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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 1998)
January 20, 1998 SMOKE SIGNALS 5 01 W the federal agency is based on the income reported by the veteran to the agency. The Veterans' Administration considers the amount of money the Tribe provides to our Tribal Members as reportable income and have re duced the amount of money they provide to the tribal member veteran. We have argued that the amount the Tribe provides to the Member should not be included as reportable income because our program is based on need. The Veterans' Administration does not agree. We are currently working with the Secretary of the Veterans' Administration who has advised several Council mem bers that he would look into the matter in an attempt to resolve this issue. The only other alternative is for the Tribe to propose legislation to Congress that would ex clude tribal payments from reportable income. This will be a very long process and may not be approved by the Congress. Recently, we raised this issue with Repre sentative Elizabeth Furse who advised us to provide her office with the current legislation and other documenta tion so that her staff can work on the issue. 5. WHY WERE HOUSES BUILT FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS BEFORE THEY WERE BUILT FOR ELDERS AND THE POOR? The manufactured home development project was de signed to quickly provide housing for tribal members wanting to relocate to Grand Ronde. There were many requests to the Tribal Council for housing, especially with the opening of the Spirit Mountain Casino. The manufactured home project was seen as a way to pro vide some type of housing quickly. The Tribe is working on housing for low income fami lies and elders. Elder housing design will begin in 1998 and then construction should begin. Planning for the low income housing will be done in the future, and con struction will follow. 6. CAN WE HAVE A COMMITTEE TO REVIEW ALL THE OPTIONS FOR OUR SWEAT LODGE? The Tribal Council has established committees of the Tribal Council to review proposals and options for vari ous tribal initiatives. Members who have specific pro posal can bring them before the appropriate committee for review and a decision. The committees and the spe cific meeting days are as follows: Monday mornings-Health & Human Services Committee Monday afternoons-Community Resources Committee Tuesdays-Tribal Government, Management and Budgets Wednesday mornings-Legislative Committee Wednesday afternoons-Economic Development Thursday mornings-Natural Resources Committee Thursday afternoons-Education Committee A proposal to finance and construct a Sweat Lodge would be proposed to the Tribal Government, Manage ment and Budget Committee. Tribal members who are involved in this project should contact Lauri Smith at (503) 879-230 1 and request an appointment to meet with this Committee at its next regular Tuesday session and provide the proposal for consideration. 7. WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SPIRIT HOUSE TO SUPPORT THAT PROJECT? A financially sound proposal from the project devel opers that clearly explains the need for and benefits to the Tribe and the community. This proposal will need to clearly show how it will be organized and that the individuals responsible for the management of the project are qualified. The proposal will need to justify any funding required and that all other means of financing the project have been exhausted. The proposal will need to show how the project will become financially self-sufficient and not require tribal funding each year. As the pro posal is developed new questions and requirements may arise and additional documentation may need to be submit ted. The Tribe must be convinced by the proposal that the need exists and the membership will support the project. 8. IS THERE A SECONDARY USAGE OF OUR CASINO PROPERTY IF WE LOSE GAMING, AND IF NOT COULD WE RESEARCH ONE? When we prepared the original business plan for the Casino, the Spirit Mountain Board of Directors and staff considered this issue, and determined that with the ho tel, the property may be a viable convention center facil ity, but there is not guarantee. We welcome ideas and we will raise the issue at a Board meeting for further discussion. It is unlikely we would lose all forms of gaming at one time. Nevertheless, there is a significant political risk in the long term. Even if there was abso lutely no use for the property after laws are passed to eliminate gaming, the profit we are able to generate while we operate justifies building the facility. 