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Smoke Signals
JUNE 15, 1999
7
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Notice of Grand Ronde Constitutional Election
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Siletz Agency, has sent out a voters regis
tration packet for the upcoming election to amend the Tribal Constitution.
All tribal members of voting age should have registered by now to vote in
this election. The following dates have been established for the upcoming
weeks prior to election day:
JUNE 18, 1999: Last day to challenge list of registered voters. The list of
registered voters is currently posted in several places, or call the Siletz Agency
Office to verify your registration.
JUNE 25, 1999: Ballots mailed to registered eligible voters.
JULY 27, 1999: Election day. Ballots are due at the Siletz BIA Agency no
later than noon on this day.
The election results shall be posted on the front doors of the Grand Ronde
Governance Building, the Grand Ronde Community Center and the BIA
Siletz Agency, the Grand Ronde Health and Wellness Center registration
desk and on the posting board at the tribal government modulars immedi
ately upon completion of the ballot count, and shall constitute the official
posting date.
Questions regarding this special election, please call Ron Kortlever
or Mary Bartels at the BIA, Siletz Agency Office at (541) 444-2679
ELDER'S PENSION
$3,500,000
53,000,000
$2,500,000.
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$0
Yearly Cost
1997
$1,290,000
1998
$1.909,828
1999
$2.550,000
2000
$3.180,000
The PnoposED Changes
Under the proposed Amendment, the Grand Ronde Constitution, Article V,
Section 1 would be changed to read as follows (added language is in bold;
existing language to be deleted is crossed out:)
Section 1. Requirements - The membership of the Confederated Tribes of
the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon shall consist of all persons
who are not enrolled as members of another recognized tribe, band
or community and, who for one year have fully and uncondition
ally relinquished membership in another Indian Tribe and;
(a) whose names validly appear on the official tribal membership roll prepared
under the Grand Ronde Restoration Act; provided, that such roll may be
corrected by the' Tribal Council with the approval of the Secretary of the
Interior; or
(b) who possess one-sixteenth (11 6) or more degree Indian blood quantumof
a federally recognized tribe or tribe3, are descended from a member of the
Confederated Tribe3 of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, have filed
an application for enrollment according to procedures established pursuant
to Section 3 of this Article, and have been accepted whose names validly
appear on the official tribal membership roll as of the effective date
of the amendment; members provided that such roll may be corrected
by the TribalCouncil in accordance with the tribal enrollment ordinance
adopted under Section 3 of this Article.; or
(c) who possess at least one-sixteenth (116) degree Grand Ronde
blood quantum and were born to a parent who was a member of the
Tribe at the time of the applicant's birth and who, unless deceased,
is a member of theGrand Ronde Tribe at the time the applicant files
an application for enrollment; have filed an application for enrollment
according to procedures established pursuant to Section 3 of this
Article, and have been accepted as members in accordance with the
tribal ordinance adopted under Section 3 of this Article.
For purposes of this section, deseenlGrand Ronde blood is defined as
all Indian blood derived from a member of the Confederated Tribes of
the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon shall include lineal descent from
any person who was named direct ancestor whose name validly
appears on any roll or records of Grand Ronde members the official tribal
membership roll prepared under the Grand Ronde Restoration Act;
provided, that such roll may be corrected by Department the Tribal
Council with the approval of the Secretary of
of this Constitution the Interior.
GRAND RONDE TRIBAL
ENROLLMENT
450
m
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
V
V
V
H
A
.Tr
im
1996
1997
1998
1999
New Members
"This doesn't affect me or my family," you may be saying. We want to
help you answer the following question many are asking themselves...
The charts on these pages show major changes in enrollment and tribal
programs over the past few years, and some projected numbers for the future
if the amendment does not pass. The number of new members each year is
directly related to the number of dollars Tribal Council can allocate for Member
Benefits and education scholarships. Clockwise from above:
D In 1998, 350 folks were approved for membership in the Grand Ronde
Tribe. 434 are projected for this year, more than triple the number of new
enrollees just four years ago. .
D The amount of funding allocated for the Elders' Pension Program has
risen steadily since 1997. " f , "
same holds true for the amount of funding set aside for the medical
and dental insurance tribal members receive.
D Projections indicate that the per capita payments for members from the
Spirit Mountain Casino revenue will decline in dollar amount due to the
Tribe's fast-growing membership.
