MARCH 15, 1999
3
Hitting the halls of Capitol HI
Grand Ronde Council
members and lobbyists
visit the offices of
Oregon Reps, in a
whirlwind tour they say
is routine but essential
By Oscar Johnson
Council officials took time out from
a busy national conference of tribal
leaders to meet with state represen
tative staffers on Capitol Hill.
Council members, Leon Tom, Ed
Pearsall and Council Chairwoman,
Kathryn Harrison called on the of
fices of Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR),
Sen. Gorton Smith (R-OR) and Rep.
Darlene Hooley (D-OR).
They planned to meet with con
gressional staffers because Oregon's
congressional delegation was visit
ing Oregon following prolonged
Presidential impeachment hearings.
"It's basic government to govern
ment relations. We tell them what
our concerns are and they tell us
what they're doing on the issues,"
said Tom. "That's why they're there
to represent us on the issues."
Grand Ronde officials were among
scores of tribal delegates in Wash
ington to address an array of issues
affecting Indian Country at the Na
tional Congress of American Indians'
(NCAI) two-day Executive Council
Winter Session.
The Council delegation and Inter
governmental Affairs state lobbyist,
Justin Martin, met with the Tribe's
Washington-based lobbyist, Mark
Phillips, to outline upcoming legis
lative issues likely to affect the Tribe.
One chief concern was federal regu
lations currently in the pipeline that
will regulate Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) transferals of tribal purchased
fee lands into trust lands. Some states
are lobbying against the process be
cause it gives tribes sovereign power
and immunity on the land.
Phillips noted that BIA Assistant
Secretary, Kevin Gover, had just
warned NCAI that pending regula
tions will likely make transfers
harder for land far from a reserva
tion and easier for land bordering a
reservation.
"That's great as long as you have
a reservation," Phillips said, point
ing out that the Tribe's reservation
boarders uninhabitable timber land.
"I would say for Grand Ronde this is
the most looming issue on the fed
eral front."
Following the early morning meet
ing, the group met with staff from
Wyden's office.
Pete Wakeland, Hatfield fellow and
intern legislative assistant, along
with co-staffer, Sarah Bittleman, out
lined how they summarize informa
tion and solicit the views of Oregon
constituents on Indian and natural
resource issues for Wyden.
Although Wakeland said he some
times "feels like I've been thrown
into a pond I've never swam in be
fore," the newcomer added that the
experience "has been really great."
The delegation's next stop was the
office of the Tribe's longtime friend
and political ally, Darlene Hooley.
Hooley's Legislative Assistant, Lisa
Sherman, said the Representative's
agenda for the year will most likely
focus on issues such as tax breaks
for families.
"I think most of the bills she will
support will be pro-family," said
Sherman.
Hooley's recent appointment to the
Budget Committee was discussed
since Congress would soon be nego
tiating how much of the President's
budget proposal to ratify.
The proposal recommends signifi
cant increases for Indian education.
Similarly, Hooley's position on the
Housing Committee could also be a
boon if related issues arise as the
Tribe gears up to build Elder hous
ing, this year.
In Sen. Smith's office the group
met with the senator's new Legisla
tive Assistant, Martin Doern.
They took the opportunity to bring
the new 'staffer' up to speed on the
Tribe's history, government to gov
ernment relations and concerns.
Phillips presented Doern with a
document outlining the Tribe's his
tory, current goals and struggles.
"It's important to remember that
tribes are governments," Phillips ex
plained. "They're not just some spe
cial interest group."
As with all the representatives and
their staff, Harrison invited Doern
and Smith to visit Grand Ronde the
next time they were in Oregon.
All the visits were brief but impor
tant according to Tom.
"It's important to have these rela
tionships and to have (Martin) in
Salem and Phillips in Washington
so we know what they're doing and
they know what we want," he said.
"If we didn't have these kinds of re
lationships the Tribe probably would
not have been restored."
Beyond gaming
Continued from front page
"Casinos are usually in remote,
economically depressed areas," said
Bruce Thomas, Spirit Mountain De
velopment Corporation president.
