I have stood back and watched the comings and goings of the Puyallup tribe and members (including other individuals in our Indian country) for 30 years.  I have worked for the Puyallup tribe for 30 years and at first I was extremely frustrated and discouraged with what I saw.  Politics, etc. Yet I continued to stay in the community hoping I could help and somehow make a difference. 

I guess everyone knows my life story——-a recovering alcoholic (I took my last drink of whiskey on April 16, 1978).  I entered and completed 7 years of college BEFORE  I sobered up.  I had a goal and that goal was/is to help my people.  In the process I learned how serious the children were being abused.  Seeing these children hurt went to the very core of my being   No words can describe the absolute feelings of horror and fear as I listened to the children tell their stories of abuse. 

I worked in Children’s Service for 20 years and saw these things first hand.   Under the umbrella of confidentiality I was ordered to NOT speak of the atrocious assaults on our children.   But speak I did to whoever would listen.  The council, mental health, the medical clinic, the police, in the school,  BIA special investigators, the Federal prosecutor, DSHS, my bosses, prosecutors, judges and medicine people.  For 30 years I spoke about it. I was mostly met with blank stares, indifference, avoidance, empty promises and told that you just do not talk about “that”.  That is, until David Bean and James Miles got on the council. 

I hadn’t seen a change in social service delivery for 30 years until these two young men were elected to our council.  For 20 years, or least since the settlement of 1991, our tribal members were promised an elder’s facility.  For 20 years we were promised a youth facility.  For  20 years I sat and watched and what didn’t happen in twenty years these two young men accomplished in the time they have been on the council.  That is about two years. 

Both James and David have an agenda and each day they continue to walk their talk.  We now have a elder’s facility which is to be built  within a year.  Our youth now have a place to go even if it is just to talk to someone.  Business is being taken care of on a daily basis.  The port is in it’s first stages.  The tribe is out of debt for the first time in many years and has a surplus of money.  The casinos are making money every day and through the grace of God our children will be looked after in an appropriate manner.  The trust money they receive when they turn 18 will be given to them only if they have a structured life in place, i.e., clean and sober, either in school or have a steady job and education in financial management.  

It isn’t just about James and David.  They didn’t do all of this alone however they had/have the tenacity to bring about change and work with the rest of the council.  They are leaders.  They keep their life, as James says, “transparent”.  Life is a fish bowl and they live in a fish bowl.  They meet opposition with intelligence and truthfulness.  They remain impartial and have no favorites.  They listen to every tribal member who enters their office.  

I am an elder.  I am now 72 years old and these two young men are the first to take me serious by listening to the children’s stories.  With the Full Circle becoming a reality the tribe is now seeing positive change.  We will continue to see positive change. I have befriended some of the previous and current council members and I have always supported their efforts.  Some council members attempted to assist me but the greater percent of the council did not see fit to honor my requests to create social service programs to assist children who were/are victims of abuse.   My life’s work is about children.  If we do not educate and provide positive role models for our children what future do we have?  Who will care for us in our old  age?  I am afraid of what I face as an elder and if I become crippled or unable to care for myself.  Do I face my fears and see myself in a white man’s rest home?  Will I be  strapped to a bed for misbehaving and misbehave I will.  I  want to be with my people when I am too old to care for myself.  Us old folks can take care of one another just as our ancestors did.  But we need our youth to help us.  

James and David  have taken much time to listen to me.  I appreciate that.  It took me 2 years to make up my mind about joining the Full Circle.  I stood back and watched the Full Circle people and I see the change they are bringing about.  I am now a planner and completing research with the goal being to obtain funding to built a child abuse facility.  I know it will become a reality.  I have stayed the path for 30 years, put the whiskey down, obtained a formal education and worked among my people.  I have a promise from a Higher Being that the facility will be build.  James and David recognize that promise.    Tribal members need to take all of the above in consideration when the Full Circle announces who they will support in the elections which take place in the next few months. Do we continue to grow or do we remain stagnate?  The choice is yours.  As for me, I will continue to support the Full Circle in all that they do.