Smoke signals., July 15, 2011, Page 5, Image 5

Smoke Signals 5
JULY 15, 2011
EOder NomioEr Day
Photos by Michelle Alalmo
Tribal Elder Beryl Contreras looks through tha givaaway items to
find tha on sha wants as her grandson, Tribal member Ray Duran,
looks on during tha annual Elder Honor Day at Spirit Mountain
Casino on Friday, July 8. Duran volunteered to help at the event,
which about 300 Grand Ronde Elders, as well as Elders from other
Tribes, attended. In addition to giveaways, the event included lunch,
a storyteller, a live band and bingo.
,4 ' '
id r.
i el ,
Tribal Elder and master of ceremonies Bob Tom sets out items
that he brought to give away to veterans who travelled from
out of state to attend tha Tribe's annual Elder Honor Day at
Spirit Mountain Casino on Friday, July 8. This year's theme was
"Honoring All Veterans."
Powwow SEB needs workers
The Powwow SEB will be hiring workers to assist in the areas of park
ing, clean up, vendors and microphone runners. If you are interested,
you will need to fill out an application to be in the temporary worker pool
through the Tribal Human Resources Department. All workers will need
to complete a background check and UA. The process takes two weeks
to complete, so all applications must be submitted no later than Aug. 3.
There will be a mandatory worker orientation on Aug. 17 at noon at the
Tribal Powwow Grounds. B
Medallion, neck pouch
class scheduled
The Cultural Resources Department is sponsoring a small medallion or
neck pouch class using traditional materials from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and
Thursday, July 20-21. The class will be taught by Margaret Matthewson.
Materials will be provided and the class is free.
To enroll or obtain more information, contact Brian Krehbiel at 503-879-4639
or send an e-mail to brian.krehbielgrandronde.org.
The class is designed for those who know how to twine, but there will be
room for those with little or no experience to participate as well. fl
Chirouk Wawa classes
offered aft Tribe
The Tribal Cultural Education Department offers adult Chinuk Wawa
language classes from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in Room 207
of the Tribal Education Building.
Language classes can be taken for college credit or for fun.
For more information, contact Chinuk Wawa teacher Kathy Cole at
503-879-2249 or 503-437-4599. B
Zumba held Monday, Wednesday
Zumba, an easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired and calorie-burning
dance fitness party, is held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday and
Wednesday in the Tribal gymnasium.
The first class is free and $6 thereafter for drop-ins, or $5 if par
ticipants purchase a punch card.
For more information, contact Tribal Recreation Coordinator Alton
Butler at 503-879-1369. B
The fofiflD passed tide sftafte Senna tie on J mime 6
POLICE continued
from front page
ly recognized Tribal Nations within
the state is awaiting the signature
of Gov. John Kitzhaber.
The bill passed the state Senate
on June 6 with 19 yes votes and
then was approved 33-25 by the
state House of Representatives on
June 29.
Karen Quigley, executive director
of the state Legislative Commis
sion on Indian Services, said that
a signing ceremony for the bill will
be held later in July.
"The commission plans to host
a small, informal reception after
the signing," she said. "Congratu
lations to all who worked so hard
on the passage of this significant
legislation."
The bill clarifies Tribal law en
forcement capability on and off
Tribal lands. The amended bill
provides certainty with respect to
state-approved training of Tribal
police officers and addresses rules
of evidence, public records and tort
liability.
The bill also contains a "sunset
provision," which means it will be
reviewed in the future by the state
Legislature to assess how well it is
working.
The bill was opposed by Oregon
Sheriffs Association because it
gives Tribes power to go off Tribal
lands, but does not allow non-Tribal
police the authority to unilaterally
go on reservation lands.
"But even some senators who vot
ed to support the sheriffs acknowl
edged that it will be important for
Oregon's sheriffs to recognize the
new reality and perhaps eventu
ally will even see the value of joint
efforts in public safety by profes
sional Tribal and non-Tribal law
enforcement officers throughout
Oregon," Quigley said.
House Co-Speaker Arnie Roblan
(D-Coos Bay) said the legislation
will provide Tribal police officers
with better training and more
access to their law enforcement
colleagues. The bill allows Tribal
police to conduct their duties off
of reservation land, such as when
they are pursuing a suspect from
reservation land to non-reservation
land.
"This will improve the relation
ship between Tribal police and
Oregon law enforcement officers,"
Roblan said. "It provides Oregon
law enforcement with some new
allies in their efforts to keep our
communities safe. And it allows our
Tribal police officers to act as peace
officers anywhere in the state as
long as they are performing their
official duties."
Since Oregon's nine federally rec
ognized Tribes are located in rural
areas, such as Pendleton, Burns,
Grand Ronde and Florence, the
new state law should make remote
areas of Oregon safer places to live
for Tribal and non-Tribal members
alike.
Roblan said he believes the leg
islation will promote reciprocity,
making it more likely that Tribal
police forces would partner with
other Oregon law enforcement
personnel. These agreements be
tween Tribes and surrounding law
enforcement jurisdictions will allow
both Oregon and Tribal leaders to
develop working relationships to
provide better enforcement in both
Tribal communities and surround
ing areas, he said.
"These new Tribal police officers
will be trained exactly as our state
police and local officers," Roblan
said. "They will have the ability to
conduct themselves as any other
police officer in the state. And that
can only benefit the residents of the
Tribal lands and Oregon communi
ties who are their neighbors."
The bill was drafted after the Kurtz
v. Oregon case, in which Thomas E.
Kurtz fled from Warm Springs Tribal
police and was arrested, off reserva
tion, by Warm Springs Tribal Officer
Joseph Davino.
Circuit Court Judge Dan Ahem
found Kurtz guilty of attempting
to allude and resisting arrest.
However, the Oregon Court of Ap
peals found Davino was not a po
lice officer under the current state
definitions. Recently, the Oregon
Supreme Court upheld Ahern's
decision and affirmed the legality
of the arrest.
"We still need (this law)," Jim
Soules, former general manager
for Warm Springs Public Safety,
recently said. "Because the Su
preme Court did not deal with the
question as a whole, just in the case
before it. Without (the law), every
Tribal arrest on non-Indians will
be litigated." B