Smoke Signals 3
FEBRUARY 15, 2011
Tribe receives ffoamidliiOTig ffoir iraew posDoomi
Thorsgard adopts
new role as Tribal
sovereignty increases
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signal editor
.Tribal member and Tribal Cul
tural Protection Coordinator Eirik
Thorsgard is now wearing a new
hat as Tribal Historic Preservation
Officer.
Thanks to a more than $27,000
grant from the National Park
Service, the Grand Ronde Tribe
now has increased sovereignty in
controlling its architectural and
historic sites on Reservation and
trust lands.
Previously, Thorsgard told the
General Council meeting held at
the Grand Ronde Tribal Commu
nity Center on Feb. 6, if the Tribe
discovered a potentially historic
site on its lands, it had to obtain
a ruling from the State Historic
Preservation Office before work
could continue.
"We would have to wait for the
state and that could take anywhere
from 30 to 60 days," Thorsgard
said.
Now, Thorsgard has the author
ity to assess potential archeologi
cal materials and devise plans to
avoid affecting the site or move the
materials out of the way of planned
development.
Thorsgard said he has been work
ing on obtaining this federal desig
nation since June 2009.
As part of being the Tribe's new
Historic Preservation Officer,
Thorsgard is seeking Tribal mem
bers who would like to serve on an
advisory board. Those interested
'fill T'sV
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Photo by Dean Rhodes
Tribal mtmbtr and Tribal Cultural Prottctlon Coordinator Eirik Thorsgard
briefs tha mambarship on bacoming tha Triba's naw Historic Prasarvation
Officer at tha Fab. 6 Ganaral Council maating hald in Grand Ronda.Tha Grand
Ronda Triba will racaiva mora than $27,000 this yaar from tha National Park
Sarvica to halp fund tha effort, ha said.
can contact him at 503-879-1630 or
eirik.thorsgardgrandronde.org.
Thorsgard said the Grand Ronde
Tribe is now one of 103 federally
recognized Tribes in the country
with a Tribal Historic Preserva
tion Office. There are 565 federally
recognized Tribes.
Thorsgard added that the fund
ing is never guaranteed, since it
does come from the federal govern
ment, and the amount the Tribe
receives may either be less than
or more than the $27,000 expected
this year.
In other action during the meet
ing, Tribal Council member Jack
Giffen Jr. encouraged Tribal mem
bers to support an Oregon Depart
ment of Environmental Quality
URGENT: Skookum Alternate
Resource survey deadline
The Skookum Health Program is funded with Tribal dollars. The
annual cost for medical claims has increased dramatically' over the
past 10 years, and in 2010 the Tribe spent more than $20 million to
operate the Skookum program. To help control costs, effective March
1, 201 1, all members who have not completed the Skookum Alternate
Resource Survey will not have their claims paid until the survey is
completed. Shasta will be notifying members whose claims have
been pended via mail, with instructions for completing the survey
online or by telephone. Tribal staff will be contacting members who
have not completed the survey by telephone as well.
This information is essential if we are going to get the plan back
to its original intent of being the primary payer ONLY in cases
when other payers (Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance) are
not available.
PLEASE NOTE: TRIBAL COUNCIL WANTS YOU TO KNOW
THAT THIS SURVEY IS CRITICAL AND THAT YOUR BENEFITS
OR OUT-OF-POCKETS EXPENSES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO
CHANGE.
Here is an example of how this will work and why it is so impor
tant: A Tribal member who has Skookum as a primary payer must
have a back surgery and, due to complications, remains in the hos
pital for 45 days. Average cost to the Tribe: $250,000.
This same Tribal member has the same surgery and complica
tions and remains in the hospital for 45 days. However, the member
has access to his spouse's employer's insurance, with a maximum out
of pocket of $5,000. Total cost to the Tribe: no more than $5,000.
YOU MAY COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE (BY FOLLOW
ING THE LINK ON THE CTGR WEB SITE) OR OVER THE TELE
PHONE BY CONTACTING BARBARA STEERE, JIM HOLMES
OR MELODY BAKER AT (800) 775-0095. B
proposal to revise state water qual
ity standards based on a fish con
sumption rate of 175 grams a day.
"We've been working on this for
years," Giffen said, acknowledg
ing Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle
A. Kennedy's work on the effort
as well. "This is a substantial in
crease." The higher fish consumption rate
will result in decreasing the levels
of toxic pollution that are consid
eredallowable" in Oregon's rivers, '
lakes and streams.
The proposed 175 grams per
day rate is based, in part, on a
study of ceremonial and subsis
tence consumption habits of Native
Americans who reside in, catch and
consume fish within the Columbia
River Basin. The study found that
consumption of 23 eight-ounce serv
ings of fish meals per month is a
realistic value that represents con
sumption habits of Native peoples.
Letters of support will be for
warded to Andrea Matzke at the
state Department of Environmen
tal Quality's Water Quality Divi
sion, 811 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland
OR 97204.
Tribal Council member Chris
Mercier also donated one of his
paychecks - about $2,150 - to the
Tribal Library.
"This is going to an area that I am
confident that it will make a differ
ence in the community," Mercier
said about his donation given to
Tribal member and Education Divi
sion Manager April Campbell. "The
Tribal Library is going through
an expansion and they should be
able to buy a lot of books with this
money."
Tribal Elders Nancy Coleman
and Dorothy Shortt and Tribal
spouse Duane Coulson won the
$50 door prizes and Tribal Elder
Qahira Lorraine Barton won the
$100 door prize.
The next General Council meet
ing will be held 11 a.m. Sunday,
March 6, in either. Portland or
Eugene. D
First Foods Celebration
set for March 19
The annual First Foods Celebration will be held at noon Saturday,
March 19, at the Tribal Community Center in Grand Ronde.
Meal service will begin at noon. Tribal members are invited to at
tend and enjoy traditional foods. All are welcome and the event will
be free. For more information, contact Culture Committee member
Kathy Provost at 503-857-8440. D
Arp you a CTGil Elddr or do you qua
undor CTGR housing
guldllnos for low Incomo?
CTGR-Portland Office will be having
Doris Rose
at the PAO office on
Feb. 28, 2011
8 A.M. - 5 P.M.
To schedule your appointment, call
or call Lisa Archuleta for details
J J T Jmr s S m V Ati. I
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