Smoke signals., January 01, 2007, Image 1

JANUARY 1, 2007
MCC
A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe
www.grandronde.org
imam
Annual State Tribal Government-to-Government Summit A Success
By Siobhan Taylor
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua
Indians hosted the Annual State
Tribal Government-to-Government
Summit on December 13-14.
The conference was held an the
Seven Feathers Casino Resort. All
of Oregon's federally recognized
Tribes participated in the meeting.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde were represented by Tribal
Chairman Chris Mercier, Secre
tary Jack Giffen, Jr. and council
members Val Sheker and Wesley
"Buddy" West. Representatives
from Grand Ronde departments
and programs were also in at
tendance to attend the breakout
sessions and cluster group pre
sentations. The evening before the summit
the Cow Creek Tribe hosted a
private dinner for Tribal leaders
and the Governor. Chris Mercier
attended the dinner and found
himself seated beside Governor
Kulongoski. Mercier described
the dinner as a relaxed and he
and the governor engaged in
a lively conversation about al
ternative energy sources. "The
governor said we need to reduce
our dependence on foreign oil
and I told him, Governor, we
. need to reduce our dependency
on all oil. "
StateTribal government to
government relations came to
the forefront under the admin
istration of Governor John A.
Kitzhaber. On May 22, 1996
Kitzhaber signed Executive Or
der No. EO-96-30 which officially
recognized StateTribal government-to-government
relations.
After that the 2001 session of
the Oregon Legislature passed
SB 770 which codified Executive
Order 96-30. Under Oregon law
state agencies are required to
develop and implement policies to
include Tribes when state agency
policies and programs affect tribal
interests. The law also requires
certain training, an Annual Sum
mit and an Annual Report to the
Governor and the Legislative
Commission on Indian Services
on state agency interactions with
Ik Sf
J) "l L
f ' u I
r ... O
Tribal Council member Wesley "Buddy" West and Senator Kate Brown
during the Annual State Tribal Government-to-Government Summit at the
Seven Feathers Casino Resort held on December 13-14.
the Tribes. That's how the whole
summit came about.
The Commission on Indian Ser
vices (CIS) organizes the annual
event. It brings Tribal representa
tives together with State agencies
to discuss advancements, issues
and concerns. It also brings sov
ereign leaders together with the
leader of the State of Oregon for
dialog. The summit opened with
an invocation and presentation of
the colors. Council member Wes
ley "Buddy" West carried in the
Grand Ronde Tribal Flag. Then,
leaders from each Tribe presented
a program. Their direction was
to focus on the accomplishments
of their Tribe over the past year.
Chairman Mercier highlighted
the Tribe's accomplishments and
emphasized the Tribe's coopera
tion with state agencies and the
governor's office.
In his remarks Mercier noted
the Tribe's 23rd anniversary as a
restored Tribe and how the Tribe
had progressed from a terminated
Tribe with little more than a
cemetery to the successful thriv
ing Tribal community it is today.
He highlighted accomplishments
of the Tribe's education, health
and wellness and elder programs.
And the amazing success of the
Tribe's Spirit Mountain Casino.
Mercier even found the opportu
nity to make a side comment to
the governor, thanking him for the
new compact that was successfully
negotiated and joked that the new,
record per capita was no doubt tied
into the governor's compact ap
proval and the expanded number
of machines on the casino floor.
Later on, the governor acknowl
edged Chris from the podium and
told him he had also contributed to
the Cow Creek's economic develop
ment by playing some of the casino
games the night before.
Mercier emphasized the Grand
Ronde Tribe's cooperative work
with state and local agencies from
Oregon State Parks and the Fort
Yamhill project to safety planning
with the Oregon Department of
Transportation. He also touched
on the Tribe's tradition of Pot latch,
giving back and noted that the
Spirit Mountain Community had
given over $36 million from the
Tribe to local charities and would
continue to support the communi
ty. He reminded the audience that
the Tribe's former Chariwoman
and a valued Elder of the Grand
Ronde Tribe, Kathryn Harrison,
constantly reminded the Tribe of
the importance of giving back to
the community that supported the
Tribe. And he told all present the
Tribe would continue to honor that .
commitment as a good community
partner. D
8
Confederated Tribe of the Grand Ronde
Community of Oregon
961 S Grand Ronde Road
Grand Ronde, Oregon 87347
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A Rick Lif
e
Tribal Elder Louise Medeiros embraced the work and the
fun and the nurturing of every living thing.
By Ron Karten
hree animals come to
greet you even before
you arrive at Tribal El
der Ix)uise Medeiros's
place in the Tribe's
Grand Meadows housing develop
ment. On a recent autumn clay,
the pets included two Shiitzus,
one called Bucky, 3, and a little
8-week-old baby called, Boss,
belonging to neighbor and fellow
Tribal Elder Jessie Brann, and a
seven-year-old liagdoll called, Wy
lie. A Lhapsa Apso called, Buddy,
who was 14, did not even pretend
to care who was coming until the
visit was about over.
Medeiros, meanwhile, was sit
ting on the porch of her place,
welcoming all, man and dog and
granddaughter.
(Included in that list is her Trib
al member and granddaughter,
Dorothy Anderson, 11, who has
I Hi r!T1
A' " X"S v-
Tribal Elder Louise Medeiros,
left, cousin and Tribal Elder
Sharon Hanson, center, and
sister, Tribal Elder Marie Davis
back in the day.
lived with Medeiros for the past
few years.)
See MEDEIROS
on page 6