Siletz News Presorted Confederated Tribes of First-Class Siletz Indians Mail SILETZ NEWS P.O
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Siletz News Presorted Confederated Tribes of First-Class Siletz Indians Mail SILETZ NEWS P.O. Box 549 U.S. Postage Siletz, OR 97380-0549 Paid - Permit No. 178 Delores Pigsley, Salem, OR Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Tribal Chairman Vol. 49, No. 4 April 2021 Mike Kennedy, Interim General Manager and Editor-in-Chief ‘Moccasin Telegraph’ finds new life as source of vaccine information for Tribes Once leery of federal health initiatives, erated Tribes of Siletz Indians – are on a Dee Pigsley, chairwoman of the Con- “We’ve vaccinated the clinic staff, our Native Americans embrace COVID-19 mean streak. federated Tribes of Siletz Indians, says she essential staff, elders. So we’re working vaccines as way to protect communi- According to Cherity Bloom-Miller, was concerned the initial vaccine rollout down that priority list.” ties and families the Tribe’s clinical services director, CTSI was moving too slowly. But by late Janu- The CTSI is now looking to inoculate By Brian Bull, Underscore.news; origi- has vaccinated roughly one-quarter of the ary, they had enough Moderna vaccine casino workers over the next three weeks. nally posted March 10, 2021 5,547 enrolled members, and about one- allocated from the state for 300 people. The Chinook Winds Casino Resort has While the U.S. as a whole is just find- third of those who live in Oregon. As of “So we’ve been setting up appoint- just reopened, boding well for one of the ing its stride administering the COVID- Friday, the Tribal government had given ments for tribal members,” Pigsley con- Tribe’s biggest sources of revenue. 19 vaccine to its citizens, many Native the Moderna vaccine to 3,000 people 18 tinues, noting that the Tribe was due to American Tribes – including the Confed- and over, members and otherwise. get another 100 doses the following week. See Vaccine on page 11 Madam Secretary Deb Haaland is confirmed as the coun- Tribe helps provide much-needed housing in Lincoln City try’s Secretary of the Interior, blazing a trail as the first Native American to ever lead a Cabinet agency By Aliyah Chavez, Indian Country Today; originally posted March 15, 2021 A fierce Indigenous woman is now the caretaker of the nation’s public lands and waters for the first time in U.S. history. Deb Haaland was confirmed as the nation’s 54th Secretary of the Interior in a 51-40 vote Monday, making her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency. Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan broke from party lines to vote to confirm Haaland, a notable choice given other Republican senators publicly saying she was not the right candidate. It is not known when Haaland will be sworn into office. But when she is, Haaland will become the highest ranked Indigenous person in an executive office across the country. Above: Reggie Butler Sr. cuts the rib- Photo above by Diane Rodriquez; photo below by Andy Taylor Incoming Interior Secretary Haaland bon at new workforce housing units. stands eighth in line to the presidency. She Tribal staff and council members is also only the third woman to serve in attending incuded (l to r) Brett Lane, the position – a low number in stark com- Isaac DeAnda Jr., Sami Jo Difuntorum, parison to the 50 men who have served Lillie Butler, Lisa Norton, Loraine – an accomplishment fitting for March’s Butler, Angela Ramirez, Delores National Women’s History Month. Pigsley, Selene Rilatos, Darlene and Haaland is a citizen of Laguna Pueblo Bill Stotts of Stotts Construction and has ties to Jemez Pueblo through her Company, Rob Smith and Tracy Bailey. grandfather, which she frequently cites. Right: Sixteen manufactured housing She spent her career in New Mexico as a units are ready for occupancy in early former small business owner, organizer March for victims of the Echo Moun- and Tribal administrator before running tain Complex fire. This property is for Congress. near the Logan Road RV Park and was In November, Haaland was re-elected leased by the Siletz Tribe to FEMA, for a second term in Congress represent- st the first FEMA housing to be located ing New Mexico’s 1 Congressional Dis- on Tribal land. trict in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2018, she made history as one of the first two Native women elected to Congress. Now Haaland will be at the helm The American Rescue Plan and Native Communities of the Interior, a sprawling government From the Democratic National Commit- lenges associated with the pandemic. And These investments build on actions agency in charge of 70,000 employees, tee; dnc.org the loss of Native elders threatens the sacred President Biden has taken in his first one-fifth of the