Cowlitz Indian Tribe is like what Pine Ridge was in the 1970's but with no Rez.
author: Graywolf e-mail: graywolf@fastermac.net
The Cowlitz People are being run the same way Pine Ridge was run in the 1970's.
The Cowlitz Indian Tribe has allowed metis (non-cowlitz people of European dissent) to enroll in the tribe.
Two very important pieces added to the constitution during the June 2000 General Council meeting to maintain council's control over general council.
1. Through a vote by general council, the requirement of 1/16 Cowlitz Blood was dropped so the chairman's son could maintain his set on council and allow other non Cowlitz Indians to maintain their sets too. Every tribe I have contacted keeps this requirement for council elections.
2. The enrollment of "metis" into the tribe to maintain control over the general body of the Cowlitz people was also adopted by those whom wish to keep this control over the Cowlitz People.
This coming General Council meeting in November will cast a blow to at least 400 to maybe 600 Cowlitz Indians being banished from the tribe for no other reason than wanting keep tradition a live and well within Our Tribal Community. And, they all have Cowlitz Blood that is documented in "Robins Roll" of 1856.
One of these tribal members ran for Tribal Chair this last June and lost out to the current chairman who is 100 per cent against the Environmental Groups ( he and his son own a timber company here in Washington State) by just 7 votes. The Chairman called in every vote he could get his hands on to maintain his position as tribal chairman.
Certain members setting on council have given money to other tribal members to get votes for what the chairman puts forth before general council. Council has made deals with outside interests to gain money, land and traded out land in the Toledo area. One deal was made to remove an Ancestor from land owned by one out side interests and to this date council hasn't rein turned our Ancestor to Earth Mother.
In one deal the outside party gave the tribe 43 acres but when council transferred this parcel into Cowlitz Community Foundation from Cowlitz Indian Tribe that parcel dropped in size to 25.28 acres known as the Bill Creek Property. (If you'd like, I can send the property descriptions if you request them)
Next came the alteration of Bill Creek to make way for a bridge, than came an open pit rock query, then a locked gate that tribal members could not pass through. This month saw the county improving the road to the query and made it easier for the corn farmer to harvest his corn and use it to move the queried rock from the pit. (I have taken pictures of this and if anyone would copies and will send them out)
Now for Tribal Housing and the Assistant who works for the tribe. She happens to be related to the party mentioned above. Here is where it starts getting into manipulating by out side parties.
The Housing Assistant has access to any tribal members records, S.S. Numbers and the like (her uncle is the corn farmer who lives in Toledo) and if someone ends up being on the wrong side of this farmer things start happening to said tribal member from her office at St. Marry's (this place was paid for through HUD).
Among the many things happening if someone was to upset this farmer, one might find out that they are no longer eligible for programs like the Elders, where one can go to receive a meal paid for through grants, but this farmer can come over to St. Marry's and receive a meal with out paying for it and have the full run of St. Marry's.
Grant money to run tribal offices also pay the grantee out of this money, which could run from $1500.00 to say maybe $3500.00 a month, while the tribal office gets its cut too, leaving only a small amount to run the program the grantor gave the money for.
If any one remembers what went on during the 1970's on the Pine Ridge Rez. , one could come up with the same kind of situation for the Cowlitz Tribe, where council is the dictator over General Council and if anyone tries to speak their mind, might find themselves excommunicated from the tribe for ever.
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