-APRIL15j 2003
Smoke Signals 5
Wednesday, March 5
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(3) of the Ordinance to specifically exclude all current or former ap
pointed or pro-tem judges of the Tribal Court or Tribal Court of Ap
peals from the definition of Official or Employee subject to the Ethics
Ordinance. Discussion followed. Motion carried 6-2-0. Ed
Pearsall and Valorie Sheker-Robertson voted no.
B Tribal Court Ordinance Revisions Finalization. Ed Pearsall moved,
Ed Larsen seconded to adopt Resolution No. 049-03 approving final adop
tion of amendments to the Tribal Court Ordinance to clarify the meaning of
"self-help remedies" in section (g)(2) of the Ordinance. Motion carried 8-0-0.
B Executive Management Ordinance Amendments. Reyn Leno
moved, Bob Haller seconded to adopt Resolution No. 050-03 approving
amendments to the Executive Management Ordinance which (1) replaces
the term "Executive Officer'with term "General Manager" and clarifies
the General Manager's responsibilities by more clearly identifying which
divisions, departments, committees, etc., the General Manager is respon
sible for overseeing, and by deleting duties that fall under the Finance
Officer's responsibilities. Motion carried 8-0-0.
fl Fish & Wildlife Committee Appointments. Jan D. Reibach moved,
Reynold L. Leno seconded to adopt Resolution No. 051-03 appointing
Tim Holmes as an honorary member and to appoint Mel Holmes and Penny
DeLoe to the committee filling the two vacant positions. Motion carried
7-0-1. Val Grout abstained.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
D Enrollment Litigation. Valorie Sheker-Robertson moved, Reyn Leno
seconded to adopt Resolution No. 052-03:
(1) approving a limited waiver of sovereign immunity to enable the Tribal
Court to consider the stipulation and documents referenced therein in its
review of 17 enrollment cases remanded to the Tribal Court by the Court
of Appeals, and
(2) stressing that the limited waiver of sovereign immunity extends only
to the stipulation and the documents referenced therein and only to con
sideration of such documents in the 17 cases. Motion carried 8-0-0.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
B Capital Improvements to Rodeo Covered Bleachers. Ed Pearsall
moved, Ed Larsen seconded to adopt Resolution No. 053-03 authoriz
ing the move of $29,508 from the Contingency Budget to the Tribal
Engineer's budget for the purpose of constructing capital improvements
to the covered bleachers. Motion carried 8-0-0.
B New Voices in Indigenous Research Conference. Jan D. Reibach
moved, Reyn Leno seconded to adopt Resolution No. 054-03 authoriz
ing the move of $800 form the Contingency Budget to the Mentorship
Budget to cover travel expenses for Elaine LaBonte, who has been invited
to speak at the New Voices in Indigenous Research conference on April
24-25, 2003. Motion carried 8-0-0.
5:43 p.m. Bob Haller moved, Reyn Leno seconded to adjourn the
meeting. Motion carried.
COMMENT BY TRIBAL COUNCIL
On March 5, 2003, in an effort to restore peace and allow the council to effectively perform their duties on behalf of the membership, the Tribal
Council rescinded the Tribal Ethical Standards Ordinance. This decision was not made lightly.
The Tribal Council found, based on its experience with past and pending complaints, that the ethics complaint process, as currently set out in
the Ordinance, was subject to abuse. More specifically, the council found that claims under the Ordinance may be made for improper purposes
such as obtaining discovery that is not otherwise available to a complainant or to intimidate or coerce Tribal officials into reversing decisions.
Such claims interfere with the ability of the Tribal Council to conduct their duties effectively on behalf of the membership and undermine the
original purpose of the Ordinance.
The Tribal Ethics Ordinance was enacted on August 25, 1993. The Ordinance was enacted for the express purpose ofuproviding guidance for
conducting business, protectfing the interest of Tribal members and protectfing the reputation and integrity of Tribal Government. " Since its
enactment, a number of cases have been brought under the Ordinance from which the Tribal Council gained valuable experience about the
workings of the Ordinance and some of its problems. Recent ethics complaints underscored these problems. Given the high potential for abuse
and resulting harmful impact on Tribal Government, the Tribal Council felt the need to take immediate action to rescind the Ordinance.
