Siletz.Net Virtual Community Center for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

Cindy Jackson writes:

"You are no one in the grand scheme of things - just another enrolled tribal member."

I am just another enrolled tribal member. I've never claimed otherwise.

It says quite a lot about you that you think someone who is "just another enrolled tribal member" is "no one in the grand scheme of things". We mere enrolled tribal members are often treated as nobodies "in the grand scheme of things".

But we mere enrolled tribal members have a right to accountability from our Tribal Council. We have a right to fair elections. We have a right to request information from our Tribal Council . And we have a right to criticize the performance of our tribal government.

Good am all,
I also am "just a Tribal Member" this makes me no more and also makes me no less either. I do care where our Tribe is and as the saying goes "Our strongest strength is our weakest link" and as a Tribal member I enjoy reading hearing the Business aspects of OUR Tribe. All the news may not be good, therefore if we ( the Siletz Tribe) is as strong as it's weakest link", this weak link . This aspect is looked at from most of the Fortune 500 Company's, U.S. Millitary ( best friend in the reserve's) and many many local Businesses small and large alike. Some if not all hire out of area Audits to see where their week link is fix it,this allows for "out of the box thinking and stragety" more importantly fixing a problem/ concern/issue, pursuing a money making Suscessful Business instead of how fast can CTSI dull out the dough....
To achieve suscess one must "critisize" , to seek out the "weekest link" and strengthen it. I as a supervisor and floor Supervisor have noted this and emplimented measures to strengthen this and I did take critism for this. Low and behold what happned is a more sucessfull shift/ Business oppeeration's I am speaking of the time spent opperating the Buffet and other Chinook Wind's Food and Beverage Department's Rogue River Room, Deli EmployeeDinig Area Etc. I have never owned a busness, althought I have been in the bottom working in the trenches so to say, and the backbone of businesses are the little people in the trenches working their behind off; I have line cook III, sous Chef's, Executive Chef's , Floor Manager's and Food and Beverage Managers come and go litterly on a daily basis, yet the one's who did the work and kept the door's open and opperating were the little people. Little people like ("Tribal members" and non Tribal alike all we wanted was sucess). The one's here trying to critisize in the name of wanting to seek sucess in many differant areas.
CTSI Administration, Chinook Wind's, Ohio business( cannot recall the phantom name, I say phantom due to myself sitting in the General Council meeting 2007 when certain people were speaking of the Ohio based Business comeing to Oregon) even I had vision's of Employment from this Business aspect, however it never panned out and from what I reacall/ gather from this site and Siletznews papper, it will most likely never come, I am VERY saddned by this hope goneagain. However I do look forward if it does, prayer is needed for ALL. CTSI did pay money to relieve Ohio U.S. Areoteam from bankrupcy status and paid I do not know how much exactly but I herd it was in the million or two(again sitting and listning at the CTSI General Council Mtg. 2007).
I was at the 2007, CTSI Tribal Council meeting's I did not understand all, but I did hear money being payed, also representives offering "Future" Employment to MANY Siletz Tribal member's once opperation's were up and running. Aspect's of either being Employed on the ground level up for River Reclamation and U.S. Areo team were in my mind VERY EXCITING to me and several others I spoke with. To date there is no business here or in Oregon for Siletz Tribal Members to apply to make themselves on the ground level and up that I have knowledge of no mention in the Tribal Newspapper or the annual Neskillahee(spelled wrong, SORRY) Report. I was again saddend when I found out that none of this was trully going to transpire. Here is a weak link, giving money away( I say countless due to my ignornce of not knowing the exact ammount lost, I mean given away, I mean spent on what I would call "they sure seen the CTSI comming " and took advantage ( my opnion) them/us for a rollercoaster ride on the moneytrain
Now to the strength, I can see attempt's on few CTSI Admin. Departments trying to better for our Tribe, by changes within CTSI Admin. policy's and Procedure, one example is now if a tribal member need's to have a copy made and I for One do not own a copy machine, one must pay for this. All my life youth and adult if a Siletz Tribal member needed this service it was FREE to the Siletz Tribal member no matter the content. Only requirement was being of Tribal Member in NEED, wow what a caring opperation for SILETZ TRIBAL MEMBERSHIP...., CTSI Administration.
Several other small changes various department's not listed. A "few" is not a whole team and I and my opnion is that the whole team need's to be on the same page and not on differant agendas/ Topics untill one is completed and resolved; while at the same meeting's . Can the Tribal Council talk about one subject, adress issues, concern's and probality of posative growth , then go to the next? I do not know for sure. I feel my opnion is that of a tetter totter ride... I have not seen this done, this does not mean it has not, though if it were maybe it was so small and mute it was not publicised. However I am not at ALL Council Meeting's and espically the "Executive Sescion's" which from incerts in Tribal papper and locally here in Sietz, there is a huge ammount of decsion making here in this forum of "Executive Secsion".

