8
Smoke Signals
Ronde. I am committed to seeing the Tribe make
opportunities available to these folks as well. I don't
feel tribal members should be punished for not living
within a designated area.
We need to enhance our Smoke Signals to let all of
our members know what the Tribal Council is doing
on behalf of the Tribe. I don't believe in making
decisions based on the "rumor mill." I will make
decisions based on the facts. We must be held ac
countable for all of your money and somehow de
velop a means to keep all tribal members informed.
After all, it is the members' money, and the Tribal
Council are caretakers for the funds. As an Elder, I
am very happy with the benefits I receive, but what
about our youth? Are we doing enough for them? If
not, what can we do to provide them with the oppor
tunity for a secure and productive future? Are we
providing adequate educational opportunities for them?
Prior to making these or any major decisions, again, I
feel we need more input from our members to insure
we are listening to them and doing the things neces
sary to address their concerns. If elected, I will have
one vote but I am committed to provide the stability
my experience has shown me our tribe needs in order
to continue to prosper both on and off the reserva
tion. Help me help our tribe to achieve these goals
by voting for me in September.
Kathy Aicher (Tom)
It's election time. We are all faced with very hard
decisions: Who do I vote for? Do I vote for a familiar
name or face? Do I vote for a family member? Do I
vote for someone because they've been on Tribal Coun
cil in the past? You
might even ask your
self, "Why vote? It
doesn't help me. I
don't live in the ser
vice area."
Well, I'm faced with
the same decisions. I've
asked myself these same
questions many times.
It is because I do live
in the service area, and
because I have worked
ifor the Tribe for the
last 10 years that each
election has become very important to me. After all,
those elected to Tribal Council will be responsible for
making huge decisions which effect me, and our tribal
future.
Some tribal members outside the immediate area
may not be familiar with individual candidates. I
make every effort to know each candidate's past his
tory, life experiences, community and tribal involve
ment, work ethic, and conduct in public. I'm not
intrpt7rl in tutincp rpitpA tr ilin T WQfit tn hfar
what the individual candidate stands for. I want a
Council person with integrity. I want to hear the
truth. I want a person who stands up for what is
right and challenge what is wrong. I want a person
who's not afraid to speak out when issues are tough,
someone willing to take the heat and admit when
they've made a mistake. I want a Council person who
comes to work and puts in 40 hours a week and
earns a paycheck like you and me.
I want a Council whose members hold each other
accountable and responsible for their behaviors: a role
model for tribal members as professionals carrying
out day-to-day operations. I believe Tribal Council
should plan and stratagize for future development,
and lead with vision, making decisions based on facts,
not a Good 01' Boy handshake. I don't really think
that's too much to expect from the Council members
you and I vote for.
My mother taught me at a very early age not to
steal, not to lie, and to always tell the truth.. These
- 4h v
7 N "
were the rules instilled in me my whole life. These
principles and values are ones I've passed on to my
family. That's what I can promise you if I'm elected
to Tribal Council. I commit myself to stand up to
the expectations I have identified above for all Tribal
Council members. Please vote for me, Kathy Tom,
Grand Ronde Tribal Council.
Margaret Provost
Dear tribal members,
It is a pleasure to ad
dress you, my fellow
members. My name is
Margaret Provost and
I am a nominee for
Tribal Council. I am
writing to let you
know where I stand on
issues that face our
tribe and respectfully
ask fof your vote.
My background with
the Tribe began as the
first Chairman of the
Tribe when I began to lead our tribe to Restoration.
I also served on the Tribal Council from 1991 to
1998. While serving as Tribal Council member, I
made the motion to begin our gaming venture be
cause I could see that we needed revenue to provide
for our needs. Those basic needs of housing, health,
education services, continue to be needs we have
today. We can not stand still while the needs of our
membership grow and we lose our people to sub
stance abuse, suicide and poverty. Strides have been
made in assisting our Elders and I know we all feel
good about seeing this need addressed. Now efforts
must also be focused on the population, of young ,
folks who require more support and our guidance.
