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 Letters NOT signed will not
be published.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.
Don’t be hoodwinked
We should consider another election on the Mt.
Tolman mining issue. It seems to me it was presented to us to
vote without time to really study the pros and cons. There
were letters in the Tribune that were opposed to the mine.
These letters I am sure greatly influenced the voters. I know
there are people that would be for mining but first would like
to know for certain the actual pollution it would cause. I am
not convinced it would affect the water, maybe some dust in
the air, but any project can cause that. If the tribe is in a
financial bind and the goal of the council is to promote jobs
and encourage members to stay on the reservation, then they
should reconsider very carefully the mining proposal. We need
more than logging, casinos and tribal government to provide
employment.
There could be a lot to gain from the mine. It would create
employment, and just think of the potential for local business
including casinos. Money is power, as a tribe we would gain
power. We would also gain individually by improved living
standards and helping the people to gain self-esteem. There
would be many skills that could be learned on the job. If more
education is your wish, then you would be in a better
financial position to go to school. The next generation would
have a better chance to achieve their goals and would be more
likely to stay on the reservation. I feel it would help to
defer termination.
I understand this metal is in demand all over the world, and I
think that demand will continue since it has several uses
including in the building of spacecraft, because it can
tolerate extreme heat. That explains why it is worth so much.
If this is the case and we choose to not mine it, I think it
could be taken from us anyway and then we certainly wouldn’t
get anything close to the value. If God gave us this mountain
then he also blessed us with the valuable minerals within.
I also think we should receive all of the Wells Dam money. I
would rather have the money and pay taxes on it than not get
it at all. I am also concerned that the act of holding out
part of it is setting a precedence that might affect all
future claims monies that are supposed to be paid out in full.
I am a senior citizen, I live off the reservation and, no, I
don’t just care about money. I care very much about the
reservation, its success and the people both on and off of it.
Lorraine (Sally) Williams
(sin-sintque)
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Thank you for voting the
right way, and that is NO
Letter to the Editor:
Kudos for those enrolled members of voting age who voted NO on
the mining issue. You are the ones who are giving the next
generations a healthier life. No one who voted yes will be
around if this would have went the other way for the time it
would take to prepare before the equipment even gets here. So
what does that tell you? Do they care what will happen to
their descendants? Well, we do, and I want to personally thank
the ones who have voted no, and commend you for your courage
to do so.
I waited until the meeting reached Omak before I went to see
what everyone had to say about the mine. I already had my NO
vote ready to go in and nothing was going to change that. I
was very disappointed to watch the people get ran over every
time they tried to ask anything or say anything during this
meeting. A true example of come to the meeting and only ask
what we want you to ask and say only what we want you to say.
I have watched the presentation from Don Aubertin and did not
see anything positive about his presentation, he showed a lot
of computer pictures and slides about the before and after.
Figures of money the members would get in wages and per
capita. Figures I, for one, don’t know where he got these
from. None of the questions from the audience got a straight
answer, and watching him dance around the issues was pathetic.
It brought a flash back memory of the termination era where
they tried to convince the membership to accept 40,000.00
each. Sell out the reservation and this would be your share as
a member. Thanks to Lucy Covington, Louie Wapato, TB Charley,
all my families, and all the ones who fought against
termination back then, also thank you to all the groups who
fought and informed the public of the other side of the mining
picture. You are to be commended. The group that was brought
in to show the other side of the picture, the clean up down
the road after they get done with the mine was an excellent
presentation. It only answered questions for us that up to
that point we were saying but no one would listen.
Until our Leaders are able to balance their own checkbooks and
make sure our own businesses are up and running properly
should they even consider anything else. We have our Casinos,
our Mills, Post & Pole mills, our Tribal Stores and others.
So with that, I will end my letter to the editor. Thank you
for voting the right way, and that is NO.
From an Omak Voter, Tribal Member and Tribal Elder,
Tillie Gorr
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Response to the
Misconception Article
Yes, the land is ours that’s why we don’t want
it poisoned. Many tribal members live off the land., which is
their way of life. However, white people call it subsistence.
Yes, education is importance for the survival of our
reservation in the world as it exists today. However, one
persons education can’t ensure what is right for our Indian
people. I have lived all my life on the Colville Rex except to
attend college. But I seen extremely unsafe acts in our
control, and others still continue today. Many previous
actions have caused serious accidents, some fatalities in our
control of the operation of business. CTEC has had multiple
fatalities occur at the work site; therefore, they are not
superiorly flawless as one might think.
For the EIS process on the Colville rez, there is zero
accountability. I have heard the NEPA coordinator state that
their boss gave direction that no information is allowed to
get out to the public until it is finalized by the council.
That mentality is how the Referendum meetings were conducted.
It is not what the people want, as illustrated by the vote,
rather just a handful of people who would benefit a hell of a
lot more than other tribal members.
Our tribal economy has been going down hill. I was a program
manger and every year we had to attend a managers meeting that
told us we were getting a 30% or more budget cut. That went on
for at least 7 years. At one, I asked why was the Colville
Tribe advertising during prime time during the Olympics that
they were the largest employer in the North Central Washington
if we were in such shortfall of money. The response I got from
the form BIA superintendent was that the Colville Tribes can’t
appear to be too rich or we will lose grant money.
