SILETZ – Delores Pigsley of Keizer, who has been chair of the Tribal Council of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians for nearly 40 years, has been elected to the position once again.
Pigsley has served 39½ years as Tribal chairman out of her 46 years on the council.
Pigsley and other officers were elected Sunday after she and Reginald “Reggie” Butler and Alfred “Bud” Lane III, both of Siletz, were elected Saturday to new, three-year terms on the council.
On Saturday, Butler received 336 votes in his first election to the council, Lane received 325 votes, and Pigsley had 318 votes. Ten candidates ran for the three open positions and the three with the most votes were elected.
The three elected Saturday will serve with Loraine Butler, Alfred “Buddy” Lane IV and Marita “Selene” Rilatos, all of Siletz, whose terms expire in 2026; Gerald Ben of Salem, Robert Kentta and Judy Muschamp, both of Logsden, whose terms expire in 2027. Term of office is three years for each position on the nine-member council.
Enrolled members of the Siletz Tribe who are age 18 and older are eligible to vote in Tribal elections. The Tribe has more than 5,600 enrolled members.
The swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected council members took place Sunday. In addition to Pigsley, officers are elected for 2025 were Bud Lane II, vice chair; Kentta, treasurer and Muschamp as secretary
In addition to Pigsley’s long tenure on the council, Bud Lane has served 27 years; Butler, 20 years; Kentta, 19 years; Rilatos, five years; Ben, four years; and Buddy Lane and Judy Muschamp, two years.
The Siletz Tribe has spent the last 47 years rebuilding its government and economic structure. The signing of Public Law 95-195 in 1977, which restored government-to-government relations between the Siletz Tribe and the federal government, started the process. The Siletz Tribe was the second in the nation – and the first in Oregon – to achieve restoration.
