Smoke Signals - special section - july i, 2000
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Jan Reibach
Dear Tribal members:
My name is Jan
Denton Reibach and I
was born here in Grand
Ronde in 1944. I was
nominated this year by
Ronnie Haller. As you
may know, I was al
most elected last year.
I would like to thank
you all for your sup
port. I served honor
ably in the U.S. Navy
from 1961 to 1963 (re
serve until 1968). During the last six years, I have
been actively politically involved with the Tribe. I
initiated the petition for the approval of per capita
payments for Tribal members. Also, I spoke out in
support for the increase in the Elder's pension pay
ments and health care program benefits. The Tribe
is making some good progress, but there is still much
work to be done.
Thanking the creator... Honoring the earth...
Caring for each other... Remembering our ances
tors. . . By relying on these basic principles that have
been passed down to us, we can overcome any ob
stacle. There has been enough suffering by our
people. It is up to all of us to ensure that our future
generations will not have the same struggles.
Here is how I stand on some of the issues:
Healthcare: I have heard of some Tribal mem
bers who are on Medicare that do not qualify for
coverage by the Tribe. This concerns me, there is
no excuse for a Tribal member not to have cover
age. We also need to examine ways to improve ser
vice to Tribal members at the clinic (expand clinic,
hire more help, etc.).
Investments: As I wrote in my letter last year,
it is very important for us to diversify our financial
holdings. Our portfolio should include real prop
erty investments. Even since the last election, the
stock market has shown its unpredictability. The
Tribal membership should be kept better informed
of how we are doing.
Per capita: I strongly support Tribal mem
bers receiving payments from our business ventures
(including casino profits). I also feel that we need to
maintain a balance between investments, programs,
and per capita. Once our programs are fully taken
care of, an increase in per capita payments should
be considered.
Gaming (Spirit Mountain): I support Indian
gaming, as long as the profits are used wisely.
Tribal member development: There are plenty
of "entry-level jobs" available at the casino and gov
ernment offices. The Tribe should strongly focus
on helping Tribal members develop into higher pay
ing positions. We could do this by providing spe
cialized training and education. Tribal members
are entitled to representatives that actually work
for their best interest. Having qualified Tribal
members in upper-level positions can benefit the
entire Tribe.
Culture: I think with our new language
teacher and cultural site, we are on the right track.
I also support a long house.
Housing: All Tribal members, regardless of
where they live, should be eligible for down pay
ment assistance.
Economic Development: The Tribe needs to be
more aggressive in this area. For years I have heard
a lot of talk about creating local businesses, mean
while opportunities are passing us by.
Long-term plan: The Tribe needs to plan for
future growth and stability, looking 10 to 20 years
ahead. We still do not have a long term plan devel
oped. There are many other important issues, please
feel free to call me with your concerns or questions.
I would like to hear how you feel: (503) 879-2804.
I am grateful for this opportunity to serve my
Tribe. Win or lose, my only hope is for true repre
sentation for our people. God bless you and your
families.
Jan Denton Reibach, roll 668
Claudette Parazoo Leon "Chips" Tom
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My name is
Claudette Parazoo, roll
2923. My ancestry is
from Rock and Victoria
Pichette of the Grand
Ronde Indian Reserva
tion. Claude Parazoo
and Delphine Emery
Parazoo are my par
ents. I have five chil
dren, eight grandchil
dren, three sisters and
one brother.
Our Tribal Council
has worked very hard to bring economic security to
the Tribal membership. They have been vigilant
in respecting the needs of the people. Not all pro
grams work for every member due to constraints
placed by the federal government. There are rules
about housing, health, Tribal resources and educa
tion. When we receive federal funding for the pro
grams, the Tribe must abide by the rules applied to
the funding. With the excellent leadership of our
Tribal Council, our Tribal members receive services
and money. Financial security is our l priority.
With financial security all possibilities can be ex
amined and pursued. My expertise is in account
ing and legal terminology.
I appreciate what our Tribal Council leadership
has brought to the Grand Ronde community in a
very short span of time.
There are many issues I would like to help re
solve, if elected to Tribal Council. These issues in
clude but are not limited to: economic development,
enrollment, investments, community structure,
program services and assistance for all the Tribal
membership. Medical, mental health, dentistry and
counseling services are extremely important to our
families and the services need to be expanded.
My work experience includes working for the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Forest Service, Bureau of
Land Management, Klamath Indian Tribe, Tulalip
Indian Tribes, and Grand Ronde Tribes.
Chief Joseph oftheNez Perce Tribe said, "It does
not take many words to speak the truth." This is
my philosophy of life. I have lived at Grand Ronde
for five years. In July 1995, 1 began work for the
chemical dependency and vocational rehabilitation
counselors in the Health Division. Since Novem
ber 1996, 1 am responsible for timber sales account
ing for all logs cut from the Grand Ronde Indian
Reservation.
The basis for the existence of the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde is a strong emphasis on In
dian culture, heritage, and tradition. My family
has always made Indian identity our way of life.
We have a strong spiritual walk in life.
I graduated from Chiloquin High School and Or
egon Institute of Technology. I am currently en
rolled at Portland State University for a Bachelor's
degree in Liberal Science. Education and culture
issues are very important to me.
Please vote in September 2000. I hope you can
attend one of our Pow-wows. B
After being in retire
ment for a year, I have
been able to take a
deep breath and re
flect on the positive di
rection that the Tribe
has been moving in. I
am grateful for the op
portunity that I have
had to be a part of this
positive momentum
that has been guiding
the Tribe and our
membership. I also
realize that we can continue to move in the right
direction with solid and sensible leadership. I am
proud to announce that I am once again running to
be your representative for Tribal Council.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde have been
able to do wonderful things within the community
and within the State of Oregon. We have been able
to establish several endowments that will carry us
well into the future. Now is the time for us to so
lidify these commitments so we can rest assured
that the future is bright. Here are some of the is
sues that I, as a member of Tribal Council, would
like to work towards.
I would like to see training programs for entry-level
positions for our membership. We should
be able to supply our members with the proper skills
needed to begin a career working for their Tribe.
I believe that through higher education, along
with entry level positions, we can begin filling Tribal
positions with the various levels of skill needed
within our organization.
Finally, we need a way of keeping our students
on the right path toward success. I believe that we
can find options that allow for education to be incor
porated within current jobs. We can keep mem
bers working and also be able to offer the necessary
training to be able to continue to succeed within the
Tribal organization.
I am very proud of the strides that the Confeder
ated Tribes of Grand Ronde have been able to make.
I look forward to knowing that someday our youth
will live better and more fulfilled lives than we
have. I can rest comfortably in the knowledge that
our Elders who have persevered to get us to where
we are today, can also be confident that we will
continue on their path toward creating a better
future. fl
ffUKSBES SCD3XD
222
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