A Little About Me

Who am I? A daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a mother, an ex-wife, a community member and a Tribal leader. I am Angela Dawn Walker Ramirez. The daughter of Shirley Ben Walker, the Chairman for the Siletz Tribal Elders Council and the Tribal Whipwoman – an independent, strong, traditional native woman. The granddaughter of Archie Ben, the last honorary Chief of the Siletz Tribe – a true leader before he was bestowed an honorary title. The granddaughter of Victoria Butler Ben – a woman that provided a meal and place to rest to anyone that needed it and a woman that could not see the hardships of others and ignore it. I have inherited these same qualities and do my best to honor this lineage I was born to.

I am the mother of three adult children; Ashliegh, Cristian and Tyler. Ashliegh moved 3,000 miles from home to go to college in Cambridge, Massachusetts and then returned home to work for the Tribe in the Behavioral Health Department first with the youth then as a counselor. This year she made the huge decision to open a substance abuse prevention business, Phoenix Wellness Center, with three partners and they are doing an amazing job. Cristian served five years in the United States Marine Corp as a Military Police Officer and is now in training for law enforcement. Tyler is my “bonus” son – as a friend of my son, he moved in with us at the end of their sophomore year in high school. He is a fisherman for a local boat and is working on buying his first home. As a single mom, I understand how hard it is to live paycheck to paycheck and the need to use Program services for assistance. I am proud to say all three of my children are strong, independent, driven and all around good human beings.