ONAC KM Press Conference regarding the victimization of ONAC KM & Joy Graves by Government Offi

Unfortunately, due to unforseen breaking news erupting across the state of Oregon mere hours before ONAC KM's scheduled press conference, media coverage was left scarce in the NW valley region where the public addressment was to go on, though some did RSVP to Pappas Law Firm of southern California, hosts as representatives of the churches defense regarding the legal proceeding filed against the Postal Service, Post Master General, and the United States government as well.

In early December of 2015, ONAC Kautantowit's Mecautea of the Pacific Northwest put together a care package to an elder member suffering from esophageal cancer. Sachem Joy Graves personally mailed the package to the members son, whose also a member of ONAC. The package was mailed "Priority", gurenteeing it's arrival to it's destination, Cincinatti, Ohio from Eugene, Oregon by a certain date, with a tracking number as a symbolic guarentee that the US Postal Service would have the care package delivered as contracted to do.

Postal Website confirmed that the package would never make it beyond the boundary of Oregon. Postal Inspector Melvin instead illegally seized the package, removing it from the flow of mail without cause or a warrant and refusing to return nor deliver it. Sachem Graves along with members went to the post office demanding the package be returned, and even held a small protest in front of the downtown Portland post office, but ultimately went away empty handed. During that stand, ONAC KM members noted seeing Mr. Cam B. Strahm, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Seattle Field Division, Portland Oregon District Office stalking them along with postal inspectors and other authorities thereof.

On the birthday of Martin Luther King, which so happened to fall on Friday, January the 15th, 2016 and Portland had an entire day of protests, rallying, marches and events, ONAC Kautantowit's Mecautea was invited to attend and take part in representation of the churches stand for the protection and preservation of our individiual rights, liberties and freedoms as a collective organization.

During this day, ONAC Civil Rights Attorney's Matthew Pappas of Southern California, along with Michael Rose, top civil rights attorney of Oregon, worked zealously to prepare and file an injunction against the United States as well as the postal service and inspector general for the victimization of their care package having been illegally stolen from the flow of mail. This was accomplished mid-day, and church members in the event made it well known to the public as well as covering media both verbally as well as by handing media actual printed copies of the filing.

During the march, a media personnel was seen showing a copy of the church filing to what appeared to be a high ranking portland police officer, who was seen disappearing from the protest with paperwork in hand. A short time later, the officer returned, with Douglas James, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Seattle Field Divisional Office of the DEA, and with him, 5 uniformed Oregon State Police officers. At one point, ONAC KM member Michael Jenkins had a brief verbal encounter with Mr. James, to which Jenkins addressed him as "Dumbass" sarcastically introducing him to sachem Graves, to which James replied "No Mr. Jenkins, my name is Douglas and you Know it."

During this verbal confrontation, James stated "The only reason we're down here in this mess is because Your Church is here" to Graves and accompanying members actively partaking in the rally and protest. Members confirm having been closely followed throughout the duration of the event which went into the night, even After the event concluded.

On the long drive from Portland back to the south valley sanctuary more than 150 miles away, sachem Graves was pulled over by Oregon state police trooper Don Rummer for allegedly "reckless driving". Graves noted that the noght was dark and foggy, and that she was in the right (slow) lane traveling 10 miles under the posted speed limit of 65mph and denies driving recklessly. She says "If anything I was driving over conservatively, hugging onto the white line when either dense fog patches or splashing water was inpeding my ability to see the whole of the lane."

When Rummer approached the vehicle, he believed he saw real marijuana strung throughout Graves vehicle and immediately boasted to his "cover unit" about how much marijuana appeared to him to be in the vehicle. On this grounds, Rummer demanded Graves step out from the vehicle into the cold rainy foggy night to be run through a field sobriety test. What Rummer and his back-up would come to find out, is not only was the marijuana believed confirmed in the vehicle, was actually fake cannabis leaf leis and a full legnth leaf skirt and not actual usable cannabis at all... of coarse it was a bit late for that, a field test had already been declared to be done. Rummer asked Graves when she had last ingested marijuana at which time Graves told him approximately 12 hours prior while engaged in religious ceremony with and for the church in Portland.

