OPINION PAPER Ronni KameKona

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1.) “Google” Tulalip Chief of Police: Scott Smith for the full article: that these shared—opinions address.

2.) The other KameKona opinions shared here pertain to various issues ‘unresolved’ at Tulalip right now.

3.)I want my reservation back! <The final aspect of this opinion paper is the sharing of my own feelings on a deeper most personal level

Miss Ronni KameKona (Tribal Name: Ronni Kona) is a member of the Tulalip Tribes in WA state.  There are problems many of us; ‘have-nots’ contend with on my reservation. This plea to be heard "for the record" is self explanitory. It is an emotional read, as I am the writer and the narrator. Emotions are high right now; and often are where communities are infested with Drugs like "Meth" and "Heroin" and this is a world-wide problem not an ethnic one.  My Tribe ‘finally hired a good Chief of Police, only to be asked to leave just within a few days ago here.  If one puts the title "Google Tulalip Chief of Police, Scott Smith, the article I comment about is available to read from "Everett Herald" and other news sites. This is an "opinion" paper, and it is me, sharing my own opinion.  I invite all readers to be able to snail mail, my Post Office Box 175, Everett WA 98206-0175, if they are connected with my tribe-or have further need for communication from other tribes and have suffered political-types-of-abuse and want a penpal to share experiences. I am getting my own Blog or Website soon, my email contact information is "my name with no spaces" at either hotmail.de or hotmail.com, my opinions today are as follows:

It is "good" Chief Smith resigned. It is a separation for him that will preserve his large and well earned measure of Integrity.  Were

he to stay; it would only tarnish his integrity at this point; and I’m

less worried for his reputation and his safety now. I’ve been praying

for his safety month by month since his first day at work. I know about

him from simple research. He has an untarnished reputation for being a

man of titanium-steel-integrity and the current leadership

accomplishments he launched into effect here at Tulalip endorse the

fact that his integrity-fueled leadership at the Tribal Police

Department facilitated improvements that did “weaken” corruption both

inside and outside the mainstream Tribal Member’s awareness. I am proud

of Chief of Police Scott Smith. 

 

Ask

yourself (for you non-tribal readers); are there Federal-laws developed

in this Country, which prohibit INDIAN FRONT businesses?  What

is an Indian-Front business? Does it fall into that category when

consultants are not “temporary” at Tulalip but ‘longest employed’ most

often, still employed, even when crime is uncovered or violations of

laws have been very publicly exposed? Check into that question. I mean;

if someone is a ‘consultant’ for an ‘office or position’ (of any

capacity)—and they marionette decisions for that position during many

months, years and even longer, would that not qualify as “Indian Front”

earnings?  I mean; who is in that position after so long?  Would it not be the "consultant"???  The

person we pay 1/10 (a guestimation), the money and require them to

report “8hrs/5days” to their jobs—yet the paid consultants around here

often do not even have to ever show up for work and on a daily bases?

Yet they remain consultants full pay, shadowing the job-itself?  What a blurry thing it seems to be?

 

When

I read headlines like: “Tulalips asked Scott Smith to resign (as in

other articles)”–it needs to be corrected TULALIPS did NOT ask for

that–a few people on the board did (they and their close friends and

family do NOT make up the tribal Body of TULALIPS): all of whom are

benefiting at the expense of mainstream Tribal Members AND they seem to

band together to make-up what has become a sort of private-club-like

leadership, full of these repeat leaders (by popular vote) and their

supporters: tantamount to a “clique.” The attorneys at this tribe have

been hired to work for TULALIP INDIANS, members of this tribe are

“Tulalip Indians” yet the Attorney’s very often ‘serve the board’ and

their agendas no matter if those agenda’s embrace the ‘tribal body’ or

not!  It is disheartening. Perhaps someone can find out

how many attorneys there are at Tulalip working for the board, and how

much of their decisions help the ‘have-nots’ along the way? In any

capacity? 

