Smoke Signals March 1990
Page 4
Enrollment ont.)
prepared by the enrollment staff for review by an
enrollment committee. The enrollment committee
verifies that each applicant has submitted documenta
tion to prove that the applicant is eligible for tribal
membership. The enrollment committee then makes a
recommendation to the Tribal Council to approve the
name of said applicant to be entered on the official
Grand Ronde membership roll. The Tribal Council
then passes a resolution to approve the addition of new
members. The applicant is then listed opposite a
number on the Grand Ronde roll.
If an applicant has not proved their eligibility for
membership, the enrollment committee recommends
that a rejection notice be sent to the individual. Each
applicant who receives a rejection notice is notified of
the reason for rejection, and their right to appeal said
reason.
In turn, the applicant may then submit further docu
mentation to support their claim to eligibility for
enrollment committee review. If the enrollment
committee again recommends a rejection notice, the
applicant has a right to testify before the enrollment
committee. If the enrollment committee's recommenda
tion is another rejection notice, the applicant may then
petition the Tribal Council for review. In the establish
ment of a Tribal court, the applicant's appeal will then
be heard by said court.
The maintenance of the Grand Ronde membership roll
is as important as identifying eligible tribal members.
To assure that members are identified correctly, the
Tribal Council has adopted regulations that pertain to
name changes. The regulations for a name change are
as follows:
1. Legal document of name change must be included in
clients file. Acceptable documents include marriage
certificates, divorce, adoption, or name change decrees.
2. If legal documentation is not available, a statement
by the client, signed before a Notary Public will be
accepted. The statement must include previous name,
the reason for the name change, the date effective, and
the name presently used.
3. The enrollment staff will present clients file for
review to the Enrollment Committee.
4. The Enrollment Committee verifies that the re
quired documentation has been submitted and makes a
recommendation to the Tribal Council for approval.
5. The enrollment staff shall present the clients roll
number to the Tribal Council for a resolution to approve
the name change.
6. After the resolution is passed, the enrollment staff
shall list the client on the membership roll under their
new name. The enrollment staff shall notify the B.I A.
of the clients name change.
In addition to name changes, the maintenance of the
membership roll also includes identifying deceased
members. To identify a member as deceased, the
enrollment committee verifies that one of the following
required documentation had been reviewed. 1. death
certificate 2. obituary notice 3. mortuary records 4.
written statements stating that the funeral was attended,
the grave viewed, or that the writer knows for a fact that
the person in question is deceased.
In cases where documentation of deceased members is
unavailable, the Grand Ronde enrollment ordinance
provides a procedure for verification. A list of members
who are believed to be deceased will be published and
posted. An announcement of possibly deceased mem
bers will also be made at the general council meeting.
Following the publication, posting, and announcement, if
no protest is made within 30 days, the said member shall
be designated as deceased.
The regulations pertaining to Grand Ronde enrollment
eligibility and maintenance of the Grand Ronde roll
have been stated as law in the constitution, and the
procedure defined in the Grand Ronde Enrollment
Ordinance.
Required Documentation
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
The Grand Ronde tribal constitution states that
descendants of Grand Ronde members are eligible for
enrollment. The applicant must prove their descen
dancy from an individual on the Grand Ronde rolls with
birth documentation. If the applicant had an ancestor
listed on the Grand Ronde roll prior to the base roll,
birth documentation must prove said descendancy. This
means that if an individual's great-grandmother was
listed on the Grand Ronde roll, the applicant must
submit t heir own birth record, the birth record of their
parent, and their grandparent to establish the descen
dancy requirement.
Example: Applicant's great-grandmother was Jane
Smith listed on the 1900 roll. The applicant must prove
with birth records that said applicant, Gene Jones is the
son of Fred Jones, who is the son of Mary Smith Jones,
who is the daughter of Jane Smith. Birth records must
prove this family link.
Gene Jones
(Fred Jones
'. ' v
Maria Brown
Mike Jones
Mary Smitftl
Tom Smith
Jane Smith
When the father of an applicant has not been named
on a birth record, paternity must be proven. If an
applicants father submits a notarized affidavit that he is
the natural father of said applicant, the statement is
acceptable for enrollment purposed. A court order of
paternity is also acceptable.
If the alleged father is alive, only a court order or the
father's sworn statement will suffice to prove paternity.
In the event that the alleged father is deceased, a
notarized statement by 2 enrolled Grand Ronde mem
bers who can swear that the deceased is the father of the
applicant, will be accepted for enrollment purposes.
