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Don't miss the Grand Ronde
Pow-wow: August 19, 20, 21.
Drumming, dancing, vendors,
and much more! For more
details, see page 10.
INSIDE: Native
women gather in
support of the
president's health
reform plan. Read
about it on page 9.
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1 O v ' HEAL1H
THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE GRAND RONDE COMMUNITY OF ORECON august, 1994
Senior Services van arrives
Harold Blair's contribution makes it possible for the elders to ride in luxury.
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Harold Blair, tribal elders, and their new van.
By Tracy Olson
Harold Blair is definitely the man of
the hour. His recent donation of
$45,000.00 has made many tribal
elders grateful.
His generous donation was used
to purchase a mini-bus for Senior
Services transports and excursions.
The van was hand-painted by Steve
Bobb of Willaniina. It has three
doors, a wheelchair lift, and holds 23
people. Thursday, July 1 4 the Tribe
held a special ribbon-cutting
ceremony and dedication which
many staff members and elders
attended. Chairman Mark Mercier
thanked Harold for the donation
and presented him with a Pendleton
blanket Arlene Beck, Chair of the
Elders' Committee, gave him a clock
to show their appreciation.
Open fire restrictions imposed
Restrictions, because of fire
danger, have been put in place in
Western Oregon's forests and
brushlands.
A regulated use closure was
imposed July 18.
Restrictions include:
Smoking is prohibited in timber,
brush or grass areas except in closed
vehicles on roads.
Camp fires are restricted to posted,
established campgrounds. Gas
cooking stoves are allowed
Non-industrial use of chain saws
are banned from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. An
ax, shovel andfire extingujsher must
Harold, an elder himself, lives near
the reservation and has spent much
of his life logging and working in the
woods. His donation came after he
sold some of his land to Hampton
Lumber. He said he wanted to do
something for the elders especially
the folks who do not have
transportation all the time, or have
difficulty getting to tribal events.
be kept with each power saw.
All motor vehicles are restricted to
roads.
Mike Templeton, the Oregon
district forester, said residents and
visitors are warned to exercise
extreme care with any activitiesusing
fire and machinery.
Strategic Plan: Phase II
By Frank King, special writer
Strategic planning is becoming a
permanent part of the Grand Ronde
tribal administration, economic
development and government
Jim Willis, Executive Officer, said
that 1995 will be a year of intense
work gathering more information for
the plan and policy foundation.
"What we have found is how much
we don't know - and how much more
we need to know," he said.
Eco Northwest of Eugene, the
consul tanting firm helping with the
information gathering and the
design of the plan, will soon have
result of the tribal survey available
for release.
Willis said that Eco Northwest will
define central, critical planning
issues.
Some common concerns were
raised in the community meetings
held in Eugene, Salem, Portland and
Grand Ronde.
Chris Leno, a strategic plan task
force member, said that tribal
members living outside of the Grand
Ronde area indicated a need for
more outreach service.
Several people said they would
like to see some Tribal Council
meetings held in cities away from
Grand Ronde where there are
concentrations of tribal members.
Housing received much interest.
From 200 to 300 tribal members
have indicated that there is a need
for housing. Many said that if there
was housing available they would
move to the Grand Ronde area.
Willis said that more information
is needed on potential housing
development.
Some questions that have to be
addressed are:
(continued on back page)
Tribe negotiates for lost land
By Tracy Olson
Tribal leaders have been spending
much time in Washington, D.C. this
past month trying to negotiate for
some acreage near the reservation.
They have been meeting with
representatives from the Interior
Department's, Bureau of Land
Management, and political officials
to resolve this issue.
The Tribe has recently discovered
an major error in a land survey that
took place in 1 87 1 . During that year,
David Thompson, a U.S. land
surveyor, was sent to Grand Ronde
to determine the boundaries of the
Grand Ronde reservation. He
incorrectly surveyed the east
boundary in the wrong location,
resulting in 84 acres of uncounted
tribal land.
In 1904, a large area of the Grand
Ronde reservation was sold for S 1 . 1 7
an acre by the federal government
However, the Tribe has never
received compensation for the sale
of the land Thompson inaccurately
surveyed, or any monies from the
timber that was harvested from it. It
wasn't until 1 988 that the Tribe was
informed of its legal rights to this
land.
Chairman Mark Mercier, Mike
Mason, Tribal Attorney, and Cliff
Adams, Natural Resources
Manager, went to Washington, D.C.
to attend a series of meetings and
testify before the Subcommittee on
Native American Affairs.
During these meetings, the Tribe
proposed a "land swap", designed
to benefit all parties involved. In a
(continued on back page)