Remind yourselves, Scott Smith was merely here a few months and visit "all" of his accomplishments during the small window of time he was here.  Do not slander him, do not criticize him, do not ridicule and condemn him, and do not be malicious about him. LEARN what he has accomplished since he arrived! Then you can most easily appreciate him and all he has done.  I must thank this man for all his good work, HIS HARD AND HIGH QUALITY WORK, HIS GOOD LEADERSHIP!  I am a tribal member saying: Thank you for your work; especially against the backdrop of inheriting the level of corruption out here Scott Smith!!!

 

Mel Sheldon’s remarks: “The Board of Directors would prefer to hire a police chief who is an American Indian or who has experience working in Indian country,” Sheldon said. “We’re always looking for those who understand Indian people, Native American issues, native sovereignty, and for those people who know how to work with both tribal and non-tribal agencies,” Sheldon said.

 

Melvin Sheldon speaking like that implies he has shallow knowledge of criminal justice!  What in the (*!?%) are you talking about! ???  Domestic violence is the same no matter what ethnicity is performing aggravated battery; domestic violence, murder, embezzlement or misappropriation of Federal Funds. If people want to commit crimes here on my reservation I could care less if the law enforcement professional is “Black, White, Hispanic, Arabic, or Indian all that matters is if they’re educated and trained to perform professionally as qualified employees. For God Sakes, we don’t have but a few hundred people that are tribal members actually living on this reservation to begin with.

 

ENGLISH IS our tribal language and in most cases the ONLY language. There are many in our tribe who benefit from having a well educated ‘proper’ English speaking Chief of Police. I mean; if this logic is to be applied, to a non-ethnic legal continuum, then it must therefore stand to reason we must fire all the white people in our other businesses, and departments FIRST!  In all departments; Criminal Justice is a ‘security’ position.

 

Should the Board have total Autonomy with absolutely NO oversight for a reservation of this small size? Moving this much money? It makes no sense to me at all, and it really should make good and solid sense when it involves "Sovereignty."

 

The whole ‘blab’ about wanting an "Indian who understands the tribal members’ Indianness?"  What a joke!  Better ask our brand new prosecutor to step down and leave; “he is white too,” what argument do you have there? Ask all the white and non-Indian Attorney’s newly hired who perform in service of the “board” as well, to leave.  What logic is there in this thinking? The brand new prosecutor is ‘just as’ qualified to do the job as an “Indian” person with the same qualifications.  He claims to be capable, and wants to perform his job within the margins his purview requires of him. If we want to use the ethnicity card; we need to find out which ones are “tribal members” with the “lowest” drop of Indian Blood (proven), say those that have 1/132nd blood quantum for example and open the flood gates to allow all of those people no matter their situation in life, to come to Tulalip and apply for positions they qualify for. Otherwise, to make this one man leave for this ethnicity reason is ridiculous.  By the way, that would indeed utterly qualify our new “white” prosecutor to remain here for permanent because he has at least 1/8 Indian blood in him if not possibly MORE and I received that knowledge from a possible ‘good source,’ that must remain unnamed to protect his identity.

 

The current Chairman of this tribe was not born on this reservation and never lived here at anytime until well into his full-blown-adult-life and knows nothing of the level of integrity depth of integrity and breadth of integrity that Chief Scott Smith has incorporated in every aspect of his life in different ways, Melvin Sheldon has little, to no more of an understanding of INDIAN PEOPLE than the next guy of any ethnicity; not especially more than any well studied and well informed white man who never saw a reservation in his lifetime!

 

It needs to be written; Chief Scott Smith DID RECEIVE training that not only prepared him to enforce the law upon "whites" but the law is a part of a "legal" continuum in this country which spans the width and breadth of every ethnicity wandering around in this nation!  It is equally applied to ‘all’ persons no matter if they are black, white, Mexican, Hispanic, purple, pink or Indian.  He is; and has been, trained and experienced to enforce law upon "all" colours of the colour wheel.  Even Criminal Justice 101 teaches that.  So in my opinion, he is a Good FIT for any agency claiming to provide "criminal justice" services, no matter if it is in the pit of Harlem or the pit of: Indian-Harlem.

