Letters to the Editor -- Jan. 1, 2020

Dear Smoke Signals:

Dear Tribal members and family, with my deepest apology, I am so sorry. I made a mistake.

In regards to the article in the Dec. 1 Smoke Signals, I did not comment at the time as I had not made a plea as the article claimed. On Dec. 19, I made a plea of guilty.

This last summer, I was under a great deal of stress. I made some poor decisions and my husband didn’t even know. I was an emotional rollercoaster from the first of May through now.

I resigned from the Elders Committee the first part of August and I opened up to my husband. When I resigned, I admitted my guilt and told the committee I would start paying the money I had used back immediately. Two days later, my husband took my first payment of $1,100 to them.

We had to move the first of September because our two grandchildren had been placed with us June 1 and my house was way too small. On Sept. 28, I was cited for Theft I, which is a felony. I fell into a deep hole and wanted to die. I contemplated suicide. Three days later, I ended up in the hospital. If it wasn’t for my family forcing me to go to the hospital, I might have died.

I just couldn’t figure out why two of my family members at the Elders Center didn’t even try to reach out to me as they knew I was struggling emotionally and why when I agreed to pay them back the money and had already started paying it back they still pressed charges against me.

The first of October, I paid back the balance of what I thought I owed. Then when I went to my first hearing they nailed me with a second felony. Believe me when I say this and other things devastated my life. I lost good friends and family. I have had a mental breakdown. So yes, this article made me look very bad by the comments that were made.

Two weeks before my last hearing, my attorney received the restitution letter form from the Polk County District Attorney that stated I still owed money. The day of my last hearing, I paid the balance of what I owed. I have never been in trouble in my 64 years of life. Believe me when I say I was scared to death. I was facing 10 years in prison. I received two years of probation, a fine and 120 hours of community service. When I am well, I plan on doing this community service at the Tribe. The judge did not feel I was capable of doing it in the condition I was in, but I told her when I was well enough that I would try.

So now I’m just trying to put back together what life I have. My mental health has caused me to have to give up my granddaughters that I love with all my heart and they need us right now very badly. They were going through enough without grandma and grandpa falling apart. I am trying to heal mentally and physically.

I want to thank General Manager David Fullerton for clearing up the fact that someone told the DA they wanted me banned from the Elders Activity Center and all Tribal events. I hope I can build trust back up with all my Tribal family! Once again, I am truly sorry!

Julie Little

Roll #1899

(Editor’s note: This letter exceeds the newspaper’s 400-word limit, but we felt it was important to let Mrs. Little have her say unimpeded by the word count.)