4 NOVEMBER 1,2007
Smoke Signals
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Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy seeks notification on Tribal issues before Congress
By Ron Karten
Smoke Sifiniils stuff writer
Ten miles east of The Dalles,
across the railroad tracks, past a
new construction site for Phase
Two of the Celilo Village housing
project and at the end of a dirt
road, the beautiful and holy Celilo
Village longhouse welcomed Tribes
from across Oregon and Washing
ton for Sen. Gordon Smith's fifth
annual Tribal Summit on Oct. 11.
The holy place is so close to the
highway that participants could
feel the trucks pass by. It is also
within eyeshot of the Columbia
River where Indians have fished
from time immemorial.
It was here that Smith, a Re
publican from Pendleton and the
nine Tribes' choice for re-election
in 2008, requested to meet for his
annual Tribal summit.
This year, the group also included
the Washington-based Yakamas,
while the Klamath and Nez Perce
Tribes did not send delegates.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs and
Indian Health Service also were
represented at the summit.
"Promises some explicit and
some implicit have been kept,
others not," Smith said. "My focus
is on those not kept. This facility,
restored and renewed, is a symbol
of the government's commitment
to fulfill its promises."
Smith reviewed actions Congress
had already taken and, in many
cases, were still working on for the
Tribes, including health care and
economic development efforts. He
quoted Chief Joseph (Nez Perce)
saying, "Good words do not last long
unless they amount to something."
"I'm here mostly to listen, and
then go to work," Smith said.
A wide range of issues emerged
from Tribal chairs.
Grand Ronde Chairwoman Cher
yle Kennedy sought a mechanism
by which the Tribes could be noti
fied when a bill concerning Tribal
well-being or sovereignty is dis
cussed in Congress.
Kennedy also pursued stronger
environmental standards.
"The standards set for air and
water quality are not protecting
the quality of the air and water,"
she said. "They are not going to
preserve us into the future that our
grandchildren and great grandchil
dren can thrive in."
And like many Tribal chairs, Ken
nedy cited constant underfunding
of federal guarantees to Tribes.
"Budgeting at the U.S. level the
OMB, the BIA, the IHS never
get a true budget that meets our
needs. Never ever," she said. "We
have treaties that somehow need
to be honored."
"I look at the billions and billions
going to Iraq to build clinics and
roads and buildings, and I think that
even one billion to
the Tribes would
go a long way to
filling our needs,"
said Siletz Chair
Dolores Pigsley.
The Umatillas
sought technical
legislative fixes
for health and
economic devel
opment needs, not
all of which were
new requests.
Don Sampson,
executive director
of the Umatillas,
sought approval
for Tribal tax-free
foundations and
bonding authority
that have helped
cities and coun-
ties build public
facilities before they have the
money to pay for it (fixes that
Smith is already working on).
The Grand Rondes do not need
bonding authority. Because of Spirit
Mountain Casino, the Tribe has a
line of credit that allows it to borrow
large sums, and enough income to
pay loans back in short order.
Paiute Tribal members, on the
other hand, can't afford a dialysis
machine. Members travel 132 miles
one way from Burns to Bend three
times a week for dialysis, said Pai-
. 'Si'
1 '"- ' J
Photo by Ron Karten
Grand Ronda Tribal Council member Wink Soderberg
and Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy talk with Oregon
Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Pendleton, after an Oct. 1 1
summit held with Tribal leaders in Celilo.
ute Chair Wanda Johnson.
Yakama Chair Lavina Washines
said, "The Yakama Nation owns
most of the property of Celilo Vil
lage. We don't recognize the river
as a border. Our concern is how we
are treated by the BIA ... our land
allotments; they're being taken and
given to Oregon Tribes."
"I can't change the past," said
Smith, "but I can work to see that
we keep promises in the future.
You've given me my marching or
ders and I'm going to work."
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By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Smoke Signals readers noticed a
change in the Oct. 15 issue.
The mailing address box moved
from the bottom left corner of the
front page to the top left corner.
The reasons for this move were
twofold: aesthetic and financial.
Aesthetically, the mailing box in
the lower left-hand corner of the
front page created problems in de
signing an eye-pleasing cover. With
the mailing box now in the upper
left-hand corner, Smoke Signals
page designers have a well-defined
and unobstructed space in which to
create attractive layouts without
having to account for the pesky
mailing box.
More importantly, however, mov
ing the mailing box reduces the cost
of sending out Smoke Signals and
Tilixam Wawa. The Publications
Office mails almost 6,800 copies of
the newspaper twice a month and
more than 3,200 copies of Tilixam
Wawa monthly.
With the postage box in the upper
left-hand corner, Smoke Signals and
Tilixam Wawa are now designated
"automated" items by the Postal
Service, thereby cutting costs. The
Postal Service has specific rules
about where the address block must
be to obtain the less expensive post
age rate, and those rules state that
it needs to be on the "top half' of the
page. Placing the mailing box above
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Old design
New design
The new design of Smoke Signals moves the mailing label box to the upper
left-hand corner of the page. By doing this, Smoke Signals page designers
have an unobstructed area in which to design attractive front pages. In
addition, the move allows Tribal publications to be handled as "automated"
items by the Postal Service, which will save about 24 percent in postage costs
over the course of a year.
flag is a logical placement.
As an example, postage costs for
the Oct. 1 issue were 35 percent
more than the cost to mail the Oct.
15 issue. Although the Oct. 15 issue
was four pages smaller than the
Oct. 1 issue, which accounted for
some of the substantial savings, we
still expect to save about 24 percent
annually in postage for similarly
sized editions.
With postage the second largest
expenditure in the Publications Of
fice behind personnel-related costs, it
made fiscal and design sense to move
the mailing box, which is now located
above the Smoke Signals flag.
Tribal Council has urged all Tribal
departments to think outside of the
box to save Tribal dollars. With this
simple redesign, the Publications
Office is saving money and improv
ing the look of Smoke Signals.
Over the course of a year, Publi
cations expects to save more than
$40,000 in Smoke Signals and
Tilixam Wawa postage with the
mailing box located on the top half
of the page.
In addition, this office recently rebid
the contract to print Smoke Signals
and Tilixam Wawa. Although the
Tribe is remaining with its longtime
provider, Eagle Web Press in Salem,
Tribal members can be assured that
we are receiving competitive rates for
their Tribal dollars.
Another change is in the works.
Beginning with the Nov. 15 issue,
Smoke Signals and Tilixam Wawa
will begin being printed on a slightly
heavier, whiter paper. This change
will hopefully make the newspaper
easier to read for our Tribal Elders
and will give the publication a crisper
look. In addition, the new paper will
reduce printing costs while giving
Tribal members a better product.
Both of these changes are win-win
situations a better product for
less money.
If you have comments or input
on the look and content of Smoke
Signals, call me at 503-879-1463
or send an e-mail to dean.rhodes
grandronde.org. Reader input is
always welcome.