2
S moke S ignals
OCTOBER 15, 2016
NOTICE — Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings
DATE
TIME
Wednesday, Oct. 26.............................................................................5 p.m.
General Council meeting
Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed.
11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 6
Letters
Tribal gymnasium
Dear Smoke Signals:
A recap of recent events at our Tribe. On Aug. 5, 2016, the appellate
court decision came in on the Alexander disenrollment case (the Chief
Tumulth descendants). The family lost their case in Tribal Court. They
went on to the appellate court where the appellate court decided our Tribe
had waited too long to disenroll them for no ancestor.
This historic decision will affect other Native Tribes in the future, not
just our own.
In my opinion, the appellate court forced our Tribal judge and Tribal
Enrollment Board to break our Tribal laws by forcing them to re-enroll
people with no ancestor on the Grand Ronde rolls.
• The court’s decision should have agreed with our Tribal Constitution and
laws. Any court should not force a sovereign nation to break its own laws.
• This court said we do not have a right to determine our own members.
• This court said there was some kind of a timeline – “lache” (that we waited
too long) when our Constitution and laws have no lache or timeline in
them. The enrollment audit discovered the enrollment errors in 2013.
The disenrollments were in 2014. That is not too much time going by.
• The appellate court used lache against our Tribe that is not used against
federal governments, so this court ignored our Tribal sovereignty. On
the other hand, our Tribal judge did not use lache against our Tribe.
• Will the appellate court use lache against Tribes concerning their ceded
lands and take them away? Will it use lache against Tribes concerning
ishing and hunting rights? Our Tribe hired this court and this court
should protect the Tribe’s rights and sovereignty as well as individuals.
• The appellate court did not say this family belongs. They merely said our
Tribe waited too long to disenroll them. The court should have made a
decision concerning this family as to whether they are Grand Ronde or
not. We deserved more. We expected more. What we got was a defense
remedy that makes it illegal for us to disenroll and correct our rolls.
• This court's decision is inal and cannot be appealed higher to federal
courts. This remains a serious law on our books to this day and needs
corrected immediately as well as the answer to the burning question,
“How long is too long?”
• A Tumulth family member has already suggested at a recent Tribal
Council meeting that she believes all treaty signers have rights and
beneits not just their family.
• The Nooksack Tribe in Washington state disenrolled 306 members for
no ancestor. Those disenrolled in Washington have the same lawyer,
Mr. Gabe Galanda, as the Chief Tumulth. The Nooksack Tribe ignored
the court’s decision. We did not ignore the court because our current
majority on Tribal Council supports the court’s decision.
• In 1954, it was a higher power (Congress) that told us we are no longer
Indian. That was wrong! It took 30 years to repair that damage done
to our Tribe plus the signature of the President of the United States of
America to restore our Tribe after Termination. Not an easy task; far
better if the damage is not done to our Tribe in the irst place.
In my personal opinion only:
1. We need to consider our Tribe’s hard-won independence; this court does
not know our Tribe, our Elders or what they endured.
2. Part of being a sovereign nation is determining our own membership,
our own citizens.
3. We have an inherent right to govern our own people.
4. This disenrollment was not about hate or greed; rather, Tribal oficials
are simply trying to protect the integrity of Grand Ronde’s membership.
5. Each member will have to consider if the Grand Ronde Tribe is a victim
of ethnic fraud.
I am hoping members will decide to stand up for our Tribal rights, our
Tribal sovereignty and our Tribal Constitution and laws in our next Tribal
Council election.
At the Oct 2, 2016, General Council meeting, Tonya, Jack and Reyn
called for letting the people decide in an advisory vote if members want to
follow or ignore the appellate court decision. People spoke from the loor
of the meeting asking for the same thing. Our membership did not get a
chance to speak on this most important matter. It is all settled now, and
the family is re-instated.
Our ancestors of old were territorial. They said loud and clear under oath
who did and who did not belong to their Tribe at the Applegate hearings.
One of our earliest constitutions from the 1930s said you could be any
Indian and be a member of our Tribe, but you had to have an ancestor on
the Grand Ronde rolls.
My writing is for your information and it may be helpful come election
time next fall. How our Tribe goes is always up to the people. Last Sep-
tember, we re-elected a person to Tribal Council who is “elated” about
the court’s decision and “very happy for the family.” Next fall another
member of the Tribal Council majority will be asking for re-election who
is a huge supporter of the Chief Tumulth family and of the court’s decision
also. Members will have a chance to have their say on this matter in that
election. I say we can do better and I hope we will.
Rosemary Jameson
Roll #883
Smoke Signals
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DEADLINE DATE
ISSUE DATE
Thursday, Oct. 20 ........................ Nov. 1
Monday, Nov. 7 ........................ Nov. 15
Friday, Nov. 18 ............................Dec. 1
Editorial Policy
SMOKE SIGNALS, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com-
munity of Oregon, is published twice a month. No portion of this publication may be reprinted
without permission.
Our editorial policy is intended to encourage input from Tribal members and readers
about stories printed in the Tribal newspaper. However, all letters received must be
signed by the author, an address must be given and a phone number or e-mail address
must be included for veriication purposes. Full addresses and phone numbers will not
be published unless requested.
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editor are the opinions and views of the writer. Published letters do not necessarily relect the
opinions of SMOKE SIGNALS, Tribal staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council.
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2016-17 Tribal Council
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Denise Harvey
— ext. 2353
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