Smoke signals., August 15, 2001, Page 7, Image 7

AUGUST 15, 2001
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school. They both graduated from George Fox University, but it was hard for them.
They didn't get the grants they needed from the Tribe; it was really hard financially for
them. But the struggle was worth it; they are in good positions now. They are
teaching their sisters and other Tribal members that it can be done and I'm just so
proud of them as Tribal members. They worked so hard for this and other family
members can have the same thing. It takes the whole Tribe in order to get them to
that point. Our families would baby-sit for each other. We did all kinds of things to get
these girls graduated. It was hard because they have families too and to work and
maintain their homes. I'd like to see more work and structure put into our youth
because look at the state statistics of our school system, Grand Ronde and Willamina
are the worst in the state. I mean they are the bottom and I'd like to see that change
within the next 10 years. I'd like to see that change in the next five years but hopefully
in 10 years some of this can happen and its not for just Tribal members, it's for the
community too. So, I'd like to see some kind of structure go in place for that and so
when they are in high school and do get to the universities here that they can have the
help and not have to struggle. That's where all of our lives are at and it's been a
struggle to get where we are at, but I'm sure proud of our Tribe as a whole now. As
my mother mentioned, 10 years ago, or even 13 years ago when we were working so
hard, there was no one. There was nothing. We had to struggle to get where we are
at and I just thank everybody for their help. And if I'm elected on the council I plan on
working harder towards that."
MARK MERGER:
"Well that's where, I guess I've learned the value of doing long term planning from
the previous experience on the Tribal Council is to do a comprehensive master plan
that covers all the aspects of both the community and economic development and
including cultural preservation in it as well. There's and old expression that 'Rome
was never built over night,' but you can plan for some kind of growth while attempting
to analyze any negative impacts that may result in any kind of development that does
take place. One of the things that I've noticed, I think that as this master plans starts
getting in motion that if we need to acquire more land then we can be able to do it.
Right now, on this very site looking north there is a 10-acre parcel of land directly
adjacent to the senior site that was up for sale and the Tribe didn't buy it and now
some developer took it over and had it rezoned for commercial use and is up on the
market. And that one time it was slated to be an RV park. Now I don't know since I'm
not an Elder and don't live there, that I surely wouldn't like to see an RV park as my
next-door neighbor. I would like to see the Tribe acquire that piece of land and that
way they can dictate to see what's going to happen with it."
CANPY ROBERTSON;
"I want to thank Jackie for her comments. What I would like to see in 10 years is of
course the education enhancement, I think it's going to be great to see all the students
receiving funding, as they deserve. I see us having what we discussed today and it
was the education enhancement, museum, cultural gathering lodge, more jobs. More
jobs is going to create self-sufficiency, which has always been a goal of the Tribe and
the restoration. And so in 10 years, I think we are going to be able to see more of all
of that, everything else is going to bring that self-sufficiency, that's the housing, health,
education, just all of everything we've discussed today. So, most of all, I'd like to see
in 10 years the building of self-sufficiency of our Tribal members."
VAL GROUT:
"I just see good things in the future for this Tribe. I look back where some of our
membership started in the little cemetery, from there we went to the Depot and that's
when I came on board and was involved with the Tribe. From the Depot we went to
the Manor and from the Manor up to the modulars and now look what we have - a
beautiful Governance Center over there and a lot of our Tribal members are working.
And if we keep going like we have from the people that started this, there is no end to
where we can go. If we have good council people that guide us and the people are
behind us, there is nothing that this Tribe can't do if we all stick together and do it
together.
JACK GIFFEN, JR.;
"Ten years from now, our casino is a major destination, not just a tourist passing
through. Our children are educating their children. You've got Spirit Mountain pur
chased. We are developing businesses that employ our own people, educating our
own people and also train our own people. We have health programs. We got hous
ing programs that are available and funding for everybody. That's where I see us in 10
years with a lot of hard work and dedication."
EDLARSEN:
"I don't think nobody mentioned a bank. I would like to see us own our own bank so
we can loan our money back to our own Tribal members with low interests rates.
Also, I want to make sure our endowment funds are fully endowed. I'm with Jack,
have Spirit Mountain back."
B Question from Ellen Fischer:
"This is for all candidates, it's a three-part question. First, please tell us
about your formal and supplemental education accomplishments. Second,
applicable work experiences that apply to this job. Third, what are your
long-term goals, priorities for the Tribe and what are the guiding principles
to achieve the goals?"
