Smoke signals., August 15, 2001, Page 6, Image 6

Smoke Signals
AUGUST 15, 2001
PART TWO )
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for the general membership to come and all be comfortable and all get in the same
room and hear what's being said. Far as a museum, why I know that there is a lot of
artifacts that not even here in this room where the baskets are. My mother has bas
kets that are over 100 years old and you know, if there is not some place to put them
they will deteriorate. Our culture everybody says is lost, but if s not totally lost. A lot of
our culture was our way of life and it is what we done, what we ate, how we lived. I
don't think, I know our family, we try to teach our young people and hopefully what we
know won't be lost and passed on."
RICHARD MCKNIGHT;
"I agree with everybody that a museum would be a good idea to store things in so
that they wouldn't deteriorate. But whoever's on council and whoever looks at these
plans, I'd say double them and then leave room for expansion, but we always have that
problem of building things just a little too small."
TIM HOLMES:
"I'm going to go ahead and pass the mic. There isn't anything I can say that hasn't
been said, so I'll pass the mic."
JACKCIFFENJR.;
"I'll have to agree with everyone on the museum. I'd like to see it also have a library
in it. There is lots of good books out there on our history. I purchased some of them
myself. But, I'd like to see a library in there also."
PATSY PULLIN:
"Patsy Pullin. Well I agree we need a museum. I think it has its place and I think we
have grown so fast that in a short time that we haven't been able to do everything we
need to do. But I'm sure that's on the list and I would support it."
ED LARSEN:
"I agree with Patsy. We just need to figure out where we are going to put it. There
are a couple of places: one is over on the old Salmon Ridge place over on Andy Riggs
Road we are looking at. There is 10 acres over there and I think that would be a good
place. Also I agree with Jack on the library, I have a friend of my wife's that's going to
donate some books. He said if we every get a library, he's got two boxes of books on
Indians. So, I think we even need a museum."
LOREN HOLMES:
"Yeah, I think we need a museum. I used to do it for Mrs. Simmons. I use to pick
Hazel switches for her and she use to make baskets, and that was our culture. That's
where we grew up. We made, my grandfather, my grandfather was a, he made, he
made a, bow in arrows. I wish I would have learned that, but I didn't learn that. I was
too young and he died so I didn't get to learn. But, there is a few of his bows around;
I don't know where they are at because and he gave them to some people over in
Dallas and I never did find them. But, that was an art. If I could find one of them I
would defiantly have it here. But yeah, we need a museum. But I think we also, our
rodeo is getting a little bit bigger and we also need space for that, more seating so we
can get more people in there. That's all."
B Question from LeonetteGalligher, Roll 3263:
"I'm Leonette Galligher, and I'd like to know what the role is of the gaming
commission?"
LOREN HOLMES;
"I can't say nothing because I don't know nothing about the gaming commission yet.
But if I got elected I definitely would find out."
ED LARSEN:
"Yeah, the gaming commission is the regulatory body that takes care of our casino,
sees to the licensing, screens the applicants for licenses including the vendors. And all
the applicants that come to the casino has to pass the background check and go to
pretty scrutinant screening with the gaming commission, so they can't have any felo
nies on their records and such. The gaming commission also works with the State
Police making sure our place is run honestly and on the up and up and no mafia crime
people can come in there. That's what I know about it."
PATSY PULLIN:
"That was my understanding."
JACKCIFFENJR.;
"It's the governing body that that governs the way we do business at the casino,
basically, it's the format."
TIM HOLMES;
"That's a good question. My answer is it is the regulatory body of the gaming side of
the Spirit Mountain Casino and they play a crucial role and the work that's being done
by the gaming commission allows us to operate the casino. I think that that is about all
I know, but I appreciate the work they do."
RICHARP MCKNIGHT;
"Gaming commission, to me, helps run the casino. I have no affiliation with them
yet. Once I get on council I think III understand it a lot better than I understand it right
now and I hope to do that. Thank you."
MARGARET PROVOST:
"T have to agrw with Fit The gaming commission is there to make sure that the rules
are all met and they take care of all the regulatory rules and that's about all I can say.
And I think they do all the background checks and that sort of things with employees."
JACKIE PROVOST:
"My understanding is that the gaming commission they see that all the laws and
regulations of the gaming compact have been followed."
MARK MERGER:
"Yeah, there was an act passed by congress back in 1988 Public Law 100-498
otherwise known as the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. That very act requires each
and any Tribe to establish a gaming commission to assure there will be honesty and
integrity in their gaming venture."
CANDY ROBERTSON; ,
"I agree. The commission regulates and they do meet with the National Indian
Gaming Commission so I pretty much know they are up in speed on everything."
