PAGE 6
RESERVATION DAYS
(Continued from page 5)
The reservation proposal had two main purposes:
-to establish a "viable economy" to meet the economic,
social, health,and educational needs of its members.
-to help strengthen the cultural identity of the members
of the Tribe.
After completion of the plan, copies were distributed to
state and local governments, businesses and industry,
libraries and other interested parties for review and
comment.
The public review period lasted almost three years
and gave rise to a variety of issues and concerns.
For instance, the timber industry expressed concern
about the Tribe's ability to export timber from the ,.
reservation and compete with existing timber compa
nies. To work with these issues, the Tribe brought on Ken
Smith a consultant, and former Assistant Secretary of
the Interior in charge of the BIA.
"He worked closely with the local timber company
representatives and kept a dialogue going between the
Grand Ronde Tribe and them," recalled Tribal Chair
man Mark Mercier.
Another issue was the Tribe's hunting and fishing
rights. In early 1986, the Oregon Department and
Fish and Wildlife asked the Tribe to negotiate with the '
Department to answer and resolve the open question of
the extent of the Tribe's hunting and fishing rights,
which have never been defined.
After months of discussions, a tentative agreement was
reached in May 1986. Public meetings were held in
McMinnville, Portland and Willamina on the agreement.
On January 12, 1987, the Federal District Court gave
final approval to the agreement and entered it as a final
and permanent court order.
Under the agreement, the state would manage fish and
wildlife resources according to Oregon law, both on and
off any reservation. Within a specified geographical
area - the Trask Management Unit - tribal members
would be allowed to use tribal licenses in lieu of state
licenses for fishing and hunting and animal gathering.
State seasons and methods of taking would apply to
tribal members, and no commercial use of fish and
v game with a tribal license or tag would be permitted.
The Tribe also received the right to receive 4,000
pounds of surplus salmon from state hatcheries, and
would be issued 350 deer tags 45 combination deer and
elk tags, and 5 bear tags. The Tribe would control the
issuance of the tags to tribal members.
There were no trapping rights given to the Tribe, and
the Tribe would be allowed to gather eel, fresh water
mussels and the state would regulate the gathering of
other specified animals. The Tribe would be allowed
the right to regulate the gathering of plants on its
reservation.
The agreement acknowledged that the Tribe intended to
leave any reservation open to the public for hunting and
fishing and general recreation, however the Tribe did
not waive its right to close any part of the reservation if
necessary in the future.
The agreement further defined that the creation of a
reservation or additional lands to any reservation would
not alter this agreement.
On July 30, 1987, Representative Les AuCoin
introduced two bills creating reservation lands for
the Tribe. One bill proposed a 15,665 acre reservation
and the other a 5,116 acre reservation. Senator Hatfield
introduced similar bills into the Senate soon after.
The bills were to set the grounds for discussion of a final
bill and to "show that alternatives were possible", said
AuCoin.
On August 10, 1987, Representative Les AuCoin
sponsored a public meeting on the reservation plan.
The meeting drew an estimated 300 people and gave
supporters and opponents the opportunity to provide
input on the two bills introduced by AuCoin.
Members of the Tribe and supporters of the larger
reservation bill of 15,665 acres focused testimony on the
economic benefit from the revenues.
"The Grand Ronde Tribe is a
link in the same chain that we
are all part of. My purpose is
to make life better for the Tribe
in a way that makes life better
for all of us."
- Representative Les AuCoin
Photo at right: Kathryn Harrison, Mark
Mercier, Rep. Les AuCoin, Russ Leno and'
Candy Robertson
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"Tribal recognition is important to provide the right to be
self governing. The creation of a reservation is equally
vital because it gives the Tribe the opportunity to be self
sustaining." -Senator Mark O. Hatfield
Photo at left: Mark O. Hatfield and Ken Smith