JACK GIFFEN.JR.:
"I got a high school diploma. I've attended a couple of years in college and I am
currently enrolled in college. I worked for myself in business in auto parts. I've
worked as a certified welder. I worked for the manufactured home industry as a
regional service manager. I have fairly good oral and written skills. Management skills
- as a manager of my own business and the service manager, I achieve pretty excellent
skills I feel in management. The manufactured home (business) took me nation wide.
The company I worked for was purchased by Oakwood Homes back east and (I) did
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travel back and forth and de
veloped programs with them.
Long-term goals and priorities
- long-term goals is to achieve
the utmost per each and ev
ery members of the Tribe.
Priorities is to maintain our
culture and preserve every
thing we have had in our
past. Principles for achiev
ing these honesty and in
tegrity. Be up front with ev
erybody is the principles
that I basically live on."
TIM HOLMES:
"My formal education is
I'm a high school graduate from Douglas
High School down in Douglas County, just out of Roseburg. I
do have some college credits. My experience I think is where I've gained my biggest
education and many of the employment opportunities I've had over the years. I've had
a lot of responsibility that are dealt with various issues that impact people's lives. I've
quite a bit of experience looking at large budgets on several state councils. Budget
issues, dealing with going to the legislator and requesting additional budgets, testified
before senate and house subcommittees. I believe that a lot of my experience has
prepared me as prepared as any individual can be for a position of Tribal Council and
any of us that haven't served have any idea of how tough or how difficult the job that
our council have. I know it's not easy, but I do think the leadership opportunities that
I've learned in dealing with large groups, trying to build consensus giving opportu-
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towards the decision. I've been part of large decision-making bodies for several years
and I believe in the group process. I believe an important piece to the group process
is honoring and respecting the first opinions that exist amongst those groups of people.
It makes for better decision-making process if you have people coming from different
angles. I think dealing with others with respect and honoring positions and making
decisions is very important. I think that I highlighted some of my long-term goals for
the Tribe. The guiding principles I'm really first and foremost is honesty, integrity,
creativity and flexibility."
RICHARP MCKNIGHT;
"I have a high school diploma from Willamina High. As far as training, we did take
one course on government policy while I was sitting on council. I was appointed. I sat
on council for two years before that I was on fish and wildlife. I helped form the Fish
and Wildlife Committee and I chaired it I think for right around three months, then I
retired. I am currently back on fish & wildlife. Right now, we are making some big
decisions on our 10-year plan for the reservation and so far we are working pretty
good as far as a group. As far as goals, I would like to push our hunting and fishing
rights to where we have established what we want, not just want they gave us. Again,
I would like to try to build our, get more timber and maybe if we can get Spirit Mountain
back to the Tribe."
A 15-minute break was taken.
EPIARSEN;
"My accomplishments was I went to Williamina High School finished in 11 years, not
the high school, but the total school, eight and three. Then I've had trainings while
here at the Tribe, different trainings, Falmouth trainings, communication and oral and
written training. Second applicable work experience it applies to; I was lucky enough
to get elected in '92 and the Tribe was smaller and the organization was a lot smaller.
I learned to grow with the Tribe and I learned a lot from Kathryn Harrison, Mark
Mercier and other Tribal leaders from other Tribes. It's pretty hard to learn that from
going to any school. I think they are starting the Hatfield Institute but that's the only
training I know right now that you can go to school to learn this job. And third, what
are your long-term goals and priorities for the Tribe; I think we stated that earlier in
the 10-year plan, but what we hope to see in the future is the bank. What are the
principles to achieve these; I think everybody agrees on that, honesty and integrity. If
you hear a rumor, go and ask that person or find out the facts before you make a
judgment on the rumor you hear."
PATSY PULLIN:
"My formal education is I have an Associates degree from the University of Alaska in
General Education. I also have certificates in TERO (Tribal Employee Rights Office). I
was a TERO person. I helped put the TERO ordinance together for the Ketchikan
Indian Corporation. I've had a lot of training to do that up to that point. I believe in on
going education and I try to take classes and I've taken management classes here,
since I've been here through our education and they have been very informative. They
are on going here now too. I like to continue learnmg. I think you never stop learning
and you can never learn enough and you can certainly never learn it all. The more you
are educated the more you realize how little you know. As far as communication, I
spent the better part of my life on stage as a musician, so I have had a lot of experience
communicating even though I had a microphone in front of me I was usually singing,
not talking, but I have a lot of experience with that. My husband and I played for over
30 years of entertainment, so that's my background. When I put together the TERO, it
was a brand new program that had never been done for Ketchikan Indian Corporation
and that became a success. Since I've been here I help put together the Public Law
102-477 for the Tribal programs and some of our programs have been melded into
that the funds. It's a better way, it's a way we as a Tribe, designate how we need