Letters to the Editor -- May 1, 2012

Dear Tribal Council:

I would like to thank all of you for the big bouquet of flowers you sent me.

Words cannot fully express how grateful I was to receive such a thoughtful and wonderful gift.

They have been brightening my room and also will be a picture on my wallpaper on my laptop computer.

I am praying that my recent illnesses will soon be a thing of the past.

Once again, thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity. May God bless you all.

Veronica "Munk Hi-HI Mawich" Gaston

Roll #2332

Dear Smoke Signals:

I am writing to ask that you print a letter in the paper for me. I am in prison at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. There are many Tribal members in here, as well as members from many other Tribes.

Each Saturday we are allowed to sweat and have traditional ceremonies, but only if there are approved volunteers. We need one volunteer or they call off the sweat. Sometimes the men have to go several weeks between sweats.

Well, our Tribe is pretty much the closest to Salem, so I thought if we could make a request for volunteers in Smoke Signals, maybe we could get some regular, consistent volunteers so these guys are able to participate in their traditional ways.

Will you please print our request in the letters section of our Smoke Signals newspaper. Thank you very much for all you do for our people.

Daniel Freeman

Roll #2287

(Editor's note: Contact Oregon State Penitentiary Chaplain Phil Holbrook at 503-373-1350 or phillip.e.holbrook@doc.state.or.us to volunteer. The best time to contact him is between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.)

Dear Smoke Signals:

In reply to the letter sent by Adam Jeffers, I have to agree with him that the Tribal government has gone overboard with all the giving away of our money. They are supposed to be looking for ways to better the lives of Tribal members and their dependents. Instead, they give away millions at a shot, take trips all over the country and it's all on our money. How do Tribal members benefit from all of this? I have yet to see any sort of benefit coming out of anything this government has done.

It's not greed, like Adam says. It's the council's and all elected people being held accountable for their actions. Plain and simple. Put our Tribal government up next to Obama's government and the parallels will amaze you.

We need honest people who care about the health and welfare of the Tribal members in the government, not those who take trips all over the place and give away our money. But like the saying goes, total power totally corrupts, and now this government needs to be held totally accountable for all their actions and non-actions.

I have had all the disrespect I can handle from elected people everywhere, including here. Since when does being an elected person give them the right to play games and disrespect Tribal members? It seems to me that they think they can do anything they please with immunity, and they do. Everyone is held accountable for their actions sooner or later. How many lives need to be ruined before things get rectified to protect Tribal members?

The time for accountability has come. We, as Tribal members on the short end of the stick, have a chance to take back control of things. Or we can just sit back and do nothing and let things snowball until we are unable to even think. Not keeping your word, games and disrespect are all personal things and cannot be tolerated coming from anyone. And it doesn't take an elected official, just an ordinary person, to do those things and get things on a personal level. There is no room for people like that in any government, especially ours. It's bad enough we have one in the White House, we don't need them in our government.

But like Adam Jeffers said, it's up to us to end all the garbage being put on us by elected people and their disrespect.

Rod Smith

Roll #770

Dear Tribal members:

Hopefully, all Grand Ronde Tribal members know by now that the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Siletz Agency has been requested by the Grand Ronde Tribal Council to conduct an election to amend the Tribe's Constitution to add provisions for a primary Tribal Council election in the event more than 10 qualified candidates are nominated to run for Tribal Council.

Currently, there is no provision for a primary Tribal Council election during the Tribal Council election process that is held each year.

All Tribal members of voting age should have received a voter registration packet from the Election Board Chairman Bureau of Indian Affairs in a special Official Secretarial Election marked envelope with the red words "Important Election Material Enclosed."

If you or a Tribal member you know did not receive the voter registration packet, be sure and contact Penny DeLoe in the Tribal Member Services Department and let her know.

Because this will be a federally conducted election, not a Tribal election, any Tribal member who wishes to vote in this election must fill out the voter registration card that was mailed from the Election Board Chairman Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Be sure to sign the voter registration card exactly as your name appears on the label on the voter registration card. Return the completed voter registration card in the special no postage necessary if mailed in the United States envelope addressed to the Election Board Chairman Bureau of Indian Affairs that is in the packet. The voter registration envelope must be postmarked or received by the BIA Siletz Agency on or before May 9.

Remember, if you do not register for this BIA-conducted constitutional election, you will not be eligible to vote to the question about adding provisions to our Tribe's Constitution for a primary Tribal Council election in the event more than 10 qualified candidates are nominated to run for Tribal Council. Therefore, it is extremely important that you register to vote with the BIA if you want your voice to be heard.

Leroy Good

Roll #892