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