2 JULY 15, 2009
Smoke Signals
NOTICE Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings
DATE TIME
Wednesday, July 22 5:30 p.m.
(Later time to accommodate those members of Council return
ing from off-site meetings)
Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed. Call Dakota
Whitecloud, Tribal Council Relations Coordinator, at 503-879-1309 to confirm.
General Council meeting
Sunday, Sept. 13 11 a.m.
Tribal Community Center
0333330
Dear Tribal leaders and membership:
Let me preface this letter by saying that having served on Tribal Council, I
know your job is not easy. If there was ever a position where you're damned
if you do, damned if you don't, being a Tribal Council member is it. So please
don't take what I have to say personally.
I was really bothered by the letter to the membership you guys probably
ordered our Director of Development to sign and send out. When you guys
make a decision that has the potential to alarm and scare people, is it too
much to ask that you sign your own names to it?
I've worked with some of you, and I have no doubt your motivation in
waiting a year to inform us of what happened is that reviving this issue for
the election might tie in with either your own campaign, or the campaign of
somebody you plan to support. What reason could there be, especially if the
investigation was concluded in January, a half-year ago!
I understand at the July 1 Council meeting some of you tried to blame
others for all the delays. Might I remind some of you that in September
2007, within 48 hours of your political party's candidates being sworn in,
you were successfully able to stop and change the course of a BIA-sanctioned
Constitutional Election, quite possibly the biggest decision made over the
last two years. In other words, when you guys want something done, it gets
done, quickly.
Your decision to mail out this letter is personal for me, because you did
so without consulting some of our Tribal members who work in Member
Services, like my sister Debby Larsen, but also Reina Nelson and Margo
Mercier. These three ladies have been working with a cloud of suspicion
over their heads the past year. And my hunch is that has gotten worse as
questions regarding this issue have gone unanswered and given that their
jobs provide them access to every Tribal member's personal information.
The way you worded your letter leaves readers little choice but to conclude
it was one of them behind last year's "Leno Letter" fiasco. Neither Debby
Larsen, Margo Mercier nor Reina Nelson had a thing to do with it; I know
that for a fact. They are the three least politically-minded members I know.
Not to mention the fact that they have a combined track record of over a
half-century working for the Tribe without incident.
Of course I shouldn't have to say that for them. You should have given them
the chance to address the issue publicly and defend their honor. Frankly,
you owe them and their families an apology.
I was really starting to see progress in our Tribal government, but your
obsession with this practically forgotten issue demonstrates the lengths some
people will go during election time. This season is a time for all our elected
officials (not just the ones up for re-election) to demonstrate integrity and good
will, not casting speculation and diverting attention from the real issues.
Angie Blackwell
Roll 1089
See page 14 for more letters.
2009 Tribal
Marketplace dates
Aug. 7-9, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Aug. 14-16, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Powwow
Sept. 4-6, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Oct. 2-4, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Nov. 6-8, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Dec. 4-6, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Dales subject to change due to conflicting Tribal or SMC events.
Located across from Cedar Plank Buffet. For more information,
call Dakota Whitecloud at 503-879-4240.
Corrections: A story in the July 1 issue of Smoke Signals incor
rectly stated how long current Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle
A. Kennedy has served continuously in office. She took office in
September 2000. In addition, Kennedy was nominated by her sister,
Cecile Kncclnnd, who is not yet an Elder at 49 years of age.
Another story in the July 1 issue incorrectly identified Custodial
Maintenance Supervisor Curtis Rcntsch's job title.
Smoke Signals regrets the errors.
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DEADLINE PATE ISSUE DATE
Monday, July 20 .AUG. 1
Wednesday, Aug. 5 AUG. 1 5
Thursday, Aug. 20 SEPT. 1
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Monday, Sept. 21 OCT. 1
Monday, Oct. 5 OCT. 1 5
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
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Members of: Native American Journalists Association
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2009 Tribal Council
1-800-422-0232 councilgrandronde.org
D Cheryle A. Kennedy D Chris Mercier
Tribal Chairwoman ext. 2305
ext. 2352 chris.rr.erclergrandronde.org
cheryle.kennedygrandronde.org p Sodererg
O Reyn Leno ext. 1 444
Tribal Vice Chair wlnk.soderberggrandronde.org
- ext. 2399 p Kaiee,, Tom
reyn.Kriograndronde.org ext
D Jack Giffen Jr. kathleen.tomgrandronde.org
Tribal Secretary June Sell-Sherer
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lack.glfTengrandronde.org june.sherergrandronde.org
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