Letters to the Editor -- June 1, 2015

Dear Smoke Signals:

Since I was a younger spirit, I have known a digging stick is called an Um-Dah and I have never heard it called anything else. I am now 81 years old and feel satisfied that an Um-Dah is a good name for an important tool that our ancestors used in gathering food, basketry material and for other important daily work of survival.

I bring this to your attention because I believe it is worth knowing. The Um-Dah may have been called something else depending on location of use, but I believe such an “artifact” should be considered for its importance in our ancestors’ lives.

I noticed an Um-Dah is pictured on the cover of one of the books for sale in the Spirit Mountain Casino gift shop. I certainly thank the photographer for the beauty of that picture and sharing the memory with us.

Claudette Parazoo

Roll #2923

Dear Smoke Signals:

I just received the April 15 issue and noticed that Wells Fargo will be used to make the per capita payments in June.

Los Angeles just sued Wells Fargo on May 5 for “unlawful and fraudulent conduct.”

Los Angeles alleges “the bank opened unauthorized accounts for customers, sticking them with bogus fees and damaging their credit.” Further, “Employees misused customers’ confidential information and often fails to close authorized accounts.”

I don’t know how serious this is, but I thought I would relay the information since Wells Fargo will have all the personal information for Tribal members. It seems like a good idea if it saves the Tribe money, but the lawsuit should be noted.

Judith Pettibone

Roll #717

(Editor’s note: The Wells Fargo account established in early April is for the Tribe to deposit money on which per capita checks will be drawn. Beyond names, addresses and account numbers provided by Tribal members for credit only into their accounts, Wells Fargo will not have any personal information about Tribal members.)