6 MAY 1, 2002
Smoke Signals
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First Spring Time Fashion Show Sports Local Talent, Colorful Designs
High rollers and invited guests join host Diana George for a day of fun, finger food and models on the runway.
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By Peta Tinda
The first annual Spirit Moun
tain Spring Fashion Show was
a gala event, complete with
models, music and many styl
ish clothes.
The show, coordinated by
Tribal member Diana
George, Manager of Guest
Services, was held in the
Rogue Room at Spirit
Mountain Casino. The
clothes featured in the
fashion show are avail
able at Spirit Mountain
Outfitters, located in the
t casino.
There were outfits from
Latitude a local com
pany based in Corvallis;
Wek - a women's wear line;
and a line of clothes from
Canada called Milton's -which
provided all of the
children's clothing.
"The Milton's line is espe
cially popular at the gift shop,"
said George. "Theyjustflyout
the door."
The models were all local
. vnlnntpprs rasinn pmnlnv-
ees and their children. All of the children in the
show were Tribal members.
"We hope to make it an annual springtime
event," said George.
Much of the new attire on the runway had
Native themes, blending traditional patterns and
contemporary clothing, just the thing for the
stylish Tribal member.
The types of clothing on display went from
swimwear to eveningwear,-casual clothes to
power suits.
"We used a lot of bright spring colors and lots
of flower prints for the women," said George.
"All of the clothing is top quality. I like qual
ity." Once in the Rogue Room, the models got their
chance to strut their stuff on a catwalk that was
set up for the show. The models made their way
down the stage, paused and then struck a few
poses. The crowd of about 60 people applauded
each model as they exited the stage.
"I was very pleased with the way the show
went, with the cooperation of the casino and the
staff for participating," said George. "We all
worked together and it turned out great." B
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Cheri Barnes
Anthony Cook
Carol Larsen
Jenny Baily
Grand Ronde Tribe Establishes Appeals Court
Three judges with impressive credentials bring even more credibility to the Tribe's
already well-known court system.
By Chris Mercier
No nation is complete without a judicial system. Tribal Council knew this back in 1989 when they passed the Tribal Court Ordinance.
With that official act, the foundations were laid for a developing system of Tribal laws and regulations, one that could be best described as in a constant state
of evolution.
How much evolution? In the first year the court dealt with a few cases, all of them child welfare. Within the last two years alone the number of cases has
skyrocketed to more than a few dozen as the court has gone on to include, in addition to child welfare and custody cases, name changes, marriages, divorces,
parental termination, employment decisions, contracts involving the Tribe, fish & wildlife licenses, small claims and even handgun permits.
Without a doubt, enrollment cases ha ve become the issue of the day, effectively comprising a majority of the cases brought to Tribal Court these days.
Many Tribal laws are modeled after state and federal ones, though a certain slant is often found as the Tribe incorporates numerous traditional, Native beliefs
and principles, making Grand Ronde's Tribal Court unique in every sense of the word.
When Judge Katherine English came on board four years ago, the door was open for even greater possibilities. One of those possibilities became a necessity
when it was obvious after the flood of cases that the Tribal court system needed more than one arbiter, and now we have the appellate court, or more commonly
known as the cou rt of appeals.
I'm often reminded of Dances With Wolves
whenever the words "Indian Law" come up. You
know the scene. Successful buffalo hunt, all the
Indians huddled around the fire gnawing on
tatanka ribs. A Sioux warrior coolly strides into
the teepee wearing John Dunbar's old royal blue
Union cap. Everybody laughs he wears the
white man's hat. Hee-hee
"That's my hat," Dunbar tells him.
Not so, says the warrior, it was left on the prai
rie. Dunbar wants it back. They both stand up
from their sitting positions, glaring at one an
other, and the fireside crowd falls into silence,
evidently anticipating some scuffle. But Wind
In His Hair, played by Rodney Grant, soothes
the tension by steadfastly telling the warrior that
he must trade something for the hat. Dances
With Wolves gets an intricate Sioux breastplate,
carved of bone. The two sides rejoin the feast,
satisfied.
It's too bad that disputes over property or
wrongdoing can't be resolved with such simple
efficiency anymore, especially in Indian Coun
try. But alas, society advances towards new lev
els of complexity all the time and with them their
respective legal systems. Even Grand Ronde
can't wage a successful war on evolution. Then
again, few people should complain of the estab
lishment of a Tribal Appeals Court, for although
it does add another layer to an already un-simple
judicial system, more than anything the appoint
ment of three appellate judges signifies the
Tribe's dedication to fairness and accuracy. In
the saga of justice, that's huge.
"With more cases, with more laws, it's impor
tant to know we're making the right decisions,"
said Tribal member Angela Fasana, who
works as Tribal Court Administrator.
"It's important to have more than one
person solidifying those laws and setting
precedents. We've tried to get an appeals court
for a while."
Indeed. Previously, Katherine English, as the
Tribe's sole judge, was that one person in charge
of maintaining the Tribe's legal system. Yet
since her introduction into the Tribe five years
ago, English pushed for an appellate court, an
idea only fully realized last June when Tribal
Council amended the Tribal Court Ordinance to
allow for an appeals process. The judges them
selves officially started in September of 2001.
Establishing a court of any kind is never an
easy task and Grand Ronde's newest legal en
tity was no exception. Rules and regulations for
the court had to be drawn up, the majority of
them simply adopted from the Federal Appel
late system.
Tribal Attorney Rob Greene and
Judge English pored over and
screened applicants for over a
year before resting on their
three selections. Contracts were
negotiated and each judge
signed on for two years.
"It was definitely a task," said
Fasana, who was present dur
ing the whole process.
"Judge English really pushed
for the court," she added. "She
wanted to be sure she was mak-
ing the right decisions."
And basically, under the appellate system,
that is exactly what the new judges will do: re
view English's decisions and ensure they were
justified. Should a party in a particular case be
dissatisfied with the decision, the case can be
sent to the appeals court. By due process, the
judge or judges can look over the case, though
with no further admission of evidence or testi
mony. If they disagree with the decision, it can
be overturned. Either way, disagreeing or con-