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October General Council meeting minutes
Agenda includes casino follow-up, news of a cultural site, and program
reports from Health & Wellness and Nanitch Sahallie.
OCTOBER 15, 1999
By Tracy Dugan
R
efore the start of official
meeting business, Tribal
Chair Kathryn Harrison ex
pressed her sorrow and condolences
to the family of tribal member
Ivanetta Cook, who passed away on
October 8. Ivanetta lived in Grand
Ronde and was very active in tribal
events and committees.
GAMING UPDATE
The October General Council meet
ing began with a gaming update from
Bruce Thomas and Adam Henny.
The report was a short follow-up to
September's report, which was com
prehensive. Thomas displayed rev
enue charts, and said that casino
dividend (the amount that is paid to
the Tribe) for the month has exceeded
what it was last year during this
same time period.
This month the casino offered a
special "cash back" promotion for Coy
ote Club members, which was very
successful.
Thomas said that the casino has re
turning customers, and most people
know about Spirit Mountain, but the
casino will be trying new and differ
ent promotions in the future to at
tract people.
Adam Henny spoke to the members
about Spirit Mountain Casino's 4th
Anniversary Celebration, which is
happening in October.
"We will be giving away a total
$100,000 on our 4 year anniversary
weekend," said Henny. There will be
special poker, keno, and bingo tour
naments. For the Grand Ronde Res
toration Celebration on November 22,
the Native singing group Ulali has
already agreed to perform on that day
at the casino. Henny said that there
will be basket-weaving and beading
demonstrations as well.
CULTURAL SITE
Next, Jan Michael Reibach spoke
about the new cultural site, which is
currently being constructed near the
pow-wow grounds.
"Last month I brought this idea to
Tribal Council, and they approved it,"
said Reibach. The cultural site will
have many uses. Reibach said the
site will be a "post-reservation" cul
tural area, which means it will pro
mote the diverse Native traditions
and beliefs of Grand Ronde tribal
members. Reibach said that the ul
timate goal for this idea was to cre
ate and maintain a permanent cul
tural area for the Tribe, members,
and visitors; provide an atmosphere
that supports Grand Ronde culture
and the respect of all Native beliefs;
and promote participation in Native
American culture. The site will be
completed in November, with the
exception of the landscaping and
sweat lodges. When finished, the site
will have a cedar arbor, cedar lodge,
picnic tables, barbecue pit, and tipis
(for changing clothes). Possible uses
of the site could include: naming cer
emonies, drummingdancing, lan
guage teaching, sweat lodge, circle
talks, children's field trips, story
telling, and other gatherings. Rei
bach said that many tribal members
have volunteered to help out on this
project, and he thanked them and
Tribal Council for their support. Be
fore work began on the site last
month, a ceremony was held to bless
the area. There will be an announce
ment in Smoke Signals when the cul
tural site dedication will take place.
CLINIC REPORT &
NANITCH SAHALLIE REPORT
The department program report
for October was given by clinic di
rector Dr. Tom Austin, and Candi
Henry, director of Nanitch Sahallie
youth treatment facility.
Some highlights from Dr. Austin's
presentation include:
O Introduction of the newly-formed
Grand Ronde Tribal Health Author
ity, which will oversee the operations
of the clinic. Several tribal members
serve on the Health Authority.
D The clinic will soon be providing
urgent care services, and an emer
gency services nurse and triage
nurse have been hired.
D The clinic will be remodeled next
year for more exam room space.
B Dr. Toliver is now a full-time regu
lar employee at the clinic.
D Plans are underway to expand
clinic services to include a podiatrist
(a doctor specializing in foot care),
and chiropractic services.
Candi Henry's update on Nanitch
included the following information:
D Last year Nanitch Sahallie served
54 clients from 12 different tribes.
B The majority of the clients com
pleted the program.
B Seven clients were primarily al
cohol users.
B 47 clients used other drugs.
In follow-up after discharge, Henry
said that the majority of young people
completing the program are doing bet
ter in school, have happier homes and
families, are participating in cultural
and spiritual activities, and most im
portantly, continue to abstain from
drugs and alcohol. Nanitch Sahallie
is a tribally-owned residential treat
ment center for Native American
youth located in Keizer, Oregon.
DOOR PRIZES
Door prize winners were: Pearl
Lyon, $50; Richard Schmid, $50; Tim
Holmes, $50; and Elaine Moore, $100.
