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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2005)
Smoke Signals 3 FEBRUARY 15, 2005 Tribal Council Meets With Membership In Portland Review of Tribal programs is capped by sharing a specific Tribal plan that in the past, would not have been divulged. '- I - Leadership Tribal Council meets with Portland area Tribal members on Sunday, February 6 at the Embassy Suites Hotel at the Portland International Airport. By Ron Karten The February General Council meet ing was held on Sunday, February 6, at the Embassy Suites Hotel at the Portland International Airport. Here are the highlights: Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy called the meeting to order. Tribal Elder Val Grout offered the in vocation. Tribal member and Director of Op erations Chris Leno began the first of four Tribal program summaries: Mem ber Services. Tribal member and Edu cation Division Manager Marion Mercier summarized Education pro grams. Health & Wellness Depart ment Executive Director Michael Watkins described Health and Wellness Programs. And Social Ser vices Department Manager Dave Ful-. lerton described the Social Services available to Tribal members. With a full booklet of these services being planned, a summary is pre sented here. Member Services include medical and dental insurance, per capita and tim ber distributions, Elders pension, SSI and SSD, Medicare Part B reimburse ment, tax preparation assistance, en rollment services and burial assistance. Education programs include the early childhood programs for pre school, Head Start and K-5; youth pro grams include services within each local school district as well as funding available for sports and other extra curricular activities; achievement rec ognition and help with filling out forms for scholarships or college admissions. Adult programs include GED ser vices, computer skills, money manage ment, culture and food service classes. Higher education services include workshops and seminars and support in other venues, with funding available up to $800term or $l,600term for graduate school. Up to $7,000 annually is available for four-year degree pro grams. Continuing education classes for part-time and vocational programs also are available. Currently, the Tribe funds 68 active scholarship students. Health and Wellness Center pro grams include medical, dental, phar macy, optometry, lab, radiology, blood pressure screenings, urban Indian Health Center in Portland (NARA Clinic is at 15 N. Morris Street by Emanuel Hospital), a health fair in early summer in Portland. Social Services programs include Social Security Income (SSI) and So cial Security Disability (SSD). A new program marries advocacy with these and Veterans benefits programs. Tribal members will have the help of the Social Services staff in preparing the forms and following up. it Other programs include youth pre vention, Indian Child Welfare (ICW) services, domestic violence and voca tional rehabilitation. The department also offers income based programs including Low Income Energy Housing Assistance Program (LIHEAP) providing main heating source assistance (6 county service area plus Clackamas). Firewood is available for delivery even in the Port land area. Also offered is the 477 Employment & Training Program (6 county service area), an Emergency Assistance Pro gram for rent, utility and special di saster (all low income Tribal mem bers). Council Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy reviewed for the Port land audience the progress on the lodge expansion. ; "We're making excellent progress," she said, and re pui iCU oil rvpi 11 x upciuiig lui i f V the new section. " - She said the Tribe had had ,V., "an excellent year at Spirit Mountain Casino." And in a change of prac tice brought on by input from the membership, Kennedy announced that the Tribe has entered "prelimi- nary negotia tions" for a well-known property in Portland (that she named for the member ship). She called it "a good future location," and explained why with a most remark able description: "a mitigation to the minimalization of our revenue flow." A number of Tribal members ex pressed gratitude for the council con fiding in the membership on this sen sitive effort. Drawings were held: Tribal Elder Val Grout won $100. Tribal members Deborah Scott, Jordon George and Paul Cooney won $50. Fifty dollar Safeway cards went to Tribal Elder Janet Giddings, Tribal mem ber April Snoddy and Richard Begon. Tribal Elder Patsy Pullin won the Health & Wellness Center's Valentine's Day basket. Tribal member and Portland State University student Jade Unger thanked the Tribe for his Trust Fund, which he said has been "a big help." 74 A V3 4 Social Services Manager Dave Fullerton He also described his work at school, which currently includes a race car he is working with a group to design, build and ultimately race. "We want to use it as a tool to get others interested in science and tech nology," said Unger. He also was seeking a motor home to use or share to transport the team to Detroit and back. "The education programs are great," he said. "I don't know how I would have got this far without them." Tribal member Val Alexander asked for a progress report on the Tribal plankhouse that has been in process for two years. In response, Tribal Engineer Eric Scott said that Tribal member and University of Oregon graduate student Don Day is spearheading the project. A building site has been secured, said Scott, and "40 to 50 logs are on site and being pro cessed." Anita Haas, not a Tribal member, spoke on behalf of her son, Tribal member Ed- f ward Haas, a five-year-old with autism who is him self non-verbal. In seeking "more as- sistance for members with special needs," Haas said, "I'm not sure which direction to go in. I feel kind of out-of-the-loop at times." Tribal member Diane Smith had a similar question for her son, who has been diag- TV nosed with an attention deficit disor der who is in need now of individual tutoring on a regular basis. Tribal member Pearl Mekemson in vited Portland-area Tribal members to basket weaving classes held at the Bailey House in Grand Ronde. Hous ing is available, she said. Tribal member Eric Fernando was among many who thanked the Tribal Council for coming to Portland and asked about Indian events in the Port land area. Tribal member Shayla Rogers said that a sweat lodge was really impor tant to her. Tribal member Mario Martinez said that he had heard of many plans for the Portland area but saw little follow-through. Referring to a misconstrued tobacco offering he and others made to the Tribal Council, Martinez said, "When we make a mistake," he said, "you are quick to come down on us but when we need something, it doesn't happen." The Tribal Council never received the offering, said Kennedy. Tribal member Simone Jade asked about a replacement for the legal ser vices contract the Tribe used to have for Tribal members. It has not been renewed. Tribal member Joseph Grammer asked for more resources for Tribal mem bers getting out of the penitentiary. The question of revising enrollment statutes came up again and again. Tribal Elder Marilyn Portwood called it, "The elephant in the room" that nobody notices, and asked "is any thing being done?" Tribal member Monty Parazoo said "When I was young in the 1950s, the federal government told me that I wasn't an Indian. I think that pales in comparison to my own Tribe telling me I'm not a member. We have got to do something to fix this. It is a huge wound in the soul of the Tribe." Tribal member Judy Willingham could not control the tears as she told about one daughter that could go to college because she is a Tribal mem ber and the other couldn't because she isn't. Willingham said that the prob lem goes further than being denied Tribal benefits. It means that she is not even considered Indian under fed eral or college admissions policies. Tribal member Perry McDaniel said that current enrollment rules have turned down 210 potential members. Tribal member Kiera Ching thanked all who sponsored her in the St. Jude's Math-a-thon. Tribal member Mike Giffen noted that the Tribe is "totally dependent on gambling. I want assurances," he said, "that the Tribe is working on di versifying." Tribal member Kathleen Tom asked about "the huge turnover in casino management." Kennedy said that most choose to leave rather than being fired, and also noted that the industry changes top management for one reason or another about every two-years. Tribal Elder and Interim casino Manager Mike Larsen said the casino is working on customer service im provements as well as expanding "our footprint for gaming." Almost 130 attended the meeting. The next Tribal Council General Meeting will be March 6 at 11 a.m. at the Community Center in Grand Ronde.
