Smoke Signals 5,
OCTOBER 1, 2004
New Tribal Council Members Named
Tribal Engineer Eric Scott presents cemetery extension plans at the September General Council meeting.
By Ron Karten
The September General Council
meeting was held on Sunday, Septem
ber 12th, at the Tribal Community
Center in Grand Ronde. Here are the
highlights:
Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle
Kennedy called the meeting to order;
former Tribal Chair and Elder Kathryn
Harrison offered the invocation.
Tribal Elder Nancy Coleman,
Chair of the Election Board, con
gratulated Tribal Council election
winners Angie Blackwell, Christo
pher G. Mercier and Wesley
(Buddy) West. All won a first term
on the council.
Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle
Kennedy thanked outgoing Tribal
Council members Val Grout, Ed
Larsen and Bob Haller "for your
years of service."
"What the people out here are
saying," said Tribal member
Monty Parazoo, "is they want
change." He encouraged those
serving to "take a look at this vote.
We want to know what's going on."
Terry Rainey, President of New
Mexico-based Automated Election
Services (formerly Ink Impres
sions, Inc.), the Tribal Election Ad
ministrator, said that he points to
Grand Ronde elections as among
"the best in the country, as a model
for others."
Tribal Council honored Tribal
Elder Russ Leno for "taking care
of our cemetery over the years." Vice
Chair Reyn Leno presented his uncle
with a plaque and jacket with a Tribal
logo and noted not only Leno's careful
care of the cemetery over the years,
but also his "assistance to Tribal fami
lies in a time of crisis."
In return, Tribal member Jackie
Leno, Russ's oldest daughter, pre
sented ajar of homemade jam to each
Council member. "We're all very
proud of our father and grandfather,"
she said.
"I'm very proud to have my family
members (in the Tribal cemetery)
now," said Tribal Elder Val Grout.
A report from Eric Scott, the Tribe's
Engineer, described proposed improve
ments to the Tribal cemetery. They
included an expanded building to make
room for more guests at funeral ser
vices as well as providing a separate
room for bereaved families. The pro
posed project also will add parking
into two separate positions, and to cre
ate a Sergeant-at-Arms position.
Tribal member Ann Lewis described
her efforts to obtain documents con
cerning past Tribal investments.
Tribal member Kathleen Tom de
scribed her efforts to resolve a dispute
over whether income from billboards
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Family Tribal member Jackie Grant (middle) accepts congratulations from Tribal
Council member Valorie Sheker-Robertson with Grant's father .Tribal Elder Russ Leno,
nearby.
along the entrance and exit roads.
As requested and as currently envi
sioned, the facility will be large enough
for funerals of 300, said Scott.
Tribal member Linda Bean Olson
asked that Timber Committee mem
bers "be more active, have more hands
on participation." She also said that
there is a need to go over the Safety
Ordinance with residents of the Tribe's
newest housing development because
the skills of being a good neighbor need
review.
Tribal member Shawn Hostler asked
about the process for splitting the
council's SecretaryTreasurer position
on property formerly held in trust for
the Chemawa Indian School in Salem
should all go back to the students of
the school.
The signs are now in possession of a
corporation, Chemawa Station LLC,
formed by the Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians and Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde Indians. Chemawa
Station LLC is building a multi-use
development in Keizer, and the bill
boards are part of that development.
Tribal members Marcia Bolton and
her son, Michael, both spoke against
contracting out for workers for upcom
ing Elder Care facilities.
"It's an insult to even think of con
tracting with an outside agency to run
it," said Michael Bolton.
"You do not get the same care (from
an outside agency)," said Tribal Elder
Betty Bly, "and you do not have the
same control (as with Tribal members)."
"There has been no discussion
whatsoever of (outsourcing Elder
home care)," said Chairwoman
Cheryle Kennedy. "We also be
lieve that Tribal members are
best to serve our Elders."
