Smoke Signals 3
JANUARY 15, 2006
Honoring Of Tribal Elder Nora Kimsey Highlights General Council Meeting
Public Affairs Director, Casino Director make presentations to members.
By Ron Karten
The January General Council meet
ing was held on Sunday, January 8, at
the Tribal Community Center in
Grand Ronde. Here are the highlights:
Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle
Kennedy called the meeting to order;
Tribal Council member Wesley
"Buddy" West offered the invocation.
Siobhan Taylor, Tribal Public Af
fairs Director, presented an overview
of Tribal business from the Public Af
fairs perspective. She called the Tribal
glass, "not half empty, but half full and
well on the way toward overflowing."
She said that Cultural Resources is
doing good work. She cited the suc
cess of the Maori visit and showed a
photo of the proposed Cultural Center,
which she said is "something that is
going to happen."
She also cited the Chinook Wawa im
mersion program and the Fort Yamhill
park project as success stories in process.
In describing the Education
Division's "lifelong learning" approach
to education, she called the division's
programs "incredible."
"We're continuing to work with out
side agencies to make sure (the suc
cess) continues," said Taylor.
Taylor described "a lot of special
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Siobhan Taylor,
Tribal Public Affairs Director
projects" from the division, including the
internship program with the Museum
of Natural History in New York City,
college preparation programs, the me
dia center, the father involvement pro
gram and the K-5 Christmas card
contest.
"The beautiful thing about how this
government operates is that no man is
an island. We work together," she said.
"We wouldn't have some of the build
ings and some of the programs that we
have today without Kim Rogers and
the planning and grants development
work he does," she said. "We're a
player at the state and federal level."
She called Tribal Engineer Eric Scott
"a one-man powerhouse."
"He has done so much to build our
infrastructure," she said.
She noted the new Elder Foster Care
facility, the satellite offices, the Meth
Task Force, the mentorship program
(she cited the success of Tribal mem
ber and mentee James Buxman who
landed a management position at the
casino) and the Gaming Commission
as examples of the good work that is
coming out of Grand Ronde.
Taylor praised Public Works Direc
tor John Mercier not only for the pub
lic works and safety measures he has
instituted including defibrillators,
benches around campus, a garden
house for the community but also
for setting up opportunities for Tribal
members to serve community service
requirements here in Grand Ronde,
completing projects without
outsourcing the labor, providing sum
mer youth employment
and for having the
highest number of
Tribal members em
ployed in his depart
ment. Taylor described the
"passion" of the Smoke
Signals staff.
"I want to see Smoke
Signals taking your
news and reporting it to
the membership," she
said. "I want the news
of the Tribe to go to of
ficials at the state and
federal levels."
She also noted that
the new Tribal Council
newsletter, Tilixam
Wawa, will include
news "direct from the
council to you."
She compared the
work that the Informa
tion Systems staff does
to "Mission Impos
sible." She described honors
for and programs of the
Social Services Department, including
the Annual Youth Conference, the
Youth Health Awareness Grant and a
Blue Ribbon Award given by the state
Supreme Court to the department.
When Cherokee former Principle
Chief Wilma Mankiller came to visit
the Tribe, Taylor said, she looked at
Tribal housing developments and said
that Grand Ronde is "an example for
the rest of Indian Country."
"I want to brand Grand Ronde," said
Taylor. "The public knows what Spirit
Mountain is, but they will also know
the people behind Spirit Mountain."
The Royalty Committee honored
Tribal Elder Nora Kimsey, 95, Grand
Ronde's oldest Tribal member.
"She reminds us of were we came
from and who we are," said her neice,
Tribal Elder CeCe Kneeland.
"My wish is that (Nora's) here for
many many years," said Tribal Coun
cil Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy, also
a niece to Kimsey, "not only for reproofs
we may need but also for her wisdom."
The Elders' Committee announced
four Elders elected to the committee for
this year: Val Grout, Louise Medeiros,
Cheri Butler and Beryle Contreras.
The committee's next meeting will be
on Tuesday, January 31 at 12:45 p.m.
in the Community Center.