Graves, who was more than 20 hours into a long day and instantly chilled to the bone upon exiting the vehicle was forced to participate in a field sobriety test often times used to justify a determination of driving under the influence of Alcohol despite assuring the officers she did not drink alcohol. It was at this point Graves believes officer Rummer took from her her prescription glasses, leaving her legally blind without them. Despite this as well as the multitude of health ailments Graves is diagnosed with that could have compramised her ability to pass the field sobriety tests physically, Graves believes she passed them all better than even she had anticipated. "I was really concerned with the balencing tests because of the cold wet weather combined with my Parkinsons and cerebreal cortex issues, but I passed all the balencing tests and the walking of the straight line and all, though I did keep repeating that I was getting colder and colder as the testing went on."

As the variety of "tests" continued to drag on indeed, Graves shivered to the core from the cold of the fog and rain, and also splashing rain water from passing vehicles. The final test was for Graves to have her head back, eyes closed, and count in her mind to 30 seconds, then tell officer Rummer to stop at the 30 second mark. Graves states that she was so cold by that time, she knowingly indicated for Rummer to stop the test before the 30 second mark at what she believes was about 26 seconds in because she simply could not take the weather factors physically anymore, and told him it was closer to 26 seconds than 30 when she stopped him as she did.

Officer Rummor acknowledged Graves position, but decided that despite it and her multitude of health ailments and the fact she was just getting over pneumonia, that he would place Graves under arrest anyway, charging her with Driving Under the Influence. At that moment, Officer Rummer placed Graves hands behind her back and immediately placed her in handcuffs. He then decided to search Graves for what he implied was weapons. What the officer found instead, was small amounts of loose cannabis in Graves jacket pocket. "First he called for an evidence bag for it, but ultimately when he realized it was within legal limits, he instead decided to Not collect the cannabis as evidence, but to instead disrobe Graves and further subject her already freezing body to the harsh winter elements.

Before Graves could contest his decision, Officer Rummer's cover unit verbally disagreed with the decision emphasizing she was already shivering profearcly from the cold, but Rummer's mind was made up, so as he uncuffed Graves he ordered that she disrobe.

In addition to illegally removing Graves coat, Officer Rummer also ordered Graves to remove other sacred and religious articles and items she was wearing, including her fanny pack which contained all her money, identification information and debit cards. Rummer took these items and placed them in Graves old patrol car opposed to his cruiser and then re-cuffed Graves. Graves says she was exposed to the weather without her jacket for an extended period of time before Officer Rummer decided to place her into his patrol car, and that moments later while placed in the rear of his patrol car, she saw a tow truck pull up to the site of their location and immediately began trying to get the officers attention.

When Graves finally got the officers attention and asked why the vehicle was being towed, and to where, officer Rummer said he decided to have it towed, not as an impound but instead as a curteosy to ensure the continents of the vehicle remained "safe" while she was in jail. Graves immediately asked that the officer please retrieve the items he had made Graves physically remove from her person and instead keep the items with her even if it mean in jail, butt officer Rummer refused to honor Graves request, assuring her "As soon as your released you wil have full access to your vehicle to retrieve all of your belonging without any issue" and that it was "safer" to have her possessions in the vehicle opposed to the jail evidence area. Graves says she had no choice but to accept the officers decision.

When Graves arrived at the jail, and her processing began, Officer Rummer informed her that she would be field sobriety tested and may have to also provide a blood test If the breathalizer machine gave them cause to obtain one. At that point she was asked if she would like to speak with her attorney before complying with the tests at which she declared she believed it would be the best thing for her to do. Graves attorney's phone numbers were in her cell phone, which was ringing across the room from where she was. She asked if she could retrieve the phone numbers from her phone but was told she could not. Graves then pulled the business card from her newest attorney Michael Rose, civil rights attorney in Portland and presented it as the attorney she wished to have contacted. Officer Rummer ultimately placed Graves into a room with a phone and was told "I will give you 15 minutes uninterrupted to speak with your attorney, this phone will work for you to do that, then we will proceed with the tests, if you have a problem let me know."

Graves attempted to call Michael Rose BUT the telephone stated that it was "unable to make the call", apparently the telephone would not allow Graves to call "long distance". Graves immediately sought out officer Rummer, but he was nowhere to be found, one jail staff indicated he had "went outside." Graves asked them if they had a phone book for Lane County (the next county over from Linn) so she could call her former attorney and personal dear and highly respected friend Brian Michaels. When asked what for, she told them just that as her reason. The jail staff looked at one another and then simotaneously stated "No we don't have one." Graves then asked what it was she should do, at which point one of the jailers handed her their phone, dialing Rose's number for her. She got his answering machine and left a message informing him of her arrest and requesting he notify Matthew Pappas as soon as was possible.