Tribal member Willard (Wid)
Thompson recognized the coun
cil "for all they've done in my
life." He presented the council
with a traditional adz of the
Maori (New Zealand) people
gifted to him by Native artist
Rick Bartow to whom it was
originally gifted. Bartow made
the gift to Thompson "to help
change lives" of the boys Thomp
son works with at the MacLaren
School in Woodburn (see Smoke
Signals, "Warrior Interrupted,"
in the 121503 issue). He gave
the adz to the Tribal Council in
thanks, "and to help Tribal
members shape each others lives
and work together."
Tribal member Janelle Haller
gave "a personal thank you to
Mom (outgoing Tribal Council
member Val Grout)."
There were many kudos for outgo
ing Tribal members and much thanks
from those who ran for office to those
who voted.
Door prize winners included $50 win
ners: Duane Coulson and Tribal mem
bers Christie Loomis and J.R.
Robertson; the $100 winner was Tribal
member Rhonda Leno.
Other announcements:
The next general Council Meeting
will be Sunday, October 10 at 1 1 a.m.
the Tribal Community Center. Posi
tions are open on the Rodeo and Roy
alty Special Events committees and
also on the Education Committee.
Blackwell, Mercier And West Take Office
Each starts the term with a promise to learn about the office before moving to make changes.
By Ron Karten
Attributing their sweeping victo
ries to a Tribe demanding change,
each of the new Tribal Council mem
bers took their oath on Wednesday,
September 15, and then honored the
complexity of the job ahead of them
with a recognition of how much they
still had to learn.
"Right now, I foresee I've got a
lot of work to do learning every
thing," said new Tribal Council
member Chris Mercier. "I've defi
nitely got a lot of things to learn
but I'm looking forward to learn
ing everything."
"I don't see any immediate
changes," said new Tribal Council
member Wesley "Buddy" West. "I
believe there will be changes eventu
ally but it's too early to say at this time."
"We're not going to rush into any
thing," said new Tribal Council
member, Angie Blackwell. "I'm just
looking forward to the next three
years, one day at a time."
Tribal Court Judge Katharine
English said before swearing the
three in, 'This is a very happy occa
sion but also a very serious occasion."
Though the candidacies of three
long-term incumbents were swept
away by the landslide vote that
gave the winners 45 of the 3713
votes cast (on each ballot, voters can
select up to three candidates), sen
timents within and outside of the
Tribal Council, said that the vote
did not necessarily reflect dissatis
faction with individual council
members.
"I'm happy and honored to be se
lected," said Mercier. "Unfortu
nately, when you bring in three
new people, you lose three others.
I hope the Tribe won't forget the
contributions of Val Grout, Ed
Larsen and Bob Haller."
"I think the three new council
members have some big shoes to
fill," said Tribal Council Vice Chair
Reyn Leno. "The three council
members who just left were some of
the most caring Grand Ronde Coun
cil members, shown by all the good
things given to members in the past
years, such as per capita, Elders'
pensions and health insurance."
Still, Leno said, "I think that
change is fine if that's what the
membership wants, but we need to
hear what the change is." And he
added, "With the change, we have
to be careful that we don't put the
Tribe at risk."
"We need to respect anybody that
is elected by the membership," con
tinued Leno, "because to disrespect
them is to disrespect the member
ship, and we can't do that."
This year, 1,342 of 2,128 regis
tered voters and 3,294 eligible vot
ers cast ballots. That was 63 per
cent of registered voters and nearly
41 percent of eligible voters.
Last year, 1,178 of 2,020 regis
tered voters and 3,206 eligible vot
ers voted. That was 58 percent of
registered voters and nearly 37 per
cent of eligible voters.
The number of registered voters
was up to 2,128 from 2,020 last
year. The number of eligible vot
ers was up from 3,206 to 3,294 this
year.
In all, the Tribe added 88 voters
this year over last. Seventeen new
voters were added on election day,
said Terry Rainey, President of
Automated Election Services, the
New Mexico-based company con
tracted by the Tribe to run Tribal
elections.