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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1991)
December, 1991 Smoke Signals Bush Declares November as Native American Heritage Month Pap 3 President Bush has signed a joint congressional resolution proclaiming the month of November for 1991 and 1992 as National American Indian Heritage Month. Supporters of the bill in both the House and Senate fought to make the month a permanent designation instead of for only two years. However some House supporters wanted additional Indian legislation attached to the resolution before agreeing to a permanent designation. The compromise was the two-year designa tion. Here is the resolution agreed to by the two housed of Congress: "Whereas American Indians are the original inhabitants of the lands that now constitute the United States of America; Whereas American Indians govern ments developed fundamental principles of freedom of' speech and the separation of powers in government, and these principles form the foundation of our own govern ment today; Whereas American Indian societies exhib ited a respect for the flniteness of natural resources through deep respect for the earth, and such values continue to be widely held today, whereas American Indian people have served with valor in all wars since the Revolutionary War to the War in the Persian Gulf, often in a percentage well above their percentage in the population of the Nation as a whole; Whereas American Indians have made distinct and important contributions to America and the rest of the world in many fields including agriculture, medicine, music, language and art; Whereas it is fitting that American Indians be recog nized for their individual contributions to American society as artists, sculptors, musicians, authors, poets, artisans, scientists and scholars. "Whereas the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Western Hemisphere is an especially appropriate time for all the people of the United States to study and reflect on the long history of the original inhabitants of this continent; Whereas the Members of the Senate and House of Representatives believe that a resolution and proclamation as requested in this resolution will encourage self-esteem, pride and A Mother's Prayer If I could plan your voyage, On life's uncertain sea, Your ship would sail a steady course, As tranquil as could be. I'd steer away from rock bound coasts, And keep you free from shoals, I'd bypass stormy weather, That might upset your goals. But Mother's aren't in command, We haven't any say, When children pull up their anchor, And boldly sail away. We can only look to heaven, And ask the Lord above, To navigate the vessel, That bears the ones we love. self-awareness in American Indians young and old; Whereas the month of November is the traditional harvest season of the American Indians and is generally a time of celebration and giving thanks: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representa tives of the United states of America in Congress assembled, that each of the months of November 1991 and 1992 are designated as 'National American Indian Heritage Month,' and the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation for each such year calling upon Federal, state, and local governments, interested groups and organizations, and the people of the Untied States to observe each such month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. Courtesy of Indian News Community Encourager Report The Community Decision Making (CDM) Process. For the purpose of obtaining input from the tribal community about the Health and Human Resources clinic, we will be using a CDM process. CDM is a pre-planned process which seeks to involve residents of the tribal community to develop a local health care delivery system. It is pre-planned only in the sequence of the process, and not in the results that may be generated from implementing the program. "Decision Making" is included as part of the title of the program. Our community will be a part of this process. We want to achieve community consensus about the level of health care desired andor needed in the community. The mission of the CDM process is to reach a community-based decision regarding the health care system. Throughout the CDM process several goals will be identified and objectives will be defined to approach these goals. In the CDM process there is a set plan for getting the community involved. One phase of this is selecting community leaders from as many sectors as possible. A sector is defined as a part of the community that has its own particular health care needs. Another phase is to form a community council, who will be assigned the task of receiving input during the CDM process. Also, there will be meetings to attend. For those who are unable to attend meetings, there will be an opportunity to provide written comments. I hope this explanation is helpful to everyone. As you can see by the structure of this process, there will be community input prior to plans being make. It is very important that we all understand the Comunity Decision Making process. Once again, remember, if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at 879-5211 ext. 112. We need your input! Thank you, Michael J. Larsen, Community Encourager. Tribal Representation in The "Land Down Under" Tribal member, Tracy Cooney, has a rare , opportunity to observe another culture in hopes of increasing her view on the education field. Tracy is presently in her Junior year at Portland State University where she is pursuing an Elcmen-; tary Teaching Certificate. While spending the holidays with friends in Australia, she has been asked by the Lyon's Club to give a presentation on her tribe, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and an overview on Northwest Indian Tribes in general. Her presentation will help establish an educational relationship and open communications. From her experience she hopes to benefit by i observing their educational curriculum. Tracy desires to form positive views and attitudes of the future and our children. An increased world view could be extremely valuable with this endeavor. Good luck Tracy! Have a fun, safe, and educa tional trip. life J
