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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1997)
2 (HS$Q SMOKE SIGNALS Member Benefit programs, continued from frontpage Salmon Corps receives Drucker award RISK MANAGEMENT Health Security Program for tribal members: The Health Security Program provides the ODS healthvision insurance to all tribal members who apply, no matter where they live. This same program is responsible for the new standard dental insurance provided to all tribal members who apply. There are approximately 2200 members under the age of 65 enrolled in the Tribe to date. Any member can apply for one or both programs during one of our open two open enrollment periods per year, January 1 or July 1 . Health Security Program for Elders: The Health Security Program for Elders provides a health care package for all Tribal Elders age 65 and older. This is a supplemental insurance policy that coordinated directly with their Medicare benefits, as well as provides dental insurance for all Elders who are enrolled in the Supplemental Program. Supplemental Security Program: The Supplemental Security Program reimburses Medi care expenses that are deducted directly from the tribal Elders (65 and over) Social Security checks. If an Elder is enrolled in Medicaid, SSI, or the Oregon Health Plan, they are usually not responsible for their Medicare premiums, therefore they would not be eligible for this program. If you are not sure if you are eligible, please call the Risk Management department for assistance at 1-800-442-0346. HOUSING Down Payment Grants: The Tribe has established a Down Payment Assistance program to help qualified tribal members with the purchase of their first home. Tribal members do not have to live in the Housing Authority's Ten-County Service Area to apply for this grant this year. To date, 21 grants have been made, with 19 pending. (Some are going into Grand Meadows, the manufactured home park in Grand Ronde.) There is a waiting list of more than 100 at this time. This program carries a maximum grant of $ 10,000. Emergency Repair Grant: Monies for this program are to be used for tribal member homes that are in need of immediate, emergency repair. Thirty-five grants have been awarded this year, with six on the waiting list. The maximum award is $3,000. Major Rehabilitation Grant: This program provides for the major repair of tribal member homes. Eight grants have made this year, with a waiting list of 13. The maximum award for this program is $20,000. NOTE: In order to ensure the most efficient use of the Housing Authority's resources, only the Down Payment Assistance program is available to tribal members outside the Housing Authority's Ten-County Service Area in Oregon. This is because repair work to homes must be monitored and inspected by the Housing Authority staff, and they must be able to regularly travel to these homes to oversee the work that is being done. If you would like more information about any of these programs, please call the Housing Authority at 1-800-422-0232, extension 2467. Debate over Kennewick Man continues The Umatilla have proposed its own ex cavation plan after an anthropologist sought to dig a trench near where a 9,200 year old skeleton was found. Umatilla spokesman Paul Minthorn said the excavation plan by Washington State University anthropologist Gary Huckleberry is flawed. Huckleberry in late August asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to let him and a team of scientists excavate a trench in Co lumbia Park to search for clues near the site where the Kennewick Man skeleton was found in July of 1996. Minthorn said Huckleberry's plan does not adequately protect the site, where other remains may be buried. "Our preference is that nothing be done, that no digging be done, that the area be left alone," he said. The tribe's plans call for digging up to five test holes six inches at a time rather than a 50 to 100 foot trench as pro posed by Huckleberry. Huckleberry pro posed testing the site with small holes to determine whether it contains archeologi cal deposits. Huckleberry said he welcomes the Tribe's scientists to join the project. A cooperative effort could help resolve the controversial case, he said. "They can work with us and collect the same data, then write their interpretation," he said. "It might solve the impasse." The Umatilla and Huckleberry say a dig should try to figure out why the ancient bones were so well preserved, whether they were intentionally buried and if the initial carbon dating on the bones of 9,200 years is accurate. Potentially, scientists would be able to determine if the Kennewick Man floated down river of was buried at the site. One of the biggest potential finds would be organic material, such as plant of animal remains, that can be carbon dated to con firm the age of the Kennewick Man. The Umatilla are among five Northwest tribes who told the corps the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatria tion Act mandated the bones be returned to them for burial. The corps was close to granting that re quest when eight prominent scientists sued for the right to study the bones, saying the remains are too old to link to modern Ameri can Indians without more study. A unique partnership called the Salmon Corps has received an award recognizing innovative programs that produce "new di mensions of performance" in the lives of the people they serve. The Earth Conservation Corps (ECC) Salmon Corps program was selected by the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management to receive Special Recognition during the 1997 Drucker Award for Non profit Innovation ceremony on October 27 in Washington D.C. Salmon Corps began in 1 994 with the goal of utilizing Native American young adults (18-25 years old) to repair the disappearing salmon habitats of the Columbia River Ba sin. This approach fulfills ECC's mission of reclaiming two of the country's most threat ened resources: the environment and dis advantaged young people. Salmon Corps is a partnership between Americorps; the Nez Perce Tribe; the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes; the Confeder ated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reserva tion; the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation; the Co lumbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; various corporations, and the U.S. Depart ments of Energy, Agriculture and Interior. Since its inception, Salmon Corps mem bers have successfully erected over 300 miles of riparian fencing, restored over 260 miles of streams, and released over 3.5 mil lion salmon within the Columbia River Ba sin (160,000 square miles). "Our success is not possible without the combined efforts of our staff, partners, and the remarkable spirit and dedication of Salmon Corps members," said Charles F. Sams III, Director of NW Operations for the ECC. The volunteers work experience ben efits Salmon Corps members in several ways. Members receive career training experiences in habitat restoration and exposure to ca reer opportunities such as natural resource leadership and management. Teen honored for community service Luhui Whitebear works diligently to en sure a better quality of life for Native people. Luhui has served as the Youth President for the Oregon Native Youth Council (ONYC) since 1993, and serves as the President of the Native Youth Group at high school. ONYC is a nonprofit, grassroots organi zation formed in response to the identified crisis situation of Native youth within the state of Oregon, and members remain com mitted to the development of youth and El ders to strengthen families and communi ties. Luhui has been a central figure in de fining the goals and objectives of this orga nization. Luhui has coordinated a Youth Empowerment Conference, established a weekly tutoring program, visited incarcer ated Native youth, encouraged other youth to relinquish gang affiliation and put an end to drug and alcohol abuse, and has pro moted the value of education. Luhui contributes to her community (Otis, Oregon) through the written word, creating poems which reflect the community she serves and the Chumash, Pueblo, Commanche, and Huichol traditions of her family. Her award and a gift of $5,000 were presented to Luhui October 28 at a cer emony at the National Press Club in Wash ington D.C. Submissions to Smoke Signals MUST reach the office by the 5th or 20th of each month for the following issue. Send to: SMOKE SIGNALS, 961 5 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347 Fax: (503)879-2263 If you have recently moved or plan on moving, let us know so you won't miss a single issue of your favorite newspaper. Smoke Signals is available to anyone at no cost. Just fill out this form with your name and address, then mail it back to Smoke Signals, Attn: Kim Mueller, 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347. OLD ADDRESS: NEW ADDRESS: Editor: Tracy Dugan Assistant: Kim Mueller E-Mail us via Internet - tracynewsmacnet.com or kimnewsmacnet.com
