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 Letters NOT signed will not
be published.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.
Step up and speak out
Tribal Members:
It is time to quit talking about what should be done and find
out if you, as Colville Tribal Members, are ready to step up
and make changes. We all know that it is not what you know but
who you know or better said is, if you are related to the
member of the council.
As Tribal Members we have a right to vote on referendum that
makes it law on the Colville Reservation. A referendum is
defined in Webster’s II dictionary as “a submission of a
proposed public measure or actual statute to direct popular to
vote”. Otherwise as tribal members we can make the changes
ourselves through a referendum vote.
Topics that come up are of the following:
1. Reservation wide election vote for Tribal Council. The
Colville Business Council is supposed to represent the “whole”
Colville Tribe of 9000+ tribal members. By reservation wide
voting this will eliminate “districtitis”, favoritism to
immediate family and approval of the Colville Business Council
by a majority of Colville Tribal membership.
2. Change the minimum qualification to be a member of the
Colville Business Council. This should include education
(college degree), work experience (10-20 years), criminal
background check (as done for positions of employment for the
Colville Tribe) and drug/alcohol testing (UA).
3. Tribal Council Ethics Code, written up by a committee of
Tribal Members.
4. Tribal Election Committee made up of Colville Tribal
Members.
In order for this to work, we have to organize and put the
referendums on the election ballot for 2007 Colville Tribal
Elections. I would be willing to start the meetings and ALL
Colville Tribal Members are urged to participate whether you
are for or against the referendums. This is especially true
for the Tribal Members who have not been voting because the
future of the Colville Tribe is your choice.
I have read the termination testimony from the 1960’s that
most of our elders made to NOT terminate the Colville
Reservation. My Grandmother, Sadie Moses (granddaughter of
Chief Moses), testified that she was against termination of
the Colville Reservation because she wanted her grandchildren
and their grandchildren to have a home, the Colville Indian
Reservation. Well, it is my turn to instigate changes so that
my grandchildren and their grandchildren have a home called
the Colville Indian Reservation.
My generation has to step up and speak out for the generation
of Colville Tribal Members that will follow us when we pass
on. I ask for your support in making changes that will benefit
our Tribe now and in the future.
Lem-lem.
Eldon L. Wilson
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I will run for Tribal
Council again
Dear Fellow Tribal Members:
Your support for me during my campaign in running for Colville
Tribal Business Council is a clear demonstration that you care
about our Tribal community. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank each and every one of you that took time
out of your busy lives to vote! Only with your continued
support can we keep working to solve Tribal issues and
community problems! There’s something we can do to touch the
lives of everyone in our community that is to vote, voice your
opinion!
Please know that your participation in this important
community endeavor was greatly appreciated. I look forward to
this challenge again next year, again I will be asking for
your support; I will run for Tribal Council again in the
upcoming year.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Deb Hall
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Kettle Falls
Saturday, June 24th my husband and myself had
the most wonderful time at the site of the Kettle Falls, just
north of Barney’s junction.
We were in the area working on our property when I noticed an
encampment below us near the lake. I went down and was greeted
by Mike Finley and he took the time to show me exactly where
the Kettle Falls were once located. I had been there 32 years
ago when the water was very low and I could see the falls.
Mike went on to tell me what they were doing and he said I
should go and visit with Tom Louie, as he was an elder and he
could give me some history on the area.
Tom was very warm and friendly and asked us to join them in
the dinner that would be held later in the day. I told him
that my mother was an enrolled member (Pat McKinney) and that
my great grandmother was Sophie Marchand and my great great
grandmother was Victoria Provost and her mother was Julie
Woman of the Lakes.
I am an enrolled descendant and very proud of my heritage and
have tried to learn all I can about the Lakes people and how
they lived, worshiped, survived.
The river honoring and salmon honoring that took place on
Saturday included a great feast, dancing, drumming and
visiting. Lenny and Darla and P.J. Ellsworth accepted us at
their table and we had a nice visit and lots of laughs.
Thanks to Mike Finley and Lenny Ellsworth for the gifts that
were given to us at the give away. It made my heart sing to be
apart of this tradition that goes back thousands of years.
Thanks to Tom Louie his wife and children for also making us
feel so welcome. We hope to be there next year to join you
once again
Lem - Lem
Ken and Kathy Verley
Superior, Montana
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It was a day of sorrow
The day “they” came.
They took away our language,
They took away our names.
The darkness came
and captured our Spirit,
Took our way of life
and all that was in it.
The Buffalo was slaughtered—
The Salmon shed tears—
Coyote was quiet
And Wolf howled our fears.
The “Real People” live still
There is magic in our hearts.
The best thing “They” did
was to set us apart.
-- By Susan M. Reyes
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