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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1998)
December 1, 1998 Tribal Life 7 Members welcome to comment on proposed ordinance changes Adopting tribal children The Tribal Council in consultation with the Tribal Attorney's office has proposed several amendments to the Tribal Court Ordinance. The first reading of the amendments to the Tribal Court Ordinance was pre sented at the November 18, 1998 Tribal Council meeting. The purpose of the amendments is to make technical corrections to vari ous provisions of the Ordinance and to make necessary substantive changes to the Ordinance to reflect the expansion and growth of the Tribal Court system. The numerous substantive changes include, but are not limited to, the expansion of the Tribal Court's jurisdiction, changes to the choice of law provisions, an increase in the minimum qualifica tions for Judges and Court Clerk, changes to the recruitment require ments for judicial positions, changes to spokesperson and counsel require ments, and the elimination of certain bond requirements. The Tribal Coun cil believes amendment of this Ordi nance will assist the Tribe in continu ing to provide an efficient and effec tive judicial system. For a copy of the proposed Ordi nance amendments please contact the Tribal Attorney's office at (503) 879-2265. Tribal Council invites comments on the proposed amend ments. Please send your comments to the Tribal Attorney's office, 9615 Grand Ronde Rd., Grand Ronde, OR 97347. Comments must be received by December 15, 1998. Member becomes published again Tribal member Veronica Gaston's latest poem, "Reflections" has been cho sen as a finalist for the National Library of Poetry's newest anthology, A Quiet Place. Veronica has had her poetry published before, and has been recognized as a talented young author. Also, on December 6, Veronica will be one of many Portland-area competitors who have been selected to take the knowledge test for the game show Jeopardy Ith If she does well, Veronica will travel to Los Angeles to appear on the prime-time show with Alex Trebek. , 60(cfjfgigan ifloaiaffij;; mm) TUES., DEC. 1 WED., DEC. 2 THURS., DEC. 3 Beef Stroganoff Taco Soup Spare Ribs & Corn Garlic Bread & Salad Jell-0 Salad Baked Potatoes Dessert Dessert Dessert TUES., DEC 8 WED., DEC. 9 THURS., DEC 10 Italian Spaghetti Enchiladas & Rice Honey Baked Ham Green Beans and Bread Refried Beans Potatoes & Gravy Dessert Dessert Yams & Broccoli Pie TUES., DEC IS WED., DEC. 16 THURS., DEC 17 Stir Fry Chicken Fish and Salad Pork Steaks & Carrots Egg Foo Young Garden Medley Rice Scalloped Potatoes Dessert Dessert Dessert TUES., DEC. 22 WED., DEC. 23 THURS., DEC. 24 Meat Loaf Stuffed Chicken Breast CHRISTMAS EVE Red Potatoes . Cauliflower wCheese Lasagna & Corn Veggie Green Salad Garlic Bread Dessert Dessert Dessert TUES., DEC. 29 WED., DEC. 30 THURS., DEC 31 Tacos & Mexi-Fries Roast Beef NEW YEARS EVE Veggie Mashed Potatoes Appetizers Dessert Veggie Mini Sandwiches Cake & Ice Cream Come & join the fun! f' 'lH ':!3iMTJI -tftii:"t:U4iIife A special SEASONS GREETINGS to all of you from the entire Wellness Team! continued from page 3 asked are pretty personal." But the questions are not asked out of a simple curiosity. The Tribe and the state must be careful about who they select as adoptive parents. Some of these children, especially older children, have gotten off to a rough start in life. Some of them have spe cialneeds Sadly, it's the older chil drenwrTo have the smallest chance of ever being adopted. In the state of Oregon in general, there are some parents whose names are in the "placement pool" through the Office for Services to Children and Families. This means their names are drawn when a child comes up for adoption through the state. Some parents have specific wishes, some don't. Some want a child who is white, some are unconcerned about race; some want a child with no physi cal challenges at all, some are per fectly willing to provide care for a disabled child; some want to adopt only a boy, some only a girl, to oth ers it makes no difference. But many adoptive parents have mixed feelings about adopting older children. This means that adolescents and teens will most likely spend the rest of their childhood shuffling to and from fos ter homes. This lack of connection nigiinimjiiioKj - SALEM -Dec. 7: 3 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 9: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 10: 8 a.m. to noon - SILETZ -Dec. 21, 22, 23, and 28: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to any one set of adults often causes problems of trust and attachment later in life. The truth is, though these chil dren are older, they have the same ability as younger children to connect and bond in a household where the guiding values are love, understand ing, structure, and stability. Moreover, even if you are not able to become a foster or adoptive par ent, as a tribal member you can con tribute to helping these children gain a sense of pride and strength in their Indian identity and the fact that as tribal members, we are all part of a unique, larger family. The Tribe's Education and Wellness departments offer a variety of youth activities who are always seeking volunteers. If you don't live near the Tribe, you can find out more about youth activities by calling the State Office for Services to Children and Families at 1-800-331-0503. Says Mercier, "We are a tribe. Raising healthy, happy children in a safe environment is a community re sponsibility." Tribal members who want to learn more about adopting or foster parenting a tribal child should call Carmen Mercier at (503) 879-2036. "Split Feathers: Adult American Indians Who Were Placed in Non-Indian Families as Chil dren," Carol Locust, Ph.D.., Pathways. Sept. Oct 1998, Volume 13, Number 4, p. 4-6. Santa and Rudolph are coming to town! When: Monday, December 14, 1998 Where: Tribal Community Center Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For: Tribal children ages five and under Please join us for arts and crafts, refreshments, safety and prevention activities, photos with Santa and Rudolph. DEC. 4-5: CHRISTMAS BAZAAR AND ALL INDIAN TALENT SHOW. Yakama Nation Cultural Heritage Center. TOPPENISH, WA. (509) 865-5121 . DEC. 5: MASON SCHOOL POW-WOW. 2812 N. Madison. TACOMA, WA. (206) 596-1139. DEC. 11: CHRISTMAS POW-WOW. Portland State University. PORTLAND, OR. (503) 725-4425. DEC. 11-13: MUCKLESHOOT MONTHLY POW-WOW. Muckleshoot Tribal School. AUBURN, WA. Contact: Tammy or Walter at (206) 939-3311 ext. 259. DEC. 25-28: WAPATO LONGHOUSE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION & POW-WOW. Wapato Longhouse. WAPATO, WA. (509)865-5121. DEC.29-JAN.1: TOPPENISH CREEK NEW YEAR CELEBRATION. Toppenish Creek Longhouse. WHITE SWAN, WA. (509)865-5721.
