S moke S ignals
JUNE 1, 2017
11
Leno seeks law enforcement funds for Terminated Tribes
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Grand
Ronde Tribal Council Chairman
Reyn Leno used his precious five
minutes before the U.S. House
Committee for Appropriations’
Subcommittee on Interior, Envi-
ronment and Related Agencies on
Tuesday, May 16, to request ade-
quate law enforcement funding for
Terminated Tribes in the federal
government’s 2018 fiscal budget.
Leno was among a slew of Tribal
leaders who were given five min-
utes each in groups of four to testify
before the subcommittee, which
was chaired by Rep. Ken Calvert,
a California Republican.
Other members of the subcom-
mittee included Betty McCollum,
a Minnesota Democrat, and Derek
Kilmer, a Washington state Dem-
ocrat.
“The lack of adequate law enforce-
ment funding for our Reservation
and, in particular, the continued
impacts that Termination has had
on Grand Ronde’s ability to secure
federal funding for much needed
law enforcement services,” Leno
said. “Grand Ronde’s Reservation
is located in outlying areas of Polk,
Yamhill, Lincoln County and Til-
lamook County in rural northwest
Oregon. The Tribe has over 5,000
members.
“The Tribe was Terminated by
the federal government in 1954,
but we all stayed there in Grand
Ronde. We were restored by the
government in 1983. Grand Ronde,
like other Terminated Tribes, did
not receive any of the federal mon-
ey for services and infrastructure
that was otherwise available in
Indian Country in the years before
Restoration. Since Restoration, the
Tribe has spent a lot of time and
money rebuilding its Tribal com-
munity, including the development
of housing, which is approximately
In this screenshot, Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno is seen testifying
before the U.S. House Committee for Appropriations’ Subcommittee on
Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday,
May 16. Leno requested adequate law enforcement funding for Terminated
Tribes in the federal government’s 2018 fiscal budget.
inadequate police
coverage by local
counties prompted
the Tribe to either
fund or provide
law enforcement
in the community.
In 2012, the Tribe
started its own po-
lice department,
which is now the
primary law en-
forcement agen-
cy in the Grand
Ronde area.
Contributed photo by Rob Greene
“Crime on our
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno, left, met
Reservation is a
with Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley during his trip to
problem,” Leno
Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 17. Leno also
said. “The Grand
testified before a congressional committee regarding
Ronde Tribal Po-
law enforcement funding for Terminated Tribes, such
lice Department
and Polk County
as Grand Ronde, during his time there.
Sheriff’s Office
handled nearly 900 cases in 2015
over 200 houses to support Tribal
and more than 1,000 in 2016 in the
members, not counting the outside
Grand Ronde area. The numbers so
community.”
far suggest that we are on track to
Leno said the high crime rate
handle an estimated 1,200 cases in
in Grand Ronde combined with
2017. Drug-related crime is a real
concern for our community as is an
increase in sex crimes.
“Any reductions in force will result
in a loss of gains made and reduce
Head Start & Early Head Start
our ability to keep our youth safe and
drugs off of our lands. While Grand
Ronde has made great strides in re-
Head Start nurtures the growth of
building its Reservation community,
you and your child.
the Tribe continues to suffer the ef-
Join our supportive community and
fects of 29 years of Termination and
it continues to have problems getting
give your child a strong head start.
funding for law enforcement.
Apply today!
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“The Tribe has never received
operational funding from BIA and
requests for funding have been
denied. The Tribe has utilized
COPS grants and state grants to
fund some law enforcement and
emergency preparedness functions.
… Due to the high crime rates in
the remote and rural area, which
also contains one of the largest
tourist destinations in the state, it
is imperative that there be police
protection and the Tribe needs BIA
funding to provide it.”
Leno said that had the Grand
Ronde Tribe not been Terminated,
the BIA would have contracted with
the Tribe to provide law enforce-
ment on the Reservation under the
638 Program, which gives Tribes
the authority to contract with the
federal government to operate
programs serving Tribal members.
“There is a lack of law enforce-
ment funding for Indian Country,”
Leno said. “As a formally Terminat-
ed Tribe, Grand Ronde and other
Tribes that have been restored
are at a disadvantage as we are
unable to secure law enforcement
funding through the 638 Program.
BIA funding should be made avail-
able to those Tribes who have been
Terminated and restored, and who
provide criminal law enforcement
in their respective communities.”
Calvert asked Leno why the
Grand Ronde Tribe was Terminat-
ed and Leno said he believes it was
because of the desire to possess the
valuable timber on Tribal lands.
Calvert said he and McCollum
also sit on the Armed Services Com-
mittee. The Trump administration
has asked for a substantial increase
in military spending at the expense
of domestic programs.
Calvert said that a federal budget
should be worked out that would
not “devastate” the Department of
the Interior and its funding for myr-
iad programs in Indian Country.
Other Tribal representatives en-
dorsed stable or increased funding
for such important Tribal issues
as language revitalization, sea lion
control, moving to higher ground
out of tsunami zones, Bureau of In-
dian Affairs forestry funds and fully
funding the Indian Health Service.
Leno was accompanied by Trib-
al Council member Tonya Glea-
son-Shepek, Tribal Council Chief of
Staff Stacia Hernandez and Tribal
Attorney Rob Greene. 