Smoke Signals 3
JUNE 1,2006
Last Of The Community Meetings Included Federal Way And Portland
Federal Way Community Meeting
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By Siobhan Taylor
Public Affairs Director
A full house was present at the
Sunday, May 21 Community Meet
ing held in Federal Way, Washington.
Tribal members and their families
attended from Nisqually, Mukilteo,
Auburn and the Olympia area. The
head count, including Tribal Council
and staff was 70; just enough to fill
the meeting room of the LaQuinta
Inn.Council member Wesley "Buddy"
West opened the meeting with an
invocation. Chairwoman Cheryle
Kennedy launched the meeting and
Tribal members evaluated how to
spend their "dollars" on programs
and services. After the first hour,
and an adjournment for lunch, the
meeting reconvened as members
and staff met in breakout sessions
to discuss Tribal programs and their
progress for The Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde. Then, it was time to
spend those final "dollars."
After door prizes were awarded
the floor was opened up for public
comment.
Tracy Meyers took the opportu
nity to thank Tribal Council for
making the community meeting
possible. She also expressed her
frustration with perceived inequi
ties in Tribal policy when it comes
to housing assistance and the So
phia LaBonte Fund.
Tribal Chairwoman, Cheryle
Kennedy assured Meyers that all of
Tribal Council understood her con
cerns and were listening. Council
members Wesley "Buddy" West and
Kathleen Tom echoed Chairwoman
Kennedy's assurances.
Meyers concluded her statement
by telling council to make sure they
respond to their email and stated,
"You guys are doing a tremendous
job. There's no more progressive
Tribe than the Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde."
Tribal member Jeanie Snyder
told the assembly that she lived
in California most of her life and
is now trying her best to educate
herself about her Tribe. She shared
her concern that as an Elder she
Grand Ronde Tillicum Tribal members from the Federal Way area listen to
presentations put on by Tribal Council andTribal officials on Sunday, May 21. 70
people attended the Washington meeting.
still doesn't feel connected to the
Tribe and asked if there might
be a volunteer program where
she, and members like her, can
volunteer to help the Tribe and in
turn learn more about her Tribe.
Snyder stated she appreciated the
opportunity to meet other Tribal
members and Tribal Council and
give her input.
A rough tally of the voting was
presented before adjournment.
The lead categories winning the
most votes were per capita, en
dowments, member health ben
efits and member services. Kim
Rogers will present a final review
of the voting and comments from
all the community meetings in the
next month. B
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Community Approach Tribal Council member Wink Soderberg, left, discusses the Tribe's financial priorities with Tribal members. Tribal members in Federal
Way were most concerned with per capita, endowments, member health benefits and member services.
Portland Community Meeting
By Ron Karten
About 25 Tribal members from the
Portland area joined about the same
number of Tribal Council members,
Tribal Elders and staffers from
Grand Ronde for the final Commu
nity Meeting on May 22. Five Com
munity Meetings were held across
the region during May.
As in other meetings, per capitas,
Tribal member health insurance
and endowments topped the list of
services to be funded in the coming
year. The votes are only advisory to
the Tribal Council.
The Enrollment Requirements Ad
Hoc Committee expects to have its
recommendations completed at the
end of July for a September presen
tation to Tribal Council, said Tribal
member and Tribal Risk Manager
Debby Larsen.
"The Tribal Council formed the
Enrollment group last September,"
she said. "All of the members had
different ideas when they started.
o
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We're on the same page, now."
Tribal member Regan Reichle
wanted to be sure that the member
ship would get to see the full report.
Other Tribal members raised the
hardship of having one child a Tribal
member and another not.
"Our ancestors suffered," said
Tribal member Adrainne Llaneza,
"and it's because of our ancestors'
suffering that we are here today. We
cannot deny those that are in our
biological lineage."
Tribal member Perri McDaniel
worried that sparsely attended meet
ings like this one were driving Tribal
policy. To improve participation,
she suggested that timber revenues
be offered a week or two early for
Tribal members who attend these
meetings.
Tribal Council member Wink So
derberg said that in a recent trip
to San Diego, he met with Indians
who worked for Merrill Lynch, the
investment firm. The Tribe invited
them out for a visit, and when they
came and were shown around, he
said, one told him, "'We go all over
the country and Grand Ronde has
got to be the flagship for all of In
dian Country.'"
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Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Shelley Hanson (black shirt) leads a discussion of Tribal priorities in Portland.