NOTE: Paternity established for enrollment purposes
may not ever be introduced out side the tribal system. If
an individual has been enrolled by a father's paternity
statement, the paternity papers may not be used for
Social Security, or other purposes, in the event of the
father's death.
In the case where a blood quantum was not listed on a
Grand Ronde Roll, the applicants possession of Indian
blood must be proven with certification from the Bureau
of Indian Affairs, or the Department of the Interior.
Birth records stating that the parent is 12 Indian are
not acceptable as proof of possession of Indian blood.
The Grand Ronde Constitution and enrollment
ordinance states regulations that pertain to blood
quantum corrections, change, and adjustments.
A blood quantum correction is simply proving that a
base roll blood degree or the determination of a mem
bers blood degree was a mathematical error. These
corrections are determined and verified by the enroll
ment committee. The Enrollment Committee recom
mends that the Tribal Council approve a blood quantum
correction based on submitted evidence. The correc
tions are initiated by an individual's written request or
the recommendation, the enrollment staff notifies the
involved clients, and the B.I A. of the action taken.
A blood quantum change is requested by the individual
client. If a mathematical error is obvious, the client
must submit documentation for enrollment committee
review. If the submitted documentation is contradictory,
the enrollment committee will base their recommenda
tion on the most consistent evidence.
Example: Joe Brown is listed as 14 degree Indian, but
he claims to be 12. His father, Bob Brown is listed as
12 on the base roll, and his mother is non-Indian. Joe
has submitted records prepared by B.I A. Indian
schools. Two records, from different schools, list Bob
Brown as 44 degree, and 1 record prepared by a B.IA.
agency lists Bob Brown a 44. As 3 different records
conflict with the 12 degree listed for Bob Brown on the
base roll, the enrollment recommends to the Tribal
Council that the evidence be submitted as fact. The
Tribal Council then passes a resolution to approve the
enrollment committee's recommendation that the
request be submitted to the B.I A. for further action.
The B.I A. examines the evidence and the Tribal
Council's resolution. If the B.IA. cannot prove the
evidence incorrect, the request is submitted to the
Department of the Interior. The Department of the
Interior takes the evidence and makes a final decision.
The decision is sent to the B.IA., Tribal Council, and
enrollment staff. The client has 30 days to protest said
decision. If no protest is filed, the staff shall notify the
Enrollment Committee of the decision, and the blood
quantum is changed according to the Department of the
Interior's determination.
A blood quantum adjustment is basically inclusion of
other tribal blood. The client submits evidence of their
possession of other tribal blood. The evidence is
documentation prepared by the B.IA. or the Depart
ment of the Interior. The enrollment committee verifies
the documentation, and recommends that the Tribal
Council approve the blood quantum adjustment as
determined by the committee. The Council then acts on
the recommendation, and if approved, the enrollment
staff notifies the client and the B.IA. of the adjusted
blood quantum. ;., ;. ; '
Enrollment Program
The enrollment Program has 3 basic functions.
1. To assist applicants in the enrollment procedure.
2. Maintain the individual files of enrolled members.
3. Maintain a statistical data base of Grand Ronde
members. '
To effectively provide the above services, the confiden
tiality of all members must be guaranteed. If you
believe that your confidentiality has broken, please
notify the enrollment director, or the programs manager
immediately!
Under the GRand Ronde enrollment ordinance, the
only people who have access to your individual file are:
Yourself, the enrollment staff, the enrollment commit
tee, and the Tribal Chairman. No one else has the right
to review your file. All Staff and committee members
take an oath of confidentiality.
The enrollment applications are available on request.
The applications have the eligibility requirements, and
an instruction letter attached. The enrollment office
also has orderforms and address of vital record units to
assist clients in obtaining birth certificates.
The Enrollment office provides verifications of enroll
ment, and certifications of Indian blood for tribal and
B.IA. programs. The enrollment office also issues tribal
I.D. cards. These are the regulations followed to issue
the I.D. cards:
1. Photo I.D. cards will be issued to enrolled members
who are age 11 and over.
2. An enrollment update form must be completed
before the I.D. card is issued.
3. No hats or sunglasses may be worn when the I.D.
photo is taken.
4. The first I.D. card will be issued at no cost to the
tribal member. The tribe is not responsible for a
replacement card due to a blood quantum correction or
change of address. A $2.00 fee will be charged for
replacement cards issued. The replacement fee is
waived for elders, age 55 & over.