Smoke Signals 3
NOVEMBER 15,2007
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Photo by Ron Karten
Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy, right, talks with speaker Rick Smyre, left,
as Lana Jack, who reported being the last of the Celiloyam people, listens.
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals stuff writer
A mark of progress for Indian
communities: Until recently, the
call was for self-sufficiency for
Indians.
The Future Forum for the Gorge,
held Monday, Oct. 29, at the Dis
covery Center of The Dalles, called
for "Tribal prosperity defined by
the Tribes."
With many members in the Gorge
area and a connection with Celilo
Falls as a fishing and trading center
dating back to aboriginal times,
the Grand Ronde Tribe took the
opportunity to make sure that the
Tribe's interests placed high among
the meeting's outcomes.
Among "visionary ideas," the
group suggested "a learning center
for Tribal culture and the connec
tions we have with wildlife, plants
and water," and "to reinvigorate
Celilo Falls" as a place to once again
trade, exchange ideas and fish.
The Confederated Tribes of the
Grand Ronde, as main sponsor of
the Columbia Gorge Future Fo
rum, brought together a number of
Northwest Tribes and government
and business leaders to think about
the future of this geographically
bound area that is a lynchpin not
only between Tribal and non-Tribal
interests, but also between rural
and metropolitan Oregon.
At the same time, the sponsorship
supports the Grand Ronde effort
to be named among the federally
recognized Tribes of the Gorge.
Currently, the list only includes
the Umatillas, Warm Springs, Nez
Perce and Yakama.
To rev everybody up, conference
organizer, Portland-based Steven
Ames, brought in futurist Rick
Smyre. A well-traveled executive
of 65, Smyre advised inclusion
over competition with results that
are not managed from above but
emerge from below.
He said the idea of "eitheror"
should be replaced by "andboth." So
language is the problem? "Not the
problem, a problem," Smyre said.
He quoted Peter Drucker, an
other business guru, who said that
it's better to change a 1,000 things
1 percent than try to change one
thing a 1,000 percent.
Smyre compares the changing
times today to only two others in
known history: the beginning of
agriculture and the beginning of
industry.
Things are changing so fast, he
said, "A completely new idea has a
life of eight days."
As an example, he mentioned
how quickly the Internet came on.
In the early years, many missed
how deeply it would affect society.
The question of predicting a future,
then, is not possible when you can't
even envision some of the discover
ies that will have an effect.
It's not a question of whether
global warming is man-made or
just coming around again in a more
or less normal cycle, he said. The
question is how to respond.
The way to reorganize our think
ing, he said, is to ask questions
instead of making statements.
Smyre re-invented his own life
after years as chief executive officer
of his family's textile operations in
North Carolina. It was in the 1980s
when he could no longer ignore the
pressure to export his mill's work
to China and India.
The forum started with Smyre's
pitch about setting a context that
opens the door to new possibilities.
It broke down into essentially two
other functions after that. Small
group analysis of the values im
portant to people of the Gorge, and
suggestions for "visionary ideas"
that will bring those values to daily
life in the Gorge area.
"It's a matter of the Tribe continu
ing to stay engaged in signature
events like this, like the Portland
Harbor," said Tribal Attorney Rob
Greene. "Being engaged is critical."
"Regardless of our interests in
halting the casino in the Gorge,
we have other interests that tie us
to the Gorge," said Siobhan Tay
lor, Public Affairs director for the
Grand Ronde Tribe. "(This confer
ence) underscores for other groups
present the unbroken link that
Grand Ronde has to this area."
Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Ken
nedy went into the meeting with
a long-held question. She's been
trying to imagine "the strings you'd
need to connect tradition with life
today."
Smyre's response, typical of his
effort to get questions presented
in an appropriate context, asked
Kennedy in return: "How did your
ancestors deal with changes? Take
that information and see how it
works in today's world. The process
will emerge new ideas."
Similarly, he suggested a po
tential school exercise that asks
students to research and figure
out what the job market will look
like for them in 20 years, and de
termines what skills will be needed
to get those jobs.
He stays away from specifics.
Naming specifics ("eitheror") rules
out possibilities ("andboth").
The nod to Indians came in ad
dition to proposals for "vibrant
green energy manufacturing" in
the Gorge, to establish communi
ties where industries complement
the natural landscape and a more
flexible regulatory environment, all
targeting needs of the wider Gorge
population.
"How do we provide for complete
communities, each with its own
character?" asked one participant.
Umatilla Chair Antone Minthorn
saw "this energy, all these people
coming together out of concern for
the Columbia River Gorge," as the
value of the conference. "I think
we'll be included but I also say that
Tribes have to be at the table."
'This gives us the sense that we're
in it together," said Warm Springs'
director of Government Affairs and
Planning Louie Pitt. However, he
also noted that "the solutions are
already in the communities."
The group sought a balance be
tween the cost of housing and
the wages at jobs. It talked about
reduced use of autos. It talked
commuter transports to and from
Portland, and about adaptable and
flexible sources of energy.
"Human choices matter," said
Jeremy Littell, a research scientist
with the University of Washington's
Climate Impacts Group.
"Look at the growth of farmers'
markets," said Tim Stearns, a se
nior energy policy specialist with
the Washington State Department
of Community, Trade and Economic
Development, "people reconnecting
with their food."
For the Gorge, the tradeoffs in
the future will all look toward wa
ter availability, said Littell. Past
plans for the area assumed water
availability would continue. That's
no longer so.
For the Grand Ronde Tribe and
possibly others, the meeting had
another message, as well.
"It's time to move on," said Tribal
Council member Kathy Tom, shift
ing the discussion from past and
continuing federal government
transgressions to a new focus for
the future.
"Let's be innovators," Tom said.
"Let's be our own SOLV."
General Council meeting reviews 2008 Tribal budget
By Siobhan Taylor
Special to Smoke Signals
The proposed 2008 Tribal budget
consumed much of the Nov. 4 Gen
eral Council meeting.
And, since the budget review for
Tribal members in attendance oc
curred in executive session, much
of the material is not reportable in
Smoke Signals. (However, a copy
of the preliminary budget has been
sent to all Tribal members in the
November Tilixam Wawa, which
was mailed during the first week
of November.)
Acting Finance Director Jody
Jerger led the review of the pro
posed Tribal budget with the as
sistance of Finance Department
members Rick Anderson, Linda
Meyer, Larry Leith, Jeff Valentine,
Nancy Renfro and Ken Trevino.
An extensive question-and-an-swer
session followed.
After returning to regular ses
sion, Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle
Kennedy reminded Tribal members
that Tribal offices were closed Nov.
12 in observance of Veterans Day
and will be closed Wednesday, Nov.
21, to honor the Tribe's Restora
tion Day. Offices also will be closed
Thursday and Friday, Nov. 22-23,
for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Kennedy also reminded the audi
ence that the Tribe's Restoration Cel
ebration will be held Sunday, Nov.
18. The feast will be held from 11
a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Community Cen
ter and the pow-wow will run from 3
to 11 p.m. in the gymnasium.
General Council door prizes in
cluded Pendleton-style blankets
from Spirit Mountain Casino won
by Delores Knight, Natalie Jack
son, Trevino and Lydia Logan.
Bonnie Mercier, Linda Brandon
and Violet Folden won the $50
prizes and Garry Williams won the
$100 prize.
The next General Council meet
ing will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday,
Dec. 2.
The 2008 Preliminary Budget has
already been mailed to Tribal members.
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2008 PRELIMINARY BUDGET
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2008 Preliminary Budget Comment Period