 

Please; all who read this–investigate the number of deaths which have come to pass during the past 24 months!  Investigate their ‘ages’ and the causes of death in each circumstance.  Will you even be allowed to obtain a true number?  Notice you cannot retrieve true FACTS behind their death details and/or NUMBER OF DEATHS. ADDED to that, you cannot even get a hold of the number of tribal members who have 1/4th blood quantum.  You cannot get accurate information about any aspect of this so called: "Indian" religion that is being used right now to couch greed and abuses of law behind!  Sovereignty is being used to hide corruption behind on a number of levels IN MY PERSONAL OPINION (!). By posting this, my life falls in even more dangerous margins.  But; I am not holding silent (to those of you off my reservation) these days, and for good reasons.

 

It is disheartening!  Everyone who has kindergarten knowledge of law and justice (let alone `criminal justice’), has no problem identifying problems of corruption; that was here, pre-Scott Smith, we were ‘thick’ with corruption and fully thick with it-prior to Chief Smith’s arrival, also in all departments of this Tribe and to varying degrees DEPENDING on the department. I’ve read many of the posts from victims of this who are former employees in these different departments.

 

Who am I?  I am the woman who spearheaded the introduction of the need for Internal Affairs in my tribe. MY desire was to develop an Internal Affairs that is NOT answerable to this board; but instead, answerable to the Criminal Justice Department headquarters (or) Congress through a separate process; an autonomous agency that the board cannot manipulate, but one process that would include adding criminal justice “oversight” applicable as well to the board members when need be. I also desired this Internal Affairs (IA) to embrace ‘oversight’ against violation of the same laws, ordinances, rules and regulations applicable to the board, as equally as much as, everyone else too. The board level members are the same as us "all;" not ABOVE THE LAWS of the United States of America, Sovereignty notwithstanding. We who worked on an actual “doable resolution;” which did help embrace the deeper aspect of my own personal desires, did not come up with a resolution that fulfilled the full measure of my own desires. But, the group did develop a more immediately practical, immediately applicable, and more doable solution, as drafted and submitted, and in some initial way the finished product submitted for vote by the Tribal Peoples indeed, did, at least head in that overarching direction of my greater desire; and all the Tribal Members who voted “YES” for the minimal of my personal desires through the resolution that was developed and voted on with a win-vote result—we were ‘dismissed’ when the resolution that we HAD A WIN VOTE ON was waived away and never activated into use. EVENTHOUGH we had a win vote!

 

I am so totally disheartened by what I’ve personally experienced and first-hand witnessed here at MY Indian Reservation.  It is absolutely unacceptable. I must write that this is a ‘problem’ not only for those of us in this tribe who are considered “have-nots,” and our recent (within 24 months especially) deaths out here DO NOT make writing this any easier…, but it is a severe problem for all non-tribal members who live here as well.

 

More can be written; and more will be written until I draw my last breath on earth.  If I am found not alive (for whatever public reason is noted), please know, it is NOT due to suicidal reasons.  Question my death if it unfolds during my writings, from here on out, I love being ‘alive’ and intend to remain alive with my whole heart, mind, body and soul.  I am not suicidal.  I do not want to join in death right now with my families’ recent demise: Some are named as follows: Aunty Bernita, Uncle Dal, Father, Aunty Gen, Brother, <various cousins from my lineage and those collaterally consanguineous to my love and life. Add one of my brother’s closest cousins: nickname of Jungle Bob to the list of men who recently died a few days ago: Our Great Grandmothers are sisters, and I do love him very much. I do not do drugs (never did) have no criminal record.  I am merely and fully intent on cleaning up corruption at this (my) reservation on as many levels as is possible.  There is a cluster of people between 25-30 who are and have been attacking me in different ways, culminating in an ARSON which nearly would have exploded the vehicle next to my home and then killed me, were it not for an unnamed cousin who woke me up soon enough to ‘move the vehicle’ out of the way and save the south side of the home from the explosive burst had I not moved it.  Later-on, I shall post those details on an upcoming website. If I were to pass-away before posts happen, there are 5 other people who are not in this state who will post the documents in my absence to include one: deposition: de bene esse, as well. If they leave me alone, and stop their abuses, I could live my life “as I should be able to anyway” in peace here.

