Smoke Signals
2
Tribe loses two Elders
Velma Mercier
Tribal Elder Velma Mercier passed
away on December 13. She was 91.
Velma was born on January 5, 1907
in Grand Ronde, the daughter of
Mose and Hattie Sands Hudson.
She was raised in Grand Ronde and
lived here her entire life. She gradu
ated from Grand Ronde High School
and attended nursing school at St.
Vincent's in Portland.
Velma married Harold Mercier on
September 9, 1929 in Grand Ronde.
She worked for Blue Lake (Agripac)
Cannery for over 30 years. She was
a lifetime member of St. Michael's
Catholic Church in Grand Ronde,
and a member of the Alter Society.
Velma was very active in Grand
Ronde tribal activities.
She is survived by her husband,
Harold Mercier of Grand Ronde; her
son, Harold Dean Mercier of Grand
Ronde; sister Ila Dowd of Grand
Rose Low
Tribal Elder Rose May Low, 90,
passed away on January 4 in Pa
cific City. Rose was born on July 4,
1908 in Beaverton, the daughter of
Robert and Tina Jeffreys Tyler. She
and her family moved to Corvallis
.in 1911. On June 30, 1930, she
married Floyd "Bud" Low and spent
most of her adult life in the
Corvallis-Philomath area before
moving to Albany in 1979. In 1996
Rose moved to Pacific City. Her hus
band preceded her in death in 1989.
Rose loved animals and being out
doors. She worked at home and in
the family's wood yard for many
years. Rose was Grand Marshall at
last year's Pow-wow Parade, and
was one of the Tribe's oldest Elders.
Survivors include two sons and six
daughters: Floyd Low of Davenport,
WA; Lennard Low of Corvallis;
Genieve Johnson of Clarkstone, WA;
Petrova King of Corvallis; Eloise
Kissor of Othello, WA; Elizabeth Low
of Corvallis; Ailene Knowlton of
Rodgers, Arkansas; and Lottie Child
of Pacific City.
General meeting
Continued from front page
Alaskan village of about 300, and
worked in many different places be
fore coming to Grand Ronde.
"In my heart I want to work with
Indian people. That's what brought
me here," he said. "My commitment
to Council is that I will run things
with honor and respect, and use
good business sense. I want to make
sure we are putting Elders first, and
Ronde; three grandchildren, eight
great-grandchildren, and eight
great-great grandchildren.
1 i- 'Y VT'
ft- ' mmk ' . , .' x ' j,,, ; '
Velma Mercier at the 1992 Grand
Ronde Pow-wow.
Other family includes one brother,
Ira Burgess of Eugene, fifty-two
grandchildren and numerous great
and great-great grandchildren. Also
many nieces and nephews.
Rose was preceded in death by a
sister; two brothers; one son; and two
daughters.
7 "- j "4.
7
Rose Low as one of the 1998
Grand Marshalls for the annual
Pow-wow Parade.
that we are learning from their les
sons. This Tribe has had economic
opportunity that not many tribes
have. We have to guard those pen
nies for the future. It is an honor
for me to be here, to work with you
and for you," said Mala.
The cash door prize drawings were
won by: Connie Rohde, $50; Albert
Jeffers, $50; Julie Simmons, $50; and
Betty Lambert, $100.
te ($m& (mmi lmm?!
Tribal members invited to
comment on proposed
Ordinance changes
Tribal Government Funds Administration
Tribal Long-Term Non-Expendable Trust Funds
The Tribal Council is providing this first reading of the Tribal Gov
ernmental Funds Administration and Tribal Long-Term
Non-Expendable Trust Funds Ordinances. The ordinances consoli
date several current ordinances into these two and update existing Tribal
policy and law on Tribal Funds. Below, the purpose of these ordinances
are outlined.
Tribal Governmental Funds Administration Ordinance
The purpose of this Ordinance is to provide and to clarify authoriza
tion and management directives for several governmental Funds of the
Tribe in order to guide their proper administration in accordance with
the intentions of the Tribal Council and the requirements of federal and
other parties. This ordinance consolidates several Fund ordinances, in
cluding the Economic Development Fund, Forest Management Fund,
Gaming Dividend Fund, and Self-Determination Fund Additional lan
guage is provided for the General Fund, Tribal Health Services Fund
and Capital Projects Fund which had no previous formal policy adopted.
The Ordinance also provides updated policy for the management of the
Funds.
Tribal Long-Term Non-Expsndable Trust Funds Ordinance
The purpose of this Ordinance is to provide, and to clarify authoriza
tion and management directives, for permanent endowments of the Tribe
in order to assure the availability of revenues to finance priority pro
grams and activities in the future. The Ordinance consolidates several
current Fund Ordinances, including for the Governmental Operations
Trust Fund, Health Services Trust Fund, Education Trust Fund, Hous
ing Assistance Trust Fund, Elder's Retirement Trust Fund and Burial
Trust Fund into this ordinance and provides updated policy for the man
agement of the Funds.
Tribal members can request a copy of the proposed Ordinances by
contacting Greg Archuleta, Administrative Officer at (503) 879
2250 or 1-800-422-0232. Tribal Council invites comments on the
proposed amendments. Please send your comments to Greg Ar
chuleta, 9615 Grand Ronde Rd., Grand Ronde, OR 97347.
COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 12, 1999.
Ted Mala
Continued from front page.
"I always want to give back to Na
tive people. So I applied for this job,
and was called for an interview. I
am very pleased to be chosen by
Tribal Council for this position," he
said.
Mala says we spend a lot of time
referring to the Tribe as an organi
zation, but really we should be em
phasizing the fact that Grand Ronde
is an Indian organization.
"I want to focus on our Indian
ness. Our culture," he said.
One of his ideas includes promot
ing traditional methods of healing
within the Health and Wellness Cen
ter. He said that traditional medi
cine should be a health option for
our people. Also, he wants to focus
on the Tribe's economic resources
namely the Casino and plan for
the Tribe's future wisely.
In Alaska, Mala said there are
some tribes that have been finan-
want to focus
on our Indian-ness.
Our culture"
Ted Mala
Executive Officer
daily successful because they have
discovered oil on tribal land and
have been able to sell it. But it is a
commodity that, although lucrative,
may not last forever. So they have
to invest and save their money for
the future. He would like Grand
Ronde to take the same approach.
"Just like the oil resources may not
last, gaming may not always be
around either," he said. "I would like
for the Grand Ronde Tribe to become
fiscally conservative and plan for
this. We all should be good, respon
sible stewards of what we have."