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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 1996)
June 17, 1996 SMOKE SIGNALS 5 people. "All of these jobs provide dollars to local youth and businesses, which helps the local economy," Cliff said. On the recreational side, the tribal reservation lands are available for community use. "The reservation is open to hunting and fishing," he said. "We are currently trying to enhance our deer and fish population." The Day Use Park, which opened last spring, can be used by anyone. It includes hiking trails, picnic areas, indigenous plant life, and is located on the reservation. The Tribe has also taken steps to protect and enhance the local plant life and the environment. A signifi cant example is the Nelson's Chcckermallow, an endangered plant that grows in the Wil lamette Valley. Right before Casino construction was about to get underway, the Tribe discovered some Chcckermallow plants growing on the Casino site. Steps were taken by the Tribe to carefully replant them on the reservation where they continue to thrive, more than a year later. The Natural Resources Division is thoroughly committed to preserving the integrity and natural beauty of the wilderness areas the Tribe owns so they can be enjoyed by future generations of community members. FEDERAL IMPACT AID One of the main advantages of being located near an Indian reservation is the benefits the Sheridan and Willamina School Districts receive from Federal Impact Aid. Impact Aid Funding is national legislation which allows the federal government to contribute funding to public schools located near federal land, such as a military base, a federal prison, or an Indian reservation. Any parent who lives on federal land or works on federal land is eli gible to be counted for Impact Aid. The school district can file for funding, which then goes directly to the schools, to offset the loss of tax revenue. This is because education is normally funded through statecounty taxes and schools located near lands taken out of that tax base may not be receiving the same funding as other public schools. Both Indian and non-Indian children in the Sheridan and Willamina school districts are benefiting from these dollars. EDUCATION The Education Division sponsors a myriad of community programs for adults and children. The Before and After School Care program is open to all members of the com munity. Education Division Manager Dean Azule said, "Before and After School Care is set-up to assist working parents in the care of young children who need supervision after school. We provide different educational games and activities for them." Also, the division has sponsored a Family Math and Family Science program for several years now, and will resume the program this summer, in cooperation with the Wellness Component's After School Club. Family Math and Family Science is a weekly activity designed to encourage and promote math and science education within the family unit, since these two subjects are difficult areas for many students. Johnson O'Malley Program (JOM) is open to all eligible Native youth in the community, who are not necessarily member of the Grand Ronde Tribe. For adults, the Education Division offers many higher learning activities as well. The division is currently working with local colleges especially Chemeketa Community Col lege in Salem, to provide opportunities to adults in the area. Again, this includes any community member who is interested. "Although the Higher Education and Adult Vocational Training dollars are limited to tribal members, every year we sponsor Financial Aid and Scholarship workshops, and this year we held a Vocational Training Fair. Anyone is welcome to attend these workshops," said Dean. "This year we sponsored employment training for the Casino in cooperation with Chemeketa and Clackamas Community College in Customer Service, Cash Handling, Food Handling, Telephone Skills, and Security Guard Training." Dean said these classes were about 40 tribal members, and the rest were non-Indian students. Education has offered lower-division courses through Chemeketa this year, held in Grand Ronde, and is looking into sponsoring some upper-division courses through Oregon State University, Western Oregon State College, and Portland State University locally, for those community members who wish to take some classes without having to commute to one of the cam puses. Marty Branch, Education Advisor, will act as a liaison for Chemeketa and will recruit Willamina and Sheridan high school students in the upcoming year. "I will be visiting the local high schools and providing placement testing and advising to all students who are interested in attending Chemeketa," Marty said. Finally, for those community members wishing to obtain a GED, the Tribe has a pro gram which offers classes in earning a GED Certificate. Non-tribal members can enroll in the program for a small fee, or the program can refer local people to other places which offer similar programs. HEALTH AND WELLNESS The Tribe is currently in the process of building a full-service medical clinic, which will be a convenient health center for the entire Grand Ronde community, and will contain a pharmacy, X-ray and laboratory facilities, and ambulance service as well as house all the family, mental health, and wellness programs. The Wellness Component of the Human Services Division (HSD) offers many activi ties for the young people of the community. Commonly known as "Prevention" these activities are designed to encourage a clean and sober life-style among the local youth, to be role models in their classes, and to provide a safe outlet for them after school and on weekends. Some of these activities include the annual Sober Dance, the Molar Roller Skating party, the Easter Egg Hunt, After School Club basketball and softball, and the "Say No to Drugs" March. Human Services hosts a Spiritual Encampment every July which is also open to members of the community, and is centered around spiritual and cultural enrichment through a sober life-style for families. Many of the Wellness employ ees visit the Grand Ronde Grade School to present cultural activities to the students, and the dental staff provides check-ups several times per year. HSD invites guest speakers to come to the Community Center periodically, to talk about a specific health issues like Diabetes, Cancer, or menopause. These mini-seminars are also open to anyone in the community. BUSINESS The newly-opened Song Basket Marketplace is a great opportunity for local arts and crafts people to set up a vendor booth. It is open every week through Labor Day, and any artist is welcome to participate. The Christmas Bazaar is also a good place for vendors to sell their products during the holiday season. - But perhaps the most important community feature of the Small Business Development Division is its new Business Information Center (BIC), funded through the Small Busi ness Administration. The BIC is open to the public and contains all types of materials related to starting a business including videos, library and research materials, and a com puter lab. Some of the reference materials can be checked out. "Our computer classes are also open to non-tribal members, for a $10 fee," said Elaine Moore, Division Manager. "And the spouses of tribal members always receive our ser vices for free. Currently, our computer lab is being used over 100 hours per month," she said. The Oregon Native American Business and Entrepreneurial Network, (ONABEN) based in Portland, offers a series of business classes every few months which cover such topics as business start-up, writing a business plan, applying for a loan, and management. Non-Indians are welcome to participate in these classes for a small fee. The Small Business Division also has sponsored business seminars held in Grand Ronde, and will begin offering them again this summer. The division also provides some help with business loan applications and business counseling. Q. Does the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon pay taxes? A. No. The Grand Ronde Tribe is a federally recognized governmental body, and like any city or county government, is exempt from taxation. However, the Tribe does pay property taxes on lands it purchases that are not held in Trust by the federal government. Currently, the Tribe pays taxes on about 300 acres of land in Grand Ronde. Q. Since the Grand Ronde Tribe is viewed in the same manner as a city or county government, does the Tribe tax its members the way other governments do? A. No. The Tribe is able to provide services to its members through revenue generated from business and environmentally sound use of its natural resources. The Tribe established Spirit Mountain Development Corporation, its economic development arm, to develop businesses like the Casino. Q. Do tribal members pay taxes? A. Yes. Some people are under the impression that Native American people are exempt from all taxation. This is untrue. Grand Ronde tribal members pay state and federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, as well as property taxes. Polk and Yamhill tax records show only one individually-owned trust parcel (approximately 20 acres) that is not being taxed. All other lands owned by tribal members are taxed.
