up and take their power back! TO
BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE, WE MUST BREAK THE CYCLE OF
SILENCE.
A proud survivor,
Nikki Wippel
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Destruction of someone’s
property is disrespectful
Dear Editor:
I am asking that you publish my letter in the Tribal Tribune.
I own a home at Moccasin Flat, in Omak. My home has been
vandalized several times, as unknown individuals have been
breaking my home’s windows. One time, Tribal Police identified
two youths, residing at HUD housing, as the suspects, but
could not get enough information to arrest anyone. Tribal
Police even told me that the grandparents of these two young
people offered to pay for repairs. However, no one has stepped
forward to accept responsibility.
It is very discouraging to see how persons can be so
disrespectful of another tribal member’s property. I have
worked hard to pay for my home, and now, someone thinks that
they can be entertained by breaking my house’s windows. This
is very expensive to repair. Additionally, I don’t understand
what values we are passing on to our youth. I know that the
vandals likely live in the area, or nearby. I am asking that
adults speak to their children and let them know that
destruction of someone’s property is disrespectful and
expensive. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Carmelita Adkins
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Tiwiyekinwes will keep
alive the history
Tribal Members:
The dismal financial situation of the Colville Confederated
Tribes, make layoffs likely in the near future. I am making a
plea that the position of the Chief Joseph Cultural Center
Project Coordinator be maintained during this period of
turmoil. Carla Marconi, the present Coordinator, is key to
realizing our dream of creating Tiwiyekinwes, a center for
maintaining Nez Perce culture on our reservation.
Tiwiyekinwes will keep alive the history of our Nimipu
ancestors for future generations. It will tell the story of
the Chief Joseph Band, who came to the Colville Indian
Reservation in 1885, after imprisonment in the Oklahoma
Territory for eight years, following the war of 1877. While
all did not welcome Chief Joseph, the Nez Perce became an
important part of the history of our reservation.
Carla is responsible for development of the Chief Joseph
Cultural Center Project, seeking and submitting proposals to
various funding agencies, housing and distributing project
data as needed, coordinating project meetings, conducting
feasibility studies and preparing reports related to the
project. These are just a few of her responsibilities. As one
can surmise, she possesses the strong communication skills
needed to work with the public, employees, tribal officials
and personnel of outside agencies. The tribe cannot afford to
lose such a valuable person.
In addition, Carla has been active in the recent repatriation
negotiations with the Nez Perce Tribe and the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, attending the Joint
Repatriation Meeting in Richland, WA on September 1, 2005. The
return of three human remains from the Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History was discussed. As a result,
a male remains was reburied at Bear Paw Battlefield, near
Chinook, MT on Friday, October 7, 2005. Carla and others from
our reservation attended a memorial service held the following
day. This is just one example of the many ways that Carla
participates to gain knowledge that will be passed on to
tribal members and the interested public.
Please let the Council know that it is important to retain a
knowledgeable Coordinator in order to maintain the momentum in
this important project.
Sincerely,
Ruth Wapato
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We need shakers and
movers
Tribal Members:
It is ironic!! This letter is a response to the annual General
Membership meeting which was held on October 8, 2005 at the
Omak Longhouse.
There were district meetings held to address the proposal of
the annual Wells Dam monies to be given to the Tribal
government for programs, economic development and land
purchase. The membership told administration and council that
we would like to have the opportunity to vote on this issue.
The Business Council told us that we will be voting on this
issue and the mining issue at the General Membership meeting.
Let’s hold the council to their promise and we will vote on
these issues.
We need to be involved in the decision-making process as a
democracy. CTEC informed us that they have made $250 million
dollars for the tribe since they began the corporation. Who
spent this money? Where is the accountability?
Now, there is a petition for a referendum vote to have council
for a four year term. I don’t support this idea because we
would have to change our constitution. Many of our council
don’t have qualifications to stay on council for four years.
After the two year term, the voters know which ones are
ineffective and vote them out. This is our democratic process
and to change it would only benefit a chosen few old
dinosaurs.
We need strong leaders and ones that are creative and willing
to address the challenges facing our tribe. We need shakers
and movers, no more fence riders. Get involved and have a
voice in tribal affairs. Thank you for reading my opinion.
Joyce Watt
Omak, WA
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