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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 2005)
NOVEMBER 15, 2005 MC MAIL A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe www.grandronde.org mm Tribal Member Shot, Killed By Police Entire community asks why deadly force was necessary in the death of former Smoke Signals' staffer Marty George. By Ron Karten Tribal member Marty George had a really great looking black oxford shirt that he wore with his blue jeans when he worked at Smoke Signals until July this year. He looked sharp. He was well shaved. His hair was cut short and neat and combed. He picked up a camera and at his first pow-wow for the newspaper, he took a picture that went on the cover. At George's funeral on Monday, November 7, Smoke Signals Editor Brent Merrill said that Marty always reminded him of Armand Assante, "the best looking actor in the world." Before he took over the reception and related duties at Smoke Signals for more than a year, George worked the phones for the Tribe in the lobby of the Governance Building for more than another year. For all of that time, as far as his supervisors knew, he was clean. On Monday, October 3 1 at about 3:15 in the afternoon, Marty George was shot and killed in a hail of police bul lets, shot in the back and in the back of the head, while according to one wit ness, George was driving away from the shooters. "I can't for the life of me understand why he had to die," said his mother, Claudia George. She hadn't seen him for "about three weeks" before he died, Shooting Site This photo was taken on the scene where Tribal member and ex-Smoke Signals' staffer Marty George was shot by police on Monday, October 3 1 . The shooting took place on the Togstad Ranch just off of Rock Creek Road in Sheridan. The coiruruinity of Grand Ronde is asking why deadly force was necessary in the killing of George. she said. "I went to see him (in Forks, Washington). He seemed like he was doing pretty good. He was clean and just happy to see me. We talked about as soon as he got a steady job, I'd be moving up to Forks with him." "Until that point," she said, "I hadn't heard from him for a couple months. Then, all at once, the phone rang and it was him. After that, we talked al most every day." Most folks in Grand Ronde hadn't seen him in a few months, since he lit out the back window of his home as the police arrived at his front door. He was wanted at that time for a proba tion violation, walking out on a court ordered meth treatment program and on probation oversight. All his many run-ins with the police stemmed from methamphetamine use. I Ie traveled north whether imme diately or eventually to stay with relatives in Forks, WA, up near the Canada border. He returned to quietly visit from time to time. "He always showed so much respect for Elders," said Tribal Elder and former Tribal Council member Val Grout. "He was just that kind of person that you really cared about." When Marty George was growing up, he lived with his cousins, Angie Blackwell and Debbie Larsen. Blackwell is now Tribal Council Vice Chair, and Larsen is Risk Manager for the Tribal government. Back when Marty was a little boy, Blackwell said at Marty's funeral, "He loved the superheroes, especially Spiderman. He would stand on the coffee table with a blanket, then leap off the table and wrap the blanket around our heads." "He was more like a brother to Debbie and me," she said. "He always treated people with kindness and re spect. I hope I could be more like him." Reading a Native poem for George at the funeral was his niece, Tribal mem ber Amanda Jones Schulte, for whom George and his sister, Tribal member Tracy Schulte (Amanda's mom) put together a fund raising campaign aimed at helping with expenses for a heart lung transplant that Amanda will one day need (See Smoke Signals, 9103 is sue). Marty was working the phones See SHOOTING on pages 6-7 E ' K rtiJI L 1 m&HtX . AfcJKVNWU-URflMi Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon 961 5 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347 PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID SALEM, OR PERMIT NO. 178 x--x,---"-'"''5"-0I"Cr T 97403 AERIALS DEPT. - KNIGHT LIBRARV ISIS UNIVERSITY OF OREGON EUGENE OR 97403-1205 Grand Ronde Tribal Council Members Testify Before Congress By Siobhan Taylor Grand Ronde Tribal Council Chair woman Cheryle Kennedy and Tribal Council Member Jack Giffen, Jr. sat elbow to elbow with Indian Gaming representatives from across the Na tion on Wednesday, November 9 as they urged Congress to block other Indian Tribes from setting up casinos outside their reservations. Chairwoman Kennedy outlined three main concerns for the Grand Ronde, and many other Orego nians, for the hearing which was chaired by Richard Pombo, R California. Pombo ex pects to introduce a bill, amending the In dian Gaming Regula tory Act that would make it more difficult for Tribes to build off reservation casinos. Kennedy stated the three main concerns for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde were ( 1) an explosion of off-reservation casinos undermines the policy foundation of the In dian Gaming Regula tory Act (IGRA) self-sufficiency and economic opportu nity that has done so much good for all of Indian country, (2) off-reservation casinos threaten continued public sup port for existing Indian gaming in Oregon and across the nation, and (3) each approval of another off-reservation casino sets a bad precedent that See CONGRESS on page 3 .- V Y:K7 """" "'" ' ' l- ro ... X..J(' j . ' ' , . I ' '' l ' I! 3 ill . 1 ja Team Approach Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy (right) and council member Jack Giffen, Jr. prepare to enter the Congressional Chambers and testify on a proposed amendment to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act onWednesday, November 9.