Sticking uneducated “yes” people in $50,000 a year positions
is what is causing the Colville Tribe go into debt, not
economic recession. Until we get rid of all of the old timer
council people who do not vote on behalf of all 9000+ members,
then nothing will change and the Colville’s will continue to
decline in prosperity, culture and health.
Mining is not the solution. Changing the legislative
candidates in office will make growth for the tribe. So don’t
vote for the same old person. Pay attention how they vote. For
instance, Management and Budget chairperson voted against the
summer youth program to put youth to work. Natural Resource
chairman voted to sell our water for $1,000,000 to the farmers
on the Columbia basin. Where’s the money?
Mismanagement must stop, today!
Cathy A. Covington
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Cherish our memory of how
it “used to be”
As a tribal elder, a 20-year military veteran
and a former tribal leader, I can’t begin to relate my disgust
in the present forest management. There is no doubt in my mind
that the annual harvest is now based on the financial needs of
our Tribal Council and the greed of the certified Indian
loggers. While tribal employees enjoy jobs that provide them
with financial security, the general membership and the future
generations are the losers.
With the Director, Fish and Wildlife also being certified as
an Indian Logging Contractor the wildlife, water quality and
the aesthetics are given no consideration. Allowing the giant
machines and now helicopter logging, it won’t be long before
our tribal forest will be gone.
With the politicians giving free rein to Brett Black and CTEC
to plunder the Colville Tribal Forest with no opposition from
personnel who have the responsibility to manage the timber, we
are headed for termination.
While other tribes have found other income to provide for
their members, we the Colville Tribes depend solely on our
timber. The forest won’t last many more years no and the mess
left out in the forest will take a century or more to heal.
Anyone with love for this reservation will soon have reason to
complain, but it is too late. When the greed is satisfied we
who knew this reservation as it was before CTEC can only
cherish our memory of how it “used to be”.
Jude C. Stensgar, Tribal Member
Inchelium, WA
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We have a voice, we have
a vote, we have a duty
Dear Editor,
Election time is once more upon us. We have much of the same
issues and problems that faced us last year and the year
before. How many years can we go back before we can remember a
time when life was good, when things were right?
Change is necessary for survival; nothing can remain static
and thrive. In saying that, there is always an exception to
the rule. In this case it may be that the negativity that
always seems to be polluting our atmosphere is still here and
thriving, but accomplishing little as it does every year. If
all the negative energy were converted to a positive energy we
could be more famous than the energizer bunny.
We all know our resources need to be utilized in ways that
provide a balance between profit and perpetuation. It is not
only common knowledge but a fact, we as concerned intelligent
citizens of this earth know like we know our own faces.
However, we do not all share the same interests, values, and
concerns. Our differences of opinions, decision making, and
approaches create potential hotbeds of controversy. Just or
unjust is immaterial. What is important is the process, the
daily, hourly, methodology of making decisions and acting upon
them. Is the process fueled by ignorance, prejudice, misplaced
beliefs? Or is the process of decision making and action only
enacted after careful consideration to include knowledge
gathering and awareness of positive and negative cause and
affect for each action? This should not only apply to our
elected leaders but to each one of us as individuals,
neighbors, parents, and stewards for the generations to come.
Our elected leaders are charged to address issues of poverty,
unemployment, and healthcare and other services to our
membership. This costs real dollars. We have resources
currently being utilized. We have access to resources not
being currently utilized. We don’t need politicians. We need
leaders in our elected government who can make informed
intelligent decisions and are comfortable with involving the
membership in sharing knowledge and decision making.
Words are of little value when there is nothing to talk about.
Those who expend great energy speaking negatively and pointing
fingers, and shaking fists may be doing so because they lack
the positive energy needed to make careful decisions that move
us all in a forward motion creating a life we can live with.
We are all responsible for the decisions made by a few. We
have a voice, we have a vote, we have a duty.
Pat Laramie-Brooks
Inchelium
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Young people running for
Council
I have lived on the Colville Indian Reservation
for thirteen years, have an eleven year old that has lived
here most of his life, and am married to a tribal member. I
was involved with a family that was in and out of council for
many years and heard a lot about how things were run and what
needs to be done and so on, so when I picked up the early
April issue of the Tribal Tribune, I was happy beyond
explanation to see that there were young people running for
Council. Often times, I have heard, during many different
events, presentations and just in conversation it is said and
heard that “The youth are our future”, . . . well, here is a
chance to take another step in making the young more involved,
heard and taken more seriously. This chance for these young
men to make a difference in their tribe would not only be a
great accomplishment for them, but also an unimaginable
experience. I think the fact that they have the courage to run
is wonderful, I hope that the voters here take notice to these
young men and take them seriously when considering who they
will vote for. Good luck to them in this venture. Leandra
Gooler
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Seeking to find two
sisters
Daniel R. Gibbs is seeking to find two sisters:
Rosemary Goins was her last known name and Virginia Osborne
was her last known name. Brother George Gibbs.
Contact me at P.O. Box 1301, Newport, WA 99156 or phone (509)
447-0842. I would really like to hear from you.
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Thanks to everyone who
helped me
To the Editor:
Thanks to everyone who helped me. My car was stolen from my
house and a lot of things from my house are gone and I was
sitting in jail on charges.
My car was found where I said it would be. My Dam money was
promised out $500.00 and couldn’t change anything, so I have
lost my car, a 1989 Thunderbird. I really love my car!!!
What I mean is no one tried to help me. I am 60 years old with
no car.
Thanks, Billie Martin
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