When Officer Rummer returned, Graves told him of her inability to use that phone, but Rummer insisted she had her time and the tests would now begin. He started with the breathalizer machine. Graves again told him she does not drink alcohol, but Rummer unsisted it was proticol, again emphasizing that if the test results warranted, he would then want a blood test from her. Graves was confident, and with good reason, she blew triple zeros three separate times, meaning and proving zero alcohol was in her system as she had been telling him. She then asked officer Rummer if he was still wanting to take her blood, and that's when he said "No, but I do want a urine sample."

Graves immediately pointed out that though a urine test would further prove she was not intoxicated from alcohol, that it would test positive for cannabis but that she felt it irrelivant as urine testing regarding cannabis will test positive weeks after ingestion and beings she had already admitted to ingesting cannabis now 14 hours prior, she felt it was an inapproperiate test for her to be forced to take. Rummer acknowledged Graves position but insisted on the test anyway, stating to her that once she cooperated she would quickly be "booked and released" and free to leave within a few short hours.

This proved to be a lie on the officers part.

Graves was then evaluated by an "independant officer" who conducted a more in-depth field sobriety test on her, similar to the one performed by officer Rummer out on the side of the interstate. Graves commented that "At least we're going to do it inside a building out of the weather this time." According to Graves, she "Aced the test" and noted that the officer verbally expressed his impressiveness at how well she passed all his tests. As the officer explained to her that the final test would be the same as was out on the freeway, Graves told the officer about having "fast-counted" with officer Rummer out on the freeway because of the cold and wet weather and that she had expressed those factors to Rummer as she told him she had fast counted because she couldn't endure the weather any longer.

After the test was finished, the officer told Graves that in all the times he'd had people perform this test, never had he seen someone be as accurate as Graves was during this test. He told her that she stopped him at "29.6 seconds" for the 30 second mark and noted he felt it impressive. Graves said she watched him then go inform officer Rummer that she had passed the tests and that he was confident Graves was Not under the influence as she was being charged. Graves says she felt by the look on Rummers face, he was highly disappointed in the officers conclusion.

Once Graves supplied the jailers with her urine sample, she got herself a chuckle to see the jailers face of shock as she handed the little clear plastic cup to him. "I warned him when I went in he would get a full cup, of coarse I didn't know Creator would have a chuckle in store for them that he did." Graves said as she handed over the sample upon the look of shock by the male jailer as he asked if her urine always contained so much blood, she smiled and said "No, but now you have both huh, Creator has his ways and his reason." The jailers face in response to Graves words almost made the whole experience worth while to her in a way she says, "It showed them that none of us have say, that everything of pertinence is decided by Great Creator", and said she couldn't have thought of a more approperiate time for such humor on his part.

Graves believes the jailers didn't share in she and Creator's humor because ultimately they informed her after her mugshot and finger printing that they decided to hold her "another 10 hours to ensure your not still too intoxicated... for liability reasons." It was at that time that Graves says other sticks of intimidation were played by the jail house staff as they reminded her of her visit to their jail back in 2006 for legal cannabis possession as well. Graves says it was an intentional attempt at a PTSD trigger for her on their part, but despite it and the shell-shock memories it surfaced, she maintained self-control and simply awaited being put into her cell.

Graves was placed in a holding cell with another woman she had heard them talking about as she was being processed into the jail, and how they had planned to "scare" the woman into thinking she was going to do some serious time in jail." The woman was upset and concerned with how long she would be detained, but Graves reassured the woman it wouldn't be for as long as they were making it seem. Once the woman calmed, she was moved from Graves to a different cell, Graves blanket was taken when they removed the woman with a look of disgust and disappointment reflected. Graves decided to sleep the time away, as do most incarcerated. At one point they opened the cell and threw Graves a bag containing two nasty sandwiches and an orange, which she didn't eat.

At just after 8Am, and believing she had 3 more hours to go, Graves was awaken to her name being called through a speaker - ordering her to get up and exit the cell. She was told she was being released and instructed to sign a form she couldn't read because they had taken her prescription glasses upon being arrested. To her surprise, her glasses were handed to her by the jailers After they made her sign the release form of coarse. Upon the return of Graves possessions, she quickly determined that her cellular phone battery was completely dead, and that her charger was inside the vehicle, as was her coat, identification, money and other important items.

