Letters to the Editor -- June 15, 2014

Dear Smoke Signals:

I would like to thank Adult Foster Care's Cougar Lodge for the wonderful and loving care they gave my late Uncle Eugene "Gene" Hudson, 93 years old and a World War II veteran. He was the last of 13 children of Abe and Maude "Warren" Hudson.

I was so happy when I learned Uncle Gene was coming out here to live right next door to me. But I was a little worried because I knew Uncle Gene was known to have a little temper! And I didn't want him to get ornery with the girls.

But wouldn't you know he was on his best behavior and they spoiled him. One caregiver, "Ginger," would even warm his blankets in the dryer at bedtime so he expected all of them to do it!

Thank you so much to all the caregivers of the Cougar and Elk lodges; you take such good and loving care of all of your residents and Elders. We all loved him and will miss him.

Val Grout

Roll #268

Dear Smoke Signals:  

I was pleased to see Gov. Vic Atiyeh's photo in the June 1 Smoke Signals. His receiving a blanket is well-deserved recognition of the years -- decades, actually -- of support he has given Oregon Tribal communities. The photo's caption says, "Atiyeh supported Grand Ronde during its Restoration effort and started the commission while in office." While true, that statement is incomplete, so here's a little more historical context.

Gov. Atiyeh was instrumental in starting the Oregon Commission on Indian Services as a state senator in 1975, when he co-sponsored and got both legislation and an appropriation approved. At the time, he was Senate Republican leader, heading what was then called the "Phone Booth Caucus" because there were so few Republicans in the Senate that they could have met in one. Ever since, including the eight years he served as Oregon's chief executive, he's been a stalwart supporter of maintaining government-to-government relationships between Oregon Tribes and state government. That's what the ceremony in the photo celebrated last month.

But the commission is not just another state agency. It's a legislative commission, an anomaly in Oregon state government, but one well-suited to its role. Ironically, the commission's location in the legislative branch was probably a quirk of politics. It's unlikely that the governor in 1975 would have supported a new state agency for Tribal and Indian issues. So Sen. Atiyeh put it in the legislative branch, outside the executive's control. Had it been an executive agency, it might well have dissolved by now. But with strong legislative involvement like Gov. Atiyeh modeled, the commission has functioned successfully within the legislative branch for nearly 40 years.

The reason this history matters to me is that it was my privilege as a young attorney to be the first full-time staff director of the Commission on Indian Services, a position I held from 1976 (when Atiyeh was still in the state Senate) until 1980 (while he was serving his first term as governor). I learned a lot about Oregon Tribes and state government from Vic Atiyeh, then-Rep. Sam Johnson and other members of the Commission on Indian Services.  

Next year, it will be the commission's 40th anniversary, and I trust that Gov. Atiyeh will be honored then too for his vision and leadership.

Bruce Bishop

Portland

Dear Smoke Signals:

This letter is for the future generations. Know your rights!

The following examples of events are true, so for you the reader of this letter will be placed as though the actual events happened to you.

Example one: You have worked for the casino for four years. You have been given an opportunity to work elsewhere upon the performance and discovery of your work ethics. You have taken the proper steps with your current employer to pursue employment elsewhere.

Now, one day you're on break, talking with friends, co-workers, and another co-worker who wasn't among the group you were talking with thinks they happen to overhear something that they think Human Resources should know.

HR sets up an appointment to discuss the conversation the co-worker overheard.

HR has taken it upon themselves to ban you from the casino property for life. Wrong.

Example two: You're a patient of the clinic in Grand Ronde. You receive a letter from the clinic that states a breach of your protected health information, name, date of birth, phone number, Social Security number and medical record number has occurred. Your personal information was in a file that had been left in a storage unit on campus. This unit was delivered to another Tribal office. Wrong.

Do you think your civil rights have been violated concerning these two actual events? Yes, they have!

Know your rights, know your civil rights. If you think you have been a victim, exercise your rights!

Know your rights!!!!

Au-ho.

Sonya L. Connelly

Roll #2327

Dear Smoke Signals;

The Community Garden would like to extend a huge thank you to Val Alexander and Coyote Ridge Ranch from La Center, Wash., for her huge donation of plants: 18 poblano chilies, 49 tomatoes (variety), two types of potatoes, 12 Tuscan kale, 12 cabbage, 28 eggplant and one phaecelia.

Kristy DeLoe

Nutrition Program manager