So for the betterment of doubt I will give them a posative one for I have no knowledge of Executive session and cannot differance in the topics or more importantly the outcome which here in Siletz.net some or most if not all comes out in one way or another.
I understand stragety and PRIVACY, but how does the negatvity of loosing millon's of dollars in differant time's, differant businees, differant ideas, turn out a posative business and betteremnt for our Tribe? in the meantime having the same Management/Council(of coarse only certain one's being spoken of and I will not name for I do not direct this to a certain person or perosn(s) doing the same. I was told the defanation of insanity is repeating the same action and the reults are the same, again my opnion and utalizing a fraze that I recall not directed at anyone directly or indirectly, simply speaking my opnion and mind freedom of speach please.
Please I am offering opnions and what I have seen and herd in 2007 CTSI General Tribal Council l Meeting's. I may be wrong in some, and I applogize if I am and will as always post true and accurate fact's before posting them. I took note's and recall the various speakers telling stories of growth and unrivalled Business of posative nature; that if the Siletz Tribe goes into business with who ever CTSI will be a grand and SUCESSFULL Business partner. Now Ohio is not here, chains are on gates to the hundred's of thousand's of dollars spent on this and then the aspect of ATTORNEY fee's and Law firms, that mat very well take Litigation month;s of not year's to setle on agreament's meanwhile the Sieltz Tribal peolple will again do without. I wonder how much longer this will happen. How will it be diverted to a trully sucessfull businesses and turn Tribal Membership into greater services and ALL need's met.??? I thank you all for taking your time to read my opnion's sincerly, Glenn Yarbrough.

> Your attachment from a lady does not sound like a lady!!

> I am damn proud of you for not reacting to Warren Woods' outburst. It was soooooo juvenile not worthy of a response,,,, sooner or later he will pay for his childishness, the great spirit will see to that.

> Anytime someone treats you like that, you should just keep on walking. You are above that, I know it is hard not to respond to jerks like that. They are trying to create a situation where you will look like a jerk too. Don't let them pull you down to them.

>Mr. Woods' did not deserve a response - a response only serves to intensify his attack. So damn ridiculous.

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Cindy, if I may, or Miss/Mrs. Jackson?,

As I respond, briefly, I remind you and your father-in-law, that I apologized, sincerely, for not returning your calendar earlier.

I will not apologize for having an opinion. Nor will I apologize for the accusation, by your father-in-law, as he could not, did not specify to which he referred as being a "lie".

I bring the same challenge to you, to present the specifics of what you refer to as being not a true representation of what has been printed in a Tribal publication, the Tribal Council minutes, or being stated in a Committee meeting, or in a financial document referencing budget/expenditures for our Tribal government.

You state you worked for the defense department? Then you are aware, that the government has an obligation to provide information on details, thru the Freedom of Information Act [FOIA]. It is this process that has led Lynette Warren and myself, plus several other Tribal members to access documents detailing financial figures related to Housing and Health program expenditures, as well as 2008 salaries for Brenda Bremner of $114,400.00, and salary for Tina Retasket, Assistant General Manager of $96,948.00.

