Committee Feature
Gaming continued from page 4
negotiations. Does the "Austin Powers" nickel
machine conform to federal Class III gaming
regulations? What are Oregon laws concerning
baccarat?
Those are the sorts of issues that the Gaming
Commission deals with on a regular basis. No
person can work, no slot machine can be used,
no card game played, without a thorough in
vestigation and approval process. Tribal Coun
cil established the commission to be the legal
watchdog for Spirit Mountain Casino and in
doing so granted them (commission members)
the authority to issue gaming licenses, collect
licensing fees, and to approve changes in gam
ing operations. That is why one member of the
commission must have five (5) years in law en
forcement, and one other must have experience
in business management.
The commission also is granted the power to
perform unrestricted inspections on the gaming
facility's operations. They also conduct back
ground checks on employees who deal directly
with gaming dealers, money handlers, and per
sonnel who work on the gaming floor. Even
external entities like consulting companies are
checked by the commission or the state. Above
all, the commission makes sure that Spirit Moun
tain complies with federal and Indian gaming
regulations, with little margin for deviation.
They are so driven by integrity that gaming
commissioners aren't allowed to gamble at Spirit
Mountain Casino, which should hint at just how
serious the Tribe is about gaming. B
Health Authority Board
BACKGROUND: In response to
a growing concern among member
ship regarding quality health care,
Tribal Council passed on July 28, 1999
the Health Authority Ordinance, cre
ating in addition the Health Author
ity Board.
PEOPLE INVOLVED: Nine (9)
members staff the board, the major
ity of them Tribal, and most of them
having some background in the medi
cal field. As a board, all the positions
are paid. Steve Bowles sits in as co-
Chair with Tribal Elder Merle Leno.
MEMBERS: Mary Brickell (Secretary), Steve
Bowles Vice Chair), Marie Davis, Merle Leno
(Chair), Nancy Renfrow, Tom Seidl, Bernadine
Shriver, Malcolm Snider, and Patti Tom-Martin.
FUNCTION: Health care has long been a
touchy subject in Indian Country, and Grand
Ronde is no different. Though one of the
younger entities serving in an advisory capac
ity to Tribal Council, no board may have a job
that seems destined to go on forever. For them
the goal is fairly simple - improving the quality
of health care available to Tribal members.
"You can never be perfect out here,' said
Bowles. "Every time you gain a step, there's
one other to make."
EB
coyt8)j
That is certainly the case with Grand
Ronde, where more than five years ago
a modern clinic sprung up that for a
brief time quelled complaints and ap
peased the most demanding patient.
But as with any boon, unforeseen prob
lems developed, and the creation of a
body suited specifically to deal with
these troubles was imminent.
In that, policy issues surrounding the
Health & Wellness Center are the chief
domains of the Health Authority Board,
and according to Bowles, policies and
problems are often intertwined, stemming from
one another. Budget and personnel seem to be
the main monkey wrenches these days, usually
spilling over into everyday affairs. For example,
the inability to hold on to accomplished physi
cians has left the staff short-handed, which ex
plains complaints of long waits.
The Health Authority Board has become in
effect a prevention awareness medium, accord
ing to Bowles. This is good, he said, because
many of the issues assailing the Native popula
tion today are largely preventable, like smoking.
Or diabetes, a condition resulting often from obe
sity, also an avoidable circumstance.
"We're like a newborn baby," said Bowles.
"We're still learning to walk and talk. We're still
learning what we can do." B
Housing Authority Board off Commissioners
I M331 I
BACKGROUND: "Decent, affordable hous
ing is critical to the well-being of Tribal fami
lies," reads Section (b) of the Tribal Housing Or
dinance. "The council has determined that there
is a shortage of decent homes in the Service Area
at prjees and rents affordable to many Tribal
members, and that this shortage cannot be alle
viated through the private sector." Such was the
explanation when council passed the Tribal
Housing Ordinance on March 27, 1996, effec
tively creating the Grand Ronde Tribal Housing
Authority to remedy the problem.
PEOPLE INVOLVED: Seven (7) board mem
bers sit in as commissioners, five of them Tribal.
Three (3) of the positions open up every year,
though some years only two (2) come open. They
generally meet the third Tuesday of every month.
Tribal member Tim Holmes took over as Chair
from Tribal member Bob Watson two years ago.
Council appoints all board members, and every
position is paid.
MEM3ERS: Linda Hale (Secretary), Valerie
Harjo, Mel Holmes, Tim Holmes (Chair), Monty
Parazoo, Jack J. Rovics, Jr., and one seat pres
ently vacant.
FUNCTION: Addressing the housing needs
of Tribal members is one of those tasks that
when written down seems fairly simple, yet as
Holmes will testify, it isn't. Historically, Con
gress passed a bill in 1996 called the Native
American Housing and Self-Determination Act,
designed to re-route some funding from HUD
(Housing and Urban
do is based upon the Housing Needs Assessment
Survey, which is distributed to all Tribal Mem
bers over the age of 18. Fortunately, building
houses is but one facet. The board has also re
searched and designed some of the notable pro
grams available through housing, like the Mi
nor Medical Adaptation Grant, which will en
dow Tribal members with funding to build ac
cess ramps, grab bars and other accessibility fea
tures to their home. Also the Home Repair
Grant, or the Down-Payment Assistance Grant,
77
I
Development) to
Tribes. The downside
to having multiple
sources of funding is
that bureaucratic is
sues bog down
projects.
"Personally I think
Tribal members
should know that in
order to accept federal
funding we must fol
low federal guide
lines, in addition to Tribal Council requirements,
BIA requirements, and environmental issues,"
said Holmes. "People think we're slow, but when
you look at all the hoops we have to go
through..."
But all those hoops haven't prevented them
from making some visible differences in the com
munity. Grand Meadows and Elders' Housing
are hard not to notice, and now serve as cozy
homes for many Tribal members. In the near
future, keep an eye out for a 36-unit low-income
housing lot, already approved by council.
Those are results.
Much of the planning and policy-making they
?
are symbols of the board's toil.
Getting them in place was never easy. The
board is charged annually with submitting a
yearly report to council, explaining why goals
weren't met. For HUD they must design and
submit a five-year plan to secure any funding.
When the dollars come, from HUD or council,
matters progress into a new level of complexity,
particularly when housing schemes come into
play. Not only must the board seek out archi
tects and contractors, but also they must read
blueprints and note environmental concerns,
doing so with the BIA and HUD looking over
Housing continued on page 6