It may take a lifetime to make up for wrongs

Taqc Mawii, Tum chris lii wit, hello, I am Mylan Williams Sr.

I am a recovering cocaine addict and alcoholic and writing this letter to you, the community, in hopes of catching the heart of the young people. I am also acknowledging my faults and misconducts as a youth. Not only did I hurt our community – I hurt the surrounding communities. I write to state that I am not a gangster – I am Tum chis Lii wit, a Colville tribal member of the Nez Perce Band, as well as Umatilla, Warm Springs, Wanachaupum and Yakima.

I acknowledge the pain and sorrow I brought to this area. And I urge the young ones to wake up and be counted as a productive person in your community. You may call me a sell-out or whatever comes to mind. I just know I no longer want to put strain on our people, our community nor our neighbors – our society in general. The choices made in our lives affect everyone, not just our loved ones — EVERYONE!

I am Tum chis lii wit – Mylan Williams Sr. I lead a pitiful lifestyle. I am now in the process of waking up and urging our youth to do the same. That lifestyle brings nothing but pain and sorrow. This area can only be as good and productive as our young are. Wake up. If you don’t, not only will you throw your life away – you will throw your children away.

I write this to the tribal members — and to all people, the wheat farmers, cattle rangers, policemen to name a few. Many of our young are lost. We as a species need them to survive.

Please accept this letter as an acknowledgement of my wrongs! It may take a lifetime to make up for my wrongs. That is what I get – I have the rest of my life to try.

Tum chis lii wit

Mylan Williams Sr.