 

What is each tribal member’s net worth anyway? Good question, someone should investigate this and find perhaps motive to the large number of deaths here, with no and I mean absolutely NO inheritance clause for their net worth’s bequeathal upon their death. Take a calculator and figure the amount of money “now available” to other than the person who perished and their families, which is being ruled over by 7 people (only) who refer to themselves as “The Tribe,” much of the time, somehow, someone can do the simple math, I cannot, I flunked basic math.  That means, however, that you’d need an accurate ‘count’ of how many tribal members perished even in the last 24 months:  “LOL ‘good luck’ with acquiring those answers.” 

 

I am a woman who “lives” my Indianness, and will always live it.  I can say first hand, that “fact” is strongly an aspect of my whole life.  I also live my Hawai’ianness and further there are aspects of Christianity which reflect upon the same meanings as the other two world’s spiritualities.  I embrace the best of all three worlds within my DNA and culture and very proudly so. I was raised this way by my ½ Indian (1/2 Hawai’ian) Father. My great grandmother: Lizy Krise (100% Indian), they fashioned the Tulalip Language Program after My great-grandmother’s conversations with her sister: Sarah (Sheldon), and Lizy lived in my father’s (and mother’s) care and custody during nearly the first decade of my life from around 1958 the year of my birth, until her “passing away.”  My Hawai’ian Grandfather: Isaac KameKona (Kona in the tribe), and Indian Grandmother Bertha (Krise) (Taylor) Kona lived right next door and my parents provided care and nurturing during their last decades of their life as well; and the care increased proportionate to their aging during their more than 20 years of my parents marriage.  I am; always angered, when people keep getting on the board-of-directors, just due to popular vote, and not because they: "understand Indian people, Native American issues,” let alone actually care and show it through “actions” and “decisions” that benefit all equally. We have had some ‘fantastic and high-quality leaders, indeed, although, things are VERY different and more so with the onset of big-money, greedy self-serving decisions, and more than can be written here today. I can promise the reader of this–my personal first hand experience with this current board is that a few on that board qualify as "not" understanding the Indian way, (perhaps if the ones I believe do not; actually do, then they are just too selfish or greedy to care…).” (And I am opposed to the board’s anarchy and their being unsupervised by higher authority than we contend with here)—there is no oversight behind the leadership of this tribe!  I am disgusted with it all; Scott Smith should have been placed as Chief of this Tribe instead of just the Chief of Police," we’d be better off by far with this ‘law and justice’ process here on my reservation. My father and my Great Grandmother always told me: "Being an Indian means we think with OUR HEART and use our mind to bring that love embraced thinking into the physical realm, all are children of Grandfather-Creator,” and I was taught it was “NOT in the skin colour." Chief Smith did the work that he did accomplish, for the bulk and benefit of this tribe no matter if they appreciated it or not, that is more BEING AN INDIAN, than is the overarching condition of specific board members and we all here, (know who you are) when I write this as well. I am ashamed of the specific ones of them now!

 

I am also a multi-billion dollar cash-flow shareholder of my own tribe, because of my father’s (and many other elder’s) involvement we have what we have out here and yet—it is true I received 200 dollars at Christmas for a long time of my own shareholder dollars.  THEN it went to 2,000 of my own shareholder dollars a year, only recently.  People need to know that.  More can be written, and it will if I’m left alone, to “live,” without dying by the flourishing corruption out here—with Scott Smith gone, things are absolutely bound to worsen more-so from now on forward than ever!  It is disgusting. Clusters of Gossip-Mongrels banding together to maliciously and slanderously Gossip, back-biting, abuse of law, violation of constitutional rights on various levels, greed based abuses, and much more are a strong part of life at Tulalip.  If you’re one of the ‘haves’ you wind up ‘less’ abused than those who are ‘have-nots’ out here. It is shameful.

