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
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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.