9. WHO SELECTS THE SPIRIT MOUNTAIN BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND WHY ARE COUN CIL MEMBERS ON THE BOARD? This process is set forth in Spirit Mountain's Articles of Incorporation. Members are selected by the Board and confirmed by the Council. The Articles require that a majority of Board members are tribal members, and at least one is a Tribal Council member. That was intended to assure that there is effective communication between the Board and the Council. We currently have two Tribal Council members on the Board. 10. HAVE THE DRAKE CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE ALL GONE THROUGH DIVERSITY TRAINING BE FORE THEY WORK ON OUR PROJECTS AS WAS PROVIDED BY THE CASINO? Some of the Drake people took Spirit Mountain's Di versity Training, including the project superintendent and some supervisors. Drake also offers in-house training at its own company. Drake hires many of its employees through the union halls and those people change fre quently. Drake attempts to meet with these people be fore they come to work on our project to explain to them that they are guests on tribal land and that they should behave accordingly. We required that Drake have a tribal member hiring preference and we checked with other tribes for whom they had worked to assure that they had a successful program and were able to work effectively in a tribal setting. We received positive re views from the Warm Springs Tribe and they have since done projects for Cow Creek. Drake also had a minor ity performance program on a pro-bono project for Self Enhancement, Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps disadvantaged black youth. 11. WHERE IS OUR FOOD BANK? IFYOUDON'T HAVE FOOD YOU MOST LIKELY DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO SILETZ FOR FOOD. Tribal Council members and staff have been working diligently on establishing a food bank in the Grand Ronde area. They found that in order to establish a Food Bank, two issues need to be addressed: 1) a site needs to be found; and 2) funding to operate needs to be obtained. Concerning space, the Tribe initially intended to lo cate the Food Bank near the Sheriffs Depot in Bunnsville. After initial analysis, it was determined that this would not be a very convenient location because of access. We are currently searching for a more convenient loca tion. The property located across from Public Works is a possibility. As far as funding is concerned, Grand Ronde has a Service Integration Team that works in the local area to improve the quality of life for families. The Service Integration Team is preparing an application to the Spirit Mountain Community Fund (the 6 fund taken out of Casino profits) that would help fund a food bank. In the meantime, the Tribe is currently working in cooperation with the food bank already established and operating out of the United Methodist Church in Grand Ronde. In regards to not having transportation to drive to Si letz to get food, the Tribe has established an agreement with the Siletz Tribe to provide a pick-up service of USD A commodities for eligible members in the Grand Ronde area. One day per month, staff from the Community Resources Division drive to Siletz and pick-up USDA commodities for members in the area who do not have the transportation to do so themselves. If you live in the Grand Ronde area and do not have transportation to get to Siletz to pick-up your commodities, contact Linda Olson at 879-2033 or Travis Benoist at 879-2066. - 12. IS THE BLOOD QUANTUM FOR ENROLL MENT BEING CHANGED? IF SO, WHY? No. 13. IS THERE A DISASTER FUND? There is an assistance fund for Tribal members that experience disasters such as fire, floods or other natural disasters. The funds are part of the emergency assis . tancebenevolence fund managed by the Community Resources Division. The fund provides up to $600.00 in financial assistance. If the needs are greater, alterna tive resources are sought for the family and an addi tional request can be made by the Community Resources Division to the Tribal Council. 14. WILL A REFORM BOARD BE CREATED TO REVIEW OUR ELECTION PROCESS? ' The Tribal Council and Tribal Attorney are working with the current Election Committee and reviewing the procedures and rules regarding tribal elections. Recom mendations are being reviewed and if changes are re quired to the Election Ordinance those changes will be provided for General Council review and comment. 15. WILL THE TRIBAL COUNCIL VOTING RECORD BE REPORTED IN SMOKE SIGNALS? This is under consideration by the Tribal Council. However, major Council actions are published. 16. WILL THE ELECTION RESULTS BE RE PORTED IN SMOKE SIGNALS? Yes. 17. HOW mhLSMOKE SIGNALS BE RESTRUC TURED TO BETTER INFORM TRIBAL MEMBERS ON ISSUES INVOLVING THE TRIBE? There are several changes being made to better in form tribal members of tribal activities. These include the following: Hiring an additional reporter and provid ing more news articles on tribal issues. If tribal mem bers have news coverage ideas, contact Tracy Dugan at . 879-2254 or Kim Mueller at 879-2264.