 

I might be the first Tulalip Indian to publicly apologize for the horrible experiences that non-Indians, NON-Tulalip Tribal Members have experienced at the hands of departmental abuses and abuses of law, abuse of authority and abuses in general.  I humbly apologize to all non-tribal employees who experienced abuse here. Please do not HATE or be angry at ALL TULALIPS; as I read about in your many blogs and posts and articles okay?  The accurate way to direct the anger is to become fully informed behind who, what and how your abuses were directed at you.  It was surely NOT the ‘have-nots,’ as the same treatment you underwent is only “new” to you, here, when the larger money arrived, and the greedier slowly gained more and more control, the have-nots of this tribe fell into the same treatment as you and in many tribal employment positions as well, or, wound up dead “for whatever reasons.”  Do not get the idea that ALL Indians here at Tulalip; Tribal Members, have all sorts of money dripping off of the money tree-cash cow, because many of my people, my have-nots, live in 3rd world conditions right now ‘still’ and walk (or bus) to the food banks that; “well meaning,” off-reservation and often tax-funded facilities supply monies, merchandise and goods toward those programs.  To include welfare funded by tax payers, and so on, and so forth.  Investigate this information, okay, before you blame ‘all Tulalips’ for the poor conduct of a few people who are in leadership positions in this tribe and their cronies.  That always upsets me, when I read your (for those who do it) angry comments and direct them at “all” Tulalips.  Many of our Elders go through worse than you do, it is horrible, and that is NOT why my Father and the other founders laid the blueprint and monitored its upward bound journey until we; “MY” generation, evolved to become the next generation of leaders to keep their dreams alive and for the betterment of all.  We do provide a good lip-service, and image, and from what I see we pay good money for it, no doubt.

 

I have provided a full opinion paper here; and hope that anyone with the tenacity to sit through it all, and actually read it—that you discover parts of it which spring memories to fruition of what you go through; or have gone through, in any way as connected to this Tulalip tribe.  Or this paper might help you understand the issues facing percentages of tribal members in Casino Rich Tribes. I hope that you understand my viewpoint, my opinions, and my perspectives here.  It was NOT the “Tulalips” who abused the victims of abuse in the various departments, in general, or at all.  It was the actions of a small few against the backdrop of VERY MANY good Tulalip Tribal People’s here on this reservation:  ALL of those reading this, “you know who you are,” you who are living in a positive, loving, upward-bound high quality daily life—we all know who you are, too.  Those of you who have witnessed abuses by our own tribal members against other tribal members know who is corrupt and who is not corrupt, we are a very small percentage of tribal people living here and we know, indeed.  I can proudly speak for myself, I want my Tribe back, and it has been hijacked with greed propelling the right people, in the right departments, for the right and legal reasons.  It is no longer “my tribe” as I knew it, and I am sure Melvin Sheldon will not be able to understand that statement as he was not here to “know” as I do.  I have been here a half century, except for specialized private-training and government positions requiring specialized training; and know full well the many different ways my Tulalip Tribes has been hijacked out from under us.  New-returnees do not know, cannot know.  Or people who have lived off this reservation before, during and after the big money showed up: as first time comers—you also do not know either. The elders know; and they are even taught these days they will, upon their demise, be whisked fast into graves, with this whole put them 6 feet under in three days thing, which is also not a fixed and absolute part of our Indian Culture, either.  It is silly and a greed based encouragement to save money in the overall financial aspect of it.  This whole thing of the only, FAMILY OF A DEAD PERSON, are the biological children, is NOT the Indian WAY either, but nothing shy of what is tantamount to ignorance and disrespect towards the needs of all of the living-family members who are not the children of the diseased; as well as disrespect toward the family member who has passed away. Both of my parents will never approve of such conduct and therefore, I disallowed it, as much as I could, when my father perished. I am astonished by what has happened in my tribe and I am not allowing threats to kill me, theft, vandalism and Arson on my property to stop me from sharing my views with “outsiders” anymore.  I am sharing under the LAW of the freedom of speech, and if I die because of it, at least someone among my readers will know what the ones threatening me wanted to not be written.  What is my net worth anyway?  Someone reading this must investigate and discover it.  Enough written for now, many blessings, Miss Ronni KameKona, Tribal Name: Ronni Kona, Post Office Box 175, Everett WA 98206-0175.  Also, my email addresses are my name at either yahoo.de or hotmail.com   

END OF PERSONAL OPINION.