Letters to the Editor -- May 1, 2015

Dear Smoke Signals:

I’m writing this letter to try to put into perspective the reason in which Restoration was accomplished and how our Elders had envisioned it.

Years ago now, an Ethics Committee was introduced to Tribal Council for several meetings in a row, only to be rejected or tabled each time until finally the Elders quit coming. The committee was made up of all the Elders who were involved with Restoration one way or another. All they wanted was to guide the next generation of council toward their ultimate goals and visions. But they wouldn’t listen. Now, here we are fighting for quality health care, in which case was No. 1 priority of Elders’ advice and goals.

I attended the April 12, 2015, meeting and heard only a few (among many) people who experienced hardships and even felt they needed to seek outside medical care. It breaks my heart! It’s time to demand a change effective immediately in all our Tribal business to make it reflect the general membership’s needs and expectations. Native people are not “corporate America.”

Let’s get back to the original vision the way our Elders and ancestors meant it to be. The casino was built to help our people, not make us rich. We need to invest in our people and community.

Honoring our Elders for what they have done for us could be accomplished by turning back to the same visions they had in the beginning. A lot of our Elders have walked on with heavy hearts concerning the leadership of our new generation of “leaders.” It’s time for a new kind of Restoration: Return to our Elders’ visions and dreams, and take care of our people.

Virginia Kimsey-Roof

Roll #1607