I believe that the leaders of our tribe must have an
entrepreneurial spirit because we must be willing to
try new things and yet use wisdom to balance deci
sion making. We are strong people who survived
great hardship and we have the makings to develop
into an even stronger people if we are given the
chance to succeed. Some say that we are looking for
handouts but I know it is not handouts we want but
rather the just exchange we made when we gave up
our land and resources. That is why I fought for
Restoration, because of our rights as Indian people.
We have proven that we can overcome the odds, and
yet we have a long way to go. With the help of our
own tribe we can help one another succeed, as we
are a family. Handouts, no, but opportunities, yes. I
believe that we must give solutions that we know
work. Those solutions are spirituality, culture and
traditions. These beliefs and practices must be wo
ven into our service delivery and everyday life. With
out these beliefs, we are truly poor people.
You have my word that I will use the same deter
mination I used when fighting for Tribal Restoration
to help the Tribe move towards self-sufficiency and
to further that goal to include that every tribal mem
ber also be self-sufficient. May the Great Spirit guide
you and continue to watch over you and your family.
Respectfully Submitted,
Margaret Provost (503) 879-7704
Cheryle Kennedy
Greetings fellow tribal members,
I hope that this greeting finds you and your family
doing well and enjoying well and enjoying life. I
believe that the key to happiness is to enjoy what
you do which results in quality of life and a good
outlook for the future. I was recently asked, what
platform are you. running on? It gave me the oppor
tunity to focus on some of my background in public
service to give you an
idea of my knowledge,
skills, abilities and in
terests. During my adult
years, I engaged in ap
plying my beliefs and
hopes for a better fu
ture for all people be
cause it would also im
prove life for our In
dian people. My
grandmother, Pauline
Warren Johnson, in
stilled in me the be
lief that we can make a difference so I assumed vari
ous roles of leadership. I served on our Tribal Coun
cil prior to Restoration and the first Tribal Council.
At the state level, I was appointed by Governor Atiyeh
to serve on the Women's Commission for Oregon.
Oregon commissions are political structures of gov
ernment for the purpose of changing or developing
laws. Other appointments were to the Rural Health
Commission by Governor Roberts, and most recently
I've been asked by the Governor's office to serve on a
commission that would focus on eliminating dispari
ties of health outcome for racial and ethnic popula
tions. At the county level commissions, I served on
Polk County's Family & Children, Harney County's
Juvenile and Jefferson County's Mental Health Com
mission and was the PTA Chairwoman for the two
districts of Harney County. I balanced out my work
related fun by coaching softball and women and girls
basketball.
In order to do my best, I furthered my education
choosing a science degree in management so that I
could more effectively lead in this competitive envi
ronment that we live in. I believe that education is
paramount to succeed. ; Successful education should
include teaching to use our customs and traditional
ways, which undergird us with strength and fosters
strong family values.
Years before we were restored, my dreams for the
Tribe were to have a quality level of health and wel
fare services for our people. I experienced the oppor
tunity of seeing my dream become a reality. Many of
you know that my work with the Tribe as the Hu
man Services Manager where I was responsible for
planning and implementing a health social service
delivery system for the Tribe. It took 14 years, but it
was achieved. Many of you witnessed the opening of
the Tribes' Health and Wellness Center. I did not
build this dream single-handedly, it took many and
I'm grateful for their help and support.
It will continue to take many to make changes in
our environment so that the future world of our
children's children will be a safe flourishing place to
live. It is a concern of mine as we look forward and
plan for the Tribe's future.
I respectively ask for you vote. If elected, I will
diligently use my skills to elevate our social, eco
nomic and political well-being.
With warm regards,
Cheryle A. Kennedy
J. Ken Gregg
Dear tribal members,
I would like to start by thanking each and every
one of you who took the time to vote in last year's
election, regardless of who you voted for. The impor
tant thing is you participated in our democratic pro
cedure to elect three people you want to represent
you over the next three years. For those who sup
ported my candidacy, an extra measure of thanks.
As you know we came very close this last year, and as
I promised during the election, win or lose, I would,
and have spent the last year working relentlessly on
the issues you felt strongly enough to bring to my