Smoke Signals January 31, 1995 Page 3
Tribal Life
Tribal Council spotlight; Ed Pearsall
New member wants to make
He looks as if he is going to
jump up, start running or exer
cising the moment you meet
him.
Ed Pearsall gives off an aura
of tightly contained energy. En
ergy that is just waiting to be
released.
When asked about his hobbies,
he said: "I like to exercise.
Mostly running and weight lift
ing." He also likes to fish and read.
"A few years ago I really be
came interested in fiction. I like
a good story and I did a lot of
reading," he said.
Ed was born in Corvallis, grew
up in Central Valley, California,
a community north of Redding.
As a child he also spent a lot
of time in Turner, Oregon with
his family.
After leaving high school, he
attended Columbia Basin Col
lege in Pasco, Wash, where he
earned his Associate of Arts
Degree in Welding Technology.
"I went into the union's 4-year
apprenticeship program and
learned to be a pipefitter," he
said.
For the next 17 years he
worked in the Tri Cities area, on
the Hanford nuclear complex
and the Washington Public
Power Supply System plants.
Four years ago Ed and his fam
ily moved to Keizer.
Pearsall said that he was asked
to run for the Tribal Council
post he won in the last election.
"I ran because I didn't agree
with some of the Tribal Coun
cil decisions on issues affecting
the Tribe," he said. "I believe
in a strong entitlement program.
Our people are worried about
health care. I hope that all of our
people, regardless of where they
live, will have some kind of
health insurance program.
People are concerned about their
health, and we have to address
Personal Data
Name: Edward M. Pearsall
Home: Keizer, Oregon.
Born: Jan. 10, 1948.
Occupation: Tribal Council member, journeyman welder and
pipe fitter.
Family: Wife, Sherry; three grown daughters and one son;
three grandchildren.
Hobbies: Physical fitness, exercise, running, fishing, reading.
Of Interest: "People are concerned about health care. We need
to address that. I am most concerned about our entitlement
programs, and how we can serve all of our people, in all places."
that."
Ed was one of three council
members picked by a majority
of tribal voters in September.
He said that the current coun
cil has made a start towards ex
panding entitlement programs
by starting to save money for a
tribal retirement program.
"Our people should have some
direct benefits," he said. "This
is a first step."
He has found that serving on
the Tribal Council is not exactly
what he expected. There is more
work, more reading and study
ing, and meetings to attend.
He is pleased with his appoint
ment to the Tribal Council Edu
cation Committee. Pearsall is an
a difference
exponent of a strong tribal edu
cation program.
His belief in education is
backed by personal experience.
His successful trade and career
is based on the training he got
at a Washington community
college.
Pearsall i a quiet man. He en
joys his family, work and tribe.
There was a time when his In
dian heritage was not as impor
tant to him as it is now.
"We didn't have that sort of in
fluence when I was growing up
in California," he said. "Becom
ing involved in tribal affairs has
made it a time of cultural re
newal for me."
Recent Tribal
On the Jan. 1 1 Tribal Coun
cil meeting, a decision was
made regarding the Tribe's
policy of providing meals for
tribal families after funeral ser
vices. A motion was made and
passed by a vote of 5-4 that the
Tribe would no longer provide
meals for family gatherings af
ter funerals. Families will still
be able to reserve the Commu
nity Center and use the kitchen
for potluck, cooking, etc., but
the Tribe will not provide
kitchen help or food. This was
only the third time in history
the Tribal Chairman has ever
been called upon to vote. The
votes were: Val Grout, no,
Andy Jenness, no, Bob Mailer,
Tribal students receive hefty
academic scholarships
The following is a listing of
tribal members who are attend
ing college and who have re
ceived academic scholarships
for the 1994-95 school year.
Melanie Duggan: Indian
Health Service scholarship,
$5,000.
Shelley Hansen: Atkinson
Business School scholarship,
$3,500.
Angie Fasana: Nelson Terry
Scholarship, Quinault Allottee
Association, $2,250.
Perri McDaniel: AISES, A.T.
Anderson Memorial Scholar
ship, $1,000.
Bryan Mercier: UMAS,
$3,090.
Chris Mercier: UMAS,
$3,090.
Marjorie LaBonte-Moon: D-
Q University Scholarship,
$3,800.
Shelby Olson: UMAS, $2,790.
Christine Parke: Curry County
Real Estate Association schol
arship, $1,000.
Chad Stryker: Harold Gilman
Smith scholarship, $3,000.
Pete Wakcland: OSU Institu
tion scholarship, $2,678,
Council actions
yes, Ed Larsen, yes, Mark
Mercier, yes, Kathryn
Harrison, no, Gene LaBonte,
yes, Ed Pearsall, yes, and Chip
Tom, no.
At the Jan. 4 meeting, Coun
cil approved an amendment to
the Gaming Ordinance by a
consensus vote, and voted to
appoint Ed Pearsall to be the
tribal delegate for the Commis
sion on Indian Services.
Kathryn Harrison held the seat
for the past seven years, and
did not wish to serve any
longer.
At the Dec. 14 meeting,
Council approved the 1995
proposed budget by a vote of
8 yes, 0 no, and 0 abstentions.
Mother Earth's Children-Ann
Thorton Memorial Scholarship,
$600, and AISES, Environmen
tal Protection Agency Lands
Environment Science Scholar
ship, $4,000.
These awards amount to over
$36,000. These students are to
be commended for their aca
demic achievements, leadership
skills, and community involve
ment. All of these scholarship
awards are based on those cri
teria. Congratulations to each
of you. It does take time and
effort to apply and compete for
scholarships, but the payoff is
out there. The Education Pro
gram encourages anyone who
plans to attend higher education
or is currently in the program to
seek out and apply for as many
scholarships as possible.
Scholarship information is
available at the Education of
fices. Please feel free to stop
by and browse through the ma
terials. Be aware that most
deadline dates are in early
spring, so act now! These dol
lars are waiting to be claimed!