Smoke Signals
OCTOBER 15,2011
NOTICE Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings
DATE TIME
Wednesday, Oct. 26 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 9 5 p.m.
Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed.
General Council meeting
Sunday, Nov. 6 11 a.m.
Tribal Community Center
2
Dear Tribal Council:
I do not like to choose between the good of my Tribe and the good of my
family. Please break the enrollment bundle down into four separate ques
tions so I can vote on each of them on their own merit.
Rosemary Jameson
Roll 883
Dear Smoke Signals:
I am a Tribal Elder. I greatly appreciate the benefits that the Tribe af
fords me and my family.
I have four grandchildren who are enrolled in the Tribe. My youngest
grandchild, Makenzie, was a Tribal member, but her membership was
taken away as a result of the 1999 enrollment amendment.
Makenzie has the same blood quantum as her brother and sister, but has
now been left out solely because of the date of her birth. How can she not
grow up feeling discriminated against when her brother and sister have
the same mother and father, and she has the same blood quantum?
There are 30 plus other wounded families that are facing the same
dilemma.
This inequality can be corrected by voting "yes" on the constitutional
election on Nov. 15.
Please vote "yes" because it is the right thing to do to heal this wound
for our families.
Gail Wilkinson
Roll 3509
Dear Tribal members:
Please don't be fooled into thinking that a "yes" vote for the enrollment
requirement amendment election is fair and beneficial for all Tribal
members. It is an attempt at a compromise to correct errors in our cur
rent enrollment requirement at the expense of creating new problems for
current and future Tribal members.
This amendment bundles four separate and distinct enrollment issues;
how can you interlace the definition of Grand Ronde blood, the relinquish
ment time between disenrollment of another Tribe and enrollment in
Grand Ronde, a limit in the absolute number of Tribal members who can
enroll in a given year and the removal of a parent on the roll at the time
of birth into one election?
Indeed, there are glaringly obvious problems with our enrollment re
quirements, but these issues should never have been bundled in a bully at
tempt to force us to accept some detrimental impacts on Tribal membership
in order to get an extremely diminished version of enrollment justice.
In order to address the real issues of enrollment injustice, we need to
vote "no" on this election, lobby our leadership to separate the issues for
individual voting, demand that they quit wasting our time and Tribal
resources on elections meant to divert our attention from the corollary
effects of current enrollment issues (and future issues, should the amend
ment pass), and participate in the creation of non-discriminatory and
even-handed regulation of our enrollment.
Charles G. Haller II
Roll 1032
Dear Tribal membership:
I want to share my story in the hopes you'll support the upcoming con
stitutional amendment.
The first time I met my father was in 2007. I had no knowledge of my
Native heritage until that first meeting. I immediately applied for Tribal
membership, but have been denied due to the fact that my father was not
a Tribal member at the time of my birth. Despite the fact that I was born
during Termination, when my father couldn't be a Tribal member, I've
been denied membership.
I am now 33 years old and look forward to the day that I'll be allowed to
join the rest of my family as a Grand Ronde Tribal member.
Thank you for supporting the constitutional amendment.
Jessie Jones
RollTBD
Dear Smoke Signals:
I am urging everyone to vote "yes" on the amendment issue before us.
I believe that voting "yes" is in the best interest of our Tribe and encour
age you to vote in the affirmative. A vote of "yes" will affirm the rights of
denied Grand Ronde who possess at least 11 6th blood to exercise their
rights as Natives. Vote "yes!"
Eric Bernando
Roll 3265
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DEADLINE DATE ISSUE DATE
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Friday, Nov. 4 Nov. 1 5
Friday, Nov. 18 Dec. I
Friday, Dec. 2 Dec. 15
SMOKE SIGNALS, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com
munity of Oregon, is published twice a month. No portion of this publication may be reprinted
without permission.
Our editorial policy is Intended to encourage Input from Tribal members and readers
about stories printed In the Tribal newspaper. However, all letters received must be
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Members of: Native American Journalists Association
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See pages 10-11 for more letters.
2011-12 Tribal Council
1-800-422-0232 councilgrandronde.org
D Cheryle A. Kennedy Chris Mercier
Tribal Chairwoman ext. 2305
ext. 2352 chrls.merciergrandronde.org
cheryle.kennedygrandronde.org Q june jnerer
Reyn Leno ext. 1 444
Tribal Vice Chair june.sell-sherergrandronde.org
- ext. 2399 D Toby McCIary
reyn.lenograndronde.org exj 4555
D Jack Giffen Jr. toby.mccIarygrandronde.org
Tribal Secretary Kathleen Tom
- ext. 2300 ext. 1 777
jack.giffengrandronde.org kathIeen.tomgrandronde.org
D Steve Bobb Sr. Valorie Sheker
- ext. 2353 - ext. 2355
steve.bobbgrandronde.org val.shekergrandronde.org