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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2007)
DECEMBER 1, 2007 SmOKE SlGNALS NOTICE TO TRIBAL MEMBERS In response to requests from Tribal members regarding the proposed 2008 budget, the Tribal Council has arranged the following meeting. This will be your opportunity to ask specific questions regarding the proposed budget. Tribal management and Finance staff will be pres ent. This meeting is for Tribal members, their spouses and guardians of Tribal children only. What: Information Meeting 2008 Proposed Budget When: Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 9 to 1 1 a.m. Where: Tribal Council Chambers Attention Tribal Members 2007 GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE I Sunday, Dec. 2 Grand Rondc, 1 1 a.m. NOTICE Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings DATE TIME Wednesday, Dec. 12 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26 5 p.m. Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed. Please call Da kota Whitecloud, Tribal Council Helations Coordinator, at 503-879-1309 to confirm. Dear Tribal members: As you read this letter, please do not see it as a plea for sympathy or a tug at your heartstrings. Please read it as a request for justice and as the opportunity to put an end to what has been a long and emotional road for many of us. My name is Marilyn Portwood and I am asking you to register and vote in the upcoming Constitutional Election on our Tribe's membership requirements. Many of you know me. I was a teacher at Willamina Middle School for many years. I also served as the secretary of the Tribe's Enrollment Re quirements Ad Hoc Committee. On another, though not unrelated note, I and all my children and grand children are descended from Chief Tumulth, one of our Tribe's signers of the Treaty of 1855. Ironically, not all of my grandchildren are able to enroll; in fact my grandsons Ricky and Nicholas and my granddaughter Lucy will be denied membership should this Constitutional amendment fail. If that sounds harsh, then you can imagine how I feel, much less my children, whose children's Tribal fate hangs in the balance on this election. In 1999 I wrote a lengthy letter that was published in Smoke Signals warning Tribal members that there would be consequences should the Constitutional amendment of that year pass. I think we can all agree that a number of those consequences have sadly come to fruition since then, some of which are split families, children slated to be thrown off the rolls, and the blood of some present Grand Ronde Tribal members being rendered irrelevant based upon what year they enrolled. I've always viewed our Tribe as one big family, a cohesive group of caring people who would not be divided by something as shallow as greed or politics for politics' sake. Earlier this year I was asked by our Tribe to publicize my family's history in order to show that Grand Ronde had a historic presence in the Columbia River Gorge. My sister and I volunteered to do this without hesi tation. Why? Because I love my Tribe and would never pass up the chance to help. When you care about your Tribe, such decisions are not hard to make. The proposed Constitutional amendment will not open up the floodgates. Roughly 300 people, many of them children, many of them at the end of their bloodline, will be able to enroll. It will not ruin or have a huge effect on the services we receive as Tribal members. Don't believe people who tell you that lots of people will be able to enroll. Just ask yourself: How many people who would like to join have a parent on the roll? This is still a requirement! It will heal split families. It will stop Tribal children from being disen rolled. It will solve most of those ill effects of the 1999 amendment. Most importantly, it will allow me, a proud grandmother whose family was used as a symbol of our Tribal history, to celebrate many holidays and new years with enrolled grandchildren, a bright future ahead of them as Grand Ronde Tribal members. Please vote "yes" on Part B and Part C of the Constitutional amend ment. Marilyn Portwood Roll 2915 Secretary, Enrollment Requirements Ad Hoc Committee PUBLICATIONS OFFICE 96 1 5 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347 1.800-422-0232, FAX: 503-879-2173 www.grandronde.org DEADLINE DATE ISSUE DATE Wednesday, Dec. 5 DEC. 15 Wednesday, Dec. 19 JAN. I Friday, Jan. 4 JAN. I S Friday, Jan. 18 FEB. I flirt SIOBHAN TAYLOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR 503-879-1920 Uobhjn.uykx4Pgrjmdrond.ori JUSTIN PHILLIPS GRAPHIC DESIGNER 503-879-2190 uiln.phlllle$ritdromlt.ot SHELLY KENT CENTRAL PHONES 503-879-5211 tliily.limflt4mltmlt.oii DEAN RHODES PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR 503-879-1 463 dMn.rtwd0lr4ndrand.oif RON KARTEN STAFF WRITER 503-879-4663 ron,klnVi indrondt.ort CARLA ROBERTS CENTRAL PHONES 503-879-1447 f jiilj.ruhiuPtJiidfonil..oi KRISTEN RAVIA PUBLICATIONS SECRETARY 503-879-1 453 krtaitn.nvtiQirandrondt.ori GEORGE VALDEZ PRODUCTION ASSISTANT 503-879-1416 wH,vall.l&fr4ndrondt.or SMOKE SIGNALS, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com munity of Oregon, is published twice a month. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission. Our editorial policy Is intended to encourage input from Tribal members and readers about stories printed In the Tribal newspaper. However, all letters received must be signed by the author, an address must be given and a phone number or e-mail address must be included for verification purposes. Full addresses and phone numbers will not be published unless requested. SMOKE SIGNALS reserves the right to edit letters and to refuse letters that are determined to contain libelous statements or personal attacks on individuals, staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Letters to the editor are the opinions and views of the writer. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SMOKE SIGNALS, Tribal staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Members of: Native American Journalists Association The Associated Press Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Fellow Tribal members: lam hoping that you read this letter with an open mind and, more impor tantly, an open heart. As you know, the 1999 Constitutional amendment had a number of unintended effects, one of which was to split up some of our Tribal families. I know firsthand the emotional distress this caused a lot of fellow Grand Ronde Tribal members. I know because I belong to one of those families. I am one of those Tribal members. For the past eight years I have devoted a lot of my personal time trying to correct some of the unexpected side effects of the 1999 amendment. I was one of the first Tribal members to put in an application to the Enrollment Requirements Ad Hoc Committee, and was lucky enough to serve. We put a lot of time and thought into our recommendations to the Tribal Council, and although the language may not have been what every one of us wanted individually, there was a consensus amongst a very diverse and opinionated group of Tribal members. That is why I believe our recommen dation, if implemented, would help solve a large portion of the enrollment problems that have hurt our Tribe since 1999. That said, I am urging you to register and vote in the upcoming Constitutional election. We need a high voter turnout to validate the election. I am asking you to vote "yes" on these amendments. I think they are fair, equitable and come at little cost to many of the services we, as Tribal members, receive. Furthermore, it would save a lot of heartache in some of our Tribal families, and opens up a lifetime of opportunity for many of our Tribal children and youth. Diana Norton Roll 2599 2007-08 Tribal Council 1-800-422-0232 councilgrandronde.org D Cheryle Kennedy Tribal Chairwoman ext. 2352 cheryle.kennedygrandronde.org Reyn Leno Tribal Vice Chair ext. 2399 reyn.lenograndronde.org D )ack Glffen Jr. Tribal Secretary ext. 2306 Jack.glffengrandronde.org D Steve Bobb Sr. ext. 2353 steve.bobbgrandronde.org Chris Mercler ext. 2305 chrls.merclergrandronde.org D Wink Soderberg ext. 1444 wlnk.soderberggrandronde.org D Kathleen Tom -ext. 1777 kathleen.tomgrandronde.org O June Sell-Sherer ext. 2300 June.sherergrandronde.org D Valorie Sheker ext. 2355 val.shekergrandronde.org
