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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2005)
On Ik "1 t M -0fr mw.J-'i-1-'-- PAGE 10 iW K r x y n n - me itiounnain OCTOBER 15, 2005 A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe www.grandronde.org 2 Tribal Leaders Take Their Case To Nation's Capital D Grand Ronde Council members meet with Oregon's elected officials to explain their opposition to a casino in the Columbia River Gorge. By Brent Merrill Washington, D.C. "This is not about Tribe vs. Tribe," said Grand Ronde Tribal Council members to as many of Oregon's elected leaders as they could meet with in a three-day tour of the nation's capital in late September. Grand Ronde Tribal Council mem bers Angie Blackwell, Reyn Leno and Jack Giffen, Jr. traveled to Washing ton D.C. to meet with the State's elected officials to discuss their opposition to a casino in the Columbia River Gorge and to explain their position in clear terms. "We want to make it clear that this is not about Warm Springs vs. Grand Ronde," they said over and over to each official. In April of this year, Oregon Gover nor Ted Kulongoski approved the Con federated Tribes of Warm Springs' efforts to establish an off-reservation casino development project in the Co lumbia River Gorge specifically Cas cade Locks. Warm Springs' officials had said they would build on land their Tribe owns at Hood River if they were not allowed to build at the more indus trial Cascade Locks site. Although the ; jr.-i!rrr;g Nation's Capital Washington, D.C. V. & e-sf Tribal Council member Angie Blackwell Tribal Council member Reyn Leno Tribal Council member Jack Giffen, Jr. merits of that option were debated strongly by all interested parties, the governor bought the Warm Springs Tribes' argument and approved their casino efforts in Cascade Locks. The second hurdle the Tribe faced, approval at the federal level, was much tougher than the Warm Springs or even Kulongoski imagined and Depart ment of Interior Secretary Gale Norton denied the Tribe's request in May say ing they would consider the proposal in the future once the Warm Springs had attained trust status for the land they own in Cascade Locks. The Grand Ronde Tribal Council members made the point in Wash ington, D.C. that their opposition to a casino in the Columbia River Gorge is based on fairness of policy and fear of proliferation and not trouble between Tribes. Polls commissioned by the Grand Ronde Tribe have repeatedly made it clear that the people of Oregon do not want casinos on every corner, but they don't mind coming to Indian reserva tions for their gaming experience. Grand Ronde officials have taken a stance that the Governor's policy to- See WASHINGTON, D.C. on page 3 ! ' i 3s , v ' ' s y ,."f " ' . . - a1"". J I Part 2 () fSff? Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon 9615 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347 PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID SALEM, OR PERMIT NO. 178 OR NEWSPAPER PROJ. UO LIBRARY SYSTEM PRfES 1299 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON EUGENE OR 97403-1205 Tribal HusmtMig FisMmg Rights The old ways, the old stories. This issue, Smoke Sig nals continues a series of articles investigating the Tribe's hunting and fishing rights. By Ron Karten "When I'd kill a deer or two," Tribal Elder Dean Mercier said recently about the old days, "I'd distribute it to the goddam community, the Elders. I thought that was the way life was. I jrwas taught to share." We took care of each other, said Tribal Elder Marvin Kimsey. "We'd See HUNTING & FISHING on pages 8-9 ! '.V rj, g- ' f f i Tribal Elder Hubert Mercier
