THE REVIEW
The Six County Service Saga: the challenge of meeting members' needs
6
1998 Direct Service Budget Funds
Tribal funded programs
restricted to 6 or 10 counties
(6.62)
(66.63)
Tribal funded programs
available to all members
- L
FederalState funded program
restricted to 6 or 8 counties
(26.75)
Available to All Members
Emergency Assistance (Tribal)
Health Security Program
Elders Health Security
Pension Program
Disability Program
Member Benefit
Education & Training Services (Tribal)
Housing Down Paymt.' Assistance
Tribal Funds
Restricted to six county area
Health Deferred Services
Elder Outreach
Mental Health
By Oscar Johnson
The Six County Service Area, cer
tain Oregon counties that some of the
Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde's member services and pro
grams are restricted to, has been a
topic of contention for many tribal
members especially those not
lucky enough to reside in the area.
Since Spirit Mountain Casino
opened in 1995, the Grand Ronde
Tribe has seen health and social ser
vices for all members, regardless of
what county they live in, mushroom
from nearly zero to more than 66 per
cent showing that the Tribe is striv
ing towards its strategic plan to en
sure "a fair distribution of resources
among tribal members in different
situations and locations."
Yet recent community meetings
held outside Grand Ronde show
many agree with Portland area mem
ber, Jon George, who says those out
side the area sometimes feel, "like
they're being penalized for where
they live. It's sad to see that a tribal
member would be denied services."
Tribal officials, however, stress that
it takes time to make changes and say
member awareness of changes that
have already taken place is also
needed.
They note that historically, mem
ber services were restricted to the Six
County Service Area because it was
mandated by the 1983 Grand Ronde
Reservation Act, the law which re
stored the Tribe to its federally rec
ognized status.
The Act states that, "in the case of
federal services available to members
of federally recognized Indian tribes
residing on or near a reservation,
members of the Tribe residing in the
following counties of the state of Or
egon shall be deemed to be residing
on or near a reservation." The act
goes on to list Washington, Marion,
Yamhill, Polk, Tillamook and
Multnomah counties.
"Any funds that come from federal
programs like the BIA (Bureau of In
dian Affairs) or IHS (Indian Health
Services), explains the Tribe's Execu
tive Assistant, Chris Leno, "is man
dated to stay within the six counties."
But some members are still denied
tribal services and question why
county restrictions still apply now that
the Tribe no longer has to rely on fed
eral dollars for the bulk of its pro
gram funding.
Currently, services such as child
care, Elder services, mental health,
employment and emergency home
repair programs are entirely funded
by tribal revenues but are still re
stricted to certain counties.
Most programs that are restricted
to specific counties are confined to
the Six County Service Area, but a
few are extended to cover eight or
ten county areas.
"I don't really understand stuff like
that," says 62-year-old Robert Rife,
a Prineville member recently turned
down for an Emergency Housing
Repair assistance because he lives
outside the program's 10 county ser
vice area. "All I know is I can't get
anything."
Despite the shortcomings of re
stricting the Emergency Housing Re
pair program to 10 counties, the
Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Author
ity (GRTHA) has actually managed
to expand the program's original ser
vice area, says GRTHA Director,
Linda Lay den.
"We feel we made a step by adding
four counties (Benton, Clackamas,
Lincoln and Linn)," says Lay den who
explained that since GRTHA must in
spect the homes to be repaired, pro
duce cost estimates, work contracts
and monitor repairs it is not feasible
to take on projects in far away lo
cales. Similarly, Acting Executive Of
ficer, Greg Archuleta, says the Tribe
has also managed to extended the
Housing Down Payment Assistance
program beyond the Six County Ser
vice Area but adds that many services
such as the Tribal Before and After
School Child Care and the Elder Out
reach programs are community
based programs.
The facilities, personnel and re
sources needed to run these pro
grams in far away counties are be
yond the Tribe's current capacity and
many programs also include tribal dol
lars because the federal funds are in
adequate. Instead of simply extending exist
ing services to other areas, he says
tribal officials have used an "incre
mental approach" whereby member
input has lead to implementing new
programs that are available to all
members such as members' benefits,
scholarships, health security and pension.
The majority of the Tribe's member
services are available to all members,
according to budget figures given by
Archuleta. He says even tribal mon
ies 'preserved in trust funds are set
aside so accrued interests will fund
programs that benefit all members.
Currently, 24 percent of the Tribe's
revenue comes from the federal gov-'
ernment for programs such as clini
cal and medical services, drug and
alcohol treatment and pharmacy ser
vices which are restricted to certain
counties.
About 51 percent of 1998 tribal
expenditures will go directly to mem
ber services such as health, educa
tion, housing and pensions which are
available to all members regardless
of where they live. Of this amount,
15 percent is restricted by county and
36 percent goes to services for all
members.
The remaining 49 percent is com
bined with federal funds to cover non
direct costs such as tribal govern
ment, natural resource management
and community development, Archu
leta says.
"As we do look at expanding pro
grams and services, the Tribal Coun
cil will look at making those services
available to all members wherever
they live," Archuleta says. "I think
at the Community Meetings it was
expressed how grateful people were
for how we were able to make ser
vices available to everyone."
He also notes that tribal policy mak
ers have to balance members' sug
gestions for expanded services with
suggestions for building infrastruc
ture in Grand Ronde.
According to voting results taking
from recent community meetings
held in Portland, Salem, Eugene,
Bend and Grand Ronde, the 100 or
so members who voted chose build
ing infrastructure in Grand Ronde as
Employment Services
Senior Services
Tribal BeforeAfter School Care
Education Youth Services
Restricted to ten county area
Housing Emergency Assistance
Major Rehabilitation
Deferred Loans
FederalState Funds
n. Restricted to six county area
Contract Health Care 5
Dental
Pharmacy
Medical Services
, .. RadiologyLab " ' ' .
"" Mental Health (IHS)
Community Health Care . .
General Assistance
Social Services Block Grant
Vocational Rehabilitation
Senior Services
Community Services Block Grant
Alcohol & Drug Prevention (State)
Social Services (BIA)
Domestic Violence
Family Services Block Grant
Education & Training Services (BIA)
Johnson O'Malley
Childcare Development
Childcare Grant
IHS Sanitation Improvements
Restricted to eight county area
Alcohol & Drug Outpatient
the seventh important priority. While
the Six County Service Area was a
popular topic for discussion at most
meetings, when the votes were tallied
it ranked only as the No. 12 priority.
Voting seemed to depend on where
members lived with Bend members
casting all of the 12 votes against the
Six County Service Area restrictions
and along with Portland members
casting no votes for Grand Ronde
infrastructure.
But it is hard for Rife to reconcile the
complex issues tribal officials have to
juggle in order to comply with voter's
needs and his own need to fix a leak
ing roof before the fall rains set in.
"I don't know what to say,"
shrugged the Elder. "I just need help. "