Graves asked if they had a way for her to charge her phone, and was told no. She then asked if either she or they could call her church member and roomate in Salem for a ride and was told no. She practically begged them to help her obtain a ride, pointing out that they had taken her coat, money and necessary items and put them into the towed vehicle opposed to transporting them with her as she had requested, but no sympathy nor humanitarism at was was shown nor given Graves. She was told to leave the jail and escorted out into the buildings lobby. Graves asked the final question of where her vehicle had been towed to and by which company, hoping perhaps she could possibly access it to get her fanny pack with her money and debit cards, but was told "We don't know, you have to leave now."

Graves then saw someone moving about in the sheriff's office and asked them if she could use their phone or have them call her a ride, explaining to them she had just been released without her jacket and still weak physically from both disabilities as well as sickness. The man in the sheriff's office refused Graves pleas for assistance and was told to leave the building, the man stating "you can go down the road to the pay phone at the store". Graves stated that all her money and resources had been hauled away with her car and that they wouln\dn't even tell her where it was or which tow company hauled it away, but again, no compassion was shown.

The vehicle Graves was stopped in, was property of Oklevueha Native American Church. It had commercial vehicle insurance which covered up to a 13 mile tow at no cost to Graves or the church. Instead of the vehicle being impounded, or left on the side of the freeway as more often times than not they are, Graves feels victimized because the officer took it upon himself to load al of her important belongings into the vehicle and then have it towed without even informing her until it was already being taken. Fortunately for Graves, the residents of Linn County Oregon had far more compassion than do their public officials. Graves was given enough money from strangers to make a phone call for her ride, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and was also given a free large cup of hot cocoa by the store clerk as well as a flannel jacket from another customer of the market she awaited her ride in front of.

Graves ride was able to take her to her residence in West Salem, but it was the south valley church sanctuary property she was needing to get to. Church members were awaiting her arrival now worried that something had happened, and too, Graves service animals were also there awaiting her care. Graves was given the impression she was to meet with her California attorney's in Portland the following day, and was sent a train ticket by a church member to the rose city for the meet. But the attorney would never arrive and ultimatwly Graves needed to return to the sanctuary as soon as was possible. Another church member from afar, sent Graves enough funds to get a bus ticket to Eugene, Oregon, putting her about 40 miles short of the sanctuary. From there she would have to find her way, which ultimately meant hours of walking, which with her health condition added hours to that walk as she would have to stop and rest more frequently than would most.

Graves made it to about 19 miles from the sanctuary, 8 miles from the city of Cottage Grove when she collapsed - her body to atrophic to allow her to move any further. Fortunately for her, an unidentified man saw Graves distress and quickly stopped, loaded Graves into his pick-up and drove her straight to the hospital emergency room, dropping her off as he was running late to his job because of the unforseen need of his assistance. The man did state "You're going to get my seat sopping wet" beings Graves was soaked to the bone having to walk in a rain storm as long and as far as she had, she said the man put a towel down on his seat before placing Graves inside.

The emergency room noted she was sopping wet and freezing cold, covering her with 5 heated blankets and seeing her still shivering. They also ran a chest x-ray which fortunately showed clear, and wrapped her left knee in an ace wrap so that Graves could actually apply pressure and stand on it. The hospital kept her in a wheelchair until they loaded her in a taxicab that they paid for to get her the rest of the way home to the church sanctuary. Thereafter Graves remained in bed for days in severe pain from head to toe and doing her best to fight off a relaps of pneumonia. "Fortunately I had some antibiotics as well as some prednisone left over from having been sick another time, so I was able to keep from relapsing, but I felt like hell warmed over" Graves said.

Graves contacted Matthew Pappas as soon as she could and informed him of all that had happened and too, the fact that they wouldn't tell her where the church car had been towed to. Graves was highly upset as well as concerned about the ordeal and not having her possessions, especially those necessary for her to conduct her own spiritual as well as church services. Pappas had his assistant push until the location of the vehicle was revealed, and this would begin a whole new level of victimization on she and the churches part.

Graves contacted the to company asking for permission to retrieve her possessions as promised by officer Rummer, but was told it was against the law for them to allow her access to the vehicle "Until the balence owed for the tow is paid in full." Graves and her attorney's office both contacted the state police who assured them Graves was in fact allowed access to the vehicle, but the tow company continued to refuse such access. They insisted they be paid over $400.00 before anyone could take anything from the vehicle, and too demanded that the vehicle be proven to be property of the church as the title had not been changed to reflect so at that time, which was another $150.00+ needing paid Before Graves could retrieve anything from the vehicle. "It's extortion" Graves insists, though as upset as it was, ultimately if she wanted the vehicle or any of it's contents, she had no other option.

