Smoke signals., September 01, 2009, Page 7, Image 7

Smoke Signals 7
SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
Tirolbe adopts miew SttirsrticBggnc PDaira
'Living document' to
evolve, guide Tribe
over next decade
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
After almost two years of meet
ings and surveys, the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde has a new
Strategic Plan to help guide Tribal
development through the next
decade.
The Strategic Plan was adopted
by Tribal Council on Aug. 5 and is
the first update since 1995.
"This summary of the planning
process gives you a picture of the
values, issues and goals that will
guide the Tribe's development over
the next 10 years," the new Strate
gic Plan says.
"It also describes some, but not
all, of the initial actions that de
partments will take to implement
the plan."
Among the Strategic Plan's adopt
ed strategies and goals are develop
ment of a comprehensive Tribal
public safety and law enforcement
plan, creation of a 10-year Cultural
Plan, increased prevention efforts
and development of resources for
addiction treatment, maintaining
regular and open communication
between Tribal government and
the membership, and development
of infrastructure and resources for
Tribal economic vitality and diver
sification. The effort to update the Tribe's
1995 Strategic Plan started in
October 2007, when the Strategic
Futures Conference was held in
Grand Ronde.
A draft plan was developed by
Tribal Council with departmental
input. Between November 2008
and June 2009, Tribal member
comments were sought first from
committees and then from the
membership through a mailer of
the draft plan along with a survey
questionnaire. Also, input was
received from those who attended
community meetings held in Port
land, Grand Ronde, Eugene, Bend
and Yakima, Wash.
Tribal Council identified five over
all strategies to be addressed by the
Strategic Plan Sovereignty and
Self-Sufficiency; Tradition and Cul
ture; Healthy Individuals, Families
and Community; Community and
Involvement; and Resources.
The strategies are intended to be
"broad statements of intent" about
key Tribal issues. The goals listed
under each strategy are intended to
be actions that will lead to accom
plishments of the strategies.
Under the Strategies section, Sov
ereignty and Self-Sufficiency features
seven goals; Tradition and Culture,
three goals; Healthy Individuals,
Families and Community, four goals;
Community and Involvement, four
goals; and Resources, five goals.
A new element of the Strategic
Plan, "Our Foundation," describes
the ethic of mutual respect and
contribution that is the foundation
of Grand Ronde Tribal values, the
plan says.
It reads, 'The Umpqua, Molalla,
Rogue River, Kalapuya and Chasta
and all of the Peoples of the 27
Tribes and Bands of the Confed
erated Tribes of Grand Ronde
have kept and tended to certain
traditions for centuries. Foremost
among them is the spirit of caring
for each other.
"According to Tribal tradition, the
Tribe has a responsibility to look
out for the well-being and interests
of each Tribal member, especially in
times of personal challenge or dif
ficulty. In turn, each Tribal member
has a unique contribution to make,
and shares the responsibility to
contribute to the welfare of other
Tribal members and the Tribe as
a whole.
'This tradition of mutual respon
sibility is a cornerstone of Tribal
values. All plans and aspirations of
the Tribe are built on and depend
upon the active demonstration of
caring, respect and responsibility
among all Tribal members."
The new Strategic Plan also lists
Department Action Plans. For ex
ample, Education is charged with
increasing the graduation rate of
Tribal high school students and
increasing student awareness of
funding sources for college or vo
cational training.
Tribal Planning and Grants Man
ager Kim Rogers said that every
Tribal member household will
receive a copy of the adopted Stra
tegic Plan in the near future.
"The strategies, goals and action
plans contained in this plan repre
sent the Tribe's current priorities
and efforts heading into 2010," the
plan says.
"As we know, conditions and
circumstances change over time,
and what makes sense today may
not be the best thinking five years
from now.
"Guided by the Tribe's long-term
vision, principles and founda
tion, the Tribal Strategic Plan is
intended to be a 'living document'
that will evolve over the next 10
years to reflect the current issues
and needs of the Tribe."
The Tribe also is in the process of
developing a Community Develop
ment Plan, which will focus on the
Grand Ronde community area. The
detailed plan is scheduled to be
completed later this year. II
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