These figures are PUBLIC records, due to the requirement for submission of these figures, to calculate the Indirect Rate thru the Federal Government. In regards to this information, I have another opinion: This is unacceptable - it is incomprehensible, for our administrative personnel to earn close to and MORE than the Governor! While many Tribal members go without health care services, often receiving a letter stating the service is DEFERRED, while people in high places earn exorbitant salaries.

I please, ask you to relay to me, and other readers, your familiarity with the history of the Siletz Tribe, since 1988, when those serving in administration began the process to change the government structure, to morph that of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

I believe once you are familiar with this occurrence in detail, you will come to realize that our own Tribal entity has become the very government machine, that we as Native people sought to be freed from in the throes of legal genocide or termination.

I welcome your civil and fact founded reply. I do not have any such personal vendetta, against any of the Tribal Council members, as you implied. My apprehension is founded in principle, and as a result of viewable and documentable actions, rather than anything personal.

I wish you and your family well, and I hope that you and I can begin a process of debate and discourse, regarding the issues that exist within our Tribal venues.

In closing, I ask respectfully, can you please let me know specifically what it is you claim was represented as an untruth? I will be most happy to provide you with the documentation you desire.

In closing, as I apologized to your father-in-law, I apologize to you, that I was so late in returning your calendar, it was never my intention to distress you so.

Bien à vous,

Lisa L. Brown, CPS

PO Box 586, Siletz, OR 97380
www.allnativecreations.com
nadosh2@yahoo.com

SiletzLady wrote:

I thought about my Grama Lane. She knew ALL those families in Siletz for so many years. She was friends with them. The kids from those families played together and went to school together. Those people worked together and struggled together. During that time, our Tribe was not existent. Over the years I saw her always talking with all the people in Siletz and laughing with them....never degrading them or taking issue with them.

I knew your grandmother, Maude Lane, too. She was also my great aunt. Though, she wasn't a tribal member, she took an interest in tribal affairs. She was cheerful and curious, the same as Lisa Brown is now, and I admired your grandmother for that. Your grandmother, Maude Lane, also didn't shrink from controversy. I remember 13 years ago in 1995, I was standing with Maude at a General Council meeting when your aunt, Gladys Bolton, got up to speak. Gladys was up at the podium, criticizing the Tribal Council and your aunt, Dee Pigsley, for their overspending and for not keeping the membership informed.

Your grandmother, Maude, wasn't nervous about it. She looked at me, smiled and said, "Oh, sisters fighting..." She was exhilarated and amused by it. She wasn't worried or sad because Gladys was openly expressing dissenting opinions in those days. She seemed happy and proud of Gladys for speaking her mind. She had the wisdom to realize that airing opinions doesn't hurt the tribe. It's healthy for the membership to air their concerns. Many of our people remain spirited and curious, like your grandmother was, and we're entitled to information and accountability from our tribal government as much today as we were 13 years ago.

Lynette

Cindy Jackson writes:

I'm just not understanding why you think you need to know what people's salaries are!

Because we pay those salaries.

In all businesses people are compensated (fairly) for the responsibilities they have and the duties they perform. Would you agree that Brenda's job is equivalent to that of a CEO of any large business?

Absolutely not. Brenda is a politically appointed government official, which is nothing like the CEO of a profitable business. CEO's get large salaries to generate revenue for their companies. Brenda generates no revenue for the tribe.

It makes more sense to compare Brenda to other *government* executives. Brenda makes a lot more than the Governor of Oregon, who manages a state with 3.7 million citizens and a budget of over 40 billion dollars.

IMO that is the case. And being the case, she could make ALOT more money in the private sector as a CEO.

That's nonsense because Brenda has no track record of generating revenue, she just spends it.

A reasonable salary range for our General Manager would be from $60,000 to $70,000. And Brenda would probably still be doing the job because she doesn't have any realistic prospect of making more anywhere else. Brenda was a Physical Education teacher before her Aunt Dee fast-tracked her for General Manager.