Smoke Signals
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Tribal Council, staff reach out to membership
Continued from front page
"The Tribe is aware that there are more commu
nity development needs and desires," said Mercier.
"Part of these meetings and part of talking with
our membership is trying to get information to help
our Tribal Council begin to prioritize some of these
projects that everybody would like to see done."
"We realize that Tribal Council and the tribal
staff have worked very hard to accommodate these
community development needs," said Mercier of
the projects that have already been completed and
the projects that could be completed in the future.
"Everyday we are continually challenged by try
ing to find a place to put something or someone.
These projects are the desire of our membership
and of our Council your requests do not fall on
deaf ears, but they do have to be worked into a
plan that is realistic."
Mercier explained that many of the projects
planned for the future have individual issues that
need to be addressed before work can begin. Some
of these issues, he said, are trying to put land into
trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, contend
ing with wetlands and rare plants when wanting
to build, dealing with utility requirements and
even overlapping jurisdictional issues keep the
Tribe busy and at the forefront of community and
political negotiations.
Mercier said he wanted to hear from tribal mem
bers about what kind of development they would
like to see in the future. He said tribal member
input would be critical in deciding which projects
will go forward and which projects will get put on
the back burner.
Tribal Council members think the community
meetings are one of the most important things
they do each year.
"I think it is very important to get out there and
meet with our tribal members," said Tribal Coun
cil Vice-Chair Ed Larsen. "It gives them more of a
personal touch to what we are doing here at the
Tribe and it makes them feel more like a part of it.
Community meetings are more one-on-one and I
like that."
Larsen said the meetings help Council under
stand the needs of the membership.
"We find out what we can do to help them more,"
said Larsen. "We want to look at ways to help our
people outside of Grand Ronde as well, so we con
tinually look at ways to do that. Most people un
derstand that this (the Grand Ronde community)
is the core area and this is where things started."
Larsen said one of the best things to come out of
the community meetings is new ideas.
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Tribal Council members Butch LaBonte (left) and Val Grout (right) informed tribal families at the
community meeting in Tualatin about how educational endowments and health benefits can make
their lives better.
"It is very important to have these meetings be
cause sometimes members bring to the table ideas
we haven't thought of here at home," said Larsen.
"I hope someday we can get a satellite office in
some of these towns. We have a lot of members in
Portland; maybe we could start up there and see
how it works. We listen and we take it serious what
they say and we take it back home and talk it
over in our subcommittee meetings. I've enjoyed
them ever since they started. There are a lot of
' positives that come out of these meetings."
Tribal Council member Val Grout said she likes
the personal touch the community meetings pro
vide. "It gives you a face to face with the tribal mem
bers that don't live here in the community," said
Grout. "We get to hear their concerns. I enjoy it."
Grout said she agrees with Larsen on the im
portance of being in touch with the tribal mem
bership outside of Grand Ronde.
"I think it is so important. When all the meet
ings are over, and all the information is gathered
and brought to Council, then we can see what the
needs of the people are and what we can do to
address those needs," said Grout.
She also said the meetings are an opportunity
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Business Development Specialist Perri McOaniel facilitates a group discussion at the Tualatin
community meeting on Monday, March 20. The future of the Tribe's endowment funding was
the subject of many of the small group discussions.
Photos by Brent Merrill
for Council to work as a team and really listen to
members' concerns. She said it is an opportunity
for Council to network with individual members
and not let their concerns fall through the cracks.
Grout said because the Tribe is a family organi
zation, the community meetings are a way to ex
tend that family beyond the center of tribal activ
ity in Grand Ronde.
"I really enjoy meeting new tribal members and
I get kind of excited to find out which family they
are from," said Grout.
After the large group discussion, members
present broke down into smaller groups fa
cilitated by staff and Council members. The
smaller groups discussed issues and concerns in
more detail.
D Tribal members at Tualatin's meeting wanted
to know about how to gain better access to tribal
programs. Members living outside the Tribe's Six
County Service Area shared their frustration with
accessing program services they say they need.
One tribal member in attendance wanted the
issue of transportation for members outside the
service area examined.
One member asked about youth counseling ser
vices and urged Tribal Council to continue fund
ing youth related programs, education scholar
ships and college opportunities.
Members expressed a desire to see the Tribe's
Elder pension plan continued and money set aside
to ensure the pension is perpetual. Members said
they want Tribal Council to consider increasing
the fund intermittently to keep up with inflation
and the rising costs of living.
D Tribal members in Eugene want Council to
look at also providing insurance for non-tribal
member spouses under the age of 55. One mem
ber asked Council to look at the development of
an assisted living program for tribal Elders.
Members in Eugene wanted to know if the wa
ter situation in Grand Ronde will keep the Tribe
from further expansion and development and they
wanted to know if the Tribe is considering the pur
chase of more timberland.
D In Grand Ronde, tribal members said they
would like to see the education and housing pro
grams expanded to include as many services to
tribal members as possible. One tribal Elder said
he would like to see the Health Trust Fund con
tinue and even increased if possible. Members also
expressed a desire to see the Tribe increase the
Elder's pension fund and continue to place prior
ity emphasis on education and the establishment1
of satellite offices in outlying areas.
D In Bend, only one tribal member and her
husband showed up for the meeting.