There are other ordinances and policies presently in effect to ensure that Tribal officials and employees act properly and consistently with
Tribal law, including the Tribal Council Ordinance, the Tribal Court Ordinance, the Tribal Constitution and Tribal employment policies. The
council plans to analyze ethical codes andor policies adopted by other public bodies to determine what, if any, additional law or policies are
needed to protect the integrity of the Tribal Government. The council encourages comments from the membership on this process. Comments can
be sent to Charles Haller II, Tribal Council Relations Coordinator, at 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347.
April 2005 National Child Abuse Prevention Month
By Matt Bucknell
Foster Care Recruitment Specialist
The President of the U.S. and the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
Children's Bureau Office on Child Abuse and Neglect recognize April as Child
Abuse Prevention Month. This national problem affects children in every com
munity. Abuse and neglect are associated with short and long-term consequences that
not only affect the child and family, but society as a whole. These consequences
may include brain damage, developmental delays, learning disorders, low aca
demic achievement, increased drug usage, higher rate of teen pregnancy, crimi
nal behavior, difficulty forming relationships, aggressive behavior and depres
sion. '
Child abuse is a tragedy that comes in a variety of forms: neglect, physical,
sexual and emotional. Boys and girls are almost equally likely to experience
neglect and physical abuse. However, girls are four times more likely to expe
rience sexual abuse.
The impact of neglect and abuse is far greater than its immediate, visible
effects. The statistics are alarming. Nationally, in the year 2000, an average
of 2,400 children were found to be victims of child abuse each day, (over 875,000
abused children). The breakdown of the numbers were: neglect (63 percent),
physical (19 percent), sexual (10 percent) & emotional (8 percent).
Child abuse and neglect can lead to death as well. In 2000 children under the
age of one accounted for 44 percent of child abuse and neglect deaths nationally.
For children under the age of six the numbers rose to 85 percent. Tragically, an
average of three children die every day in the U.S. as a result of abuse and
neglect.
Statistics show that in 2001 8,232 children in Oregon were documented to be
the victims of child abuse and neglect. Nearly half of these children were
under the age of six. In 2001 eight Oregonian children died from the effects of
child abuse and neglect.
Most children who are victims show some warning signs of their abuse and
neglect. These signs may include: nervousness around adults, aggression to
wards others, inability to stay awake or concentrate, sudden or dramatic
changes in personality or activities, acting out sexually or showing an inter
est in sexual activity that is not age-appropriate, frequent or unexplained
bruises or injuries, low self-esteem and poor hygiene.
The goal of child abuse and neglect prevention is simple, to stop it from
happening in the first place. Preventative action can spare children & fami
lies from emotional and physical trauma, as well as decreasing the need for
costly intervention & treatment services. The best way to prevent the child
abuse and neglect is to support families and provide parents with the skills,
education and resources that they need.
Some ways to get involved and make a difference are through prevention
activities such as: parental support groups, encouraging schools and other
community organizations to provide parenting education for teens and adults,
volunteering for programs that provide friendship & guidance to parents and
children such as Befriend-A-Child or Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA),
or advocating for community services to help families.
Prevention efforts build on family strengths. Through the above mentioned
activities many families are able to find the support that they need to stay
together and care for their children in a more positive way. Prevention pro
grams can also help parents identify other needs they may have. Prevention
efforts can create healthier environments for children and foster confident,
positive parenting. For more information on how you can become involved in
prevention efforts, contact the Tribe's ICW Prevention Specialist at 503-879-2094.
You can report child abuse and neglect to your local law enforcement de
partment, child protective services agency or the Tribe's ICW Referral and
Intake Specialist at 503-879-4529.
The information in this article was obtained from Casey Family Services
& U.S. Administration for Children & Families.