JULY 1, 2002
Smoke Signals 9
2002 CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
Chris Mercier continued from page 8
ues, but you get the picture. Far too often Tribal members use the
last resort of voicing their concerns at General Council meetings,
only to be told "We'll look into it" and never resurface again. I've
been happy to speak with a few Tribal members who've seen dis
turbing similarities between CTGR and Enron, the multi-billion dol
lar energy company that went bankrupt last fall, ruining many
lives. The great Enron ship was sinking, yet leadership declared
everything was okay. We all know the ending. Fifty billion dollars
gone in a matter of months. In contrast, the millions of dollars
CTGR now possesses seems fairly minute. Our situation, one might
venture, is a tad more precarious as our own ship is laden with
conspicuous cargo Strategic Wealth, Kalispel, and multiple
charges of Ethics Violations brought against our "crew", Tribal Coun
cil. In a sea of economic uncertainty, that seems quite dangerous.
But how do we stay afloat? Vote. Demand responsible, honest
leadership. Demand democracy. Tribal members should know as
much as they want, and be assured that their concerns are council's
concerns. But that system must founded. Please vote to change.
After all, it's our Tribe, right?
Your friend,
Christopher Mercier
Roll 1821
503-879-8368
E-mail: cgmercieryahoo.com
Tom Leno
Hello,
My name is Tom Leno and I would like
to represent you on Tribal Council. I'm
53 years old and have been involved
with the Tribe from the very beginning.
I chaired the Fish & Wildlife Committee
the first 6 or 8 years. Now I'm on the
Timber Committee for the last few years.
I go to the General Council meetings every month. When I think
something isn't right, I'll speak up in behalf of my kid's future and
your futures too. If elected, I promise to keep all of my people in
mind when making decisions. I pray that some day we all can come
together as one. In my opinion there are a couple of council people
who only think of themselves and others who truly are for all of us.
For one, Reyn Leno has fought hard on a lot of issues to make things
fair for all of our people. There are other council people who do the
same for our people. An there are others in my opinion there for
themselves. I ask you all to be aware of high pressure campaigns an
ask people you know about people who are running for council. I
hope someday our Smoke Signals will be able to show both side of
what our council people are doing. To see how they vote on issues
that are important to all of us. We all need to know when our coun
cil people are doing right and when they have done wrong. I truly
think I can be of help to our Tribe if elected to council. Thanks for
your time and your support.
Tome Leno
P.O. Box 526
Willamina, OR 97396
Be sure and vote for candidates of your choice, from 1 of them to 3
of them.
Reynold Leno
!
My name is Reynold Leno, current
Vice Chairman and candidate for Tribal
Council. I am the son of Orville and
Ramona (McKnight) Leno. My wife is
Liz Leno, whom many of you may have
communication with through the Mem
ber Benefit Program which manages
the timber disbursement. First of all, I
would like to thank all of the Tribal
membership for giving me the honor of serving you for the past 6
years. It has been a great honor to vote on behalf of the member
ship in favor of such projects as implementation of a per capita plan,
Elder housing, spousal insurance, construction of a new adminis
tration and education buildings, increased benefits for Casino em
ployees, construction of Spirit Mountain Lodge, and purchasing lo
cal timber lands that can be placed in trust and most importantly
being part of building the great respect that our Tribe has through
out Indian Country and the State of Oregon. As a council member
for the last 6 years I have tried my best to serve the entire member
ship and carefully consider all decisions and how they impact each
and every member.
As a Vietnam Veteran, I strongly support the construction of the
Veterans memorial to honor the Veterans who have served our coun
try. With the support of council I encouraged the organization of
the Veterans Memorial Committee. The base of the memorial is due
to be completed in September 2002. Completion of the project is
scheduled for 2003.
One of my first challenges on council was being appointed the
liaison for the Pow-wow Committee which I have served on since
1997. The Annual Pow-wow has grown tremendously over last 6
years. I am also proud to be part of the Veterans Powpwow. The
experience of being involved in both Pow-wows has made me ap
preciate the work and dedication that is made toward regaining our
culture and coming together as a Tribe.
As chairman of the Natural Resources Council Sub-Committee I
have worked on an agreement with the Willamette National Forest
for the protection of Cultural artifacts. We finalized the Steward
ship with the National Forest Service and contract with the Bureau
of Land Management, which will mean an additional management
of 11,000 acres of timber land for the Tribe.
WHY SHOULD YOU VOTE FOR ME?
Many of you will have the tough choice of who to vote for to serve
as your Tribal Council. I believe that I have a great deal of heart,
dedication, and experience to offer to the Tribe. As a council mem
ber I feel it is my duty to keep very active in all aspects of the Tribe.
I attend a majority of meetings of the Spirit Mountain Develop
ment Corp., Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc., Timber Committee, Hous
ing Authority, Fish & Wildlife Committee, Veterans Committee, Pow
Wow Committee, and various Tribal, County, and State meetings
such as the Grand Ronde Water Association, Government to Gov
ernment meetings, and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians meet
ings. I am always trying my best to improve my ability to serve the
membership. I participate in trainings regularly and have taken a
course on Chinook Jargon. I have attended seminars on Federal
Indian Law, bookkeeping, hunting rights, Roberts Rules of Order,
and others. Many of these are college accredited courses.
With the vote of you and your family and friends I would be very
proud to serve you another 3 years. I feel that I can contribute to
the Tribe in the present and also be a part of the Tribe's vision for
the future. If you have any questions, please call me, at home 503-876-7402.
Jack Giffen Jr.
Age 50
Roll 182
Tribal Ancestry:
B Great Great-grandparents Dave and
Tilmer Leno, and Cecile Leno and John
Warren.
B Great-grandparents Frances Houck
Porter, and Abe and Maude Warren
Hudson.
B Grandparents Dewalt and Arvilla ( Granny ) Hudson, Houck.
fl Mother Arlene Houck, Giffen, Beck.
Education
B Brookings Harbor High School
fl 2 years University of Oregon
B Attending school now to complete B.S. in Business Administra
tion. Training
B ISO 9000
B Facilitator
fl Oregon Auto Parts Board of Directors
Spirit Mountain University Gaming Leadership Training
Employment
B Co-owner and manager of Auto Parts Business
B Regional Service Manager for Marlette Homes by Oakwood
B Millwright, Welder for South Coast Lumber Co.
B Presently employed at Spirit Mountain Casino
Yotl Tumtum Delate Yoka Illahee
I'm a proud Native, my purpose in running for Tribal Council is to
represent every Tribal member not just a few.
I can't make any specific promises, but one, I will fight to make
sure every Tribal members welfare and future will be protected and
Jack Giffen Jr continued on page 10