Smoke Signals
December 1992
Page 2
Tribal Committees Seeking
New Members
Recent changes in the General Committee Ordinance has created vacancies in the
FishWildlifeCommittee and the Cemetery Committee.
It has been resolved that only one family member shall serve on a committee and
only one Tribal Council member per committee. Also, all committee members must
physically reside within one of the counties of the six county service area.
Members of the committees encourages interested tribal members to apply.
"The idea of a committee is to provide a link between the community and the
government," said Jim Willis, General Manager of the Tribe. "A broader representation of
the community will bring the community input into the tribal governmental process. These
changes are designed to open committee involvement to tribal community members. We
appreciate your interest and willingness to participate in tribal government."
Individuals interested in applying for a committee position should fill out the
committee application form and return it to Jackie Whisler. Applications can be hand
delivered or mailed to: 9615 Grand Ronde Road
Grand Ronde, Oregon, 97347
CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE GRAND RONDE
COMMUNITY OF OREGON
. COMMITTEE APPLICATION FORM -1992
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Enrollment Number:
Name of Committee:
Is transportation a problem? Y N
Can you travel overnight? Y N
When are you available tor meetings?
Coalition Created to Defend
American Indian Religious Freedoms
Washington, D.C. Traditional Native spiritual leaders and 24
non-Indian clergy and human rights leaders announced the creation of a
historic coalition to defend the right of Native Americans to practice their
religion and to protect the cultural survival of Indians in the United States
on October 14, 1992 in Washington, D.G Thecoalitionwill push Congress
to strengthen the 1 978 American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA).
Because the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that no protection
exists for tribal, religions under the U.S. Constitution, the door has been
opened for a narrow rule-making and federal regulations that restrict
Indian access to some of their most sacred land where ceremonies are
held that constitute the spiritual life of tribal communities. Pressure from
developers has led to bulldozers and cranes, destroying sites where rituals
have been performed for centuries.
"We are fighting for the most fundamental right Indian people
hold: the right to practice our religion," said Gaiashkibos, president of the
National Congress of American faians, a rauoralciamon representing
1 3 1 tribes. "The cultural and spiritual survival of Native Americans is tied
closely to the preservation and well-being of our tribal religious traditions. "
"Creation of this historic coalition marks the birth of one of the
most significant human rights and religious liberties movements in our
century, said Hilary Shelton, chair of the inter-religious coalition supporting
this bill.
"This nation's treatment of the Native American religious
community has been shameful. We as a nation have destroyed their sacred
sites, pulled Indians away from their culture, undermined their ability to
worship with dignity and trivialized their beliefs. The human rights and
religious communities are joining together to defend traditional Indian
worship and to preserve Indian communities as distinct cultural entities,"
Shelton said.
Senator Daniel Inouye, a Democrat from Hawaii, is expected to
introduce in January a bill to protect sites considered sacred by traditional
Native American religious practitioners and establish a mechanism for
resolving disputes. It would also give Native American prisoners access to
traditional religious practicesnow denied them in many states.
v According to John Ecohawk, executive director of the Native
American Rights Fund (NARF), "By failing to safeguard Indian holy
ground and religious practices, the government is demonstrating a
willingness to sacrifice its indigenous people and to lose an important
piece of this country's heritage."
Why are you Interested in serving on this committee?
Do you have any background in this committee area?(optlonal)
Moving.. .Let us know
If you have recently moved or are planning on moving, let us know so
you won't have to miss a single copy of your favorite newsletter. Just fill out this
form with your new address and mail it back to Smoke Signals at 9615 Grand
Ronde Rd., Grand Ronde, OR 97347
NEW
OLD
Name:.
Address:
Pity:
Smoke Signals
EDITOR
TRACY OLSON
Smoke Signals is published monthly by the Confederated
Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, 9615 Grand
Ronde Rd., Grand Ronde, OR 97347.
Articles appearing in Smoke Signals are the sole responsibil
ity of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
Submissions of articles, poetry, short stories, artwork and
photos are encouraged. Smoke Signals does not assume
responsibility for unsolicited material and does not guarantee
publication upon submission.
BtateZip: