0 JUNE 1,2011
Smoke Signals
Malting a connection: Tribe, BPA foster consultation
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals ttaff writer
In a series of events and lectures
held Tuesday and Wednesday, May
17-18, in Grand Ronde, Tribal lead
ers and staff members described
the workings of the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde to employ
ees from the Bonneville Power
Administration.
Bonneville Power is the federal
energy agency tasked with bring
ing electricity to the Northwest
and mitigating the side effects un
leashed on traditional Indian lands,
waters and habitat by dams.
Under the title "People Working
Together," the program stressed
the cooperative role the Tribe
plays in statewide and national
politics regarding Grand Ronde's
longstanding interests. It fostered
the cooperative role that Bonneville
Power can play in the process.
"It's important, when dealing
with state and federal agencies, to
know that we won't always be miti
gating problems," said Tribal En
vironmental Resources Specialist
Brandy Humphreys, who organized
the program. "By getting involved
at the beginning, the Tribe can help
prevent problems from happening
in the first place."
Bonneville Power, like Oregon
state agencies, has a responsibil
ity to consult with Tribes. The
two-day session held with some 25
Bonneville employees was all about
describing "the best way to consult
with the Grand Ronde Tribe," said
Humphreys.
"We've learned to work with
people," Tribal Council member
Jack Giffen Jr. told the group. "A
line of communication is just vital
to move forward."
"All through Restoration," said
Tribal Elder and longtime Tribal
Chairwoman Kathryn Harrison,
"it was consultation, consultation,
consultation."
'This is the most information I've
had about the Tribe since I came to
Oregon six years ago," said Shelley
Fenton, a Bonneville Power Realty
specialist.
"So many agencies don't even
know that we're here," said Hum
phreys. Presentations included summa
ries of Tribal history, culture, law
and Tribal resource management
with plenty of time for questions,
field trips and introductory classes
on flint knapping and basketry.
Tribal Public Affairs Director Siob
han Taylor described the fate of the
many Tribes and bands under the
Western Oregon Indian Termination
Act. Thrown together to form a single
Grand Ronde Tribe, the Tribal expe
rience serves as an example of what
it would be like for Bonneville Power
staff members, for example, to have
their own ethnic, religious or racial
affiliation denied to them.
At the same time, Taylor said
Tribal member Greg Archuleta, left,
talks about a Red Osier Dogwood
while taking Bonneville Power
Administration employees on a
nature walk around the Tribal
campus on Tuesday, May 17.
i
74 ' .
v3
Photo by Michelle Alalmo
Tribal Elder Connie Graves, middle, shows Bonneville Power Administration
employees Karen Wolfe, left, a contracting officer with BPA, and Miroslava Rivera,
a realty specialist with BPA, how to weave a basket using Juncus on Tuesday, May
1 7, at the Tribal plankhouse. About 25 Bonneville Power employees spent two
days in Grand Ronde for the Grand Ronde Culture ft Consultation "People Working
Together" training course between the Tribe and BPA.
on the upside of these difficulties,
"Colors, shapes, ethnicities those
are the things that make us who
we are. Those differences are what
make our country strong, and add
ing the Native American element
makes us all stronger together."
"We also have many strong wom
en in leadership positions," Taylor
said.
In short, she said, "Grand Ronde
is a resource for you."
Bonneville Power employees
participated in breakout sessions
where they learned either the art of
flint knapping, led by Tribal mem
ber and Cultural Resources Protec
tion Coordinator Eirik Thorsgard,
or basket weaving, led by Tribal El
der Connie Graves with help from
Tribal Elders Julie Duncan, Gladys
Hobbs, Marion Mercier, Claudia
Leno and Laura Gleason.
Tribal member Greg Archuleta
led the group on a walk through
Cowboy Camp, which is between
the Adult Education Building and
the Elders' Activity Center, to talk
about local plant resources.
The group also took a field trip
to Chankal, a culturally important
site south of Salem.
Lectures by Ceded Lands Pro
gram Manager Michael Karnosh
and Thorsgard provided an en
gaged audience with information
differentiating reservation lands
from ceded lands from "usual and
accustomed" places.
Through a brief Tribal history,
Karnosh reminded the audience,
"All Tribes are different culturally
and organizationally."
Karnosh also described the many
different treaties Tribal forebears
signed. Some were recognized by
Congress, but more were not. Still,
important law has emerged from
judicial decisions all the way up
to the 1974 Boldt Decision at the
Supreme Court.
The doctrine of "reserved rights,"
for example, defines a group of
rights that have come about be
cause they were "not expressly
given up" in the treaties.
Those have come to include hunt
ing, fishing, gathering and other
cultural practices.
"Do you have an heirloom in your
family that you pass down through
the generations?" Harrison asked
the group. "That's what hunting
and fishing rights are to us. They're
our heirloom."
Bonneville Power employees had
a lot of practical questions. Monica
Stafflund, the agency's Keizer
Realty specialist, wanted to know
who to contact as she goes about
her work.
"I recommend three letters," said
Thorsgard. "One to Tribal Council,
one to Cultural Resources and one
to Natural Resources." Sent all at
once, the letters will allow Tribal
staff to get right on the job while
keeping Tribal Council informed in
case policy questions arise.
"There are so many people and
levels of Tribal government that
need to be consulted," said Fenton.
"It's coming together now. I under
stand, and I want to do it right."
Jim Burgess, manager of the
Bonneville Power's Geospatial
Group, wanted to know about sub
surface mineral rights.
"I like the energy I'm seeing
here," Burgess said.
Calling himself, "a kindred spirit"
who grew up as "a mountain man,"
he noted, "At Bonneville, we sup
port and do everything possible to
work with the Tribes."
For Karnosh, "The thing I hope
this type of meeting will accomplish
will be (successful) wildlife mitiga
tion that BPA has embarked on
for the hydro projects in the Wil
lamette Basin."
Under a 2010 agreement with the
state of Oregon, Bonneville Power
promised to mitigate some 26,000
acres; 1,700 acres remain.
The mitigation of this acreage
is "making up for habitat lost in
the 1950s and '60s," Karnosh said.
"And there's a lot of opportunity."
Although Bonneville Power regu
lations require 25-foot vertical clear
ance under and around high voltage
transmission wires, they open the
door to low-growing vegetation like
camas and wapato bulbs.
"We have good goals in common,"
said Burgess.
"It's all a growing process," said
Thorsgard.
'We've been kind of learning about
ourselves as well," said Bonneville
Power Tribal Account Executive
Corrina Ann Ikakoula (Navajo).
"Value added," said Karnosh.
In addition to the people men
tioned above, Humphreys said
Ceded Lands staff would like to
acknowledge Tribal Council mem
ber Steve Bobb Sr., the Elders Com
mittee, Kristy DeLoe and her Food
Service crew, Tribal Canoe Family,
David Harrelson and Bobby Mer
cier from Cultural Resources and
all of the Natural Resources staff
who contributed to the success of
this event, particularly Angella
McCallister. B
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