2 DECEMBER 15,2009
Smoke Signals
NOTICE Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings
DATE TIME
Wednesday, Dec. 16 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 30 5 p.m.
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, Jan. 10 11 a.m.
Tribal Community Center
tea-Ens
Dear Smoke Signals:
This letter is in response to a discussion which took place at a Wednesday
night Tribal Council meeting regarding Tribal employment.
According to the Oct. 14, 2009, Tribal Council minutes, a Tribal member
asked if a non-Tribal member is being "groomed" for the Enrollment Manager
position and stated her opinion that it should be filled by a Tribal member. The
minutes also state that Tribal Council member Val Sheker said she contacted
the Executive Officer and was assured it was a rumor. It was also noted that
Executive Officer Chris Leno said he intends to fill both Enrollment positions
with Tribal members who are recruited, not transferred.
My question is, why? Why this position and why not all management posi
tions then? Ia this the only position that is of such importance that it should
require a Tribal member?
One of the employees currently working in the enrollment office is a mother
and wife of Tribal members. She is a great employee; one of the best in the .
Member Services Department and in my opinion should be groomed as the
enrollment manager. Why ask her to do the job and then grant it to someone
else whom she will have to train? That doesn't seem fair; it seems like a waste
of time and money. She is a very bright, competent, dedicated, loyal employee
of the Tribe who deserves the opportunity to advance in her career.
As former manager of the Member Services Department, I can honestly say
that each and every area in the Member Services Department is just as crucial
and sensitive to confidentiality as the other. There are currently non-Tribal
members working in the department in other areas. Both of these employees
have access to just as much confidential information as anyone else in the
department and also work closely with our Tribal investments, specifically
with our children's trust funds. Should Tribal members fill those positions
too? I can think of at least 15 key positions within the Tribe that are held by
non-Tribal members. So why is the enrollment position treated differently?
The Enrollment Department now has policies and procedures and checks
and balances in place that drastically lower the chance of enrollment mistakes
occurring. The enrollment manager does not make decisions alone and does
not have the ability or control to interfere with the enrollment process. The
enrollment process goes through many different channels and recommenda
tions to Tribal Council are made after at least three staff people have reviewed
the application, and when the recommendation is to enroll a member, the
recommendation has to be approved by each Enrollment Committee member,
too, before approved by Council. We already have an Enrollment Committee
. made up of only Tribal members; that's the way it should be. They are the
recommending body to council when enrolling or dis-enrolling anyone, not
the staff. The enrollment manager along with the assistant simply handle
the paperwork and research for the committee and council. .
I've thought about the pros and cons of having a Tribal member vs. a non
Tribal member in this position and vice versa. Maybe the position should be
filled by a non-Tribal member. While chairing the enrollment ad hoc committee
a few years ago, I remember hearing many unsubstantiated claims about the
Enrollment Department at the time. Claims that the staff was discriminat
ing against certain applicants and that applications were purposely "lost."
Employing an impartial non-Tribal member in this position who may not
have all the history and knowledge that a Tribal member would have might
be good for the Tribe. The only disadvantage I can think of at this moment is
that the non-Tribal member may not feel as protected as an employee of the
Tribe and may be an easy target of unfair politics. I'd hate to see that happen
to someone; no one deserves that and all employees should feel safe from the
politics in their jobs.
I debated with myself on whether to send this letter, but why not? If there
are actually really good, objective reasons to hire only a Tribal member for
this position, I would like to know. Like many Tribal issues, I believe this one
is a simple one being blown out of proportion by few select members and not
giving a current employee the chance to advance is not a fair result.
I'd also like to know how many employees work at the Tribe, how many are
Tribal members vs. non-Tribal members and of those non-Tribal members how
many are spouses andor parents of Tribal members? I'd also like to know what
the employee handbook states about transferring within the Tribe and what
the current hiring policies are. If I remember correctly, I believe non-Tribal
members who have Tribal families are given preference for jobs after Tribal
members are considered and before other non-Tribal members. Of course I
support Tribal employment, but I support it for Tribal families as well as
just members. If possible, can the appropriate person respond and plnce the
renponse in the next Smoke Signals for all to read? Thank you.
Respectfully,
Debby La men
Roll n low
Tribal offices will be closing on Thursday, Dec. 24, at noon and closed on
Friday, Dec. 25, in observance of Christmas. Offices also will be closing on
Thursday, Dec. 31, at noon and closed on Friday, Jan. 1, in observance
of New Year's Day.
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