Tribal members Lorry McKnight,
Jared Ripley and William Beaver each
won $50 in the door prize drawings.
PatKnepwon$100.
Tribal Elder Tom LaChance won a
fruit basket in the raffle raising money
for his brother, Tribal Elder Gary
LaChance and Gary's wife, Linda, to
take a little vacation. Tribal Elder
Russ Leno won an eagle statue in that
drawing.
Tribal member Valorie Sheker
Robertson raised the issue of the Bingo
hall shutting down to make room for
more slot machines. While there is no
question that slots will make the Tribe
more money than Bingo, Robertson
said that Bingo provides many oppor
tunities for Elders to catch up with
each other, and that maybe downsizing
the program would be preferable to
eliminating it.
"We knew there would be a lot of
concern about this," said Kennedy.
"One of the casino's operational goals
for this year is to refresh the overall
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hm m Mill i i Q-
Honored Royalty members Kallie Provost, (1 to r) Nakoosa Moreland and Leah Brisbois honord
Tribal Elder Nora Kimsey, 95, the Tribe's oldest living member at the January General Council meeting.
appearance of the property," wrote
Casino Manager and Tribal member
Randy Dugger in an email following
the meeting. "We will be looking at
options for improving the overall ap
pearance of the property, remodeling
and improving our food and beverage
operations and making improvements
on our gaming floor.
"As we look at options, the only space
currently available to expand quickly
is the Bingo Hall. No decision has
been made on the long term future of
Bingo, but in the short term, that space
will be used to expand our mix of
games on the property. The board and
council are looking at options for the
casino in the near future mindful of
changes that may be coming including
new casinos. Closing Bingo is a finan
cial decision intended to provide room
for new gaming while other expansion
r
A . V,
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u X
Casino Manager & Tribal
Member Randy Dugger
options are being considered."
The question was asked but not an
swered, what happens to staff? The
answer is that all staff is being given
the opportunity to find other positions
in the casino and they also started a
special class in Dealer's School for all
interested Bingo staff. Any staff mem
ber who wishes to keep working for the
casino will be given the opportunity to
find a position.
"The last day for Bingo is January 26."
Tribal member Rod Bly suggested
that per capita amounts be decided
early in the year with the rest of the
budget built around that to avoid po
litical concerns dictating the amount
of the per capita checks.
He also suggested that the Casino
Board be taken out of the political
arena by taking Tribal Council mem
bers off the board.
The funding of trusts and endow
ments was also discussed. Specifi
cally, Kennedy said that the council
had been considering quarterly contri
butions to the funds, though, she said,
such a decision requires involvement
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The Tribe is developing a way to
evaluate program usage, said Tribal
Finance Officer Larry Kovach.
Although the Tribe has not yet con
sidered emergency preparations for
an epidemic, Health Clinic Director
Michael Watkins said that the In
dian Health Service is "putting to
gether a plan."
Janet Phillips was concerned that
those taking care of Elders in the Fos
ter Care facility, expected to be ready
for occupancy in February, will be led
by a person with only a Certified
Nurses Assistant (CNA) certification,
and that others will not even need that.
"I'm concerned that a CNA is run
ning our home," she said.
By state law, all that is required for
caregivers is a high school diploma,
said Watkins, "but we're looking into
making each (caregiver) a CNA."
Tribal Elder Marilee Norwest said
that "we never see young people here
at the General Council meetings." She
asked why Elders couldn't have dances
instead of playing Bingo. And she
would like to see "more backing for our
youth" by the Education Division.
Tribal Elder Charlotte Gray said
that the Eugene satellite office "is do
ing very well. We're beginning to have
more classes. It's very delightful."
It was announced that:
The next General Council meeting
will be Sunday, February 12 at the
Embassy Suites Hotel at the Portland
airport (7900 N.E. 82nd Ave).
Human Resources Director Judy
Zettergren retires at the end of January.
Behavioral Health Director Joseph
Stone will be leaving to take a similar
position among the Navajo people, the
Tribe of his children.
The day of the meeting, January 8,
was the birthday of Tribal member Rod
Bly and Elvis.