(Elaine donated her prize to the fam
ily of Ivanetta Cook.) Harriet Peter
won the Wellness door prize. The next
General Council meeting will be held
on November 7 at 11:30 a.m.
Trifal &cunUl Actions
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mi
a& s& mm
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5:03 p.m. Meeting called to or
der by Kathryn Harrison, Tribal
Council Chair. Except for Reyn
Leno (who was excused), all Council
was present.
Val Grout moved, Bob Haller sec
onded to approve the September 1,
1999 Tribal Council meeting minutes
as submitted. Motion carried.
Ed Pearsall moved, Val Grout sec
onded to approve the September 14,
1999 Tribal Council meeting minutes
as submitted. Motion carried.
NEW BUSINESS
B Election of Office Tribal
Council Vice Chair. Chair Harri
son opened Council nominations for
the Vice Chair. After comments
shared by Bob Mercier and Bob
Haller, Ed Pearsall nominated Ed
Larsen, seconded by Butch LaBonte.
Chair Harrison asked for a close of
nominations. Ed Pearsall motioned
to close nominations. Nominations
closed. A roll call vote was taken. Ed
Larsen received five votes, Bob Mer
cier and Bob Haller abstained. Ed
Larsen, by majority vote, was elected
as Vice Chair.
A motion to rescind the vote was
made and a new vote was then taken.
(See: New Business resumed.)
B Credit CardSignature Autho
rization for new Tribal Council
members. Ed Pearsall moved, Bob
Mercier seconded to adopt Resolu
tion No. 118-99 authorizing June
Sell-Sherer and Earl F. LaBonte to
sign checks drawn on accounts main
tained by The Confederated Tribes
of the Grand Ronde Community of
Oregon, subject to the laws and or
dinances of the Tribe and to autho
rize the use of tribal credit cards in
the performance of their duties as
Council members, subject to the
Tribe's credit card policy. Motion
carried 7-0-0.
B Credit CardSignature Autho
rization for Executive Officer.
Bob Mercier moved, Bob Haller sec
onded to adopt Resolution No. 119-
99 authorizing Robert Martin to sign
checks drawn on accounts main
tained by The Confederated Tribes
of the Grand Ronde Community of
Oregon, subject to the laws and or
dinances of the Tribe and to autho
rize the use of tribal credit cards in
the performance of his duties as Ex
ecutive Officer, subject to the Tribe's
credit card policy. Motion carried 7-0-0.
TRIBAL GOVERNMENT,
MANAGEMENT, & BUDGET
SUBCOMMITTEE
B Over-representation of Native
American Youth Grant. Val Grout
moved, Ed Larsen seconded to adopt
Resolution No. 120-99 which ac
cepts the grant from the Oregon Com
mission on Children and Families in
the amount of $17,000. The grant
period runs from July 1, 1999 to Sept.
30, 2000. Motion carried 7-0-0.
B Clothing Vouchers for school
aged children. Following discus
sion, Val Grout moved, Ed Larsen
seconded to match the Community
Resources Division's payment of
$8,500 for additional clothing vouch
ers to school aged children. Motion
carried 7-0-0.
B Non-Member Spouse Health
Security Program. Following dis
cussion, Ed Pearsall moved, Val
Grout seconded to authorize the Risk
Management Department to submit
revised rules and regulations gov
erning a Non-Member Spouse Health
program to the Insurance Commis
sioner for final approval. Motion car
ried 7-0-0.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
B By full consensus of Council
present, Marie Schmidt of Education
Committee is approved to travel to
ATNI's Annual Conference to be held
in Idaho on September 27-30, 1999.
NEW BUSINESS resumed
As noted by Rob Greene, Tribal
Attorney, the initial roll call vote for
the Office of Vice Chair inadvertently
excluded the vote of Ed Larsen. Val
Grout moved, Ed Pearsall seconded
to rescind the earlier vote electing
the Vice Chair. A second roll call vote
was called. Six Council members
voted in favor of Ed Larsen. Bob
Mercier and Bob Haller abstained.
By majority vote, Ed Larsen was
elected to the position of Vice Chair.
The tribal community is invited to attend Memorial Services for our
tribal ancestors. These are the ancestors who have been returned by
museums after many years of being confined to museum vaults.
The Memorial will be held Saturday, October 23 at the
Grand Ronde Cemetery. Graveside services will begin at noon.
Meal will follow at 2:30 p.m. at St. Michael's Catholic Church.
No photographs or video recording will be allowed.