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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1988)
?1CJ On August 13, 1988, Rep. AuCoin sponsored a public meeting on the proposed reservation which drew about 200 people. "I'm sure if they were there that night they wasn't voicing their opinion," said Stewart about the meeting held by AuCoin . Stewart also denied attending the meeting, but records, submitted to the Interior Commit tee by AuCoin, includes oral testimony by Stewart. "The attempt to rewrite history to correct social and political mistakes that occurred over 150 years ago is ill advised and can only cause dissension where none exists," said Stewart. The legislation creating a reservation for the Grand Ronde Tribes is expected to move quickly through the House and Senate. SEE RELATED STORY ON PAGE 11. ,. j L21J 1 1 1 l J cr J . n f i jr I fa I i f 1 1 ) 1 5 J r y Senator Mark Hatfeld (Left), R-OR, discusses reservation plan. Also show Ken Smith, Consultant and Tribal Chair man, Mark Mercier. RESERVATION (Continued from page 1) "In many cases, there were ulterior motives and land was virtually stolen," said Campbell who stated he would support the reservation bill. The Termination Act of 1954 resulted in the Grand Ronde Tribes losing the last of about 600 acres of a once 69,000 acre reservation. Rep. AuCoin and Senator Hatfield sponsored the 1983 legislation that restored federal recognition to the Tribe. "I completely agree with you, when you say that the damage done to Native American's in the 1950's by termination was servere," said AuCoin to Campbell. "When you remove the Indian from the land, "you are creating a rift that is about as severe as ripping away an arm from the human body," said AuCoin. "The two are inter-linked, they are indispensable, they must go together. Land is an incredibly important part of Native self-esteem and self-idenity," said AuCoin. Support for the Bill also came from Robert Blaz, R Guam, and Morris UdalL D-AZ, who chaired the remainder of the hearing. "This is a sad chapter, this buisness of termination, that plaqued us for so long and so seriously in the 50's and 60's," said UdalL This is one piece of legislation that "I am delighted to join you and Senator Hatfield in pushing," Udall told AuCoin. "With the passage of this bill, the outlook for the Confederated Tribes is brighter and broader than ever before in our history," said Grand Ronde Tribal Council Secretary, Kathryn Harrison. "With our own land, our people see a new day, a new light, and a new life before us. It has been a difficult and powerful journey from termination back to our rightful place in the family of Indian nations," said Harrison. One of the main concerns of the timber company operators in the local area was the matter of export, said Tribal Council Chairman Mark Mercier. Their concern was that the exportation of raw materials "could have a serious devastating economic effect on the community," said Mercier. He explained that a Memorandum of Agreement, between the Secretary of the Interior and . Grand Ronde Tribe, would prohibit the tribe from icxporting timber for a 20 year period. Mercier also explained about the Tribe's fishing and hunting rights. "At the State of Oregon's request, the Tribe negotiated a hunting and fishing agreement. In that agreement it specifies the number of big game tags which would become available to tribal members," said Mercier. Harry Stewart, representing the Yamhill County Sportsmen, spoke in opposition to the reservation proposal. Stewart stated that he had a petition with 175 signatures that supported a field hearing in the local area. f " . .. -a ..::r Rep. Les AuCoin testifies in support of 9,811 acre reservation for Grand Ronde Tribes. Behind AuCoin is Ralph Reeser, with the BIA, and Harry Stewart, President of Yamhill County Sportmen. . ' if "1 lyC '-N i I lv 'jS 1 - Y - . II -. I i I f Delegation to Washington D.C with Rep. Les AuCoin -LtoR: Ken Lathrop, BIA Forester, Ken Smith, consultant; Kathryn Harrison, Tribal Council Secretary; Mark Mercier, Tribal Chairman; Sonde Schmidt, Tribal Attorney; Rep. Les AuCoin; Russ Leno, Tribal Council member; Greg Archuleta, Smoke Signals Editor; Candy Robertson, Tribal Council member; Dennis Petrequin, Cooper Consultants; and Jim Willis, General Manager, Grand Ronde Tribes. Not shown, Nelsen Witt, BIA Siletz Agency Superintendent 3
