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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1992)
Smoke Signals AprB 1992 Page! Chairman's Report By Mark Mercier The tribe is near making a major step in our history by seeing the completion of our community center on our own headquarters. The community center is the first of a series of buildings planned. On April 15th, the Grand Ronde Tribe will conduct a dedication ceremony for the community center at 9:00 ajn. Our Senior U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield may be present to participate in this monumental event. Also invited is U.S. Representative Lcs AuCoin, who will leave his position to run for the junior U.S. Senate seat up for election in Novem ber of this year (1992). Without Senator Hatfield's and Congressman AuCoin's support in the Grand Ronde Tribe's restoration and the establishment of our reserva tion, it is unlikely that we would have a new building to dedicate. We are deeply indebted to both Senator Hatfield and Congressman AuCoin. Another individual invited to participate in the dedication is Elizabeth Furse, who is a candidate for Congress, specifically the U.S. House of Representatives, First , District; Oregon. In early 1981, Elizabeth began working with the Grand Ronde Tribe in pursuit of our recognition. Besides helping Grand Ronde, Elizabeth worked to reverse the termination of the Klamath Tribe and Coquille Tribe. Elizabeth is indeed a true champion for human rights of minorities, and all people. We need Elizabeth in Congress. She is aware of issues and problems facing Indian Country. Not all members of Congress are committed to seeing the U.S. Government keeping agreements negotiated through the treaties made with our ancestors many generations ago. Without people like Elizabeth, rights of Native Americans may be jeopar dized. , The Tribal Council urges everyone to vote in the upcoming elections. If you're not registered, you can pick up a voter registration card in any post office, Remember, it takes voters to get people like Senator Hatfield, Congressman AuCoin, and Elizabeth Furse in office. Voting is our only true safeguard to keeping a sound and working democracy in our government; Federal, State, County, and Tribal. , In closing, we urge you to please register to vote, and then vote! Feasibility study offers potential jobs and opportunities for tribal members By DavidS. White The Spirit Mountain Development Corp. (SMDC) will shortly conduct a : feasibility study of a possible business to manufacture and market equipment used in the environmental industry. We are in need of temporary help to assist us in our evaluation of this project. This operation may include a joint venture with a Seattle based company already engaged in these activities. According to Tribal Chairman Mark Mercier "It is an earnest effort to see if we can bring some jobs into this local area." While only in a formative stage, our long term objective is to bring opera tions and additional employment opportunities to our community. We require the following described types of temporary positions for a period of one to three months. If the feasibility study produces acceptable results regarding the project, these positions may con tinue and other similar positions created. The temporary positions are as follows: 1. Feasibility Project Coordinator. A person is needed to work with and under direction of both SMDC and Seattle company in management of the feasibility study. Includes evaluation of data and responsibility to write final report to SMDC. 2. Two part-time research positions for the identification and review of various trade publications, professional journals, periodic publications, research publications and similar informational resources in the enironmental field. Research shall be conducted at tribal Tribe's Economic Development Program assists entrepreneurs In early 1991, representatives of four Oregon Indian Tribes met to discuss methods to resolve common problems and barriers that impede development of successful private, Indian-owned and managed & tall businesses in Oregon. Common arriers include the lack of a network of successful role models to provide counseling and support, insuffi cient access to equity and debt capital as well as a lack of on-site technical business assistance services and business skills training. These tribal representatives agreed further that such special needs are not adequately met through existing public or private resources and that alternative measures must be taken to meet the needs of the prospective Indian entre preneur. Thus, in July, 1991, they formed the Oregon Native American Business and Entrepreneurial Network (ONABEN) for the purpose of develop ing successful private business owner ship among Oregon's Native American population. ONABEN is a non-profit, public benefit corporation under the laws of Oregon chartered for the purpose of providing technical business assistance and business skills training to Native Americans living on or near Oregon reservations. The network will assist Indian business owners and entrepre neurs to improve access to business capital. ONABEN plans to establish a network of Business Development Centers located within Oregon Indian Communities, and geared to meet the unique needs of Native Americans! The corporation is managed by a Board of Directors, with initial Board members appointed from the following charter member Tribes: Grand Ronde, Klamath, Siletz and Warm Springs. Each of the four member Tribes has contributed $10,000 in start-up funding in addition to the annual dues of $1,000 for a total of $44,000. In October, 1991, ONABEN initiated the "Small Business Greenhouse" program at three locations, Grand Ronde, Chiloquin, and Warm Springs. The "Greenhouse" program is a series of 20 weekly classroom training workshops of 3 hours each covering small business fundamentals. In addition, each partici pant receives at least one hour of one-on-one counseling every two weeks from an experienced business counselor. The participating tribes are providing in-kind support including office space, class room space and administrative support to the business counselor. At least six new businesses have been formed to date, the Small Business Association has made one direct loan, and we have negotiated two bank loans for business start-ups. A "small business incubator" is being established at Warm Springs to assist several of these emerg ing businesses. This first class will graduate in April, 1992. If you are interested in knowing more about how to start your own small business call Mitch Conley at 879-5211. $$$$EARN CASH DAILY$$$$ Spirit Mountain Development Corporation is looking for pickers. Call Ron Jordan at 876-2064. headquarters and at major public and university libraries. Based upon a prepared study outline, a weekly summary report will be submitted detailing the investigative data. 3. Secretarial support. Part to full-time position to help develop and maintain reporting system during the feasibility period. Must be capable of transcribing dictation, working with word processing software and producing reports to the SMDC. 4. Steel fabrication estimator. This person will have experience working in a steel fabrication shop, will be familiar with most steel fabrication processes and be able to read prints for fabrica tion. Prefer someone who also has some estimating experience and can function as a liaison between engineer and fabricator. Again, the above positions may exist only for a period of one to three months. Salary will be discussed at the time of the interview. Please submit resumes to SMDC, P.O. Box 90, Grand Ronde, OR 97347 no later than April 10. For more information and to complete a telephone interview ques tionnaire, please call tribal headquarters at 879-5211 ext. 204. Smoke Signals program Operations Greg Archuleta Editor Cathy Cline Smoke Signals is pub lished monthly by the Con federated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, 9615 Grand Ronde Rd., Grand Ronde, OR 97347. Articles appearing in Smoke Signals are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Confederated Tribes of . Grand Ronde. Submissions of articles, poetry, short stories, art work and photos are en- , couraged: Smoke Signals does notessume responsw bility for unsolicited material and does not guarantee , publication upon submission.