D More and more tribal members want to attend a higher education or
adult vocational training classes. Each year the funding for education must
be increased to accommodate the tuition needs of the tribal membership..
ODS MEDICALDENTAL
COVERAGE
$8,000,000
$7,000,000
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
SO
Yearly Coat
Y
1997
$2.833.323
1998
$4.451.448
1999
SS.800.000
2000
$7350.000
PER CAPITA PAYMENTS
$3,000
$2,500
$2,000
$1,500
$1,000
$500
. -.
c en --J h J kud it-pj -
1999 2000 2001 2002
Yeaity benefit per $2,864 $2,623 $2,420 $2,246
member V I J
Benefits are pre-tax
Assumes 400 new members per year
i Based on $115 million distribution from Casino
Does not include timber revenue .
What are the current Enrollment Requirements under the Constitution?
Tribal membership is currently available to all persons who are not mem
bers of another recognized tribe, band or community and:
1. Who are listed on the official tribal membership roll prepared under the
Restoration Act; or
2. Who file for membership and meet the following requirements:
a. Have 116 or more degree Indian blood of any federally recognized
tribe(s);
b. Are a descendent of a member of the Tribe (descent means lineal de
scent from any person on the tribal rolls); and
c. Are accepted as members pursuant to the tribal enrollment ordinance.
What would the enrollment requirements be if the Constitution is
amended as proposed?
Tribal membership would be available to all persons who are not members
of another recognized tribe, band or community and who for one year have
fully and unconditionally relinquished membership in another Indian tribe
and:
1. Who are listed on the official tribal membership roll prepared under the
Restoration Act;
2. Who are listed on the current tribal membership roll; OR
3. Who file for membership and meet the following requirements:
a. Have 116 degree Grand Ronde blood (Grand Ronde blood is all
Indian blood derived from a direct ancestor who is on the tribal roll
prepared under the Restoration Act);
b. Whose parent(s) was a tribal member at the time of the applicants
birth and at the time of application for enrollment, unless deceased; and
c. Are accepted as a member pursuant to the Tribal enrollment
ordinance.
How does the Amendment change the enrollment requirements?
1. Applicants would be required to have relinquish membership in another
tribe for one full year before they could apply for membership in the Tribe.
2. Applicants would no longer be able to count the Indian blood they have
from non-Grand Ronde ancestors, (i.e., if mother is a Grand Ronde tribal
member and father is a Spokane tribal member, the father's Indian blood
would not be counted).
3. Applicants would need to be born to a parent who was a member at the
time of hisher birth and at the time an application for membership is filed,
unless the parent is deceased.
HOW IS GRAND RONDE BLOOD DEFINED? (IMPORTANT!)
Grand Ronde blood is all Indian blood derived from a direct ancestor listed
on the membership roll prepared under the Grand Ronde Restoration Act.
For example, your father is not listed on the Grand Ronde Restoration Act
roll, but mother is listed on the Grand Ronde Restoration Act roll as 18
Indian blood. You are considered to have 116 Grand Ronde blood. It does
not matter what type of Indian blood your mother actually has as long as
she is listed on the Restoration Act roll.
EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
$800,000
$700,000
$600,000
$500,000
$400,000
$300,000
$200,000
$100,000
T
u 1997 1998 1999 2000
a Yearly Cost! $300.000 1 $394.000 I $640.000 I $711.250
7
How do I find the Grand Restoration Act roll to see if my family is listed?
The Restoration Act roll was printed in the Federal Register on June 22,
1984 (49 FR 25688). A copy of the Restoration Act roll can be found on the
Tribe's website at www. grandronde .org on the Internet. Go to Policy and
Planning; then go to EnrollmentVital Statistics; and then go to the Resto
ration Act Roll.
What if someone should have been listed on the Restoration Act roll,
but was not or is listed with an incorrect amount of Indian blood quan
tum? The Constitution provides that the Restoration Act roll may be corrected by
Tribal Council with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.
If I am a tribal member, but would not meet the membership require
ments if the Constitutional amendment is passed, will I lose my mem
bership? No. The Constitutional amendment expressly provides that all persons listed
in the Tribes official membership roll when the Constitutional amendment
becomes effective are members. No current tribal member will lose mem
bership as a result of the amendment.
"s