nation’s land and key Native Americans face persistent and preservation of language, tradition and cul- weeks in office to rebuild the nation-to- offices in natural resources. The agency systemic inequities and COVID-19 has ture. Tribal governments and Native com- nation relationship, including signing a also oversees national parks and wildlife exacted an especially high toll in Indian munities urgently need additional support Presidential Memorandum that directs refuges, and works with endangered spe- Country. People living on reservations are and assistance from the federal government. the whole of federal government to rein- vigorate formal consultation with Tribal cies conservation. four times more likely to have COVID-19 The American Rescue Plan will change nations, expanding access to the Strategic A key role of the Interior’s duty is and American Indians and Alaska Natives the course of the pandemic in Indian Coun- National Stockpile for Native communi- to respectfully manage the government’s are nearly twice as likely to die from try, deliver immediate relief for hard-hit ties and expanding FEMA assistance for federal trust responsibilities promised to COVID-19 than white Americans. Native American families and Tribal busi- Native American families and small nesses, and build a bridge toward economic See Haaland on page 8 businesses also face severe economic chal- recovery and resilience for Tribal Nations. See Rescue on page 18 Chairman’s Report American Rescue Plan Housing Getting businesses in place has been By the time you read this, President The 10 new workforce housing units a long slow process. Since obtaining Joe Biden will have signed the American in Lincoln City were completed last the property from the Bureau of Indian Rescue Plan that will assist all Americans month. Council and staff had a ribbon- Affairs, the Tribe had to go to Congress to get official action changing the title on during these trying times. Our Oregon cutting event. They are beautiful and are the land to the Siletz and Grand Ronde congressmen have worked hard on our designated as low-income and affordable- Tribes. We will have a lease in place for a (Tribe’s) behalf to assure that we are income homes (see photo on page 1). gas station-mini-mart soon and hopefully designated funds for the interruption of Our Tribal Housing staff did a great job other businesses will follow. our governments and lives because of the planning and delivering. Across Chemawa Road, the Keizer shutdowns the COVID virus has caused. Through our Tribal partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Station property has been very success- The legislation contains resources to (FEMA), we used available space on Logan ful. Our property is much smaller and help address the health and resource prob- Road in Lincoln City to enable FEMA to we’re hoping with the success of these two lems created by the COVID-19 pandemic. place 16 emergency homes on this site. businesses, others will follow. A total of $350 billion is designated for The trailers are fully equipped for Tribal, state and local governments, of this occupancy by victims of the wildfires that Memorial Day amount $20 billion is set aside for Tribal we experienced last fall. The homes are If we continue on a downward trend governments. temporary and will be in use until perma- with the COVID virus, we will have a Delores Pigsley Another $11 billion will provide addi- nent homes are found for the unfortunate Memorial Day Ceremony this year. The tional funding for the Bureau of Indian folks who lost their homes. event will be outside with all protocols U.S. Department of the Interior in place to stay safe and we will have a Affairs, Indian Health Service and various The homes come fully furnished with Former Congresswoman Deb Haaland all utilities and furniture, even blankets for speaker to enjoy. other agencies that serve Tribal govern- from New Mexico was confirmed as the the beds. According to FEMA officials, it Every year the cemetery is decorated ments. It’s not clear how the money will first American Indian Secretary of the be distributed to Tribes at this time. will take 18-24 months to help locate per- so beautifully by lots of people and I would manent homes. All of the infrastructure like to see us pay tribute to those folks Interior. She received a lot of Tribal sup- who are no longer with us. Food will not port, we are extremely happy she has been Elections was completed by FEMA. When the homes are vacated, the Tribe be provided but we will have a short cer- selected and confirmed by U.S. Senate (see Tribal elections were held success- will then own the homes. FEMA will be in emony with our veterans at the memorial. article on page 1). fully. Our Election Board is composed of charge of assigning and managing them.