Hello People of the Water,
My name is Michael Stewart Ogden.
My Mother is Gloria Jean Hill.
My Father was William Stewart Ogden.
I am from the Bagley Seymour family here at Squaxin.
I hope this finds you well, all things considered in these crazy times.
Thank you to the Squaxin Island community for all your continued efforts through this pandemic. We WILL get through this, TOGETHER!
There is a lot for the Squaxin people to consider during our election process. Our Tribal Council is chosen by the people. Please choose wisely. For too long the hard questions have been passed over to be dealt with in the future. It’s up to the people to find leaders who are going to commit to answering these and other hard questions. The future is now. Do you think now is the time to find solutions?
What is really the answer to satisfying all of the housing list?
What is really the answer to blood quantum for future generations?
What is really the answer to the moratorium on enrollment?
How is it that we are unable to find solutions on these, and other issues, that have been brought up multiple times a year for years on end?
Our tribal economy is strong and diversified, and our businesses have strong strategic plans of action for continued growth. There are funds from taxes, profits and grants coming in. Direct input from the community as to where those funds go should be welcomed by leadership.
Are there enough funds in our family and out-patient services to sufficiently help our people with the heavy issues of addiction, domestic violence, child welfare and mental health? This is another area where direct input from the community should be welcomed by leadership.
We can be innovative to gather community input. We can gather information through surveys or polls during handouts and before clam digs. We live in a modern world. There is no reason for not having more real-time input from the community and real-time responses from council and committees, on a platform that is private to tribal members. Do you think now is the time to find solutions?
The government is an abstraction laid over the top of our community as the means to facilitate the needs of the people. The government is NOT the community, the government is NOT the Tribe. The people are the community. The people are the Tribe. It is up to YOU, the voter, to decide who will best serve and be accountable to the people of the Squaxin Island Tribe on these and all issues.
Thank you for taking the time to participate in the elections process and the future of our Tribe.
Take Care!