4 JANUARY 1,2008
Smoke Signals
Tribal member takes job in Sen. Smith's office
Harrelson the second Grand Ronde going to work in Washington, D.C
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal member David Har
relson is heading for Capitol
Hill in Washington, D.C.
Although he was unsuccess
ful in his quest for the Mark
O. Hatfield Fellowship funded
annually by the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde, Har
relson networked his way into
the office of Sen. Gordon Smith,
R-Pendleton, for a three-month
internship that starts Jan. 2.
"When he gets lemons," said
his mother, Tribal member
Kim Campbell, "he makes lem
onade." The Smith internship also
honors former Oregon Sen.
Mark O. Hatfield, Smith's pre
decessor in the Senate, and
it leaves open the possibility
that Harrelson may be able to
extend his stay.
Harrelson, 22, said he want
ed to work in Smith's office
because of the senator's place
ment on the Indian Affairs and
Energy and Natural Resources
committees.
Per capita time is also time to learn how to invest wisely
Tribe offers three programs for members to gain financial literacy
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal youths growing up today
can expect more than $100,000
from their per capita and timber
trust funds when they reach 21.
Sounds like a dream come true,
but for many Tribal members,
without any background in finan
cial matters, the money can slip
through their fingers before they've
blinked twice.
Sometimes once.
The Tribe has been working since
the first per capita payments in 1999
to come up with a financial educa
tion plan that will effectively reach
Tribal members locally, across the
country and around the world.
It is per capita time again at the
Tribe and an opportunity to em
phasize financial skills that could
mean the difference between a col
lege education and none, or between
the start of savings and investment
plans that will grow throughout the
lives of Tribal members instead of a
life of living paycheck to paycheck.
In an effort to see the Trust funds
pay dividends, Tribal offices have
put together at least three distinct
teaching programs.
Social Services and the Housing
Authority each have programs to help
with handling money responsibly,
each for a different purpose, and the
Education Division had a program
that is becoming part of a third of
fering being developed under Tribal
Investment Manager Jeff Valentine.
In the first quarter of next year,
Valentine said, it will be presented
as an Internet class accessible to
Tribal members.
"I'm interested in any opportuni
ties working within the government
in Indian affairs or natural re
sources," Harrelson said. "I hope to
network. I don't expect to get a set
something, but I'm looking forward
to being able to observe leadership,
and to understand compromise and
the political process through which
Tribes have to function.
"I'm also going to see if there's
potential future interest, not in
government politics, necessarily. I'm
really interested in Tribal commu
nity development, developing strong
communities. Whether that's local,
tribal, firefighting or the national
Native American community.
"For me, it's fire, history, Na
tives. "I'm excited about being so close
to all those museums. I'm also
excited about being near archives
for my own research regarding our
Tribe."
Harrelson is a man with many
interests. A 2006 graduate of Lewis
& Clark College in Portland, where
he majored in history, he held a
leading position on the school's
crew team (see Smoke Signals, May
7
1 ' - :r-..-" ... , -f
James "Chip" Dennedy
For Deborah Kroeker, the Tribal
Housing Authority's Housing Ser
vices specialist, the key for Tribal
members is "to make (financial
literacy) a priority."
The issue for James "Chip"
Dennedy, who advises the Tribe on
how to build its financial education
program, "The question is whether
we see per capita as a financial
foundation or a temporary and im
mediate gratification."
Dennedy is a principal and reg
istered investment adviser for
Albuquerque, N.M. -based REDW
Stanley Financial Advisors, LLC,
T
IS"
'
. -"" .-!
. j
v ,
rrrr . ,
Photo by Ron Karten
Tribal member
David Harrelson
1, 2004, issue). Later, he spent a se
mester in Africa (see Smoke Signals
July 1, 2006, issue). He has worked
for the Tribal firefighting team for
Photo by Ron Karten
hired by the Tribe to advise on
the development of the financial
literacy program.
Tackling a big unknown, Denne
dy said, "It's probably good for them
to know that it might not always
be there."
With that in mind, the Tribe's
effort so far is summed up in a
working booklet that includes sec
tions called:
Being a Smart Consumer
College Considerations
Basic Budgeting
Bank Accounts
Savings for Financial Goals
many years, last summer as a
squad boss in charge of half a
dozen others.
Since graduating, Harrelson
has been working odd jobs in
Portland and taking on vol
unteer gigs as he finds them.
Currently, he's volunteering for
the Native American Youth As
sociation, helping with events.
The internship will provide
him a monthly stipend of $1,000
though housing alone will cost
$1,200 a month.
But to see the Capitol in ac
tion, Harrelson is prepared
to do what it takes. "I really
wanted to work with Smith,"
he said.
In addition, he hopes to con
nect with Tribal member Re
becca Knight, who won the
Hatfield Fellowship for the
coming year.
"I'm excited," he said. "It's
just the benefit of having
Grand Ronde Tribal members
on the Hill and the potential
benefits."
Knight will work in Oregon
Rep. Darlene Hooley's office. D
Obtaining and Managing Credit
Introduction to Insurance
Another guide, this one from the
Tribal Housing Authority, called
Building Native Communities,
tackles such issues as:
Developing a Spending Plan
Understanding Credit and Your
Credit Report
Accessing Credit
And under the credit section is
another that talks about "financial
systems before European contact."
The upcoming financial literacy
campaign describes the beauty of
"compound earnings" and shows how
money grows when invested, whether
into a certificate of deposit, bonds,
stocks, mutual funds or annuities.
There are more investment ve
hicles out there than you can shake
a stick at gold or currencies or
hedge funds each with their own
benefits and risks, but professional
investors note that to do nothing
with the money is a risk of its own.
Inflation eats up the value of the
money unless it is earning more
than the inflation rate.
While the Tribe does not give
specific investment advice, Valen
tine recommends those interested
contact a professional investment
adviser. Members also can talk to
somebody at their bank, he added.
For local classes currently avail
able, contact Kroeker at the Tribal
Housing Authority, 503-879-4522,
deborah.kroekergrandronde.org.
She sets classes up on request.
For questions on the adult sav
ings plan or the members savings
plan (timber), contact Valentine at
503-879-4581. B