VAL GROUT;
"I would like to add that our gaming commission is the best in the State of Oregon
and our gaming commission is a model to a lot of Tribes."
U Question from Monte Parazoo, Roll 2620:
"My question Is, what or where do you see the Tribe being at 10 years
from now, as far as economic situation, land situation? What do you see
different for the future in the Tribe and were looking forward 10 years,
what would you see happening with the Tribe at that time?"
PATSY PULLIN;
"Ten years from now I see our Tribe continuing to be a model like we are today and
other Tribes coming to us to learn from us, to learn from our gaming commission, to
learn from our council and being a role model for a lot of Tribes. It makes me very
proud and very excited about it. I also feel in 10 years from now we will have edu
cated, well trained, well thought out Tribal members that will be running it, that we
paid for with our own funds that we've backed and supported all the way to put them
there. That makes me exited to know that we've done a good job with our youth and
more priorities where they should be and educating our own people. Ten years from
now I see housing and I see us with housing for everybody. I see us with healthcare
for people that need it that don't live in the six-county area no matter where they live.
And I think that through our casino and through our wisdom managing our funds we
can do that. I see us with our economic development up where it should be. I see us
training more people and keeping all of our people trained. I see us in control of our
funds, our Tribe, our people and with our priorities straight. And I think that it would
be exciting to be a part of that, to know that I did a little bit of contribution toward that.
But I think we will do it, we will get there."
TIM HOLMES:
"I have a vision for the Tribe. I have a vision of what could be in Grand Ronde. What
do I think would like to occur ten years from now, I don't know, it's going to take time.
Part of my vision is we have a Tribal community here that is once again real strong,
unified, caring, concerned and not judgmental of one another. We all live in peace and
harmony and always looking out for what's best for one another. I like to see a com
munity where we maximize our economic opportunity down at Spirit Mountain Devel
opment and see us addressing the crucial infrastructure needs so that we can provide
additional housing out here. I've seen in many surveys that people want to return to
Grand Ronde, but currently the housing isn't here for them and the infrastructure to
support the housing isn't here for them. I'd also like to see a little more aggressive
land acquisition, you always hear people make comments that; well what's the use of
that land. Well, we might not know the use of that land tomorrow, but I guarantee you
if we address the infrastructure needs of this community, if we provide in this commu
nity water and sewer needs, with that casino drawing that many people down there,
outside developers are going to come in and scoop up whatever is left over here as far
as land and they are going to be tapping into the resources that come into this commu
nity. We are going to miss a great opportunity. We need to utilize that land to establish
more Tribal businesses, providing more employment for Tribal membership. We can
utilize it for small business opportunities for people looking to start up their own busi
nesses. I see a lot of growth that can provide a lot of opportunity if we position
ourselves to be prepared for that."
RICHARD MCKNIGHT:
"In 10 years from now, I would like to see our Tribe have our hunting and fishing
rights back, one that we have negotiated fairly with the state government and the
federal government instead of just being handed a contract and say 'here.' Now, this
would include all our ceded land that we used to have if we had it. Then I see our
timberland maybe twice the size it is now. I would also like to see some way that we
could set up, some people don't want to move back here, they own their homes.
Maybe we could fix it so that they could rely on us to pay their taxes on that land that
they live that they want to give to their children. Medical -1 believe medical problems
are always going to be here and I believe we should put more effort towards building
a better medical insurance plan and I believe through this in 10 years we can have all
this."
MARGARET PROVOST:
"I don't know what it is going to be from 10 years from now, but I know when we first
started restoration, I don't think any of us ever dreamed that we would have what we
have now. And if, it's grown so huge, that in 10 more years, how big will we be then?
You know, if it's grown this fast, it's bound to be better. But I think we need to take care
of our members off the reservation, wherever they live out of our six-county area. But
I think they deserve the same benefits that we have here in the six-county area;
perhaps like what was said with our housing, maybe we can do something for them
outside the area. But, I believe the way we are growing that we will have more
economic development right here in Grand Ronde and probably by then our infrastruc
ture should be taken care of and we would be able to develop the things that would
provide employment for our Tribal members."
JACKIE PROVOST:
"Ten years from now I like to see our people proud people. I think we are really
proud now, but we can restore some things into our Tribal youth that can really show
who they are and where they are from. I would like to see mentorship into employ
ment; our Tribal members entry-level jobs mentored into higher positions so we are
taking care of ourselves. We are a Tribe and we need to do that. I know for myself, for
Candy, Camille, Mychal our daughters; they really struggled with this, that last year of