"Oregon gaming facilities carry Or
egon dollars to these areas."
He added that Spirit Mountain
Casino, the state's largest tourist at
traction, also brings in out-of-state
money. "These dollars are rein
vested in Oregon," Thomas said.
About $7 million in Spirit Moun
tain employee taxes go to the state
annually, according tq,Thomas.
In addition, 85 percent of Siletz's
Chinook Winds Casino employees
are non-Indian and 60 percent of
Warm Springs' 1400 employees are
not tribal members, noted other
tribal representatives.
While all the tribes drew praise
from the five member Senate Com
mittee, Grand Ronde efforts got spe
cial attention.
"Grand Ronde has done an excep
tional job in returning the benefits,"
said committee member, Sen. Tony
Corcoran (D-Cottage Grove). He
praised the tribe for investing ki ef
forts to counter "everything from
gaming addiction to drug and alco
hol addiction."
"We feel we've turned a negative into
a positive," responded Grand Ronde
Council Chair, Kathryn Harrison.
"It's our belief that if you don't share
what you have then youH lose it."
Lim was impressed.
His comments after the hearing in
dicated that all the tribal testimonies
were informative, if not educational.
"It seems to me that they have a
strong program, not only in Indian
Country but in the community as a
whole," said Lim. "It seems to me
that tribes in our state will prosper
in the future if they invest wisely."
1999 state bills impacting tribes
State Ban on Video Poker: could apply to tribes, drastically reduc
ing casino revenues.
Casino Sports Telecast: the Boxing and Wrestling Commission would
be forced to report to Oregon lawmakers on telecasts to tribal casinos.
Intergovernmental Pacts: between tribal and state agencies such
as social service and forestry departments would need approval from
State Legislature. It would complicate, and in some cases may stop,
these cooperative efforts.
Indian Tax Exemption: on property would shift from Indian owned
land on a "reservation" to land in "federally recognized Indian Country,"
could increase chances of tax exemption.
State Law Lawyers: (who generally have little knowledge of tribal
sovereignty, interests or law) would gain undue authority to write pro
posed laws' affecting ; tribes? ', " ., , i r ,. , , ' -r,
1999 federal issues impacting tribes
THE GOOD
President's 2000 Budget: asks Congress to increase funding for IHS
by a $170 million, Office of Indian Education by $11 million and $30
million to repair BIA schools
Gaming Compacts: would allow Feds to approve and, if needed, me
diate gaming pacts between tribes and states in stalemate. A ban on the
new law ends soon allowing tribes to pursue this method of economic
development.
Civil Rights: complaint filed with the Justice Department against a
North Carolina high school sports teams' Indian mascots began an in
vestigation likely to start nationwide federal action against the custom.
THE BAD
Tribal Business Tax: a 35 percent tax on tribal businesses failed in
1998 but a similar bill is expected in the 1999 Congress.f
Fee-to-Trust-Regulations: could restrict BIA transfers of tribal pur
chased land to reservation-like status (trust) and how tribes are able to.
use such land.f
Means Testing: would make tribes report finances to the U.S. gov
ernment in order to get service programs funded. Funds for well-off
tribes would be redirected to poorer tribes, stunting Indian economic
development and ignoring U.S. treaty obligations.
Gambling Impact Study: may force tribes to divulge casino financial
data for a study, suspected to be another assault on Indian gaming.f
Tort Liability: would force tribes to carry accident insurance. Funds
from service programs would pay for poorer tribe's insurance. Federal
courts could displace tribal court jurisdiction.
THE UGLY
Native Sovereignty Controversy: Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA) is cam
paigning for reelection to a fourth term in 2000. Whether or not this
long-time opponent of Native sovereignty is reelected could mean an
increase or decrease of proposed anti-Indian laws in Congress, includ
ing proposals relating to sovereignty.
t Would directly affect the Grand Ronde Tribe.
lncludes federally subsidized Indian services such as health, child welfare, education
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and housing.
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