Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2003)
Smoke Signals 3 MAY 15, 2003 Tribal Community Meetings Visit Tualatin, Eugene and Grand Ronde Tribal members have a lot to say on issues as varied as health care, benevolence and enrollment. Kim Rogers By Ron Karten This year's Tribal member Community Meet ings enjoyed twice the turnout in the Portland and Eu gene areas as last year but rare sun shine on the day of the Grand Ronde meeting cut into this year's num bers slightly, ac cording to Kim Rogers, Policy and Plan ning Division Manager, and organizer of the event. Each session included short presen tations describing the past year's changes and achievements. Tribal En gineer Eric Scott and Housing Depart ment Executive Assistant Terri White also presented information on future goals. Then, each meeting broke into small groups. Participants within each made suggestions to improve different pro gram areas within the Tribe. Regarding health services, the wide ranging list included stability of provid ers and services. A number of sugges tions focused on reducing turnover in personnel at the Health and Wellness Center. One suggestion sought "one leader in charge, not three" and to "downsize the clinic" while increasing professional staff. Others proposed more "traditional healing," coverage for orth odontics and "improved billing services." Others wanted to expand transportation services, whether for Elders or for Tribal members out of town. Regarding that broad area of services called Benevolence, Tribal members sought a firewood program and a spe cial circumstance assistance fund (re cently instituted by Tribal Council). On the other hand, another Tribal member proposed that before making Tribal Benevolence available, a "genu- "written transcripts of Tribal Council meetings," less economic development and more programs for youth, an "edi torial section" in Smoke Signals, jobs training for unskilled Tribal members, after care for Tribal members complet ing drug and alcohol rehabilitation, a drug and alcohol hotline, an arts and cultural center for Tribal members, I r-r ; I a n . A Shared Information Annually, the Tribal Council reaches out to the membership in a series of community meetings. The meetings are designed to gather input from the Tribal membership and give members face-to-face time with their elected officials and Tribal administrators. Meetings were held in Tualatin on Thursday, April 17, Eugene on Tuesday, April 22 and in Grand Ronde on Thursday May 1. At the Tualatin meeting, Tribal member and Risk Manager Debby Larsen listened to input from members with concerns about health care. ine need" ought to be ensured. There was a suggestion that those living in Elder Housing should not be required to pay utilities. Various Tribal members sought and "a bigger buffet" there is cur rently too long a wait. In addition, Tribal members had a number of recommendations regard ing Tribal Council. One proposed that Tribal Council pay increases be ap proved by a vote of the general mem bership. Another suggested the Tribal Council members take Chinuk lan guage classes. And a third proposed ethics and professionalism classes for Tribal Council and Tribal managers. "I think it was a very good thing that went on here tonight," said Tribal member Harriet Peters. However, Tribal member Shawn Hostler was not so enthused with the proceedings. "I don't feel that my in put is heard or acted upon." She added that the vital (Tribal Council) discus sions are held during the day when the rest of the membership is not part of it. She conceded that the Community meeting effort could be a valuable part of the solution, but insisted, "it is only one tool." She also complimented the new Council Forum (now Council News) publication put out by the Pub lic Information office, calling it, "a little more program-oriented." "We need better reports in the Gen eral Council meetings. We need posted agendas in advance and especially (be fore meetings) Wednesday nights. And finally, she suggested that Smoke Signals institute "a true edito rial page, not one run through Legal." "I like the face-to-face interaction," said a Tribal member who has since been nominated as a candidate for Tribal Council and in accordance with Smoke Signals policy, will not be named for the duration of the political campaign. "I think we need more stuff like this." Piestewa Death Again Raises Indian Name Issue Piestewa continued from front as hero was an effort by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to have two controversial place names Squaw Peak and Squaw Peak Freeway renamed to Piestewa Peak and Piestewa Peak Freeway. "It's too bad anytime somebody has to die to get something accom plished," said Tribal Vice Chair Reyn Leno. "They won't be able to see it." And it's not a done deal yet. "I know the situation in Arizona was more complicated," said Champ Vaughan, Vice President of the Oregon Geographic Names Board and co-chair of The Squaw Names Subcommittee. "Renam ing the feature for a military per son, it cannot be renamed until five years after a person is dead." Arizona State Senator Jack Jackson and his son, State Rep resentative Jack Jackson Jr., both members of the Navajo Nation from Window Rock, have tried unsuccessfully since the 1980s to get those names changed through the state legislature. Senator Jackson was ecstatic with the Governor's effort. "If it wasn't for her, it never would have happened," said Jack son. "People here are so insensi tive to needs of Native people of the state." When it comes to changing In- page dian terms long used for public or geographic places, for athletic teams and mascots, for cars and trucks and RVs across the country, sr- . n ; f PO " Yet To Be Changed - This creek, just a short drive from Grand Ronde, has yet to be tar geted by folks who would like to see all names deemed derogatory to Native Americans changed. terms considered racist and de meaning by many Native Ameri cans, the effort can require a Piestewa-sized sacrifice, as in Ari zona, while in other places, like Oregon, a simple educational pro cess seems to have done the job. Oregon Senate Joint Memo rial 3, which sailed through the Legislature almost with out opposition in the 2001 Legislature, urged "state and federal officials to remove the term squaw from geographic place names in Oregon." In fact, however, the first change came in Harney County four years before the Legislature acted. And since the Memorial, five more name changes have gone by with out a hitch or significant ob jection, according to Vaughan. As far back as 1992, The Oregonian stopped printing Native American mascot names in their sports cover age. If there is a downside to the Oregon experience, it may be that acceptance has also en abled the Tribes to let the is sue slide. With some 140 "squaw" names still out there, the six changes to date do not amount to an overwhelming Indian mandate against the names, and no significant new efforts have been launched, ac cording to Vaughan. For Tribal member John Mercier, the subject has not been too upsetting. Some of the ob jections come out as "whining" to him, where simple education is what's needed. But the Cleveland Indians still use Chief Wahoo as its team mas cot. The University of Illinois still uses the Chief Illiniwek mascot. The Washington Redskins, At lanta Braves, Chicago Blackhawks and Kansas City Chiefs have not changed their names. "I'm not saying that anybody who uses an Indian name is overtly racist," said Tony Johnson, Education Coordinator for the Tribe's Cultural Resources Department. "But once the question is raised... My question is, can you ever put another minority's name in there (where an Indian name now is)?" "Take heart," said Suzan Shown Harjo, on an ESPN internet chat session, part of the Outside the Lines series on Na tive Americans and sports. Harjo is President and Executive Di rector of The Morning Star In stitute, a national, non-profit Indian rights organization for Native Peoples' traditional and cultural advocacy, arts promotion and research. "These Native ref erences in sports are going the way of the lawn jockeys."
