Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Grand Ronde, OR
About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1998)
News THE REVIEW Tribe begins South Yamhill Restoration project 2 GRAND RONDE - The Grand Ronde Tribe and Spirit Mountain Casino have announced the start of the South Yamhill River Restoration project by the Spirit Mountain Com munity Fund in conjunction with the Governor's Task Force on the Wil lamette River Basin, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), and the Stop Oregon Litter and Vandal ism (SOLV) programs. The goal of this project is to restore a stretch of the South Yamhill River owned by the Tribe to its native state. "Our goal is to restore this portion of the river and adjacent land to what it was like two hundred years ago," said Adam Henny, Public Relations Specialist for the Casino. Tribes that make up the Confeder ated Tribes of Grand Ronde inhab ited the Willamette River drainage as their ancestral home for centuries. The Tribe has worked closely with Governor Kitzhaber's Task Force on the Willamette River Basin and hopes to have this project serve as a dem onstration of what can be done throughout the Willamette River drainage. The project included a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 29, and par ticipation from school children who if , , . , , , ' f ' v 1 "' I J f' i 4 0 ft $ if '.X. oO v attend OMSI's "Salmon Camp." The kids and project committee members helped clear away blackberry patches, spread barkdust, and plant trees in the restoration area. Recent Tribal Council Actions Tribes seek new plan, continued from Pagei, AUGUST 5, 1998 Ed Larsen, Vice-Chair, conducted the meeting. Kathryn Harrison, Mark Mercier, and Margaret Provost were excused. The Government, Management, and Budget Subcommittee recom mended Council adopt a resolution approving a land lease between the Tribe and the Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Authority for the develop ment of Elder Housing. Ed Pearsall moved, Bob Mercier seconded a motion to approve Resolution Num ber 065-98 approving a land lease be tween CTGR and GRTHA as pre sented. The motion carried by a vote of 5-0-0. The Culture and Heritage Board (by unanimous vote) and the Subcom mittee recommended the appointment of tribal member Christine Contreras to the Board. The motion carried by a vote of 5-0-0. The Council by full consensus ap proved the recommended changes to the Amended Agreement of the Mid Willamette Valley Council of Govern ments of which the Tribe is a voting member. The agreement is being amended by: adding additional vot ing members of the Council; clarify ing that the voting membership in the Council of Governments belongs to "member" cities, and that voting population is determined by member cities with Salem retaining its voting position as the largest populated city in the tri-county region; and that amendments to the agreement be ap proved by three-fourths of the total member governments rather than unanimous approval. Greg Archuleta, Acting Executive Officer asked Council to adopt a reso lution approving the proposed Annual Funding Agreement and Tentative Allocations for the calendar year 1999. Bob Mercier moved, Ed Pearsall seconded a motion to adopt Resolution Number 066-98 approv ing the agreement and allocations as presented. The motion carried by a vote of 5-0-0. The Resource Subcommittee rec ommended that Council adopt a reso lution approving the use of construc tion funding for updating transporta tion plans in the Portland area. Ac cording to the BIA-Portland office, having plans updated will increase future funding potential. Ed Pearsall moved, Chip Tom seconded a motion to adopt Resolution Number 067-98. The motion carried, 5-0-0. AUGUST 26, 1998 Kathryn Harrison called the meet ing to order. Margaret Provost and Reyn Leno were excused. Council approved a $500 dona tion from tribal funds to support the annual Human Services Division Christmas Food Baskets and Tree of Giving fundraiser. for indirect administrative costs such as accounting, construction and hu man resources. Grand Ronde is one of the few tribes who are lucky enough to have additional resources such as timber and Casino revenues to make up the difference. But for other smaller In dian nations, it means services are reduced or cut altogether, Haller said. In addition to the Workgroup's up hill struggle for sufficient federal funding, pending legislation on Capi tal Hill has brought a heightened sense of urgency to the task at hand. "It's important to get tribal input in coming up with an assessment and formula that is workable," said Bureau of Indian Affairs Area Di rector, Stan Speaks. "If we as a workgroup don't come up with some kind of formula then Central BIA is going to do it for us." The rush comes on the heels of the current Senate debate over the Fis cal Year 1999 Interior Appropria tions Bill. The bill currently con tains a clause that would use Means Testing to force tribes to open their books to the U.S. government and allocate funds set aside for Indian Country by taking $12.5 million from the top 10 percent of the "wealthiest" tribes and redistribute it among the poorest 20 percent. Negotiations between Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Kevin Gover, and the bill's author, Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA), have softened the bill somewhat. The new changes include not counting resources held in trust by the U.S. government in the Means Testing process; allowing tribes to maintain their rights to funds if they chose to forfeit them for a year; and letting the Secretary of Interior con sult with tribes to develop an alter nate plan by April. But critiques of the bill say it will still arbitrarily redistribute funds and ignore the distinction between need based allocations and U.S. treaty ob ligations to provide services in ex change for Native land and re sources. - "They are unnecessarily targeting tribes in a callus way they are not talking about their legal obligation," said TPA Workgroup Chair, Ron Allen. "If the Senate Committee voted on it today, we think we'd lose. " By March, Allen and other Workgroup members aim to provide lawmakers with a detailed account of the U.S. liability for, and a historical context of, TPAs which they say . Congress has lost sight of; the needs and unmet needs in Indian Country compared to national standards; and a budget comparison showing dis parities between Indian Country and its non-Indian counterpart.