"If the officer wanted the vehicle towed simply out of concern of it's safety, he could have told me so and I would have had him use our insurance" Graves explained. "If it had been done that way, there would be no fees required for me to access the vehicle nor the contents." Graves says that despite the fact that the car was Not towed as an impound nor required any "release authorization" from law enforcement, the tow company said "It's treated as an impound because it was towed per police request." Ultimately upon their "extortion ransome payment" as Graves calls it, the vehicle was promptly released to church members without issue or incident.

Below, you will find the link to the media footage covering part of the press conference held by Graves and attorney Matthew Pappas speaking about the incident, and their planned coarse of action regarding it recorded by Bonnie King of Salem-News.com in Portland, Oregon. Please copy and paste the link in your browser so you can review it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYx-07pDHn4

Ultimately as heard, both Pappas and Graves believe the encounter and arrrest to be retaliatoy on law enforcements part because of the federal filing, and plan on filing additional documents with the court because of it. Mr. Pappas announced that a "TRO" (Temporary Restraining Order) was planned to be filed by that Friday (two days after the press conference). As far as is known, it has yet to be filed, but, that the paperwork is complete and awaiting the opportunity to be filed. "Oklevueha Native American Church remains under such constant legal attack that Matthew Pappas simply has not had the time to get the paperwork submitted to the court, but it is going to be done soon" Graves says.

Additionally, Graves states that a civil lawsuit is also planned on being filed upon both Officer Rummer personally for misconduct for having disrobed her the way he did on the side of the highway. "He had no legal right to order me to disrobe, especially knowing how much physical suffering it was going to ultimately cause me - there on the scene as well as thereafter when I was released and put out into the rain without having access to it." Additionally Graves is claiming that the incident has caused her great traumatic stress, and that part of it is because of him separating her from her religious items. "He had no justification for ordering me to take my personal religious sacred objects off nor to keep them away from me by putting them in the car he Knew he was going to have hauled away without my knowledge or ability to immediately regain access to them, and too, the items in the car I needed to do ceremonial services with."

Graves also intends on filing a civil lawsuit against the tow company itself for their part in demanding an "extortion ransome" from her and intentionally depriving her of her possessions and sacred religious objects. Graves along with church members also note that approximately 6 ounces of sacramental cannabis mysteriously had disappeared from when Graves was removed from her vehicle until she was allowed access to it once again from the tow company. "Though I don't know for certain who took the sacrament, I'm fairly confident that it wasn't the arresting officers who did, which means that whoever took it, did so while the vehicle and it's contents were supposedly declared "safe" by the officer who entrusted them with it."

Sachem Graves is ordered to appear in the Linn County circuit court on March 2nd 2016, a date which Graves states she is unlikely to attend. "They intentionally picked that date for me to have to appear in their court as another of those PTSD sticks they were poking at me in the jail" Graves says confidently, "It was among their subtle hints triggering my PTSD from my dealings with them back in 2006 while they were threatening to put me in prison for 56 YEARS for legally transporting a 2 foot cannabis plant to our growsite." Graves states that while that case "drug on" against her, her father passed away. Graves says that because of her fathers honorable service to this nation, his remains were to be layed to rest in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, among the most honorable place for a veteran to be layed to rest.

Graves said they made her "Grovel and beg like a dog for Linn county courts permission to transport and lay my father to rest in Arlington" and she believes they picked that court date specifically to rekindle that pain and trigger her PTSD. "The jailers came to me with ear to ear grins saying that they had looked at the calendar and chose that court date of March 2nd" and that to her they made it clear that it was chosen to intentionally mentally upset her. Graves says she kept her cool though and simply accepted what they said without response because "I was in their custody and wasn't about to give them any additional reason to detain me any longer than they already decided."

Graves was charged with: "Driving while suspended" - which she contests based on definition of the law defining driving, "No insurance" on the vehicle, which she assures all that she in fact had maintained on the vehicle for months prior to as well as during and since the arrest and can easily prove in court, "Reckless driving" which she says "highly offends me" because her father was a military driving instructor who was Extreme upon her to ensure her driving skill was up to "He and the military's standard", and "Driving under the influence" which she feels is beyond bogus and that their own tests should clearly prove it.

Please stay tuned for updates to this and other pertinent news regarding ONAC and ONAC KM